A very vegan vacation
By Leah Martindale Third year film and television
Leah Martindale shares her tips on how to eat vegan whilst travelling.
I love to travel. I save my limited pennies and cash in on airline Black Friday sales to globe hop to my heart’s content. I love the culture, the heat, and the freedom from your daily life. However, one thing that is not freeing is trying to find some vegan scran anywhere away from home.
With veganism being a relatively new concept in England, let alone European countries whose diets frequently have a heavy focus on dairy products, hunting down veggie snacks with your “French for Idiots” pocket guide in hand is a challenge no one at the travel agencies warns you about.
After some grueling travels in the past few years, and stumbling upon some absolute gems, I’ve compiled a few easy hints to quieten your grumbling tummies, whilst getting some Instagram worthy snaps. My experiences focus mainly on mainland Europe because, to be honest guys, I can’t afford to go further.
1. Travel for food
We travel for culture, for art, for sun and for fun, and there is nothing wrong with travelling for food. Places like Berlin, Amsterdam, and Barcelona are hot on the trend of veganism, and knowing this can help you to narrow down your choices when planning. A major influencer on me piggybacking my mum’s trip to Northern India was being under the impression that I’d be tripping over vegan food at every corner. (Spoiler alert, I wasn’t.) Also think timewise - Bruges’ Christmas Market was magical, but with Christmas Markets comes mince-pies, doughnuts, foot-long hot dogs, and chocolate fountains. Veganism was possible, but hardly fun.
Image: Leah Martindale
2. “Senza formaggio”
“Vegan” is not a term that carries well globally. “Vegetarian” will get you a confused chuckle in more rural areas, let alone the idea of no cheese, eggs, and honey. Learning little phrases in the local tongue will save your life. “Senza formaggio” saved my life in Italy, because its (butchered) meaning is “without cheese”. “No cheese” may land you with no added cheese but a nice rich cheesy base, but “without cheese” will get you a meal with it all taken out. Learning simple phrases in the language will save you a lot of hassle, as well as looking like an uncultured touristy Benidorm extra.
3. When we assume…
In England supermarket pasta will be 100% durum wheat, breads are vegan unless otherwise stated, and allergens are listed in bold. When you go to the home of pasta, expect egg pasta. In England, asking for a pizza without cheese will usually equal a vegan pizza. Abroad, you can never be so sure on dough fronts. If you are a hardline vegan, never be afraid to ask the obvious questions, because a curveball to you is someone else’s obvious answer.
4. HappyCow is your best friend
If you do not have the HappyCow app, what are you doing? It’s a cheap App that will pull up all the vegetarian and vegan cafes, restaurants, and shops around you, as well as normal shops with good options, and hints and tips. Put this article down, download the app, and find out all the hidden gems right around your corner.
5. Do as the locals do
One of the joys of travel is eating out. However, one of the most expensive and often disappointing elements of vegan travel is eating out. The best tip I can give you is shopping and cooking for yourself. Hitting the greengrocers and rummaging through local shops can open your eyes to a whole world of holiday food, without the stress of asking your confused waiter to take out half of the ingredients.
At the end of the day, though, don’t let food put you off your travels. If you can afford to go (financially and timewise) then take the opportunity, and if push comes to shove, pocket some bread and jam from breakfast.
Featured image: Leah Martindale
Do you have any tips for vegans when eating out whilst travelling? Let us know!