The best way to find vegan-friendly restaurants and accommodation is by doing your research before you go on holiday. Careful planning can make all the difference between a wonderful experience and a disastrous vacation.
You might have already googled the best places to eat in your destination city, but if you’re looking for something specific or just want to build a list of options for future trips, you’ll need more than just Google searches.
In addition to providing the means for making them easier, here are some tips that will help you plan more efficiently:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Finding vegan-friendly restaurants and accommodations while traveling is an essential aspect of maintaining a vegan lifestyle. |
| Veganism is a sustainable, ethical, and healthful alternative to animal-based food practices. |
| HappyCow and other vegan travel guides are excellent resources for discovering vegan-friendly dining options worldwide. |
| Choosing eco-conscious travel options and accommodations is an effective way for vegans to reduce their environmental footprint while exploring the world. |
| Educating children about veganism and animal welfare contributes to raising compassionate, empathetic individuals who can advocate for ethical values and respect for all living beings. |
Do Pre-Trip Research
It’s important to do your homework before you travel. Research the area you are visiting, and be aware of the language of food in that area.
Are there any vegan, vegetarian or raw restaurants? If so, what are they called? Find out if there are any vegetarian restaurants nearby by asking locals for recommendations or looking online at TripAdvisor reviews.
Be wary of restaurants that claim to be vegetarian but actually serve meat dishes!
It’s time to embrace a plant-based diet and shift our focus towards ethical and sustainable food practices. As our article on Why Veganism is the Future of Food explains, the negative impact of animal agriculture on our environment and our health cannot be ignored.
Provide A Few Days’ Notice To Your Hotel
To ensure that you have an awesome vegan experience, it’s best to ask the hotel staff for the following:
A vegan breakfast. If you’re going to be staying for a few days, this is super easy and simple to do! Simply ask them to prepare a few vegan options for you. You can even let them know what time works best for your schedule and they’ll accommodate accordingly.
Vegan options at the bar/restaurant/café/etc., depending on which one is open when you arrive at night or during lunchtime (if there’s no option during breakfast).
This way, if there are no other places around with vegan food choices nearby – or if they’re closed due whether or not – then your hotel room will still provide some comfort while enabling those who wish not only eat but also drink safely knowing that everything within their reach doesn’t contain animal products whatsoever.”
Book A Vegan-Friendly Accommodation
Check out HappyCow. This is a website that lists all of the vegan, vegetarian and raw restaurants throughout the world. It also includes vegan, vegetarian and raw accommodation options.
Look for vegan, vegetarian or raw restaurants in your area on HappyCow before you go so you can plan your trip around eating at these establishments.
You should also ask local hotels if they have any recommendations for vegan-friendly places to eat in the area as well as whether they provide gluten-free options or other special diets such as pescetarianism (i.e., someone who eats fish but no other meat).
Give them a few days’ notice; it’s best not to suddenly show up at an establishment on their busiest night asking for something special like this just because it’s “your birthday” and you have “an important business dinner” coming up!
The last thing they want is a disgruntled customer who feels like they wasted their time waiting on something that doesn’t exist yet because there wasn’t enough time to prepare what was needed beforehand (and then lets everyone know about how rudely treated they were by posting negative reviews online).
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Convenience and Accessibility | HappyCow is a website that lists vegan, vegetarian, and raw restaurants and accommodations the world-over in one convenient location. |
| Variety of Options | With HappyCow, you can choose from a wide variety of vegan-friendly accommodations including hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and more. |
| Verified Reviews | HappyCow provides you with verified customer reviews of vegan-friendly accommodations so you can know the real experiences of past patrons. |
| Additional Criteria Filters | Search by additional criteria like price range, location, and amenities, making it easy to find an accommodation that suits your needs. |
| Exclusive Discounts | HappyCow subscribers receive exclusive discounts on vegan-friendly accommodations, allowing you to save money while traveling. |
By booking vegan-friendly accommodations, you can ensure that your travel experience aligns with your ethical values. HappyCow makes it easy to find vegan accommodations worldwide, providing a wide range of options and verified reviews. Their additional criteria filtering feature allows you to tailor your search to best fit your needs. Lastly, subscribing to HappyCow gives you exclusive discounts, making vegan travel more affordable.
Ask Restaurants In Advance
When you’re out and about on your next trip, ask restaurants in advance if they offer a vegan menu.
Some might not have one, but it’s worth asking because they may be able to adjust some of their dishes or make something up just for you.
If a restaurant doesn’t have a specific vegan entree, ask if they can prepare something vegan for you it’s always better to specify exactly what type of dish you would like than just say “vegan.”
Some restaurants will accommodate special requests by leaving off certain ingredients from dishes that are already prepared; others will completely remake an item on the spot (if there’s enough time). If all else fails, it’s always possible to go hungry!
Eating out as a vegan can be a challenge, but with the right preparation and knowledge, it can also be a delicious experience. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Dining Out as a Vegan: Tips and Tricks for valuable tips and tricks on how to navigate restaurants and enjoy plant-based meals.
Look For Vegan, Vegetarian Or Raw Restaurants
If you’re new to veganism and want to try some local vegan cuisine, a good place to start is with restaurants that specialize in vegan food.
These types of establishments can help you transition into a plant-based diet if you are trying to remove animal products from your diet. They also offer a variety of options for those who are already vegans and vegetarians.
Some restaurants may have an extensive menu with many options that cater exclusively to plant-based diets, while others may only offer one or two dishes that do not contain meat or dairy products at all times during their service hours (which means they might sell out quickly).
You can ask the waiter or chef whether they have any vegan options available when making reservations for dinner or lunch at these kinds of places; often times it will just require substituting something like cheese on top of pasta instead!
Speak The Language Of Food
While you may be an expert at reading a menu and deciphering a foreign language, it can be intimidating to ask a server what certain words mean. When in doubt, simply say “Excuse me, but I’m not sure if this is vegan-friendly…” and wait for their response.
If you’re traveling to a country where English is not the first language (or even commonly spoken), then there are several ways that you can communicate with your server in order to ensure they understand what type of diet you follow and don’t worry about making mistakes!
It’s always good practice to try new things when traveling abroad anyway you never know what interesting dishes or drinks might surprise you!
If you’re planning a trip and want to explore new cultures while also indulging in delicious vegan food, check out our article on The Top Vegan-Friendly Countries to Visit. From Italy to Thailand, we’ve got you covered with destinations where you can find a wealth of plant-based options.
Make Google Translate Your Friend
You might be thinking, “I’m going to a Spanish-speaking country and I don’t know any Spanish! How will I communicate with people?”
If you have access to an Internet connection and are traveling in one of the many countries where Google Translate is available, this app can act as your personal interpreter.
It can translate between more than 80 languages and supports text translation for written languages (including hieroglyphics) as well as speech translation for spoken languages.
The app also features what it calls Conversation Mode which allows users to speak into their phone or tablet, then hear the words being translated aloud by means of voice recognition technology.
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Accessibility | Google Translate is available as a free app on Android and iOS, as well as a website for desktop users. |
| Multi-Language Support | Google Translate supports more than 100 languages, allowing for easy communication in a wide variety of countries. |
| Instant Translation | With Google Translate, you can instantly translate text, speech, and even images. |
| Offline Capability | If you have limited internet access, you can download language packs for offline use. |
| Conversation Mode | Google Translate also offers a conversation mode feature, which allows for real-time multilingual communication and a more immersive travel experience. |
By utilizing Google Translate, you can eliminate the language barrier while travelling. It’s easily accessible and free to use, comes in multi-language support, and offers instant translations.
With the ability to function offline, you are not required to be connected to the internet to use it, so you can stay connected even in areas with limited internet connection. Plus, the exciting feature of conversation mode makes travel more immersive allowing a real-time experience.
Bookmark A Few Websites
Bookmark a few websites in advance. There are a lot of vegan travel resources out there, so it’s best to do some research before your trip. The following sites give you a good idea of what types of restaurants are available and where they are located:
VeganTraveler.com – an online guide for vegan travelers (free!)
HappyCow.net – an online resource for vegans searching for restaurants around the world (free!)
Foursquare – this app has a “Vegan” filter option where you can find vegan-friendly restaurants near you or anywhere else in the world (free!)
Are you looking to move to a city with a thriving vegan scene? Look no further, because our article on The Best Vegan-Friendly Cities in the World has got you covered. From Berlin to Melbourne, these cities offer a diverse range of plant-based dining options that are sure to satisfy.
Build An App Arsenal
Once you’ve decided to travel, the first thing to do is start building an app arsenal. There are so many useful apps out there that it can be hard to decide what you need, but here are a few suggestions:
VeganXpress (iOS and Android): This app has a database of over 33,000 vegan-friendly restaurants around the world. It also includes information on grocery stores and health food stores where you can buy groceries.
Happy Cow (iOS and Android): A great resource for finding vegan-friendly restaurants anywhere in the world!
Airbnb: If staying at hotels isn’t your thing, why not try Airbnb? It’s a great way to meet people from all over the world who have interesting stories about where they live.
Some hosts will even offer free meals as part of their listing just be sure that neither meat nor animal products are used in preparation of these meals before booking!
Pack Snacks Inside Your Luggage
If you’re going to be on the road for a while, it can be hard to find vegan-friendly food once you are on the road.
Having some snacks with you will help keep you healthy and energized. Make sure that the snacks aren’t messy so they’ll be easy to eat in transit!
Teaching your children about veganism and animal welfare is an important aspect of raising them with compassion and respect for all living beings. Our article on 15 Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids About Veganism and Animal Rights provides creative and effective methods to introduce kids to these concepts, laying the foundation for a lifetime of ethical values.
Go On Foot
Walking is a great way to explore the city and find vegan-friendly restaurants. It can also be cheaper than taking a taxi, as walking is free (or at least much cheaper than taking a taxi). The best part? You’ll get a good workout while you’re at it!
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Affordability | Walking is free or much cheaper than taking a taxi. |
| Health | Walking promotes physical activity and provides a good workout. |
| Sustainability | Walking is an eco-friendly mode of transport, requiring no fuel and producing no emissions. |
| Exploration | Walking allows you to fully explore and discover the city at your own pace. |
| Seclusion | Walking is a peaceful and contemplative way to enjoy the streets and scenery without being isolated. |
By walking around, you can explore the city, discover new places at your own pace as well as interact with the environment. Enjoy the tranquility of walking instead of being confined in a car, and at the same time reduce your carbon footprint.
Try new things
Food is the most obvious thing to try new when you travel, but there are many other things to try as well. Get into the local language, explore different neighborhoods and cities, try new activities like diving or surfing.
This is your chance to get out of your comfort zone and do something unexpected!
Conclusion
While this may seem like a lot of work, it’s worth it to make sure you have an enjoyable trip and don’t end up with regrets.
You can still have fun without compromising your values or missing out on the local food and culture.
And as long as you keep these tips in mind when planning your next vacation abroad, we promise that everything will go smoothly!
Further Reading
If you’re interested in learning more about veganism and travel, be sure to check out the following resources:
The Vegan Stay: This guide to all things vegan travel offers tips on everything from finding vegan-friendly accommodations to exploring new destinations through a plant-based lens.
The Tofu Traveler’s Blog: Discover the best vegan-friendly holiday destinations around the world with the Tofu Traveler’s blog, which features in-depth reviews and first-hand accounts from vegan travelers.
HappyCow: The ultimate resource for finding vegan restaurants and shops in your area or around the world, HappyCow is a crowd-sourced platform that has been helping vegans and vegetarians find food options for over 20 years.
FAQs
What is veganism?
Veganism is a lifestyle that involves abstaining from using or consuming animal products. This includes a diet that excludes meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal-derived ingredients, as well as a commitment to avoiding products made from animals such as leather, silk, and wool.
What are some benefits of veganism?
There are many benefits to a vegan lifestyle, including improved health, reduced environmental impact, and ethical considerations regarding animal welfare and exploitation.
Is it difficult to find vegan-friendly restaurants when traveling?
While it can be challenging to find vegan-friendly dining options in some areas, there are many resources available to travelers such as HappyCow and local vegan guides. By planning ahead and doing some research, vegans can enjoy delicious plant-based meals wherever they go.
How can I travel sustainably as a vegan?
Along with choosing vegan-friendly modes of transportation, such as trains or electric cars, travelers can reduce their environmental impact by choosing accommodations that are eco-friendly and engaging in sustainable tourism activities that promote local cultures and environments.
What are some easy vegan recipes to make while traveling?
Some simple vegan recipes that can be easily prepared while traveling include salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, or snack foods like hummus and fruit. By using local ingredients and shopping at farmers’ markets or health food stores, travelers can cook nutritious and delicious plant-based meals while on the go.
Hi! My name is Hellen James, and I’m a vegan lifestyle enthusiast. I’ve been living the vegan lifestyle for over 10 years now, and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The food is amazing, the community is incredible, and there’s no way I could go back after experiencing all this firsthand.
