9 Must Know Vegan on Vacation Tips To Consider Before Jetting Out 

Are you new to the plant based lifestyle and wondering how you will manage being vegan on vacation? It’s not as complicated as you may think! 

As veganism gets more and more popular, it makes exploring the world while prioritizing your health and the planet possible. 

This list has been created based off of some of my own failures as I navigated remaining vegan (and failing at times) while traveling the world. I hope that you can pack some of this info in your suitcase as you explore! 

This post is all about how to be vegan on vacation.

The Best Tips For Being Vegan On Vacation

1. Bring extra snacks

As much as I want to say that there are vegan options everywhere, it’s just not true. Depending on how remote of a location you visit you may have a hard time finding vegan options or if you do it may just be salads, fries and other side dishes.

To ensure you get all of your nutrients and can sustain your energy to enjoy your travels, I highly recommend bringing snacks with you!

Here are a few vegan snacks you can bring on vacation

• Protein bars 
• Nuts & seeds 
• Granola bars 
• Dried fruit 
• Vegan cookies and crackers 

{RECOMMENDED POST: The Best Vegan Protein Bars You Need to Stash in Your Gym Bag}

2. Look for restaurants while making your travel itinerary

This tip is probably the most fun on this list! While you decide what tours you will be taking, the coziest hotel and where you want to shop, be sure to include vegan restaurants you want to try too! 

Planning ahead and having a list of multiple restaurants, grocery stores and cafes that you know have vegan options can make your trip go so much more smoothly! 

Keep a note in your notes app so you can easily access it while you’re strolling around. 

3. If traveling internationally, learn simple phrases in that language to communicate that you’re vegan

Locals love when you attempt to speak their language! And love it even more when you don’t send food back to the kitchen because it has meat or dairy even though you ordered it. Whoops! 

To avoid this, take some time on google translate to figure out some of these common phrases to ensure you only order what you want.  

• Vegan 
• Vegetarian
• No meat
• No dairy eggs, fish, etc. 

{RECOMENDED POST: 9 Must Have Zero Waste Travel Essentials For Your Next Trip}

4. Select vegan as your meal on the plane

As more and more people go vegan, many airlines are expanding their vegan options for longer flights that serve meals.

Make sure to select the vegan option on your meal when booking your flight! 

5. Download Happy Cow App

Happy Cow is an amazing tool for figuring out where all the best plant based restaurants are in an area.

There are ways to filter your search to find restaurants that offer solely vegan options and also regular restaurants that have vegan options as well.

It’s basically Yelp but for plant based eaters! 

6. Consider planning your vacation in a vegan spot

This tip is kind of specific but if you are traveling solo it could be fun to choose a city that is known for vegan food. Large cities are normally a safe bet and even certain countries tend to eat more plant based naturally. 

Here are some locations that have great plant based options: 

• Los Angeles 
• New York City 
• Bali 
• Thailand 
• Hawaii 
• London 
• Berlin 

*These are not in a specific order, just suggestions (:

7. Don’t be afraid to ask the restaurant to leave out things or make accommodations

This tip will depend on the dish you order and restaurant but most of the time, restaurants want you to be happy with your experience so they can make small switches! 

Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want! 

8. Relax if you make a mistake and accidentally have something that isn’t vegan

Truth be told, it’s almost impossible to be 100% vegan.

Things happen, people make mistakes and people change.

Even having a few vegan meals per week is great so if you slip up on vacation and have something non vegan, don’t be too hard on yourself! 

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Never leave your house or town to explore the world

Kidding (: But basically wanted to reiterate that being vegan is an AMAZING lifestyle and choice. It is great for your health, the health of the planet and the welfare of animals.

That being said, don’t let it hold you back from seeing the world, having new experiences, meeting new people and spending time with the ones you love!

There are a lot of aspects of health and activism but stressing yourself out and never leaving the comfort of your town is NOT healthy or sustainable. Be flexible. Try your best. And most importantly, have an amazing vacation!!

I would love to hear some of your own experiences or stories from traveling as a vegan! Let us know in the comments below! Or If you have any questions that weren’t covered in this post, I would be happy to help!

Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you would like sustainability and wellness tips sent directly to your inbox! 

Stay well, 

Maggie 

This post was all about how to be vegan while traveling. 

Other posts you may like: 

Your Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Grocery Shopping

7 Amazing Zero Waste Kitchen Must Haves for A Plastic Free Home

12 Zero Waste Beach Essentials That are Kind to the Ocean

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