Traveling Abroad

• Look up the country to learn about customs for dining and learn about the typical cuisine
• If you are going on a group trip, contact the group leader to see how they have handled allergies in the past and if they are willing to work with your allergies

• Look up the locations that you will be staying in.
• Look up which restaurants are known for being good with food allergies.
• Look online to see if restaurants have published an allergen menu.
• Look at online allergy blogs, guides, websites or travel blogs for information
• Look for the chain restaurants in the area from where you’re staying. It is a good backup because many chains put allergen information online.
• Look up local dishes. See what ingredients they often contain and if your allergen is included in this list. Of course, you still have to check on a restaurant by restaurant basis.
• Look up any pre-scheduled restaurants for group meals.
• Find the location of the nearest pharmacies and hospitals.
• Find the location of local grocery stores.
• If you are living in an apartment, contact your suite mates and discuss your allergies.
  • See if you can get an accommodation for a living space with a kitchen.
• If flying, get a note from your allergist/doctor just in case you need something to verify taking an epinephrine injector on the plane.
• If flying, look up the airline and see what their policies are.
  • Can you order a safe meal?
  • Can you board early?
  • Will they refrain from distributing your allergens on the plane?

• Ensure you have extra prescriptions for all of your medications available.
• Print FARE Chef Cards in the language (or make your own).
• Learn how to say all of your allergens in the language. You can practice/learn from a friend if you know anyone that speaks the language of the country you are traveling to.
• Learn how to say and/or put on your chef card common foods that contain your allergen.
• If you require medical equipment like nebulizers, research whether you need to buy an adapter to charge it in the country you are visiting. 

• Pack safe, non-perishable snacks.
• Pack microwavable meals in case you are ever stuck in a restaurant that you can’t trust. Or pack soups or noodles that only require hot water. Restaurants will sometimes allow you to microwave something or ask for hot water.
• Make sure your snacks are easily accessible in your carry on.

• Ask to board the plane early and wipe down your tray and seat before sitting down.
• If the airline is serving a meal on the plane during your trip make sure to pack a meal.
• If you receive one of the small snack packs they hand out (pretzel mixes, etc.) and you can’t have it, give it to someone you are traveling with who can have it, or whoever you are sitting next to.

• Live in the moment! Going abroad is all about the experience and sticking to safe foods doesn’t mean you can’t be adventurous and explore other things.
• Make sure to always carry a small bag that contains your medicines, extra snacks, a meal, money, tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer, etc..
• Take plenty of pictures.
• Travel with a buddy who knows your symptoms for allergic reactions and can help you if needed.

I visited Sydney in December 2019 with my family, and we found that it was very easy to manage my allergies (dairy, eggs, nuts, and shellfish) and my sister’s allergies (dairy, eggs, nuts, beef, and wheat). We spent a good amount of time in the main supermarkets (Cole’s and Woolworth’s); the ingredients are clearly labeled on packages, and each store has a wide array of allergy-friendly foods. The restaurants that we visited were also familiar with allergies and willing to accommodate our needs.

The last time I went to Canada I was there for my third birthday was in 2008, so I don’t remember much. However, there are no language problems, so it was easy to communicate. I don’t remember having any bad experiences.

In Wuxi, China, we had to pack a suitcase full of safe non-perishables. We were lucky to stay at a Holiday Inn that could accommodate for food allergies well. Our meals were catered and every dish had a label. Their manager spoke fluent English and always verified with the chef and restaurant staff. They were nice enough to cook the food we brought. They provided us with a dehumidifier in our room because of my asthma. During sightseeing, we knew not to try any of the local street food and only ate food that I prepared.

I didn’t have any negative experiences in Denmark and Sweden. I found there wasn’t much to eat in restaurants, but when I could eat, I had no problems. Many people spoke English and we had some family friends from Sweden, so we didn't need to manage a language barrier.

A couple of summers ago, I went on a disney cruise in the Mediterranen and it was the best experience I’ve ever had with my food allergy. The first day I got on the ship the chef came over and talked to me about my allergy. They are very aware and vigilant of cross-contact as well and will make your meal separate to avoid it. Before every meal the chef would come to my table and ask what I wanted to have, and I felt safe and taken care of. I really got to know the chef personally over the few weeks on the ship and he was always extremely helpful.

Speaking a common language here was a big help. Additionally, the labels in England are very descriptive in regards to allergy labeling and will state whether or not a food is “suitable for someone with ____ allergies” for all of the top 14 allergens there (eggs, milk, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, gluten and wheat, soy, celery, mustard, lupin and sulphites).

I have been to England three times and I have come across very few problems. Most of all, there is no language barrier. I was able to eat at a special tea place for my grandmother’s birthday (October 2018) because we called about a month before and they made a special scone and sandwich selection for me. I mainly eat homemade food on trips, but the servers and chefs in England were generally positive and careful with allergies.

I had similar and positive experiences in all three of these countries. I am part German, so my dad speaks German which was very helpful in all three of these countries. He was able to clearly communicate with chefs and servers (many of which also spoke English). I don’t have any specific memories, but I enjoyed my time there.

All of the food is incredibly fresh in Santorini, Greece. I had the best bread EVER here, and I usually can't because of egg and seed allergies. However, I ate a LOT of fish and shellfish… so if that's your allergy, be careful. Surprisingly, Athens was not great. I found that even though it was very Americanized (in that most labels were written in English and the staff automatically spoke English over Greek), they were almost too cautious. I usually get a mini box of cereal and a plate of bacon for breakfast (although I got better stuff in Santorini), and they said for both of those there was cross-contact with nuts. As a general rule, they were being careful and understood the severity of allergies, but did nothing to make their kitchen safer for those with allergies.

I went to Ireland in the summer of 2017. Similar to England, I didn’t really come across any problems. There were little to no language barriers, so our trip went relatively smoothly. They are neither great nor bad with allergies, I would say they are balancing in the middle.

This was a SHOCKER to me. The food I had in Turkey was delicious! Fish, steak, pastas, pizzas… they had it all and everything was made from scratch. I am allergic to a couple spices that are common there but the chef would simply leave them out of my food. The only thing is we had a guide who ordered my food and gave the list of my allergies because the staff´s English was not as robust as in some other countries.

I visited Italy (Venice, Florence and Lake Como) in April 2018, and in each city the food was the best and most elaborate I have ever had on vacation. It was my first Europe trip and I was not expecting much, but all of the food is so fresh that as a general rule, the chef could make any necessary accommodations. Nothing was pre-marinated or anything. One restaurant we went to in Florence was able to make me pasta bolognese (which NEVER happens) and they had an entire menu saying which of the top nine allergens were in their food. Only suggestion here is to make reservations rather than just showing up; the staff wants to be prepared for you.

I agree with the person above that Italy was able to handle allergies relatively well. I traveled all around Italy with my family (and for part of the trip, my older sister’s school choir) during the summer of 2015. We carried a translated note that we always gave to the chefs at whatever restaurant we were eating at. My older brother who was with us has allergies to eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, wheat, shellfish, and soy. At almost every place we went, he ate a Florentine Steak that I also shared with him. It was just seasoned with salt and pepper, fried in oil. I enjoyed their bread, there was generally no eggs or dairy in it. One problem we ran into was when we would bring out own food while other family members ate from the menu; some Kosher restaurants would not let us eat our homemade meals that contained certain meats even though we were eating it out of our own containers.

In Queretaro, Mexico, the restaurant staff were very attentive after we explained thoroughly about my food allergies. They had a few people who could speak fluent English and it was not much of a problem to eat at the hotel restaurant.

English is widely spoken in the Philippines and there are many franchises that can accommodate food allergies in the capitol city Manilla. Look out for allergens that might be hidden in sauces and baked goods. Pay attention to where you store your epinephrine auto-injector because the general climate is hot and humid.

As a tourist, language barriers were a constant issue. Luckily we went with our coach who is Korean and helped translate my diet restrictions to the hotel staff. The hotel staff barely spoke English and I ended up eating the same breakfast and dinner every single day. My brother had an asthma attack and went to a local hospital where no one spoke English and there was no translation in any of their forms nor medicines. Again, we had to rely on my coach's family to translate.

Going into my trip to South Korea for the Olympic games in 2018, I was expecting an array of food options in the Olympic venue. I assumed that because it was an event where people come from all over the world there would be many food options. I also thought that there would be labels on the food or at least common allergens because again it’s such a huge event. I was sadly mistaken. There were hardly any food options and the ones that were at the Olympic venues did not display any common allergens or ingredients. Also because of the language barrier it was pretty much impossible to explain my allergy. I ended up eating at Mcdonalds for many of my meals because of this.

I traveled to Barcelona for the first time as the first stop on a cruise. It ended up being one of my favorite places in the world and I can’t wait to go back. We had a guide take us around for the day and he showed us all the best places to eat. He knew this wonderful gelato place that was vegan and it made my day because I usually can’t have dessert in a foreign country. He also was able to confirm that there were no eggs in a dish with the chef and the server at the restaurants we ate at. It made the whole experience easier and gave us time to relax and enjoy all the Gaudi architecture and the best steak I’ve had.

In Taipei, Taiwan, I had to pack a suitcase full of safe non-perishables for this two week trip. The local grocery stores only carry food made in Taiwan and the labels were in Taiwanese Mandarin. It was difficult to go food shopping without someone to translate and read labels correctly. For example, we bought some salami, which is usually safe for me but when we went to someone who could read the label, it had my allergen. Do not expect many locals to speak fluent English or to find a lot of American food options. 

Dubai is a city that is so cosmopolitan that it was not hard for me to find safe food. There is a lot of meat and rice and many US and European food brands. Most restaurant and hotel staff are from different nationalities meaning they collectively speak many languages. I found most of them were very aware of food allergies.