We love travelling and we love food. Both travel and food go hand in hand, but not always, especially if you happen to be a vegetarian. We are vegetarians both by birth and choice, not a vegan though. And whenever we have spoken to our friends about our impending travel to Europe or South East Asia, for example, they give us a look of pity and say, “Oh! You are a vegetarian! How will you survive? We are not in total disagreement with such feelings however our travels and experiences prove that this is a myth. We bring to you some survival tips for vegetarian travelers. Read on to find out.
A vegetarian can survive anywhere in the world, wherever there is vegetation, if we may say so, though we have not had an opportunity to go on expeditions to the sandy wastelands of the Sahara or the icy regions of Antarctica!
Table of Contents
6 Survival Tips for Vegetarian Travelers – Ultimate Guide for Vegetarians
Here are 6 Survival Tips for Vegetarian Travelers – tips straight from our survival kit:
1. Gorge yourself with the complimentary buffet breakfast
We were in Switzerland for more than four weeks and our day would start with a heavy breakfast of Bread and Butter, Yogurt, Fruits of all colours and sizes, Hash Browns, fruit juices and finally Coffee or tea. We would breakfast as if there was no tomorrow. Who knows whether we would get anything for our vegetarian palate for the rest of the day!
2. Carry an ample stock of instant energy busters
On all our travels, we carry along with us stuff that is easy to carry and also has the potential to release instant energy and be filling. What in case we cannot find anything for Lunch or Dinner! The stuff that we usually carry is chocolate bars, dry fruits like almonds, cashew, raisins and energy bars made out of sugar and peanuts. All these are very effective to combat those sudden hunger pangs in the midst of your travels.
3. Plan where you could eat even before you travel
One of the aspects of travel planning that we give extra importance to is to track and locate vegetarian food outlets near the place we would be staying in or visiting, through Google maps and HappyCow app and include them as a part of our itinerary itself. You can always locate a Subway or McDonalds for beverages.
4. Research on the local food of the place you are travelling to
It helps to familiarize oneself with the different food options available in the destination you are travelling to, this would give an idea of what would suit one’s needs. We remember ordering a Vegetable Risotto at an Italian restaurant with full confidence as we knew that this would be a vegetarian rice preparation, similarly we did not think twice before taking a generous helping of Roasted Vegetable Lasagne at a corporate lunch.
5. Make use of ‘Heat and Eat’ stuff for one of the meals in a day
We have survived on plain oats mixed with boiling water with a pinch of salt as dinner for almost three weeks on one of our trips to Europe. On other occasions, we have eaten cup noodles and a variety of other assorted ready to eat concoctions which just require hot water, which is easily available in any hotel.
6.Indulge yourself in a full and proper Vegetarian Lunch or Dinner once in a while
It is not that you do not have Vegetarian restaurants available at your destination, in most of the cases they are there, but quite expensive and if you are travelling on a budget, it is impossible to fit in 2 or 3 meals every day. The next best thing is after surviving for 3 or 4 days one can indulge one’s gastronomic desires in one of these fancy restaurants. We remember having a grand dinner in a vegetarian restaurant called HILTL in Zurich during one of our travels there. Read more about this in our other post – A Vegetarian Dinner in Zurich.
One may feel that this is cumbersome and takes the pleasure out of travelling, but one needs to bear in mind that travel is not for the sake of food alone, there are other things which compensate. How many of you would have thought about food as you gazed in awe at David, the masterpiece by Michael Angelo at the Accademia in Florence? How many of you have felt hunger pangs while admiring the view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower? How many of you thought about your lunch while being serenaded by a Gondolier in Venice?
Yes, it is a little tough sometimes as a vegetarian but the benefits and the experiences by far outweigh these small discomforts and nothing can stop this intrepid Vegetarian Traveler from traveling the world and assimilating new experiences.
Whether you are a vegetarian or a vegan, few apps like HappyCow will help you to eat with confidence when you next travel abroad by helping you find vegetarian-friendly restaurants.
Did you like our travel blog post on survival secrets of a vegetarian traveler? If you are a vegetarian traveller, we hope this guide with survival tips for vegetarian travelers will be helpful in your travels.
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Great tips! Think its especially important for most people to bring snacks when traveling!
You are right Tarah. We do pack light snacks which we can carry easily while traveling.
We aren’t technically vegetarians but our diet is 95% veg living in India. I almost never even think about non-veg stuff, I’m totally satisfied with an Indian diet.
Wow, that’s interesting to know. Are you now traveling in India Jessica?
Great tips . Very handy for all vegetarian travelers.
Thank you. 🙂
Or you can just travel through India ;). Great post, although, I wouldn’t say I’m a vegetarian I definitely watch my consumption of meat.
Thanks Cameron.
Research is totally key (and power snacks). We’re not vegetarians, but have a few foods we have to avoid due to allergies, and researching local options totally saves us often.
You are right Rob. Apart from vegetarian food, there are many other factors while traveling that we need to consider. So research does help.
I’m not vegetarian myself, but have a couple a very close friends that are. Such great advice.
Thank you Sara. 🙂
Hi Voyager, How are you? Great article I found your post in Viral content buzz. Just want to say you got a very incredible blog about being a vegetarian related to traveling. Very Informative! Im looking forward to keep in touch 🙂
Hi Johan. Good. Hope you are doing good. Glad you liked our post and thanks for checking it out. Will definitely keep in touch. 🙂
I’m a huge fan of bringing my own snacks when I travel–no one wants the hangry to hit! 😀 While I’m not a vegetarian, I do travel with a major food allergy to shellfish, and these tips apply to how I approach traveling, too. I don’t want to end up in the hospital since that’s a sure fire way to kill the vacation mood!
Yes, it is true that we do not want to take chances falling ill while traveling. One, it spoils the trip and two we may end up being without help. Apart from vegetarianism, there are other factors like allergy and other challenges which need to be considered while traveling.
Great tips! I find it funny how people are surprised that vegetarians don’t have a harder time finding food when they travel. Pretty much every culture has some vegetarian dishes!
Thanks Taylor.
Such an interesting and original post! I’m not a vegetarian but I do travel often and one of the first things I do when organising my trip is to find great places to eat. travel and food go hand in hand.
Thank you Eleni. You are absolutely right. Travel and food go hand in hand and planning helps enjoy the trip. 🙂
Awesome post. Depending on the city/country, it is certainly a challenge to eat as a vegetarian at times. These are great tips!!
Thank you Carrie. 🙂 Yes, in certain places you really need to go in search of food that you can eat.
While I’m not a strict vegetarian, I do like to go meatless a few days a week. I’m with you on bringing snacks, even at home – I don’t leave home without them, as I’m the type to get hangry. Great tip on stocking up on the breakfast buffet, especially if it’s included in your hotel stay, take it for all it’s worth!
Haha! Snacks, buffet breakfast etc. pretty much takes care. 🙂
I generally, survive on the breakfast and the short eats 🙂 I hate carrying food when I travel.
I see.
I am a vegetarian and have been living in Europe for the last 4 years..certainly, it is manageable and there are no big problems..most of the time:) I remember once though when I visited Strasbourg in fRAnce, and it was so difficult to find veg food in the restaurants of the main centre!Nevertheless, got a dish consisting of potatoes and yogurt at least. Haha.
I totally understand and agree with you. Sometimes, we need to really go in search of food! And potatoes like fruits is one veggie which is universally available! 🙂
Terrific job guys! This is very helpful information. Totally sharing 🙂
Thank you Carlie. 🙂 Glad you liked the post.
Thanks for the tips, though you even make me feel sorry for you being a vegetarian :)) But I enjoy travel as much as I did before I became a veggie though not all places make it easy to eat healthy and well. And you are right, traveling is not only about food. So happy you still did not give up being a vegetarian 🙂
Travel is a passion and definitely I am happy being a vegetarian. 🙂
Great tips! And yes, it’s always good to have something to snack on!
Thanks Cynthia. I agree, good to carry snacks.
Great tips thank u! I’m a veggie / semi vegan but find it a lot harder while travelling, though some countries are better than others. I struggled a bit in the Philippines and Hong Kong though found good veggie options in Russia, China, Vietnam (lots of Tofu!), and so far Bali, Indonesia is my favorite for veggie!
Thanks Hester. I understand. Keeping in my our future travel plans, we therefore do check out the available options in each of the places.
This is a great post with fantastic photography. I think it’s important for people to realize that it is really difficult to find true vegetarian options in many restaurants in many countries. Persistence and being knowledgeable is the key.
Agree, with some planning this can be worked out.
Great post, thanks! As a vegetarian myself, I’ve found that some cities are definitely tougher to eat in than others. But stopping off at a supermarket for snacks can be a life-saver 🙂
Thanks Grace. 🙂 Yes, supermarkets are life savers!
I enjoyed this post. I’m vegetarian and I’ve been pleasantly surprised how many vegetarian restaurants I’ve found in foreign countries, but you’re right, it can add up eating at them all the time! I think it’s funny when people say it must be hard or impossible to travel as a vegetarian (I have not found this to be true) and I liked your response – you can be vegetarian anywhere there’s vegetation! Love that. 😀
Totally agree with you. Thanks Maggie 🙂
Lovvve this. I’ve been a pescatarian for a year and now I just transitioned into becoming a vegetarian. Helpful tips.
Interesting! Thanks Renne.
Thank you for this great article!
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Super tips…one of us is a vegetarian and our toddler has not yet taken to non veg food. we are planning a trip to europe soon and often wonder what we would survive on…your post comes as a huge relief… 🙂
Wow that’s good to know. Can’t wait to read your experiences from Europe trip. Enjoy!
I imagine that researching local options is an amazing help, especially if you jaunt to America where meat and animal bi-products are hidden in so much of our food.
Some great tips! My daughter is prefers vegetarian food and we always check menus etc online so that we know if they will accommodate her.
Oh that is interesting to know.
As a gluten free traveler, I completely relate to this post. Research in advance has always been key for me as well ask knowing how to say I am allergic to gluten in the language of the place I am visiting.
That is good to know.
This was interesting for me to read about as an omnivore. I hadn’t thought about the planning that would have to go into it. I’m glad you feel it’s worth it.
Thanks Stella. 🙂 Yes, it always helps to plan about food we eat while traveling.
I am not a vegetarian and I definitely couldn’t see that in my near future. But I must say this is helpful to those who share the same lifestyle. I get how challenging it might be especially when you are traveling but you found a way to manage it so I guess it’s possible. I’d love to try a vegetarian resto though, I have never been to one. I wonder how the food are prepared there and maybe, just maybe it would compel me to begin to eat more healthy.
WOW, such a very lovable article. i like this blog.
I stumbled upon this post at just the right time. I have been thinking on the same lines for my upcoming Europe trip. Being a vegetarian it’s little tough at times but not impossible. I have noted some of your tips like carrying the ready to eat kind of food and energy busters. And I do have complementary breakfast option where I am staying. Going to make the most of it 🙂 Will try out the app as well.
Really great article, I’ve always wondered about insight into how vegetarians get by while overseas. Though my husband is gluten free, so many of these same tips apply to traveling with his food intolerance too – researching where you can eat before hand, we usually base ourselves near supermarkets and choose a hotel room in which we can cook ourselves 🙂
Wow, I didn’t know that you’re a vegetarian. I’m also strict when it comes to the food that I’m going to eat whenever I travel to other places. This is truly a help for me. I’m also bringing healthy food to nibble whenever I travel just in case I can’t find good place to eat. Thank you so much for sharing these tips with us.
LaiAriel R. Samangka
Such great tips. I think it is hard to be a vegetarian where I live, Ecuador as they rarely serve vegetarian food at restaurants. Therefore it is so much better to make your own and buy from markets 😀 I am not vegetarian but rarely eat meat, especially at home. I think getting parasites from meat has scared me a little. haha
I’m not a vegetarian, but I do have a weak stomach and a lot of these tips apply to me as well. I always carry nuts and protein bars with me and I definitely try to plan ahead of time where to eat.
These are amazing tips! I’m very new to vegetarianism and I’ve thought about how difficult this will potentially be in my travels. It’s great to hear your tips, though! Especially the one about having instant energy boosters. That’s something I’m going to have to stock up on!
I sometimes wonder how veggie travelers do it. I mean, you really have to know where you’re going and what their habits are. For instance, in Korea, if you say no meat and you say you’re a vegetarian, they’ll likely still give you soup that has a broth that was cooked with a meat base. They don’t see this as an issue since the soup itself may not have meat in it. They also don’t think things like spam/ham or fish count so when I take veggies out here, there’s often a lengthy conversation about what is REALLY vegetarian or not. Oh the struggles sometimes though.
I’m not a vegetarian but I do admire the dedication to eat healthy. I have a few friends who are vegetarians and they look and feel amazing. Will definitely tell them to check out this post!
These are really great tips about surviving as a vegetarian. I’m not a vegetarian but I’ve been to many countries where I just wanted a salad and it was sooo hard to find one. I know some vegetarians steer clear of certain countries knowing that meat is a heavy part of the diet, but with a little more planning like you, doesn’t seem like too much trouble! Thanks for sharing.
That’s Informative. Got To Learn So Much.
These are great tips! My family is going on a trip to Cuba for the first time, and since my husband is a vegetarian, we were curious about what he can eat there and what kind of food we can bring.
Wow that is really challenging, combining traveling with being a vegetarian. I am already having trouble when I would occasionally go on a no-carb diet. But your determination to maintain your lifestyle is admirable. I just wish I have your discipline. 🙂
Thank you for sharing the quick hacks!
The idea of carrying chocolates and dry fruits is indeed very useful. will apply that definitely.