Tips From a Vegan Traveler

You’re either a planner or you’re a procrastinator, on a budget, or willing to splurge. Regardless of how you travel, you deserve to eat well on the road.?

If you’re new to veganism and need resources to stick to your goals, or if you’ve been plant-based for years but are hoping to unearth new restaurants in a destination, this is for you!

How to Eat Well as a Vegan Traveler

1. CONSULT THE LOCALS

A personalized approach to planning to eat well is to work with the hotel concierge upon arrival.?

I tend to enquire about vegan street food that locals line up for and hole-in-the-wall, hidden-gem restaurants that I couldn’t necessarily find on my own unless I accidentally stumbled upon one.

Lastly, I ask for the most well-known vegan restaurants and check if the hotel has any vegan grab-and-go or room service, in case of a pinch.

The concierge can make reservations for you and print out directions as well. Be sure to tip!

2. RESEARCH WHAT'S NEAR YOU

If you like to figure things out on your own ahead of time, start by looking into options in close proximity to your hotel and/or convention center for ease and access.

Most destinations also have a DMO or CVB (Destination Marketing Organization or Convention and Visitors Bureau) whose resources you can tap.?

These organizations create content for visitors to drive economic benefits to local businesses and the overall destination from tourist spending.?

Odds are, their blog or restaurant week content will promote locally-owned vegan hotspots. So dive in!

Looking for the advice of fellow vegans? VegNews offers city guides, the best vegan cities, and restaurant reviews!?

3. WANT TO SPLURGE?

Whenever I visit a destination for leisure or work, I try to go to at least one emerging, buzzy restaurant and one classic restaurant, if not more. Often, if they’re getting good press, or well-known, there is an associated cost that comes with the experience.

To pick which eateries are worth the splurge, I call ahead and ask about vegan menu options. A good rule of thumb is- if at least 10% of the items are vegan, I’ll give it a try.

This is so I don’t get stuck eating a side of steamed veggies, as is too often the case when a restaurant purports to have vegan offerings but they are extremely limited.

I also rely on expert reviews and city guides in EATER, local guides in Time Out, features on lifestyle sites like Vogue, and travel/hospitality articles in Condé Nast Traveler to name a few.

You deserve to build a delicious, indulgent vegan itinerary across emerging and famous restaurants you’ll dream of again and again! Sometimes, eating well is worth the spend.

4. EATING ON A BUDGET

Looking to save rather than indulge??

Consider booking an Airbnb or alternative accommodations where you will have a fully equipped kitchen.?

Then download a recipe app like Food Monster, by One Green Planet. They offer users 10 new vegan recipes a day! Odds are, you’ll like one.

You can Google vegan grocery stores while still at home or ask your host before arriving if there is a vegan or farmer’s market nearby.?

If you already use a vegan grocery delivery service like vegan essentials, consider updating your delivery address for the specific dates of the trip (*and make sure to change it back).

5. WHEN IN DOUBT, IMPROVISE

Not much of a planner? That’s okay too.?

If you’re already at your destination, hangry, or need to dash out between meetings, I recommend using Happy Cow or Vegan Maps. Both offer a quick and easy way to locate nearby vegan restaurants.?

If all else fails, you can even avail yourself of plant-based menu items popping up at fast food restaurants worldwide.?Buzzfeed recently spotlighted newly available vegan options at Starbucks, Five Guys, Burger King and KFC.?

This trend that lends to accessibility will only continue as plant-based living gains wider awareness, acceptance, and adoption.

Happy eating! – Daniela V. Fernandez