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Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam

~alex~

By ~alex~
in Traveling with Celiac Disease

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~alex~ Explorer
~alex~
Posted

My husband and I are planning a possible Europe trip this summer. We're planning on hitting Prague, Vienna, Amsterdam, and possibly Brussels. Does anyone have experience traveling to these places and using the gluten-free dining card at restaurants? How did it turn out?

I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing but I don't want to let celiac disease get in the way of an awesome experience. We backpacked through England, France, and Switzerland before I had celiac disease and it was such a crazy time it's hard to imagine adding the whole gluten-free thing into the mix but I'm sure many celiacs have done it successfully. We're planning on staying in hotels part of the time but also hostels sometimes and it scares me to imagine dealing with being glutening while staying in a hostel! If anyone has any other tips/ideas from their gluten-free travel experiences, it would be very helpful.

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psawyer Proficient
psawyer
Posted

Hi, Alex! Good to see you around. I can't offer any advice on your question, though. I haven't traveled outside North America since my diagnosis.

GlutenFreeAl Contributor
GlutenFreeAl
Posted

Do any of the hostels have kitchens? I've stayed at some truly horrid hostels, but I've also stayed at a few that had really nice, really well equipped kitchens, and I convinced my hubby (well, then boyfriend) to cook some meals ourselves. That cuts down on my anxiety A LOT and usually winds up being cheaper!

I unfortunately don't have any more specific advice than that. We were going to go to Vienna and Prague on our honeymoon in '07, actually. And we didn't. Partially because flights got sooooo expensive and partially because I was worried about finding food I could eat. I don't know if you can do dairy, but Eastern Europe is pretty cheese-centric. And sausage-centric. Yuck! We went to England and France and I did pretty well in those countries, England especially.

Keep us posted! I do hope you get to go on your dream trip!!!

Jestgar Rising Star
Jestgar
Posted

A couple years ago I did Eastern Europe gluten-free. I had no problems. I mostly ate cheese and meat and fruit from the markets. And lots of chips :P

I also stayed in hostels, but I bought a small cheap pot while I was there, and used that to cook in.

Don't let worry about food mess with your plans. It'll all be fine.

NJKen Rookie
NJKen
Posted
We're planning on staying in hotels part of the time but also hostels sometimes and it scares me to imagine dealing with being glutening while staying in a hostel!

If you are planning to stay more than one night in any location, then look into renting a vacation apartment. This will allow you to prepare your own meals (and you won't have to share the kitchen). The prices are comparable to hotel rooms.

Mango04 Enthusiast
Mango04
Posted

I've been to all of those places (except Brussels) I don't think you'll have too many problems. I usually rely on grocery stores/markets over restaurants and try to keep things simple. In the summer there are really nice markets with fruits and veggies and it usually isn't too hard to find the basics. Usually when I travel to a new city in Europe, without even trying, I'm able to find a health food shop which carries all sorts of gluten-free products. You can find quite a bit in the major drug stores as well (gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies, rice milk if you don't do dairy etc.).

I have quite a bit of knowledge about Prague so if you end up taking the trip and need more info. about the food etc. feel free to PM me and ask. :)

I agree though about not letting food mess with you your plans. If you really want to travel there are definitely ways to do it :)

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    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      So, you had both and endoscopy with biopsy and a colonoscopy. That helps me understand what you were trying to communicate. No, no! It never occurred to me that you were trying to mislead me. It's just that we get a lot of posters on the forum who are misinformed about what celiac disease is and how it is diagnosed so I need some clarification from you which you were so gracious to give.
    • barb simkin
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By barb simkin · Posted

      I had both the genetic genes for celiac.  My gastroenologist advised he also took a biopsy during one of my colonoscopies and endoscopy and advised I had celiac disease, along with stomach ulcers from my esophagus stomach down to my small bowel. I was shown the ulcers on the catscan and endoscopy report.  I also had polyps in 3 places throughout my large bowel. I was on a strict diet for months following.  I am sorry if I didnt define how I was diagnosed with celiac disease.  I am sorry if you think I was misleading you. I also had to pay $150.00 for the genetic testing.
    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

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    • barb simkin
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      By barb simkin · Posted

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    • trents
      celiac, chocolate and alcohol

      By trents · Posted

      @barb simkin, are you sure the chocolate products are gluten-free and not "manufactured on equipment that also handles wheat products and tree nuts", i.e., cross-contamination? And what kind of alcoholic beverages are we talking about? Most beers are made from gluten-containing grains. Just checking.
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