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Celiac.com 07/08/2023 - France is known for its delicious cuisine, from croissants to crème brûlée. However, for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, traveling to France may seem like a daunting task. But fear not, with proper planning and preparation, gluten-free travel in France can be an enjoyable and stress-free experience. Booking a Gluten-Free Meal on Your Flight Many major airlines, including Lufthansa, United, American, and Delta, offer gluten-free meal options on their flights. When booking your flight, be sure to request a gluten-free meal in advance. It is important to confirm this request with the airline a few days before the flight to avoid any last-minute surprises. I highly recommend packing gluten-free sandwiches and bars during your flight, and during your entire trip. It's always best to be safe instead of sorry, and in my experience the times I ended up sorry were when I got too hungry, usually while traveling. Booking Gluten-Friendly Hotels and Vacation Rentals in France When booking accommodations in France, it is important to do your research and find hotels or vacation rentals that cater to gluten-free travelers. Using travel apps like Booking.com, Expedia, and TripAdvisor, you can search for hotels and rentals that offer gluten-free options. Many hotels offer gluten-free breakfast options, and some may even provide gluten-free snacks or meals upon request. When booking a hotel in France, it's important to call ahead and ask about their gluten-free breakfast options. While many hotels offer gluten-free options, it's always best to confirm in advance to avoid any disappointment or inconvenience during your stay. Additionally, some hotels may be willing to cater to your dietary needs and provide gluten-free snacks or meals upon request. Taking the time to research and communicate your gluten-free needs can help ensure a comfortable and stress-free stay in France. Hotel Breakfast Buffet. Image: CC BY-SA 2.0--opera.cadet The Advantages of Staying in Vacation Rentals vs. Hotels Staying in a vacation rental can provide more flexibility and options for gluten-free travelers. Vacation rentals often come equipped with a kitchen, allowing you to prepare your own meals and ensure they are gluten-free. Popular vacation rental apps like Booking.com, Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeToGo offer filters to help you find rentals with a kitchen and other amenities that cater to gluten-free travelers. How to Eat Gluten-Free in French Restaurants When dining out in France, it is important to communicate your gluten-free needs to the waiter or restaurant staff. Many restaurants in France offer gluten-free options, but it is important to ask about cross-contamination and ensure that your meal is prepared in a gluten-free environment. Apps and like Yelp and TripAdvisor can help you find restaurants that cater to the gluten-free crowd, and you can read reviews that are written by other gluten-free travelers. To help communicate your needs, consider carrying a basic gluten-free restaurant card written in French that explains your dietary restrictions (we recommend keeping it simple). Gluten-Free Restaurant Card in French: Gluten-Free Restaurant Card Translated into English: French Restaurants are not world famous for their ability to cater to those with gluten-free requirements, so a great fallback is to find a Vietnamese or Turkish kebab restaurant, as they offer many naturally gluten-free options, but be sure to use your restaurant card and speak to the staff about your needs. Both of these options can be found in most medium to large sized towns and cities throughout France. A French Bistro. Image: CC BY 2.0--awsheffield Finding Gluten-Free Foods in Grocery Stores French supermarkets like Leclerc, Carrefour, Les Mousquetaires, Système U, Auchan, Casino, Lidl, Cora, Metro, and Aldi offer a variety of gluten-free products, including popular French gluten-free food brands like: Valpiform Gerblé Céliane Schär Bjorg Jardin Bio La Vie Claire Gerblé Sans Gluten Le Pain des Fleurs Priméal. Use search engines like Google and Bing to find the nearest supermarket that offers gluten-free products. Each of these supermarkets, hypermarkets, or discount stores offer a wide range of food and grocery products and each of these companies has its own network of stores and may have different store formats and offerings based on their business models. Lidl Supermarket. Image: CC BY-SA 2.0--Billy McCrorie The Importance of Packing Gluten-Free Snacks and Sandwiches While Traveling As mentioned, it is very important to pack gluten-free snacks and sandwiches when traveling in case you cannot find gluten-free options on the go. This is especially important when traveling by train, bus, ferry/boat, plane or car. Popular gluten-free snacks and sandwich options include rice cakes, nuts, fruit, and gluten-free bread with fillings like cheese or meat. In conclusion, gluten-free travel in France requires proper planning and preparation, but it can be a fun and enjoyable experience. Use travel apps like Booking.com, Expedia, and Tripadvisor to find gluten-friendly hotels and rentals, communicate your dietary needs when dining out, and pack gluten-free snacks for your travels. Bon voyage!

Celiac.com 07/01/2023 - Germany is a wonderful destination for travelers with celiac disease. With its rich cultural history, charming villages, bustling cities, and scenic landscapes, there is so much to see and do. However, traveling with celiac disease requires some planning and preparation to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. In this article, we will provide tips and resources to help you plan your trip to Germany with confidence. Booking a Gluten-Free Meal on Your Flight Booking a gluten-free meal on your flight is essential to ensure that you have safe and delicious food to eat during your journey. Many airlines, including Lufthansa, United, American, and Delta, offer gluten-free meal options. When booking your flight, make sure to select the gluten-free meal option and notify the airline of your dietary needs. You can also check with the airline's customer service to confirm your meal request. Be careful if you book a flight using sky miles on one airline, but fly on a partner airline. For example I used United Sky Miles to buy my ticket on Lufthansa, and because of this the my gluten-free meal selection did not carry over to Lufthansa, but luckily I called ahead and discovered this, and they made the update (which must be done at least 24 hours before your flight leaves). Booking Gluten-Friendly Hotels in Germany When booking your hotel in Germany, make sure to choose a hotel that offers gluten-free options with their breakfast or is located near restaurants that cater to gluten-free diets. Many hotels in Germany, especially in larger cities, offer gluten-free breakfast options, such as gluten-free bread, cereal, and pastries, and including breakfast is often an option with an extra charge when booking the hotel. I highly recommend including breakfast because most hotels offer a buffet with minimal risk of cross-contamination, or, if you don't want to take any chances at all, they usually offer fruit like apples or bananas, hard or soft boiled eggs, and cereals and yogurt that are still in their package. One inexpensive and decent option is the German hotel chain "Motel One," which I stayed in with great success. When going down to the breakfast buffet I try to bring a couple of slices of gluten-free bread with me, just in case they don't offer it. It is also great to have this with you so you can "borrow" something from breakfast to make a sandwich for later, or hit a nearby market and buy some things to make sandwiches so you can be prepared for the day's adventure. Some things from the Motel One buffet. They also had fruit, yogurt and gluten-free cracker-bread. You can use travel websites like Booking.com, Expedia, and Tripadvisor to search for hotels that offer gluten-free options, and sometimes the very best way to get this crucial information is to send the hotel an email with specific questions, or to call them directly and ask to speak with the person who is in charge of the breakfasts (this is best done during the 11AM - 4PM German time period so you reach the right person, but they are not too busy to talk with you). The Advantages of Staying in Vacation Home/Apartment Rentals vs. Hotels Staying in a vacation home or apartment rental can offer many advantages for travelers with celiac disease. You can prepare your own gluten-free meals in a fully equipped kitchen and have more control over your food choices. Companies like Booking.com, AirBnB, Vrbo, and HomeToGo offer a wide range of vacation home and apartment rentals in Germany that cater to gluten-free travelers. Eating in German Restaurants Eating out in Germany can be a challenge for travelers with celiac disease, but it is possible to find gluten-free options. It is important to communicate your dietary needs to the restaurant staff and ask about gluten-free options. You can use a gluten-free restaurant card written in German to show to the waiter or restaurant staff. The card should state that you cannot eat gluten and ask for their assistance in selecting safe and delicious gluten-free options. Just like in the USA, many restaurants have gluten-free menus or mark gluten-free items on their menu with symbols like "GF." Although most German people you will encounter can speak English well enough to understand you, just in case here is a basic example of a German restaurant card with its English translation: Gluten-Free Restaurant Card in German: Gluten-Free Restaurant Card Translated into English: Gluten-Free Restaurant Fallback A great fallback is to find a Vietnamese restaurant, as most of their food is naturally gluten-free. Finding a Vietnamese restaurant in Germany is no problem in most medium to large sized towns and cities, and during my last trip to Germany I went to several and had no issues. Turkish kebab restaurants and kiosks are another great option, as they are also found throughout Germany, and most offer many naturally gluten-free options. I went to several of them and had zero issues. Gluten-Free Kebab in Frankfurt, Germany Finding Gluten-Free Foods in Grocery Stores Germany has a wide range of grocery stores that offer gluten-free options, including Aldi, Real, Rewe, Edeka, and Kaufland. You can look for gluten-free products from major brands like: Alnavit Bauckhof Drei Pauly Hammermühle Resch & Frisch Schär Schnitzer Seitz. Make sure to read the labels carefully and look for the gluten-free certification symbol and/or the word "glutenfrei." In general, the larger the physical size of the store, the more gluten-free brands and products they will carry, and the larger stores usually have their own gluten-free section, which makes gluten-free shopping a breeze. Below is an example of a huge gluten-free section in a large German supermarket. A gluten-free food section at a large German supermarket. The Importance of Packing Gluten-Free Snacks and Sandwiches While Traveling It is always a good idea to pack gluten-free snacks and sandwiches when traveling to ensure that you have safe and delicious options while on the go. This is especially important during long flights, train rides, ferry or boat rides, hikes or car trips. You can pack gluten-free snacks like nuts, fruit, gluten-free crackers, and granola bars. You can also make your own gluten-free sandwiches with gluten-free bread and fillings like cheese, ham, and vegetables. Schär gluten-free sandwich bread can be found at many German supermarkets. Conclusion Traveling to Germany with celiac disease requires some planning and preparation, but it is definitely doable. By using the resources and tips provided in this article, you can have a safe and enjoyable trip to Germany, where you can indulge in the rich cultural history and delicious cuisine without worrying about gluten. Gute Reise!

Celiac.com 06/08/2005 – There's no point in enjoying the improved health and vitality you'll experience on a gluten-free diet if you're just sitting at home pining away for excitement because you're afraid to venture too far away. You have to live life to its fullest—you should be livin' la vida loca! There's no reason whatsoever to limit or, worse yet, give up travel because of this diet. Traveling wheat-free/gluten-free might be a little intimidating at first, but really, it just takes a little more planning, and sometimes an extra suitcase or two. Pre-Travel Checklist Before you leave, research your destination: Check with a support group in the area you're visiting to see if they have a list of celiac-friendly restaurants or grocery stores. Also search the St. Johns Celiac Listserv archives for frequent posts about gluten-free-friendly restaurants. You might want to go to the Internet and look up your destination city to see if they have one or more health food stores. If they do, call the store(s) and ask what gluten-free products they carry—if you have a favorite product, ask them to order it for you before your trip so they will have it in stock when you arrive. Be aware of legal considerations when crossing borders: Some countries have laws about what foods can be imported. Make sure you know what the laws are, and don't try to bring foods with you that might be confiscated. My family and I had an – umm – interesting experience at the Mexican border when we brought gluten-free pancake mix in an unmarked, vacuum-sealed plastic bag. Know the language (at least key words): Learn at least a few key words of the language spoken in the country you'll be visiting. Make sure you can say wheat, flour, and other key words. Bring restaurant cards written in the language(s) of the country you're visiting (see www.celiactravel.com), or use translation software to create your own. Ask for rooms with a kitchenette, or stay in a condo: Even a small kitchenette with a microwave, refrigerator, and sink will make your life a little easier. Ship food to yourself: If you're traveling a long distance or are going to be gone for a long period of time, consider shipping some of your favorite products to your ultimate destination so they're waiting for you when you arrive. Carry a "kitchen in a suitcase": If you're accustomed to making your breads, cookies, and other baked goods from the mixes that you order online or find in specialty stores, bring them with you, as it may be difficult to find them at your ultimate destination. Bring your specialty tools or appliances, too, like your bread slicer, if you plan on cooking while you're away. Grab your gadgets: Manufacturers offer some ultra-convenient travel gadgets these days, even for the traveling eater. Most sporting goods stores carry a small refrigerator (there are several brands) that plugs into the cigarette lighter of your car, making it easier to bring yogurt and other perishables on long drives. And we all know how toasters can present a problem since "regular" toast seems to spray its crumbs everywhere, contaminating them for gluten-free eaters. A travel toaster available on the Internet: eliminates the worry—just take your own and you're set. BYOF: Even gluten-free bread travels well if you slice it and pack it in a hard plastic storage container. Hard-to-find cereals, pretzels, and favorite treats—even pre-baked frozen cookies—make great snacks en route or when you arrive. Don't forget to pack food for the trip itself, as well as food for your stay at the destination. There are grocery stores everywhere you go: When you arrive at your ultimate destination, stop in at the local grocery store and stock up on some of the basics. Dont forget to buy aluminum foil and resealable bags, which work well to store leftovers from restaurants, or any foods that you may have brought with you. Remember your restaurant rules: Use the tips mentioned in my books or in past issues of Scott-Free for eating out at restaurants, since youll probably be eating out more than you do when you're at home. If you're traveling to certain places in Europe, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that in some countries like Sweden McDonalds offers two types of hamburger buns: gluten-free and "regular." Getting There When planning how and what you're going to eat on your trip, you have to first decide where you're going and how you're going to get there. How much and what you bring depends on whether you're taking planes, trains, or automobiles. Driving: Driving allows you the most flexibility, and is easiest when you're trying to accommodate a restricted diet. If you're driving in the United States, there will most certainly be national fast-food chains all along the way. Even if you don't want to rely on greasy burgers and fries as a staple for your entire drive, you know that you have a backup—just in case. National restaurant chains (even those that are not of the fast-food, greasy-burger variety) have branches in all major cities—find out which restaurants are along your driving route (you can check www.mapquest.com or a similar Website), and check the restaurants Web sites or contact them for their lists of wheat-free/gluten-free products (this is where your three-ring binder with restaurant lists that you leave in the car comes in handy). There are also commercial gluten-free restaurant guides available, such as the one at www.celiac.com. Most important, BYOF. You will probably bring snack foods to munch on while you drive, so just make sure you're loaded with snacks that are easy to eat in the car, travel well, and of course, meet your dietary restrictions (and don't forget the paper towels or wet wipes!). Flying, cruising, and riding the rails: There's less flexibility in how and where you can eat when you're at the mercy of a commercial airliner, ship, or train—but you still have a number of options. Many commercial airlines offer a selection of specialty meals, including gluten-free ones. Be careful, though, and read the labels if the food has them, because sometimes our gluten-free meals have come with fluffy, doughy bagels (that obviously aren't gluten-free). If mistakes are made, don't be mad. They tried, and at least they considered having a gluten-free meal as an option. Be glad they made the attempt, and consider writing a polite, gratuitous letter to the food supplier offering information on what's gluten-free and what isn't. These days, airlines restrict the number of carry-on bags, so you'll have to be more efficient in packing snacks and meals for the flight. Snack items that you might include in a sack lunch usually make good take-along foods for the airplane. Cruise ships always have executive chefs. They're accustomed to accommodating restricted diets, some of which can have dangerous consequences if mistakes are made, so they take the subject very seriously. By contacting the administrative offices of the cruise line several weeks in advance, you can arrange for the chef to provide you gluten-free meals throughout your cruise. Trains are tougher, since most of the foods found in café cars are usually along the lines of packaged sandwiches, croissants, pastries, and other oh-so-not-nutritious goodies. I highly recommend bringing food on the train, and not just because of your restricted diet, if you know what I mean. Danna Korn’s Tips for Disneyland, Disney World, and Other Theme Parks Disney theme parks aren’t just the happiest places on earth—they’re among the most accommodating for people with restrictive diets. When planning a trip to any theme park, call a couple of weeks in advance and ask to talk to the executive chef. Tell the chef what day you’ll be there, and specifically what your restrictions are (Disney parks are well-versed on the gluten-free diet). Indicate the type of food that you’d like to eat, and if you’ve been there before you may even be able to specify the restaurant of your choice. The chef will ensure that you have a safe, enjoyable meal. Once You’re There For some reason, people who worry about traveling sometimes forget that other cities also have grocery stores. In fact, just about any city I’ve ever been to has a store of some sort or another. This is the most convenient thing! When you first arrive at your destination, check out the local grocery stores and see if you can sniff out a health food store or two. They may carry products you’ve never seen before, which is always an added bonus. If you call a few weeks before you arrive, you can even request that they order some of your favorite products and have them in stock when you get there. If you’ll have kitchen facilities available and plan to do a lot of your own cooking, you’ll find that being away from home isn’t much different from being there, especially if you pack your kitchen in a suitcase and come equipped with some of your favorite foods. Happy Travels! The most important thing to remember is that travel is about the experience—the company you’re with, the places you visit and the activities you enjoy— and not necessarily the food. If you can enjoy another country’s foods because they’re gluten-free, that’s terrific. And we know there are plenty of gluten-free foods available in the U.S., no matter where you are. So make those spring and summer travel plans—you’re now well-armed to have a happy, healthy gluten-free trip!