Vegan Travel Tips: How to Plan Your Vacation
Going on a vegan vacation—especially overseas—can present some challenges. For starters, you don’t have the same control that you do in the comforts of your own home. However, that shouldn’t deter you from going on a vegan travel adventure. With the right mindset and proper planning, nothing is impossible.
Why go on a vegan vacation?
Wikipedia defines veganism as a practice of abstaining from consuming or using animal-based products. It is often associated with the philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. Both vegetarians and vegans avoid eating meat, but they differ in many ways. Healthline differentiates the two by explaining that some vegetarians may consume animal-based products, but vegans do not. So, you can think of veganism as a stricter form of vegetarianism.
Because of the possible challenges in following a vegan lifestyle, you may be afraid of traveling too far away from home. However, that’s actually a reason why you should go out and explore the world. This is the perfect time to discover the world, now that more and more people are catching up and starting to recognize veganism as a more environmentally-friendly and fun lifestyle. As a result, more and more businesses are also starting to cater to vegetarians and vegans.
Who knows, you might even find your life partner while traveling. The more you frequent vegan-friendly places, the higher the chance that you will meet someone who shares the same beliefs and values as you. After all, as a vegan, it may be important to you that you find someone who is also vegan—or at least understands and respects your choices and beliefs.
Of course, you can also find your partner through a reliable online vegan dating site. This way, you can be sure that the person you will meet is also on the same vegan page.
Is it difficult to travel as a vegan?
Traveling as a vegan could come with certain challenges. It does require some effort and research to find vegan-friendly places and restaurants. Fortunately, technology is helping ease some of the burdens.
For example, Happy Cow is making it easier for people to find vegetarian/vegan accommodation, shops, and restaurants. It was founded in 1999 in response to the growing vegan communities across the globe. It aims to assist travelers with finding vegan/plant-based options and healthy foods. Just download and install the Happy Cow mobile app on your mobile device, and you’re good to go.
Another online tool that you can use to find a vegan hotel is Veggie Hotels. But why all the fuss about finding a hotel that specifically caters to vegetarians and vegans?
There is a big difference between hotel kitchens that only prepare and serve vegan meals and hotel kitchens that process both animal-based and vegan meals at the same time. And as a vegan, you may feel dedicated to only supporting businesses that use and create cruelty-free products and food.
Top vegan travel tips
Here are a few tips you can use while going on a vegan trip.
Research your destination
Going on a vegan vacation can be a fun and culturally enriching experience. However, before you go anywhere, make sure that you have researched your destination thoroughly. You can use the Happy Cow app to find local vegan and vegan-friendly places wherever you are going.
Book the right hotels and tours
As mentioned earlier, staying in a vegan hotel is an ideal option for a vegan like yourself than a non-vegan hotel. You should also know where the local vegan restaurants are.
There are websites and apps you can use to find these hotels, shops, and restaurants. However, if you’re not too fond of planning your travel, you can always book a tour using a vegan-friendly travel agency, such as Veg Jaunts and Journeys. We will take care of all the details for you, such as your hotel, food, and activities. Additionally, we know where the vegan hot spots are and where you can sample the vegan versions of the local food. If you want to find the best experiences for your next trip, you can look up our vegan travel packages.
However, you should also do some research for places to visit and things to do on your own for your free time. Staying cooped up in your hotel room is a gross misuse of your precious vacation time.
Pack your own vegan snacks and other cruelty-free essentials
It’s true that the vegan lifestyle is becoming mainstream, but it’s still better to be prepared. Even if your destination or mode of transportation offers vegan food, you should still pack your own snacks, just in case. Some veggie snacks you can bring while on the go or at the airport include dried fruits, trail mix nuts, and veggie sticks with dip. Do some research on the best vegan foods to bring along when traveling.
You should also make it a habit to travel with your cruelty-free toiletries and other essentials. You can get travel-sized vegan and cruelty-free products from local health food stores, or large shops like Whole Foods. Or, you can bring whatever you already have at home, but don’t go overboard. You should still try to travel as lightly as possible.
Carry a vegan passport
Traveling to a non-English speaking country is challenging enough. So, you can just imagine what it would be like to try and explain what veganism is. You can learn how to say that you are a vegan—like what you can and cannot eat—in their native language, or you can carry a vegan passport. Available in both book and app form, this multilingual phrasebook is a wonderful addition to a globetrotting vegan’s travel must-haves.
Going on a vegan vacation is a perfect opportunity to discover how much the world has changed over the years, and how it has become more cognizant of the vegan lifestyle. If you’re ready to book a tour with us, you may want to go through these travel FAQs first.