Over the last few years, the global interest in veganism has steadily been on the rise. Nevertheless, even in 2021, travelling as a vegan is not always easy.
Arming yourself with the best resources and plant-based know-how will help you follow your dreams without stumbling across too many challenges along the way. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place to learn.
Our vegan travel trips will steer you through what to expect, how to prepare, foods you can try, and the best places to visit. Oh, the vegan paradises you are about to discover!
Why our vegan travel tips?
Because we (Alice and Lucy) are digital nomads and we’re vegan! We live this way permanently and regularly update this post to give you the latest in vegan travel advice.
What’s more, we have an amazing community of plant-based adventurers eager to share their own vegan travel experiences with you!
Is it easy to travel as a vegan?
We’re not going to beat around the bush here; it’s not always easy travelling as a vegan. Of course, there are some places that are more vegan-friendly but the majority of the world is simply not designed with us in mind!
That’s not to say that it will always be this way; the world is changing (albeit slowly) and the awareness of veganism is growing. However, it’s important to prepare and educate yourself about your destination before you travel, just as you would learn about the culture and local laws and customs!
Read on to find out more.
What are the most vegan-friendly destinations?
1. London, UK
Our home city never fails to amaze us – according to Happy Cow, London had 152 fully vegan restaurants in 2019, 125 of which were in a five-mile radius within the city! With the growth of veganism in the UK, we simply can’t wait to find out how many new vegan businesses will launch in 2021 and the years to come.
Whether you’re looking for plant-based menus at Michelin-starred restaurants, vegan supermarkets, seitan chicken fast food, free-from bakeries, vegan pubs, allergen-free ice cream, or even a vegan cheesemonger, we’ve got it all in London!
Other Top vegan friendly cities
- London, UK
- Berlin, Germany
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Bali, Indonesia
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Tel Aviv, Israel
- California (particularly LA), USA
- New York City, USA
- Mexico City, Mexico
Should I only travel to vegan-friendly destinations?
Where would be the fun in that? There are plenty of ways to survive on a plant-based diet in a non-vegan-friendly destination and the challenge is all part of the adventure! It’s getting much easier now it’s 2021 and awareness is growing even in the most carnivorous of cultures.
Nevertheless, it’s always good to educate yourself on what to avoid and where to eat before you go. So have a look through our guide to see if we have any resources that can help.
Oh, and if you’ve successfully visited a destination and want to help other vegans out, pitch us with your travel blog ideas – we’re always looking for passionate plant-based travellers to join The Vegan Sisters’ Online Community of Writers.
How do I prepare to travel as a vegan?
Follow the steps below to make your vegan travel experience as painless as possible:
Research, research, research!
Follow our vegan travel tips to help you find out more about your chosen travel destination. We’ve got phrases, restaurant suggestions, local tips, and travel advice for lots of different countries and will continue to add to this.
We also recommend using HappyCow, which is constantly updated with new and exciting vegan businesses.
Book a vegan meal for your flight
Even if you do this during booking, we recommend ringing the travel company a couple of days before your journey – just to double-check! There’s nothing worse than travelling on an empty stomach.
Tell everyone you’re vegan!
Yep, that’s right – fit that stereotype and tell everyone who’s listening that you’re vegan. That includes your hosts, restaurant staff, friends that you meet along the way, etc.
Telling people in advance will help you avoid any sticky situations such as having non-vegan treats left on your bed as a “welcome surprise” or finding out that a chicken has been slaughtered to celebrate your visit.
Prepare travel snacks and pack some emergency food
Believe us, you’ll thank yourself for this later.
We like to stay in places that have kitchen space so we can prepare nutritious food in case it’s particularly difficult to source vegan options (it’s also a great money-saver). Consequently, having some non-perishable food, such as quinoa, rice, nuts, your favourite seasoning, TVP, and some food supplements, might just save your vegan butt.
We also love to travel with Form Nutrition Superblend (the toffee flavour is insanely good) because it’s packed full of essential nutrients, which you might need after a week-long diet of vegetable fried rice and chips!
Small snacks such as breakfast bars, protein balls, and dried fruit are great to tide you over until you can find your next vegan meal. Why not try out the recipe below for some delicious peanut protein balls using Form Nutrition Protein Powder:
Learn some vegan phrases
Before you go, memorise some vegan phrases. Or you can print them off and carry them around with you.
We’ve got your back with a whole bunch of vegan travel phrases in a variety of languages.
Be innovative!
Sometimes you have to get creative.
For example, we travel with reusable cutlery and Tupperware so that we can make and eat food on-the-go. This proved useful in The Bahamas when we bought a load of fresh vegetables and some tortillas and made raw wraps.
On another occasion, we had to resort to using a drip coffee machine to cook some instant noodles we bought in the local supermarket!
Are there any vegan hotels?
Oh yes, there are!
There are loads of vegan hotels popping up around the world meaning you can have a truly vegan holiday.
Check out our worldwide vegan hotel guide here.
How can you travel as a vegan digital nomad?
First, you need to find a job or start a business which allows you to work remotely.
Already have a job? Try asking your boss if you are able to work remotely.
Thinking of starting your own vegan business to assist your travels? Check out this blog on the online vegan business ideas.
Secondly, make sure you are insured. If you travel permanently, that will mean you will be carrying around your life with you everywhere. And if you get sick, you will be far from home and family. Check out our blog here on the best digital nomad insurance.
Where are the best vegan digital nomad destinations?
Oh hey there, vegan digital nomad.
We’ve got you!
We are on a mission to find all of the best destinations for vegan digital nomads. Why? Because we are vegan digital nomads!
