The Ultimate Vegan Travel Guide

Last Updated on March 17, 2024

Whether you’re taking your first steps into vegan travel or just looking to add more plant-based meals to your trips, you’re in the right place! As experienced vegans, we’ve gathered some useful tips to guide you in discovering the top vegan spots and enjoying the gastronomic delights of any country.

Let’s start with the basics: Why go vegan?

Nowadays, people opt for a vegan lifestyle for diverse reasons – health, sustainability , or, like us, a deep love for animals. Shifting to a vegan lifestyle may seem like a big step, but understanding your motives and taking it one step at a time can make the journey more manageable. Now, we get it – going vegan might have its challenges worldwide, but here in Portugal we have to admit it’s pretty easy and convenient. Plus, with increasing options in supermarkets and restaurants, it’s becoming easier almost everywhere.

We’ve been vegans for a while now – Bruno for 3 years, and me (Clara) for 8 at the time we last updated this post. And, well, we’ve done a fair bit of traveling during this time – so you could say we’ve gotten the hang of it.

The goal of this guide is to provide you with quick tips on how to make vegan travel stress free. However, we want to stress that adopting a vegan lifestyle goes beyond just your diet. It extends to the products you buy, from cosmetics to clothes. While our focus here is on finding the best vegan food, feel free to send us any questions you might have.

Now, if you’re considering a shift to a vegan diet, be sure to consult with a nutritionist and seek medical advice if you have any health concerns. We’ve experienced firsthand that maintaining a fully plant-based diet is entirely doable while staying healthy, but it all comes down to what you eat. Being vegan doesn’t automatically mean you’re healthy, especially if you’re mainly eating processed foods.

Let’s be real – some places make it easier to be vegan than others. Cultural nuances, language barriers, and local culinary traditions can pose challenges. But, based on our own experiences, we’ve found that even in countries where vegan options might not be obvious, you can still stick to a plant-based lifestyle. 

As a rule of thumb, in big cities, like Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, or London, finding vegan food is quite easy. However, if you head to smaller towns or villages, you might notice fewer vegan choices.

Expert Tip: Don’t hesitate to broaden your search! Include terms like vegetarian and even try using local language phrases. For instance, in Vietnam, searching for “chay” (which means vegetarian) can open up more options.

So, whether your journey is a smooth ride or a bit bumpy really depends on where you travel to. With that in mind, and to make things simpler for you, we want to share our 5 easy tips to being a happy vegan traveler.

1. Find the best vegan spots and plan ahead (at least a bit)

Google Maps will be your best friend, at least in most places. We know some countries don’t use Google Maps as much, but in most cases it works great You just need to type in words like ‘vegan’ to discover nearby places, but just a quick heads-up – the places that pop up might not be entirely vegan. For example, someone might have just mentioned the word in a comment, so it’s always good to double-check.

We’re all about finding the best options, so we also check ratings, read reviews, and if the place isn’t exclusively vegan, we peek at the menu. After all, having a salad doesn’t always mean it’s vegan-friendly! 😁

You can also use Happy Cow to find vegan restaurants. To be honest, we tend to use Google more because, in general, it gives us better results. But, giving Happy Cow a try won’t hurt and it might work best for you!

As we said early on, in some places, they might not use the word ‘vegan,’ so searching in the local language could give you more options. And also, ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ are sometimes used interchangeably, so keep an eye out for both!

Sometimes, we check places before the trip – you’ll find tons of “10 best vegan spots in ____” guides. If something sounds good, add it to the plan!

2. Carry a pocket translator 

Whether it’s your trusty phone (hello, Google Translator!) or a good old notebook, having key phrases on hand is a smart move, such as: 

• We are vegan. No meat, no fish, no eggs, no milk, no seafood.
• Without egg/without milk (if ordering a vegetarian dish).
• Do you have soy/almond/oatmeal milk?

We love picking up a few words or phrases in the local language. It’s our way of connecting with people. Although, let’s be honest, it can get a bit tricky sometimes. 

And as a heads-up: not every country might be familiar with the term ‘vegan.’ With tourism booming, it’s getting more recognized, but you might stumble upon places where the word isn’t quite understood yet. So, a little patience and a smile can go a long way!

3. Snacks, snacks and more snacks!

We always pack a stash of snacks – nuts, bars, chocolates, you name it. Trust us, there were moments when we forgot to check in as vegan travelers, leading to fruit and bread dinners during flights. Lesson learned: better to be safe than hungry!

4. Be flexible

No, we’re not suggesting you dig into dairy or other animal products. Sometimes your meal might be as simple as soup and french fries. It happens, and we believe embracing these moments is all part of the vegan travel adventure. Thankfully, being vegan today is way easier than it was a decade ago. With a variety of options available, most restaurants now offer at least a vegetarian choice.

If you’re heading to a place where finding a vegan meal might be a challenge, consider booking accommodations with a kitchenette. It’s a game-changer, especially during road trips. You can cook your own plant-powered meals and save some money. Trust us, it works like a charm!

5. Book vegan friendly experiences

When we went to Brussels, we were excited to taste their famous waffles. But, being vegan a few years back meant not many choices. So, we joined a cooking class to learn how to make our own vegan waffles. It turned out great – we enjoyed the waffles and got the recipe too!

You might find lots of vegan-friendly experiences while traveling. If you’re struggling to find local vegan places, trying something like a cooking class can be a cool way to meet locals and pick up new skills!

Being vegan doesn’t mean missing out on local cuisine and incredible experiences – you can trust us on this one!