You’re counting down the days all year, purchasing clothes that will only be worn once to then suffer severe depression when you’re back on British soil... yes you guessed correctly, it’s holiday time! As well as all the normal planning, if you have the added pressure of a family member who has to follow a gluten free diet going on holiday can be tricky. For the majority of people who are gluten free and going abroad there are so many things to consider; “How much gluten free food can I put in my suitcase?”, “Will the bargain all inclusive deal I’ve booked cater for a gluten free diet?”, “Will there be an embarrassing scene at the airport when the sniffer dogs catch me with a gluten free loaf in my hand luggage?” Not to worry, we hope to answer a few of the standard questions about going abroad gluten free...



Travelling by plane:

• At the time of the booking try to arrange a gluten free meal, if you explain to your travel company your situation they should do their best to accommodate special dietary requirements. Always remember to double check on the day of the departure that your gluten free meal is still on the menu! You can do this with the check in staff.
• If for some reason you cannot order a gluten free meal for your flight don’t worry. Either eat before you head out to the airport or bring some homemade sandwiches for the departure lounge. At DS we have recipes for some great gluten free sandwich fillings using any of our gluten and wheat free loaves or rolls. If you have more of a sweet tooth, our sister brand, TRUfree, have a range of gluten and wheat free biscuits which are portion packed, ideal to pop in your hand luggage.
• Again, if you haven’t been able to arrange a gluten free meal for the flight don’t be tempted by any of the food. Even if what’s on offer appears to be gluten free it probably hasn’t been prepared in a gluten free environment and no one wants to suffer a glutening on an 8 hour flight with 30 other passengers!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Gluten free self catering:

• Usually the easiest option, you can make sure everything is prepared in a gluten free environment to your liking.
   
• Simply pack a few essentials, DS offers a range of wheat and gluten free pastas as well as bread and don’t forget the TRUfree wheat and gluten free biscuits! Once again check with your tour operator or airline at the time of booking to check your allowance so you know how much luggage you can take, you can never guarantee every airline is the same.

Staying in hotels gluten free:

• If you’re more inclined to a life of luxury research hotels which can cater for a gluten free diet. When you’re booking your holiday ask the travel agents if they know of any hotels that have managed a gluten free diet before, this may influence your destination decision!

Useful Websites:

Below are two great websites which should help you travelling gluten free.

• www.glutenfreeroads.com/en/ - Simply enter a route that interests you and like magic the gluten free points will appear on the map! They are labelled so that you can see immediately whether a point is a supermarket, hotel or even an ice cream parlour. You can even make your own gluten free point!
• www.celiactravel.com essential facts, tips and tales to maintain a special diet anywhere in the world. A great way to breach the language barrier abroad as the website offers free gluten free restaurant cards which come in lots of languages, and detail everything the chef needs to know about preparing a gluten free meal.

Now hopefully all that’s left to do is look forward to your holiday. If you have recently travelled abroad gluten free or maybe you’re an experienced gluten free traveller please leave us a comment below with your experience or helpful hints and tips. You can also chat on our interactive forum and share your story with others or simply follow us on Facebook and Twitter.




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