Vegan travel is not as difficult as you may think!

Hey guys, it’s Ella here with Sexy Fit Vegan. Tomorrow I am leaving to go to Europe for 3 weeks so I wanted to do a post about traveling as a vegan. This is my longest trip ever and I’m super excited! I’m going to Berlin, Amsterdam, London, and Switzerland, then down through Italy, and finally leaving from Milan to come back home.

Fitness Routine and the Vegan Traveler

One thing I do is work out super hard 2 weeks in advance of my trips. I do plan on getting lots of exercise on my trip, but I don’t want my trip to be about exercise and making sure I keep my body in the best tip-top shape. I do want to experience  new cultures, new sites, see new things, have fun and enjoy myself and not be stuck to a routine because that’s what home is for.

Planning for Vegan Travel with Social Media

I’m going to lots of different spots and will need to figure out what I’m going to do, where I’m going to stay, and traveling as a vegan, I will need to figure out how to maintain my health vegan diet. The first step is research. Connecting on social media gives you lots of info about fun things to do, where to stay, which neighborhoods to visit, and all that fun stuff.  

Social media makes it so easy these days. I got into Facebook groups that are composed of vegans in Berlin, London, and Amsterdam. I joined these groups to ask questions and everyone was very receptive.  On Instagram I was also able to connect with people with similar interests.  From one post I found on Pinterest  I went to the authors profile to see what her posts were to see if I related to her. I reached out  because she had a lot of cool pictures like doing yoga and exploring vegan-friendly restaurants but she also had a few pictures that were fun, going to local spots and bars, and other things I want to do with the locals

Vegan-Friendly Places to Stay

I’m staying primarily at Airbnb. Why? Because that’s also, to me, a fun adventure and you can have a kitchen! I want my own place, not just my own room, so I have access to a kitchen and have my privacy. I love having a kitchen so that I can have big meals while I’m out and have leftovers always available if I want to just chill at the house for a little bit and recuperate between Adventures.

Also, remember there are always places, no matter where you go in the world, to get vegetables, fruits, beans and whole grains so that you can always have something healthy at the house. My philosophy is, as long as you’re stuffing your body full of the most nutrient dense foods possible, especially calorie light dense food, you don’t have to worry about how mulch you’re eating.  When I go on vacation, I work to eat healthy most of the time, but then know that I’m also going to have fun and eat some foods I might not normally eat, and be okay with it.

Packing for Vegan Travel

It’s always helpful to pack some vegan raw food or vegan protein bars or powders for emergency purposes. You don’t want to get to that point where you’re so starving that you get grumpy. If you’re like me, I get grumpy when I’m hungry. Bottom line, you know that you’re not going to starve to death, but it is an uncomfortable feeling.and you need a plan so you don’t just go and pick the very first thing you see just because you’re that hungry. I’m not a huge bar fan (I’m talking nutritional bars here – I am a fan of pub-style bars ;)), but having some nutritional bars with you can tide you over until you get to a place that has more choices that are agreeable with you.

Preparing for the Plane Ride, Vegan Style

It’s important to make sure you are prepared on especially long plane rides in case there isn’t anything available to eat that is plant-based or vegan. You can call ahead for long international flights to see if  they have a vegan option for you. It’s a good idea to bring snacks for the trip just in case. For my trip I’m planning on bring baked tofu that comes in packets. The tofu can sit around for hours without going bad, it’s already flavored and works great for a high-protein,  delicious substantial snack. Crackers or popcorn may be available in the airport, but even if they’re vegan and fun to snack on, they’re not really going  to satisfy you for any length of time. The tofu and hummus with some veggies, if packed in a little cooler, can be a life saver!

There is a catch:  you may have your hummus confiscated! On one of my travels I did have my hummus confiscated. This was quite upsetting, as funny as it sounds, but when you’re in a hurry and you’re getting on a long flight and you think you have a snack and you’re hungry and they take that snack away from you and you have to run and get on the plane anyway knowing you’re going to be really hungry, it’s just very disappointing! Bottom line: pack a few good options.

Planning Activities for the Vegan Traveler

Using Facebook and Instagram connections, I was able to find out about the historical sites that I don’t want to miss while I go to such historic cities. I want to experience the culture and also really get to meet with the locals and not just hit the tourist spots. You can always check traditional travel sites like Yahoo Trip Advisor, but I have found that the best way for me to find a cool spot by just asking around, as opposed to planning everything in advance. I also search for local fitness opportunities. This trip, I am nursing a shoulder injury and will probably stay mostly with yoga studios.

Eating Out, Vegan Style

For me, it’s not necessarily important to go into only vegan exclusive restaurants. What I want to do is stay as mainstream as possible and find restaurants that can offer me vegan choices, even if they’re not vegan restaurants. I find it to be an adventure to communicate with the staff at mainstream restaurants and see what they can do to come up with some options for me.

Of course, I also enjoy going to the vegan friendly spots. I have found lots of vegan bakeries that I plan on flirting a little bit with on my vegan travels. At home I have been off of sugar for quite a while, but when there are vegan donut spots that I’m going to come across as I travel through Europe, I’m going to be tasting some donuts!

I hope these tips help on your next vegan travel trip!