My travels as a teen with 5 food allergies

Travelling with allergies; is it impossible? Absolutely not. Is it difficult? Sometimes.

Is it worth it? As an 18-year-old, I can say that it is absolutely worth the struggle.

I have travelled with my family to America, Europe, Bali, Fiji, New Zealand, and all-around Australia. I will share with you what I do to stay safe, and the best things that you can do to enjoy your trip.

The key to the trip is the planning. This seems obvious, but it isn’t just about choosing an English-speaking country that understands allergies, it’s about the little things. It is about what food you will take on the plane ride. It is whether there is a supermarket nearby your hotel, and if there are restaurants that can cater to you. Ah, but how do I know if the restaurant can cater? You call!

I went to Rome in 2023. As someone who is allergic to egg and dairy amongst other things, it seems fraught with risk. Afterall, what self-respecting traditional Italian restaurant serves pasta that isn’t freshly made with egg? Turns out, if you speak to the restaurant in advance, they are happy to cater to your needs (if they can) and will be glad for your patronage.

This leads me to the next thing to bear in mind. You shouldn’t push the odds too much. Basically, just be smart. You are often better off forgoing street food and just eating the snack that you brought with you (muesli bar, roasted chickpeas, fruit strap, etc). I am not trying to be the fun police, but some things are just a little too dicey sometimes – at least, they’re just not worth it.

Travelling with allergies sometimes means drawing the short straw so to speak and just being grateful that you even made it there in the first place. For example, I went to New Zealand with my friends, and they were all ordering from a fast-food pizza place that had no options for vegan cheese. So, with no options to order, I went to the store and made myself two pizzas because I planned ahead and got a room with a kitchen. If there were no pizza things at the store, I would have been okay too because I brought dehydrated meals to last me the trip, just in case.

Travel doesn’t have to be a massive headache, you just have to be willing to have an open mind and maybe go against the grain sometimes, like I did when I made my pizzas.

So, can travel with allergies be done? Absolutely. You just need to plan ahead. Always be patient, always be smart, and always be willing to accept that you may have to compromise sometimes if things fall through.

Happy food allergy week, and happy travelling.

Harry

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