Travelling as a Vegan

From Tokyo to Texas — how to eat well and stay vegan anywhere in the world.

9 min read

Travelling as a vegan used to be genuinely difficult. Today, with the right apps and a bit of preparation, you can eat well almost anywhere in the world.

Essential apps

  • HappyCow — the definitive global directory of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. Available in almost every country. Essential.
  • Google Maps — filter by "vegan options" under the food type filters. Increasingly comprehensive.
  • iTranslate or Google Translate — for reading menus in other languages. Use the camera translation feature.
  • Barnivore — to check if beer and wine is vegan wherever you are.

💡 The vegan travel card

Before you travel, prepare a small card (or save a screenshot) in the local language that explains your diet: "I am vegan. I do not eat meat, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, or honey. I eat only plant-based foods." Use a translation tool to create this in any language. Hand it to restaurant staff where language is a barrier.

Country guides

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

One of the most vegan-friendly countries in the world. London has hundreds of dedicated vegan restaurants. Most chain restaurants (Wagamama, Zizzi, Pizza Express, etc.) have extensive vegan menus. Greggs, Pret, and Leon are reliable vegan-friendly fast food options.

Germany 🇩🇪

Veganism has grown dramatically in Germany. Berlin is one of the most vegan-friendly cities on earth. Most supermarkets (REWE, Edeka, dm) have large plant-based sections. Asian, Turkish, Italian, and Middle Eastern restaurants are safe bets.

USA 🇺🇸

Plant-based options are available nationwide but distribution is uneven. Cities (NYC, LA, Portland, Austin) are exceptionally well-catered. Rural areas can be challenging. Mexican and Asian cuisines are widely available and vegan-adaptable.

India 🇮🇳

Paradoxically both easy and challenging. Vegetarianism is widespread (30%+ of population), making plant-based options plentiful. However, dairy is used extensively in Indian cooking — ghee, paneer, cream, and yogurt appear in many dishes. South Indian cuisine (idli, dosa, sambar, rasam) tends to be the most vegan-friendly. Street food in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka is often incidentally vegan.

Japan 🇯🇵

Difficult to navigate without Japanese language skills. Dashi (fish stock) is used in many dishes that appear vegetarian. However, Japan has a strong Buddhist cuisine tradition (shojin ryori) that is fully vegan. Temple restaurants in Kyoto and Tokyo offer beautiful vegan meals. Use HappyCow to find vegan restaurants.

Italy 🇮🇹

Easier than its reputation suggests. Pasta dishes like aglio e olio, arrabbiata, puttanesca (minus anchovies), and marinara are classic vegan dishes. Pizza without cheese (pizza marinara) is a genuine Italian tradition. Gelato is challenging (most contains dairy), but sorbet is always available.

France 🇫🇷

Historically resistant to veganism, but attitudes are changing rapidly. Paris now has dozens of excellent vegan restaurants. Outside major cities, stick to Middle Eastern (falafel is everywhere), Indian, and Vietnamese cuisines.

Thailand 🇹🇭

Jay (เจ) food is a Thai Buddhist vegan tradition. Look for restaurants with the yellow Jay symbol — these are fully vegan. Many mainstream restaurants can omit fish sauce and oyster sauce from dishes, but ask clearly.

Airline food

All major airlines offer vegan meal options — but you must request them in advance. Do this at booking or up to 48 hours before departure through the airline's website. The meal code is usually "VGML" (vegan meal). These are typically better than the standard meal.

Packing snacks

For long travel days or unreliable destinations, pack:

  • Nuts and seeds (trail mix)
  • Energy bars (Nakd, Larabar, Kind bars — check ingredients)
  • Dried fruit
  • Nut butter sachets
  • Instant noodles or miso soup sachets (for emergencies)
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