Travel

Before you go

Look up two or three places to eat near where you are staying, and put a few bars in your bag. That is the planning. See the international travel guide if you are leaving the country.

Airports

Airports can be your friend if you know what to get. Almost every terminal has a burrito bowl, a sushi counter, a salad place, and a grab and go cooler with hard boiled eggs, cheese, fruit, yogurt, hummus, and nuts. Skip the sandwich case and the pretzel stand and you are fine.

On the plane, assume the meal is a roll and a cookie. Bring a bar or two. TSA allows solid food, so a full meal from home is fine too. See airline meals for long haul flights.

Rest stops and gas stations

Better than they look. Beef jerky, nuts, cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, fruit, yogurt, corn chips, and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store next door. Most truck stops now have a cooler of real food. Read the label once and go.

A cooler in the back seat covers the rest. See the road trip guide for a packing list.

Hotels

Ask for a room with a fridge and a microwave. Grocery delivery works at most hotels. For a longer stay, a rental with a kitchen gives you the most options. See vacation rentals.

International travel

Some countries label well and know what celiac is. Italy is the easy one. Learn one sentence in the local language, or carry a translation card. See the international travel guide for country notes.

Family gatherings

Bring a dish you know is safe, arrive before the chaos, and plate your food first. Do not expect everyone to understand cross contact, and do not make it a thing. See dining at friends' homes.

Mass while traveling

If you receive from the chalice, nothing changes. Most parishes offer the Precious Blood and you need no arrangement. If you use a low-gluten host, speak with your pastor before you travel and contact the parish you will visit well ahead of Mass. See traveling as a Catholic with celiac and the Communion options guide.

Cruises, theme parks, and camps

Cruise lines and the big theme parks handle gluten free every day. Tell them at booking and again at the first meal. For a child at camp, talk to the kitchen staff directly. See cruises, theme parks, and summer camps.

Backup

Enough bars for one extra day, and the name of a grocery store near where you are staying. That is the whole backup plan. It is fine to be the person who brings their own food.