
Travel with Food Allergies—Best Free Tips, Checklists & Tools
Traveling with food allergies can feel daunting, but with the right preparation and a little flexibility, you can absolutely enjoy safe, worry-free adventures.
Eight Unit Comprehensive Guide for Travel with Food Allergy. Plan safe and worry-free adventures with our expert tips for traveling with food allergies. Learn pre-trip preparations (chef cards, local laws), effective communication (translation, apps), emergency planning (foreign numbers, epinephrine), and smart dining strategies. Explore the world confidently despite food allergies.

Plan/Follow Plan/Plan for Plan Failure
22 resource links.

Communication is Key!
How to say “I Eat, I Die!”

Allergy Alert Cards
Gotchas/Reviews/Languages/DIY

Other Allergy Alert Tools
Some work, some don’t

Bad Translations Kill
Images Are Reliable Translations

Foreign Food Labels Are Different
Different Country
Different Allergens

Benefit from My 50+ Years of Experience
17 Family Allergies/50 Plus Years Surviving
Plan/Follow/Plan on Plan Failing
Links provide you with safe Travel with Food Allergies using the strategy of Planning before, Following the Plan/ and when the plan fails, avoiding panic by having planned for the unexpected.
Checklist for Flying
A comprehensive checklist for allergy management while traveling abroad with food allergies reveals essential tips and tricks from 50+ years of real-world experience and cutting-edge AI-powered searches.
- Research Destination-Specific Regulations: Learn about local food labeling laws and common allergens in the regions you plan to visit. Countries vary in their allergen disclosure requirements, and ingredients may have different names across cultures.
- Plan Ahead with Airlines: Contact airlines in advance to discuss policies regarding allergen-free meals and cabin safety measures.
- Pack Essentials: Bring safe snacks, necessary medications, and extra epinephrine auto-injectors to minimize risk.
- Engage Airlines: Notify the airline of your allergies when booking, confirm arrangements at check-in, and communicate with the flight crew about your needs.
- Create a Safe Space: Wipe down seats, trays, and armrests to prevent cross-contact. Avoid consuming airline-provided meals unless you are certain of their safety.
Communication is Key!
Discover essential tips for communicating food allergies while traveling, both domestically and internationally. Learn how to create effective allergy alert cards, use smartphone apps wisely, and navigate language barriers.
- Allergy Alert Cards: These cards clearly state your allergies in the local language, helping you navigate restaurants and grocery stores safely.
- Smartphone Apps and Translation Tools: Use trusted apps to translate allergy terms accurately. Be aware that translation errors can lead to severe misunderstandings.
- Bracelets and QR Codes: Wear medical alert jewelry or use scannable QR codes that link to detailed allergy information.
Allergy Alert Cards
Hundreds of options, but we reviewed and compared the ones that best communicated the “I Eat, I Die” message. Find which card and translate a language without searching each individual website. Generate Do-It-Yourself multi-language alert cards with images.
Other Allergy Alert Tools
There are countless ways to communicate your food allergies. After trying them all, I’ve learned that what sounds great in theory doesn’t always work in practice. Many solutions come highly recommended, but in real-world situations, they often fall short.
Various tools aim to assist allergy sufferers while traveling, but their efficacy can vary.
- Allergy Alert Cards: Images help prevent possibly fatal translation errors.
- Alert Cards vs Apps: While cards are universally useful, apps may fail in areas with weak internet connectivity or unfamiliar dialects.
- Medical Bracelets: These remain a reliable, low-tech option, especially for emergencies.
Bad Translations Kill
On international travel with food allergies, bad translations of food allergies can be life-threatening. Navigating ingredient names across different languages and regions adds a layer of complexity for those with food allergies. More troubling, the same ingredient may have different names depending on the location, leading to potentially dangerous misunderstandings. For instance, peanuts in Mexico are “cacahuètes” in other Spanish-speaking countries, “Mani”. Even subtle misinterpretations can have severe consequences.
Foreign Food Labels Are Different
What’s considered a major allergen in one country might not be in another. For example, in the US, there are nine major allergens that must be labeled, while in the UK and EU, there are 14! And it gets even more complicated when products are imported or exported. Familiarize yourself with the local food allergy landscape.
Benefit from my experience
My experience from countless international trips, having an international family with severe food allergies, researching websites, and interviews with fellow food allergy sufferers. My practical advice for fellow allergy sufferers their next adventure is …
Actionable Takeaways
- Research Your Destination: Labeling laws and nearby hospitals
- Prepare Allergy Alert Cards: Images and translations of food allergies
- Stock Up on Medications: Bring sufficient EpiPens and translate prescriptions
- Learn Basic Phrases: Learn essential phrases
- Pack Essential Supplies: Bring non-perishable snacks and any necessary utensils
Related Reading
- Flying with Food Allergies
- Airlines and Allergies: The Best and Worst Airlines For People With Food Allergies :Fare Teen Advisory Group members research airlines’ websites, travel blogs, food allergy blogs, and other news sources. They contacted the airlines by email, phone, Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger and contacted a total of 36 airlines.
- Nut Policies for 60 Airlines
- Tips on Flying with Food Allergies: Stanford University (2015)
- Airlines and Allergies: The Best and Worst Airlines For People With Food: FoodAllergy.org report of their research by airlines´ websites, travel blogs, food allergy blogs, and other news sources, as well as contacting the airlines by email, phone, Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger
- Flying with a food allergy: list of policy information for the main airline providers
- Flying with Kids: Tips for a Successful Airport Experience Follow these parent-tested tips to ensure a smooth flight, no matter where you’re flying with kids.
- Invisibly Allergic: Reviews of airlines
- Allergens on Airlines: Safety, Precautions, and Passenger Rights
- Airline food allergy policies
- Allergy Alert Cards
- Allergy Alert Cards in 15 languages for 12 Phrases and 32 allergens: Allergy Alert Cards translations
- FoodAllergy.world SOS Aboard/Beware Allergy Alert Cards Section: Food Allergy Alert Cards problems
- Allergy Alert Cards in 11 languages for 2 Phrases and 8 allergens: Allergy Alert Cards translations
- FoodAllergy.world Travel/Bad Translation Can Kill Section: Translations may change between countries with the same language.
- Allergy Alert Cards in 40 languages for 56 allergens: Allergy Alert Cards translations
- Food Allergy Travel Checklists
- FAACT’s Traveler’s Checklist: A practical tool for ensuring you’ve covered all bases in your travel plans.
- FoodAllergy.world Travel/Checklist Section: Collected checklist from the resources used for this website
- Planning ahead: Booking a holiday abroad, consider …
- Managing Food Allergies While on Vacation: American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI)
- International Travel with Food Allergies Tips
- Miss Allergic Reactor: Personal experiences of international travel
- Emergency Country Codes: 911 in foreign countries
- Earth Trekkers: Great information from personal experience with details for numerous countries
- FoodAllergy.world SOS Abroad/911 Abroad Section: 911 is not the same in all countries
- FARE Tip Sheets: Tips for thirteen countries, including 911 numbers, EpiPen availability, labels, and more
- FoodAllergy.world SOS Aboards/Food Allergies Not Global Section: Internationally, your allergy may be unknown
- FoodAllergy.world SOS Abroad/Technology Section: Technology is key to survival with food allergies abroad
- FARE’s Food Allergy Travel Guide: IFAA Travel Tips is a comprehensive resource with links to vital travel information for countries.
- Misc
- FoodAllergy.world Travel/My Personal Experience: Learn from by thousands of miles of international travel
- FoodAllergy.world Travel/Communication Section: Do’s and Don’ts for communicating your allergies
- Backpacking and excursions,
- Advice for young adults travelling,
- Socialising, festivals, and events
- Travelling with an allergic infant