Can anyone recommend guidebooks/sites that cover gluten-free options worldwide? I know some countries handle gluten-free better than others, and I'd like to get some ideas of good places to travel safely (or even somewhat easily) with celiac disease. I'd love it if the Rick Steves radio programme covered this issue, as well! Thank you!
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Here is a New York Times article indicating that Italy is very celiac-aware: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/travel/gluten-free-dining-in-italy.html?_r=0
Here are some threads from this forum on the subject of gluten-free in Italy:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/gluten-free-in-milan-possible-or-pipe-dream
I believe at least one of our regular posters has celiac disease and others are gluten-sensitive, so hopefully they'll see this thread and chime in.
Posted by
Glasgow, Scotland
1706 posts
A good start is either your local or the foreign coeliac disease charity. The British one Coeliac UK has a travel section with links to international coeliac charities, advice leaflets and what to look for on the menu and what to ask. Most large restaurants will have some gluten free products and usually a cut down menu about what is available.
The other thing is most European countries use the crossed grain logo to show what is gluten free, and there is a legal 'allergy box' on most food products saying what it contains in the local language.
Learning the translations of gluten free would be helpful, though it does help that most of what you would be leaning is 101 ways to say 'without' or 'free' - gluten free (UK), sans gluten (FR), senza glutine (IT), sin gluten (ES), glutenfrei (DE), glutenvrij (NL) etc
Posted by
Basel, Switzerland
8889 posts
Print out a translation that explains your condition (for example the ones on this page) and exactly what you can or cannot eat. You can then show this to the waiter before you order.
Posted by
Chicago
2124 posts
Ciro & Sons on via Giglio in Florence will make almost their entire menu gluten-free. We were there in March, and although do not require GF, it was our favorite restaurant. And then my cousin's daughter and husband traveled to Florence last month, she is celiac, and thought her GF pizza & beer was absolute heaven.