Traveling with my 8 year old that has Egg and tree nut allergies

Is this the first foreign travel you've done with him? I travel with a food allergy so I'll give you my super short list but feel free to ask specific questions. I travel with an Epipen - make sure you bring two of them in case you have to use one so you're not out running around looking for a new one. Carry more Benadryl than you think you need. Is your son anaphylactic? I carry a handmade card when I travel - I don't like the pre-printed ones because I don't think they specify that my allergy is a serious one - I'd hate for someone to just assume I was fussy or avoiding gluten or doing a paleo diet. I want them to know that if they feed me corn that they could kill me and so I make my own cards that say "I am allergic to corn. If I eat it I will have to go to the hospital".

I bet there's French-speakers on this site who can help you draft one. I got help here when I needed one for China.

Restaurants make me nervous - and I think corn is probably easier than nuts and eggs. I make a lot of my own food in apartments but I will eat in a restaurant. I show them my card but I've still had some near-misses. Mostly, in Paris and everywhere else, I order simple food and, when in doubt, I skip it. I've left quite a few meals on the table when I just wasn't sure what was in it. I'd be super careful if your son is anaphylactic. Grocery stores and picnics are great and I do that a lot - I spend a lot of time reading labels in the grocery stores but it allows me to try some fun food.

I also take a Zyrtec when I travel as I think it gives me a little protection for small ingestion in things I can't see - but I don't know if your son has any wiggle room at all.

Well...this was SUPPOSED to be my super short list!!??!!

I googled vegan bakeries in Paris and three came up. You may want to google for restaurants as well. This will give you a place to start for the no eggs.

Down load cards that have the allergy descriptions in French so they are clear about these issues anywhere you go. Still, it may not be fool proof, but it is a start. People in Europe have some of the same allergy concerns. You aren't the only one.

PS. Bring an Epipen prescription with you, preferably translated into French. You just might find that they are WAY cheaper in France and can bring some home with you.

If your child has allergies, the safest thing to get is a "tradition" - a baguette which has only flour, yeast, salt and water.

Croissants do not have eggs in them, but only a little egg wash, which might or might not bother him.
Brioche have eggs.
Everything with creme has eggs in it.
Quiche, etc...

If he has a nut allergy, he might also be allergic to lentils, which are related to tree nuts.

You can Google "vegan bakeries in Paris" and get good results, but you might have to travel some distance, depending on where you are staying.

You should download cards stipulating what your child can and cannot eat, and just hand it to the server:
http://selectwisely.com

I must ask what do you mean by tree nut allergies? Its not a phrase I have heard in Britain/Europe.

Thank you everyone. These are all very helpful suggestions. @caro, tree nuts include pistachios, cashews, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and basically all nuts. I believe the categorization of "tree nuts" is only to group them and set them apart from peanuts. Peanuts are not really nuts and in the case of my son, he is not allergic to Peanuts.

This is the second trip to Europe for my son, though the first was mainly on a cruise that had many choices and accommodations. Restaurants are scary and the challenge is that we are all typically quite hungry when you get there. What I have stated doing is making sure what i have with me food that I can give him when they start bringing all kinds of things to the table that he cannot have or that they have to check.

Thank you for the information on the baguette, this is quite helpful!

Great suggestions on the Epi pen. I normally just carry one and I have never had to use it. But taking 2 makes so much sense as well as the prescription. Thank you!

Hi - I've traveled for 7 weeks throughout France with my 7 year old daughter who has severe egg and nut allergies. Please private message me to converse in more detail.

Here's my short summary:

1. Get a printed card to hand out at restaurants. I can email you mine (but need an email to send it too so private message me with your email).

2. We found the French people very accommodating and respectful, particularly at family-owned and run restaurants.

3. We ate 2 baguettes a day (times 45 days!) all over France. They don't ever have eggs. I wouldn't worry about baguettes. No croissants, no pastries, no crepes, really no baked desserts to speak of. We never sought out vegan bakeries and just focused on other French foods. She really liked the licorice, sorbet (cassis!) and the chocolate. And the food in general is great, so she didn't miss out much. Also, pizza is generally safe, but be sure to ask first.

4. If it is not too late, do yourself a favor and get an apartment where you can cook your own food on some nights. While the restaurants were accommodating, and as I'm sure you know, eating out was a bit exhausting when you have to be vigilant all the time.

5. You won't be able to say 'eggs' correctly. It is an extremely tricky word. Every time I said it people looked at me like I was crazy, which continues to baffle me. It is like "who's on first". I hear it, I say it, it is wrong. Nuts is also tricky. I feel like several times I told people that my horse is allergic to nighttime and ears. Once I gave them to card to read, everything went smoothly.

6. Epi-pen - of course, bring many. We brought 6 plus loads of benedryl and her prescriptions. We also have never had to use them but they say that many people misfire on the first attempt.

Good luck! -Matt

Peanuts are techincally "ground nuts", since they are grown underground.
Other nuts are grown on trees.
I didn't know about the lentils until someone who's allergic told me about them.

Oeuf - "UF" - that's the way most Anglophones would say it. It's fine.
Noix - "NWAH"
Peanuts - "CACA -WETS"
But I would get the cards, to make sure everyone understands what you want.

You can Google vegan bakeries, as I said, but they are mostly not too tasty.
I think your child will be happy with non-egg pastas, rotisserie chicken, baguettes and cheese.
Sorbet doesn't have any egg in it, but ice cream and the cones do.

Caro, now I'm curious. "Tree nuts" is indeed the standard phrase in the US, to distinguish from peanuts, which aren't really nuts (they're legumes). What are the terms used in the UK?

They are the same - peanuts = legumes.