Gluten free & grain free in Italy possible?

What are my chances of getting eggs for breakfast every day?

In a decent hotel? 80%. 99% if you can hand the waiter a note saying "Sono celiaco" with a smile.

Will I be eating basically slices of preserved meats

I am not sure I know what a slice of preserved meat is. Or that I want to know it. Anyway, Can't you eat beef, poultry, fish, rabbit, cephalopods, sea-food, vegetables, flans, omelettes and gluten free pasta made with durum wheat like all Italians with a celiac disease?
Most restaurants keep an emergency box of gluten free pasta just in case.

Edit. Before starving you could purchase the English version of AIC's app: https://apps.apple.com/it/app/aic-mobile/id393650916 , use the map of "gluten free" restaurants around Italy and leave the group behind.

You may want to check restaurants on the Happy Cow website. This website and app have been identifying GF, Vegan, stores and restaurants for a lot of years. Also check blogs from other people with allergies and sensitivities. You may need to sometimes head out to meals on your own to feed up on what you can eat, but it may be tougher on tours. Also, email and ask the tour company whether it is feasible depending where they stop to eat. If this is a low budget tour, then meals may not be included which 'may make it easier to est where you can. It may be a lot of salads or veggies. Remember Italians have several courses, so you can avoid the pasta courses and main course is usually just the meat portion. They should be able to do you a steak or something with no thickener.

There were some vegetarians on our RS tour of Rome. I was surprised that there were no modifications made for them at restaurants. I wondered if they had notified the tour office and the guide that they were vegetarians in advance of the tour. I would check with people that are doing the tour.

Hi, like you, I am intolerant to all grains and also dairy. My husband and I were in Italy for 20 days in the summer of 2019. We were traveling independently and stayed at moderately priced hotels with breakfast included. I found hard boiled eggs at many hotels as well as scrambled. I didn't ever eat the scrambled because, when I asked, they all included dairy. At the breakfast buffet I was able to load up on fresh fruit. Sometimes I had the bacon as well as country fries/potatoes. I mainly ate a steak or chicken breast (harder to find chicken) with grilled vegetables for dinner. Yes, you will find meat without breading and without pasta. I often just skipped lunch because it was hard enough to find one place to have dinner, and we didn't want to spend the time to find another place to eat lunch.

So, yes, it's possible to eat grain free and dairy free in Italy. It's just going to be hard and you are really, really, really going to be envious of everyone else eating whatever they want because the food is just so darn good in Italy. When I went in 2016 and didn't know I was intolerant to grain and dairy, I got to experience the joy of eating there. During our 2019 trip, I had to walk by the restaurants and enjoy the smells, but not the taste. I'm pretty sure I'm probably the only person who can say she went to Italy for 3 weeks and lost 14 pounds. (We hit the 2019 June heat wave--100 degree temps with walking 8-10 miles per day and not eating 3 solid meals a day will do that!) Good luck, and YES it is possible!

jules m
I've been reluctant to take a RS tour because of exactly what you say. I read on the RS website (can't find it now to say exactly where) that even if you tell the company and guide about your food intolerances ahead of time, they probably won't modify the meal for you. I can't remember the exact wording, but it didn't give me a lot of confidence that any effort at all would be made. It was something like you'd have to supplement your meal with something you can eat and pay for it yourself. People like me (intolerant to all grains, dairy, and a list of other foods) don't choose to have food intolerances. People who don't have them don't understand how hard eating away from home can be. I fully understand that I won't be able to eat most of the food at the meals on a group tour. But, RS, at least give me some hope that the restaurant will make me a simple salad for dinner...

The other part of this is that Rick’s hotels typically have breakfast buffets, and you only have so much time to eat before getting ready to head out for the morning or board the bus for the day’s travel. The bus doesn’t wait. I’ve only done the RS Rome tour, and Italian hotels may have more selection nowadays, but when we were there I recall some meats and cheeses in the morning but not as much selection/variety of breakfast foods as I’ve seen in Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, and U.K. I do not have a gluten/wheat dietary requirement, so I can’t speak to it, but I’d call the RS office and ask them. I would be cautious in expecting the hotel to cook eggs for you unless they already have hard boiled ones on the buffet.

I had lovely meals on two RS tours, and am celiac. I usually go vegan when traveling as I do not eat meat, and I had no problems, I do carry protein bars or kind bars (the nut-based ones) and can eat some gluten-free grains, so have it a bit easier than you do.

In Italy, I had many wonderful salads with olives, tomatoes, other vegetables; fruited gelatos (akin to sorbet); nuts and raisins for breakfasts; and gluten-free pastas, which will not be on your menu. If you eat meats, then you can get grilled meats, salamis, fish, chicken.

“Sono celiaca” (soh-noh chell-ee-ah-kah) if you are female — “sono celiaco” if male — works wonders. Celiac is a well-known disease in Italy, where every child was tested for it up til about 2012.

“Non posso mangiare della farina oppure del glutine” is also a good sentence; and the note above about getting a card describing your situation in Italian, if you do not speak the language, is an excellent idea.

In Italy food is taken very seriously, so 99% you won't have so many problems. Of course you cannot eat the most of traditional dishes, but in general you'll find something suitable everywhere.
The main point is: intolerant or allergic? Means: if you eat a steak prepared in the same kitchen where is used even flour, do you fall down and must be carried to the hospital? Because in a kitchen the main problem is the cross contamination: if a very very little quantity of flour arrive on your steak for chance isn't an issue, you can go everywhere.
Now in Italy in a menù are indicated the "contaminant" (so anything can be dangerous if you are allergic: gluten, milk, honey, seeds and so on). If are not clearly stated you can ask to the waiter to show the list (sometimes it's supplied only on request, but is mandatory).
As other people suggest before me, prepare a little card (in Italian) to show to the waiter with your deseases is a very good idea (even if the most of allergenic are derived by Greek, so are almost written in the same way in English and Italian).
Another good suggestion is to book in advance, saying what you can eat and what you can't, so they know what to prepare. When I travel with group I know the people with a desease (or a special requirement, like vegetarian): we call in advance the restaurant/hotel so they know what to prepare.

I am not sure I know what a slice of preserved meat is. Or that I want to know it.

For Italy think Prosciutto, Bresaola, Salami, Pancetta, Guanciale, Nduja, Coppa and so on. All fantastic charcuterie and all of which you've no doubt eaten and enjoyed.

By the way, the idea of packing protein or granola bars is good advice for anyone taking an RS tours not just individuals with dietary requirements or allergies. I recall a particularly long morning walking tour in Prague where we didn't break for lunch until after 1pm it seems, and I was VERY glad I had a granola bar in my daypack. I'd buy some of your favorite bars at home and put them in your luggage. Great to have.

Breakfast provided by our Italian hotels is normally buffet style, with offerings varying quite a bit. They’ve come a long way during the time I’ve been traveling, considering that breakfast is not really an Italian tradition. Even if there may sometimes not be eggs, there will certainly be fruit. Meats, cheeses, or nuts may also make an appearance.

This is the RS Tours text regarding Medical Dietary Restrictions:
While we cannot take responsibility for those with special dietary needs, those with medical dietary restrictions usually manage fine with a little flexibility and willingness to supplement group meals at their own expense. Please discuss any medical dietary restrictions with your guide at the beginning of your tour so he/ she can assist you with group meals when possible.

In most countries, trading from a pasta to a steak, for instance, is not exactly an even trade. Omelets are common dinner options in Europe and might be something the guide suggests for you.

I cannot speak to what is served during RS tour-group meals, but a side dish (generously proportioned) of grilled vegetables appears on a large percentage of Italian menus. Contents will vary with the restaurant and the season, but I've seen eggplant, sweet peppers, summer squash, onions and tomatoes; I've probably been served more things that I've forgotten. Nothing like breadcrumbs or cheese was evident, though I can give no guarantees on that score.

For Italy think Prosciutto, Bresaola, Salami, Pancetta, Guanciale, Nduja, Coppa and so on.

Why calling 'em "preserved"? It sounds like something artificial was added.

On our 2019 RS Southern Italy there were lots of people with dietary restrictions and as far as I could tell, they were provided for. It was actually surprisingly common to see a number of restaurants offering GF options. We have family members with celiac,nut and lactose issues that are no joke. We explored how to order gelato for the lactose-intolerant and GF restaurants before we left so that when we were on our own we could find the best options. I remember being surprised at how many Internet sites dealt with finding menu and restaurant options in Italy.

"There were some vegetarians on our RS tour of Rome. I was surprised that there were no modifications made for them at restaurants."

I'm shocked. I'm vegan and have done 11 RS tours. I always talk with the guide after the meet up to discuss with them and ask them to let me know if a restaurant for a group meal might not be able to provide a vegan option so I can forage for myself. That has only happened one time. The guide for my Southern England tour told me (+my brother + his sister in law, lol!!) that he had asked the pub where we were going to eat lunch for vegan meals but he was not certain what we were going to get so thought we should be prepared with some side snacks. The salad we were offered was generous and delicious so no problem! He was surprised as well!

I've never had a guide bat an eye on me being vegan. I have had some tell me later that they were happy to work to get meals for me as I was vegan and didn't waver. They'd apparently had some instances where people have food intolerance and then wind up asking for the creme brulee or chocolate cake or something else.

I DO understand the policy for RSE. I am thrilled when the guides are able to accommodate me. I also always carry Clif bars or some other kind of long lasting bar plus nuts and dried fruit. I do not mind having to find my own food if things don't work out.

I'll add that I've also done 11 Road Scholar tours (6 in Europe and 5 in the US) and have had the same kind responses from the instructor guides with that company as well.

Why calling 'em "preserved"? It sounds like something artificial was added.

That's because they are preserved. The curing process for charcuterie is to preserve the food but I get where you're coming from.