Question about availably of GLUTEN FREE meals in Italy

On several recent trips to Italy, I saw that MANY restaurants offered gluten-free pastas and pizzas! Generally, in my experience, Italian restaurants seem more aware of gluten intolerance than many US restaurants. There are also amazing seafood and veggie dishes, too! Google "gluten free restaurants in Venice" (etc) and see what you come up with. Also be sure to note your gluten intolerance when you register for the trip AND tell your tour guide. The RS tours are well noted for working with travelers with dietary restrictions.

I can’t answer specifically for the tour, but gluten free in Italy is super easy. Like unbelievably so. I’ve heard celiac rates are high in Italy, either due to diagnosis or it actually being more common in Italian people. Regardless, they take it seriously. Every restaurant (seemingly, I’m sure there are exceptions but in months of travel I think I ran into confusion only once) is very aware and many offer gf pasta or pizza. If not they can always tell you what salads/meat dishes are safe.

And unlike in many countries there isn’t that much hidden gluten. Flour isn’t often used to thicken sauces, generally gluten is in obvious forms like pasta and bread.

We did the Best of Italy tour a while back and one of our tour mates had Celiac disease. Our guide made sure that there were alternates for pasta. Sometimes risottos were the substitute and I was envious as it looked and smelled delicious. Our guide came by his table each time at dinner and checked to make sure that all was OK. Be sure to inform the RS office of your diet needs and they will take care of you. Italy is very informed about gluten free requirements, far more than North America I would say. Lots of options in grocery store as well. Have a fabulous tour as we did!

There are websites like the celiac foundation. You can get some info from these websites, and plenty of blogs about traveling gluten free. Also find and write the words in italian to give to the waiter to give to the cook. Chances are these foods will already be marked as gluten free on the menu but if you luck into a fresh daily sort of eatery, you need to ask the cook.
Risotto, veal scallopini (if not breaded or thickened gravy) osso bucco. All traditional foods and MAY already be accommodating to your needs.
I wasn't gluten i tolerant my last visit to Italy. The ciccheti choices will be difficult, but I am looking forward to see what alternatives there are.

Yes, Italy is very receptive to those with gluten allergies. As you will already know, always inform your waiter so the kitchen knows you have the allergy, rather than just ordering things that are listed as GF.

You will also discover that actual Italian food isn't pasta and pizza. Many restaurants will have a pasta course to choose from, but they rarely eat pasta as a meal, especially the further north you go. There are pizza joints, and it is worth trying to find a GF pizza to understand that Italian pizza and American pizza are practically two different food types.

There were a couple of gluten intolerant people on my Sicily tour in 2017 and they had no problems with meals, both with the group and on their own. I think you'll be fine. If you still have concerns, you could always call and talk to the RS Tour Dept.

P.S. Many Italian pizzerias now offer gluten free options, so you won't miss out on pizza.

My husband has Celiac and we've had no problems dining while travelling throughout Italy (with the exception of a meal included with a tour at the Vatican).

We always use translated cards in any country to give the server/chef and the hotel breakfast room staff just to be sure there is no cross-contamination. You can order the cards online. Here's an example of where you could purchase such cards:

https://allergytranslation.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI38r6tc-m4wIVEf5kCh0vXAq0EAAYASAAEgLFM_D_BwE

When you book or inquire about the RS tour, ensure that the booking office knows about your allergies, and also remind your tour guide for any included meals.

Just to give you an idea, in Rome, our hotel was near Campo de Firori and this was our favourite pizza restaurant - all gluten-free!

https://www.vogliadipizzaglutenfree.com/

This question comes up on this forum very frequently. Luckily for you, the answers are always the same - Italy is one of the most celiac-aware places anywhere. All children in Italy are now tested for it (apparently it's pretty prevalent), and restaurants are very aware of issues like cross-contamination.

For starters, here's a NY Times article on the subject, and it has links at the end to more resources: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/travel/gluten-free-dining-in-italy.html

Here's a link to the most recent 12 months of forum threads about it: https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=1y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=italy+gluten&utf8=%E2%9C%93

That is a wonderful tour--my husband and I went in October of 2017. When you sign up for the tour, they will ask about special dietary needs and preferences. Also, I don't know if every tour guide does this, but ours invited people to talk to her after our initial meeting if we had dietary concerns. That's when I let her know that I'm moderately lactose-intolerant. I can handle most meals on my own (which is why I didn't enter it on the form--I don't need to go completely dairy free), but I wanted to give her a heads up for group meals. She also had a "wild card" group meal on this particular tour and added it in Venice. Even though the restaurant had fairly short notice, they were able to substitute things to meet my needs--sorbet instead of panna cotta for dessert for example.

We are just back from 15 days in Italy and I am gluten free and also mostly dairy free. I had no problem with meals in Venice, Siena, Florence, Cinque Terre and Rome. I was easily able to find restaurants with GF pizza crust and pasta. I ate fish for some meals. I had the most fun in Cinque Terre: farinata (chickpea flour flatbread) and a regional dish with fresh anchovies, potatoes and tomatoes. One of the Cinque Terre villages, Manarola, has a small take out place right near the beach with a separate GF menu. At hotel buffet breakfasts they always had GF crackers and biscuits. Every city had wonderful food options. And I found that soy milk for my espresso was readily available even in non-touristy neighborhoods.