by Tracey Allen

Created on: October 17, 2009   Last Updated: November 25, 2009

If you have celiac disease, a condition where your auto-immune system attacks your villa when you eat gluten, then you need to be sure you can travel gluten-free. This can be a challenge for the frequent traveler. With proper preparation and clear communication of your condition, you can travel gluten-free.

Preparation begins when you have decided to on where you plan to travel. If you plan to travel to an international destination then you will want to take

restaurant cards in various languages, this great resource is available for 47 languages and can even be downloaded to your ipod. The cards remove the misunderstandings that can occur from miscommunication between languages.

Another key in preparation is to notify all those individuals/companies involved in your travel arrangements. Your travel agent can let suppliers know on your behalf and maybe even offer additional resources for you. A good example is Disney's gluten-free resource, it lists all gluten-free meals in Disney restaurants.

Wherever you have decided to visit, check the local tourism board for gluten free resources and/or look for gluten free destination guides like gluten free Florida. Also contact local celiac societies as they often list local area restaurants and resources saving you time in searching them out.

After you have notified everyone you can and made arrangements where possible, decide what you can bring with you, just in case. Good choices include gluten free snack bars, nuts, and fruit. Often you can ask for gluten free but not all airlines and other suppliers can accommodate gluten-free at every step of the way. Additionally, you can't depend on all airports and food vendors to have gluten free food choices.

If you are staying for a period of time in one location, consider an apartment or a room with a microwave, stove and refrigerator. This will allow you to make your own meals or allow you to order gluten free food to be shipped to the location.

When you are considering travelling on a cruise or to an all inclusive, be very mindful of buffets, since there are cross contamination problems. When picking a cruise or all inclusive be sure there are al a carte options.

Traveling gluten free can be done, it requires preparation, flexibility and good communication in any language to ensure that you don't recieve food that will make you ill. For more information on gluten free travel resources try gluten free travel site.

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