by Brittany Lancaster

Created on: November 09, 2007   Last Updated: August 20, 2011

No matter how common it is becoming, it is still difficult to find restaurants that serve vegan or vegetarian food. This tends to be even more difficult when you are traveling. Many restaurants serve foods that are vegetarian, depending on what type of vegetarian you are. However, when it comes to vegan foods, lets face it... you're pretty much stuck eating a salad. I for one want a little excitement in my life, especially when I am eating out. I mean if you're most likely going to over-pay for it, you might as well enjoy it right? Let's face it, when you are traveling you normally do not have the time to search for a good place that serves the type of food you are looking for. A way to eliminate some stress when you already have pre-planned your trip is to go on the Internet and search for restaurants in the area that you are staying, and by finding out if they serve something you can eat. Most cities have websites directly for vegans and vegetarians, which can be a tremendous help. For those that love coffee products, most cafes now offer soy milk as a substitute.

Traveling overseas can be a little more complicated but research can pay off. Due to the high number of vegans and vegetarians in the world people are becoming more accommodating. For starters, most airline carriers now offer a vegetarian meal, which isn't much but it's a start. Usually these meals are served on long-distance flights only. For short flights it is recommended to take your own snacks, because most airlines now provide only drinks during short distant flights. A lot of times at restaurants you can ask if there is a way for the chef to "take out" or "substitute" the meat in the meal. It may cost a little more, but some things are worth a tiny sacrifice. If you are traveling on an un-planned trip you are usually safe sticking to Asian and Chinese restaurants, most of which offer a large variety of vegetables.

Since becoming a vegan seven years ago, I have faced many trials of trying to find a good place to eat when on vacation. However, I know that being a vegan is very important to me, and I am always very pleased with the result of finding a good place to eat. Being a travel agent requires me to move around a lot, so I keep myself up-to-date on local restaurants. My last tip is this... If you know about the trip you going on, try to get on-line. Two of the greatest Internet sites that will help you locate restaurants worldwide are www.happycow.net and www.vegdining.com

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