Planning the Perfect Italy Vacation with Food Allergies

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies.

As a travel agent and food allergy mom for the past 22 years, we know international travel with multiple anaphylactic food allergies. And we especially know our beloved Italy!

Is Italy on your travel list? Not sure where to start especially if you/family member has severe food allergies?

After 8 trips to Italy with food allergies, see how we plan the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies.

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies

Although trip planning may seem overwhelming, follow along and you’ll see how easy it is! If you want more assistance, we offer a Travel Starter Guide. This walks you through each and every step in much more detail than we can put in a post. For less than a fast-food meal, priceless. And we also offer personal 1:1 trip consultation as well.

Click here: Travel Starter Guide.

So, these are the initial things you need to decide when planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies:

1. How many days’ vacation?
2. Where do you want to go in Italy?
3. Flights
4. Accommodations
5. Safe meals

Now grab your calendar and let’s trip plan! Also, trust us – you’re going to want our free Food Allergy Ultimate Packing List.

Food Allergy Safety in Italy

Now, many people ask me, “is it safe to travel to Italy with food allergies?” In our experience, it is but only you/your doctors can make that decision for your specific circumstances. However, know that we manage multiple anaphylactic food allergies to peanuts, shellfish, chickpeas, peas, kohlrabi, previously anaphylactic tree nuts and many intolerances.

Also, travel medical insurance is absolutely necessary. We use, recommend & are affiliates for: World Nomads & Travelguard.

Surprisingly to many people, Italy has a high rate of Celiac. For this reason, you will see AIC (Associazone Italiana Celiachia) signs at restaurants. If you have a gluten allergy or Celiac, Italians do have a lot of experience with these conditions. Therefore, there is good availability of delicious gluten-free pasta, pizza and bread. Yes, in Italy!

Lastly, as Italy is part of European Union (EU), all of top allergens are required to be on packaged foods & on restaurant menus (some exceptions).

Trip Planning Italy

Next, decide on how many days you will have for your vacation. At the very least, we recommend 10 days but as many as you can in our opinion. We just LOVE Italy! Consider flying into either Rome or Milan and out of another airport. Often, we fly into Pisa or Florence and out of Rome. But a wonderful first trip plan for Italy is to fly into Rome. 3 – 5 days in Rome, 2 – 4 days in Florence and 2 – 4 days on the seaside with 2 – 3 days in Venice. Fly home from either Venice or Milan.

Where Do You Want to Go In Italy

So, if you follow our trip plan above you will see a good portion of Italy. On our 1st trip to Italy our travel plan:

Flew into Rome, 3 days in Rome. 2 days in Florence. 3 days in Cinque Terre on the Mediterranean Sea and 2 days in Venice.

This trip plan gave us a mix of historic sites, art & architecture, hiking, the beach and lots of scrumptious #foodallergy friendly Italian food!

Depending on time of year, highly recommend some time at the beach. Italian beach clubs are fantastic!

Also, know summer is especially busy in Italy. Therefore, if it’s possible May, September and October are absolutely lovely.

Flights

Flights and accommodations are the 2 most costly items for planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies. Since only you know what will work for your budget, start flight searches to see costs for your local airports. I do recommend Momondo and Google Flights. Of course, make sure that you include all costs such as seat reservations and checked luggage fees.

As a food allergy family, we always bring some safe food/snacks in both our checked luggage and carry-on bags. See, Flying with Food Allergies Guide.

Non-negotiable if planning the perfect trip to Italy with Food Allergies: a backpack cooler. In our many trips to Europe, our backpack cooler holds dinner, breakfast, lunch and snacks. After all, from East Coast of USA to Europe can be 8 -10-hour flights.

Especially helpful to have a 1st meal on arrival as airline delays happen and markets can be closed by the time you arrive. We find this helpful to make good food allergy decisions especially with jetlag. If you want to know specifics of food allergy friendly foods/meals, leave a comment below or head over to our Private Face Book Group: Food Allergy Travels & Life. This Group is AMAZINGLY helpful! 🙂

 

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies: Accommodations

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies. Of course, this is my favorite to plan: accommodations!

Where else can you choose between an actual castle or a winery from the 1400’s?! So many options in all price ranges. What is important to you?

A few suggestions: air conditioning for warm months, a terrace, kitchen, Wi-Fi, location near medical facilities.

We use and recommend: VRBO & AirBnB (full disclosure, we are affiliates for both & if you book through these links we will earn a little commission, at no extra cost to you. It does help us keep this website up and running – thank you.) 🙂

Hotel chains like Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt are often good food allergy friendly options as well. Now this really depends on each specific hotel, and I would email in advance about that locations specific ability to accommodate both in restaurants and hotel (cleaners etc…). Ask about mini-fridge and in room microwave so that you have the ability to prepare some safe food allergy meals/snacks.

Safe Food Allergy Meals

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies means being able to eat safely with your food allergies. Now this could be an entire book. So, here are our top tips:

• Backpack cooler – ESSENTIAL imho. Carryon plane, take to beach/hikes/almost everywhere (check museums). This is the one we use. Insulated/leakproof. You will always be able to have safe food allergy foods available if you have a backpack cooler.

• Research in advance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Suggestions for food allergy friendly places: Rome – Gelateria Grom (have awesome sorbets too. Make sure you show them your allergy cards. Also, ask politely if they will change their gloves, use a clean spoon and new batch (no cross contamination).

• La Canonica in Trastevere is stunning and they are very good at accommodating for most food allergies. ALWAYS contact in advance and reconfirm multiple times at restaurant.

• Other favorites: Alice Pizza – found all over Italy and molto delicious! Fantastic at listing out food allergens on their menu,

• Roscioli Salumeria is definitely a place to consider but note they have a lot of potential allergens like gluten, nuts, etc.

• Florence: Ristorante Buca Niccolini is allergy aware with a gluten-free menu too. Our food allergy travel group LOVED eating here!

  

• Now, this may NOT work for everyone, but La Strega Nocciola (The Hazelnut Witch) is very allergy aware. They ask that you discuss your food allergies in advance, & they will let you know if item has your food allergens. As a note, we were able to have their yummy homemade gelato with anaphylactic peanut and shellfish food allergy.

  San Gimignano is a medieval gem, possibility depending on your food allergies, to grab a cup of the World Famous Dondoli Gelateria – #YUM

• Another recommendation for Florence is Starbene Cafe – gluten free and allergy aware.

• In Venice, Vino Vino is suggested, open since 1720.

• Another for Venice: Frarys Restaurant.

food allergy Cooking at Your Vacation Rental

Cook at your vacation rental. Now is the perfect time to grab some fresh Italian ingredients and prepare a meal. Gluten-free or regular pasta, scrumptious ripe tomato salad, or veggies sauteed in olive oil – #YUM! Put on some music and pour a glass of DOC/DOCG wine. These wines have strict ingredients/production methods. We contact the wineries in advance to ensure our allergy safety.

Markets/Grocery stores – Italy has food labels in multiple languages, so it is easy to see if a food is safe for your food allergies. Lots of fresh produce markets all over. For more, click on Molto Delicious Italy.

Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies

See how easy that was. Planning the perfect Italy vacation with food allergies is fun!

Oh, don’t forget translation cards. Our choice for translation cards: Select Wisely.

😎 Have you been to Italy with food allergies?

Have any great recommendations?

Share – we love to hear where you’ve been and what your experiences are like. 🙂

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