A Celiac's Travel Diary

It's hard to believe that it's been a year and half since I was diagnosed with Celiac. Going gluten-free has changed my life drastically, and especially the way that I travel. Travel has been a significant part of my life since I moved to Albania in 2018. It's been a way to spend time with family and deepen friendships, and also a way to explore new cultures and expand my perspective of the world. But since becoming gluten-free, it's also been REALLY HARD.

It doesn't help that I'm also lactose-free and low-FODMAP right now too while my body heals. But I've learned a lot over the past year and half of travel, and I want to share it with you!

7 Rules of Traveling with Celiac:

1. Don’t let yourself get hungry and desperate - You will eat something you shouldn't and get glutened!!

2. If you can, cook your own food most of the time, because this decreases your chances of getting glutened

3. Always be prepared with back-up foods (a KIND bar at the least)

4. Always show your Celiac travel card to waiters at restaurants, ask a lot of questions, and if possible - explain Celiac disease in the first language of the people you’re talking to

5. Know that airports are gluten-free “dead zones” so bring your own meals and be aware of which airlines (such as Lufthansa) provide safe, gluten-free meals

6. Notice if restaurants have small kitchens where cross-contamination is possible or if they serve food on wood or plastic dishes

7. Travel with friends who will advocate for you - they will stand in the gap & help you not make a desperate decision to eat something unsafe because you're hungry.

When I was first diagnosed with Celiac, I was living in North Macedonia. My city didn't have any restaurants with gluten-free options, but the capital, Skopje, had a couple restaurants with clearly-labeled gluten-free meals:

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Skopje, North Macedonia -

-Markt Kitchen - The staff spoke English and the food was tasty & fresh!

-Forza Wine Bar & Restaurant - One of the chefs has celiac so the kitchen staff is careful and I've never gotten glutened here. Their SunGoddess Rosé wine here is also the best!

In June 2021, I was supposed to go with some friends to Belgrade for a day trip, which I've heard has a few 100% gluten-free restaurants. Unfortunately, the Covid travel rules changed, so we went to Bitola, a city in the south instead.

Bitola, North Macedonia

2110 Fast & Healthy - I don't recommend this restaurant. I reached out to this restaurant ahead of time to find out if they could cater to my Celiac restrictions and they said yes. But when I got there, their kitchen was really small and looked like a cross-contamination hazard. I got food here because it felt like my only option, but learned the hard way when I got a bad migraine the next day.

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Istanbul, Turkey

Biv Nevi Deli - Not Celiac-safe. The owner of this restaurant was super kind and spoke excellent English. Their restaurant offered gluten-free options but she explained to me that they were made in a contaminated kitchen. I still ordered a smoothie bowl and dessert there and sure enough, I got glutened. I didn't feel like I had any other options at the time and should have just skipped the meal.

I don't know how it is possible that a city of so many people (15 million) has such few gluten-free options, but I got really sick in Istanbul. When I was there in May 2021, the country had entered lockdown so a lot of restaurants weren't even open, so, even though I had researched, I could barely find food and had to take risks on food that I shouldn't have taken.

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South Florida, USA -

Bolay - This restaurant chain is 100% gluten-free, which also means 100% stress-free for me. Their meals are DELICIOUS!

Outback Steakhouse - My parents love this restaurant so we went there a couple times. They have a gluten-free menu and have an understanding of Celiac disease.

Chick-fil-a - This fast-food place is a family favorite. Their grilled nuggets and waffle fries are gluten-free though I always ask just to check. I used to work at a CFA while in college so I know how careful their staff is and how clean their kitchens are.

There's nothing like traveling in a country where you speak the language and know that you can adequately communicate your needs. :)

Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA -

Homeslice pizza - I went with my sister and brother-in-law here and their pizza was delicious. They also had a gluten-free PB-choco pie which was to die for.

Mellow Mushroom - A normal restaurant that also offers delicious gluten-free pizzas...

Dos Bros - I loved this place! It is like Chipotle but they are more careful about avoiding cross-contamination.

My family then took a week vacation in Gatlinburg and we went to Dolly Parton's theme park. I thought I would have to pack a lunch, but there was a great restaurant option at the park!

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, USA -

Dollywood - Front Porch Cafe - They were aware of Celiac disease and had a dedicated kitchen space for gluten-free meals.

Big Island of Hawaii, USA

The Fish Hopper - This restaurant had gluten-free seafood dishes AND gluten-free chocolate cake. :)

Jackie Rey's Ohana Grill - I can't remember if gluten-free meals were labeled on the menu, but I do remember that they had quite a few options and that they were knowledgable about celiac disease and careful. Unfortunately, I ate something with raw tomatoes and onions here which killed my stomach, but I wasn't glutened. :)

Cafe Ono - This cafe is the perfect stop if you're visiting Volcanoes National Park. I enjoyed a delicious soup and salad while my sister and I sat at an umbrella-covered table in the misty garden behind the restaurant.

Tirana is the city I currently call home! There isn't a lot of awareness of Celiac disease here so it's pretty easy to . However, I've found a couple restaurants that I've never gotten glutened at...

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Tirana, Albania

Tony’s American Restaurant - This is my go-to restaurant! Tony's offers GF pizza and American cheeseburgers. I think they also have GF pancakes but dairy is a no-go for me so I haven't ordered them.

Era - Era has a few salads that are gluten-free and excellent.

I've also gone to a few traditional Albanian grill restaurants and have talked with them for a while about their menu. Sometimes their meat (lamb) is safe and other times French friends are okay. I tend to avoid salads and grilled vegetables because they usually put balsamic dressing on them.

This past fall, my roommates and I spent a week at the beach in Southern Albania in the beautiful cities of Saranda and Ksamil. I mostly cooked for myself by making sandwiches in our hotel room, but we also went to a couple restaurants.

Saranda, Albania

The Mussel House - This restaurant had fresh seafood. I checked with them about gluten and they seemed aware and confident that my meal would be gluten-free. I ordered the mussels and they were amazing!

Salad Farm - This is a restaurant in Saranda that offers gluten-free options. I talked with the staff (Americans) about Celiac and they weren't 100% confident their food was Celiac-safe but I took a chance. I got a salad without the dressing and felt fine afterwards.

Berat, Albania

A restaurant in the castle - I don't know the name of the specific restaurant I went to, but I described Celiac to them and they brought me a cucumber salad, oven-cooked chicken, and a pomegranate for dessert. All of these foods were delicious and safe!

Shkoder, Albania

I went to Shkoder for Christmas Eve with some friends. I couldn't find any gluten-free restaurants online so I cooked all our meals in the Airbnb and enjoyed a stress-free trip. There's a Conad grocery store in Shkoder which offers a lot of gluten-free options.

I also took a weekend trip in December to visit one of my best friends in Germany. Sadly, I don't think Christmas markets offer gluten-free foods, but there were several restaurant options in Berlin and Potsdam.

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Berlin, and Potsdam, Germany-

House of Small Wonder - My friend had been wanted to try this restaurant for a while so we went there together. Gluten-free items were labeled on the menu and our server seemed knowledgable about Celiac.

Oshione - This 100% gluten-free bakery featured several vegan options, including two different kinds of cinnamon rolls. YUM.

World of Pizza - I've had a lot of gluten-free pizza and the kind available at this restaurant in Potsdam was excellent.

dean&david - Gluten-free items are labeled on the menu and I was able to talk to the staff to explain and avoid cross-contamination.

In February, a group of friends and I went to Budapest for the weekend. I was excited because I had heard there were many gluten-free restaurants there.

gluténmentes

Budapest, Hungary

Monkey’s - This restaurant had a 100% gluten-free menu but also offered regular beer... The food was excellent (burgers to die for) but I think there is a bit of a cross-contamination risk.

Kata Restaurant - This was another 100% gluten-free restaurant which offered some traditional Hungarian meals on its menu.

Tibidabo Gluténmentes Pékség - 100% gluten-free bakery with tasty pastries but limited options.

herBar - 100% gluten-free bakery and restaurant with several sandwich and salad options.

La Cipolla - This is a 100% gluten-free take-out place with excellent pizza and pasta.

Home of Franziska - I do NOT recommend this restaurant because though nearly half of its menu is labeled gluten-free, I learned after talking to the managers that nothing on their menu is Celiac-safe, which was a disappointment.

In April, I went to visit dear friends in Korea and they helped translate food labels and menus for me. I knew that finding food in Seoul would be a challenge, but I never expected it to be as hard at is was! It seemed like most of the foods in the grocery store were labeled saying they "may contain traces of gluten". For most of my trip, I cooked at my friends' house using imported GF foods and fresh veggies, fish, and rice. We also found a few safe options when we were exploring the city and went to some of these restaurants several times!

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Seoul, Korea

Sunny Bread - This Celiac-safe restaurant was started by a Korean-American and became our go-to cafe while I was in Seoul. The sandwiches and desserts were amazing and the staff was so helpful and kind!

Jamba Juice - We showed them my Celiac card and explained my lactose intolerance, and I was able to get the Caribbean Passion smoothie without milk/ice cream.

Korean BBQ in Insadong - We went out for Korean BBQ for lunch one day and I just ate the rice, meat (no sauces) and lettuce and felt completely fine.

So, my friend, though it's a lot more work, travel is possible as a Celiac! I will be posting reviews for these restaurants on findmeglutenfree as well, if you use that app.

With joy,

Annie