'It’s easy to be Vegan!' #easy2bvegan when staying away and enjoying varied leisure activities! It just needs a little bit of know-how and a tiny bit of planning. But with growing awareness of, and respect for this lifestyle, many establishments are making the effort to cater for us very well. It also makes good business sense, because the number of Vegans in the UK, and globally, is rising at an unprecedented rate.
Our top tips for staying away:
- As with eating out – a little bit of research beforehand can make life much easier for you once you set off – so get surfing online, ask the Vegan community for recommendations or get talking to a good travel agent.
- If you have a choice over where to go and where to stay, then you might like to opt for a Vegan B&B or hotel – there are quite a few in the UK and indeed all over the world! We’ll be adding them to our special directory throughout this year.
- If you can’t find Vegan accommodation then don’t worry, as there are many things that you can do to continue with your lifestyle while away. For example try phoning ahead to see what food they have on their menus for breakfast etc and how they might be able to cater for you.
- Many hotels now offer toiletries that are either organic and/or more environmentally friendly and cruelty-free. You may find that they are Vegan friendly – but just in case, always travel with your own bag of handy Vegan toiletries and products that you prefer to use at home.
- Whilst some breakfast buffets unwittingly offer plenty of Vegan choices, it can be handy to take some small cartons or decanted bottles of your favourite plant milks and also items such as margarine and spreads like peanut butter. This is useful in case the hotel/B&B cannot reassure you that the brands they use are Vegan. (NB Good hotels that care about customer service will always be willing to check product ingredients for you.)
- If you want to ensure that you have your favourite plant milk to hand for tea and/or coffee when you’re on a flight then you can take a 100ml bottle of your milk with you in your hand luggage.
- Don’t be scared to ask staff at your accommodation about the products they’re using – you’re the customer and have every right to know! This also helps to raise awareness of catering for all customers’ needs and will increase their knowledge, ready for when they get asked next time – so in a way you’re helping them to improve their service offering!
- Feel free to ask for a change of bedding if you find that you’re in a hotel with feather/down pillows or duvets and don’t wish to sleep on them. This level of hotel should provide an alternative form of manmade fiber bedding instead – if for no other reason than some people are actually allergic to feathers. (If you are travelling by car then you can always take some with you just in case – but this is entirely your choice to do so).
- Enjoy yourself! Remember that Veganism isn’t about achieving perfection. As we’re currently living in a predominantly non-Vegan world you’ll always come across some things that you have little control over. However, where you can plan ahead and take control, then doing so can feel reassuringly proactive, and setting a compassionate example while you’re away helps massively to show others that there is a different way to live. So please don’t think you need to give up the activity of travelling and staying away that you may have previously enjoyed!
New for Summer / Autumn 2015! We’re currently building an Associate’s discount directory for UK Vegan-friendly hotels and B&Bs. Got a favourite? Please let us know and we’ll give them a call.