Know the Local Food Culture!
Food customs vary widely from country to country, and what feels like second nature at home may get you strange looks - or blank stares - abroad. Veganism is well understood in places like Berlin, Chiang Mai, and many cities in the U.S., Canada, and the UK. But in other parts of the world, the word “vegan” may not register at all. And even when it does, it might be interpreted loosely. Saying “no meat” might still get you chicken broth. Saying “no dairy” might bring yogurt or cheese “just on the side.”
The safest approach is to avoid vague requests and instead be specific. Say exactly what you do and don’t eat. A written card in the local language listing ingredients you avoid - meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, gelatin - can go a long way, especially in areas where language barriers make back-and-forth communication hard. Restaurants, cafes, and even street vendors usually want to get it right if they understand what you’re asking.
The safest approach is to avoid vague requests and instead be specific. Say exactly what you do and don’t eat. A written card in the local language listing ingredients you avoid - meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, honey, gelatin - can go a long way, especially in areas where language barriers make back-and-forth communication hard. Restaurants, cafes, and even street vendors usually want to get it right if they understand what you’re asking.
Knowing the food culture also helps when planning where to go in the first place. Regions with strong Buddhist, Jain, or Rastafarian influences tend to have more naturally vegan dishes. In contrast, in parts of the world where every meal starts with animal fat or includes cheese by default, you'll spend more time piecing together meals from side dishes or raw ingredients. It’s doable, but knowing what to expect lowers frustration.
Travel routines that worked well in your 30s might not feel as smooth now. Energy can dip unpredictably. Recovery takes longer. Walks that used to be invigorating might leave you needing a nap and a snack instead of another museum visit.
Start with honesty about your current pace. Schedule lighter days between heavier ones. Choose activities that let you sit, eat, and watch the world go by - train rides, boat tours, afternoon coffees in central squares. If you're interested in sightseeing, go for quality over quantity. Instead of checking off landmarks, spend a few hours really getting to know a neighbourhood. Find a local vegan eatery and get to know the people who run it. These slower rhythms not only suit the body better, they often lead to richer experiences.
Plan Around Energy Levels!
Travel routines that worked well in your 30s might not feel as smooth now. Energy can dip unpredictably. Recovery takes longer. Walks that used to be invigorating might leave you needing a nap and a snack instead of another museum visit.
Start with honesty about your current pace. Schedule lighter days between heavier ones. Choose activities that let you sit, eat, and watch the world go by - train rides, boat tours, afternoon coffees in central squares. If you're interested in sightseeing, go for quality over quantity. Instead of checking off landmarks, spend a few hours really getting to know a neighbourhood. Find a local vegan eatery and get to know the people who run it. These slower rhythms not only suit the body better, they often lead to richer experiences.
Where you stay makes a difference. Pick lodgings close to the things you actually want to see. Cut down on commuting time. If you need a midday break, being able to go back and rest for an hour or two can make all the difference.
Transit hubs are terrible for vegan food. Even major international airports with dozens of restaurants often offer little beyond soggy salads or fruit cups. Smaller terminals are worse. The same goes for train stations, ferry terminals, and highway rest stops. There’s usually something edible, but rarely something satisfying or nutritionally complete.
Pack meals you’ll want to eat. Not just for emergencies - treat them as part of your regular travel rhythm. Cold pasta with veggies and tahini. A sandwich with hummus and roasted red peppers. Rice cakes with almond butter. Overnight oats in a leakproof jar. Bring what you like and make it filling. If you’re flying internationally, eat before going through security, and keep your carry-on snacks simple to avoid problems with customs. Dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, shelf-stable plant milks, and instant soup packets are all good choices.
Don’t Rely on Airports or Train Stations!
Transit hubs are terrible for vegan food. Even major international airports with dozens of restaurants often offer little beyond soggy salads or fruit cups. Smaller terminals are worse. The same goes for train stations, ferry terminals, and highway rest stops. There’s usually something edible, but rarely something satisfying or nutritionally complete.
Pack meals you’ll want to eat. Not just for emergencies - treat them as part of your regular travel rhythm. Cold pasta with veggies and tahini. A sandwich with hummus and roasted red peppers. Rice cakes with almond butter. Overnight oats in a leakproof jar. Bring what you like and make it filling. If you’re flying internationally, eat before going through security, and keep your carry-on snacks simple to avoid problems with customs. Dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, shelf-stable plant milks, and instant soup packets are all good choices.
If you need something warm, many airport cafes are willing to give you hot water. Bring your own mug and tea bags or instant miso, and you’ll feel ten times better while waiting for that delayed boarding call.
Hotel breakfasts are often disappointing for vegans. Buffets may look generous but end up offering toast, jam, and fruit - if you’re lucky. Even hotels that claim to cater to dietary needs often fall short unless you ask direct questions ahead of time. “Do you offer plant-based breakfast options with no animal products at all?” is clear. “Do you have vegan food?” usually isn’t.
Vet Your Hotels!
Hotel breakfasts are often disappointing for vegans. Buffets may look generous but end up offering toast, jam, and fruit - if you’re lucky. Even hotels that claim to cater to dietary needs often fall short unless you ask direct questions ahead of time. “Do you offer plant-based breakfast options with no animal products at all?” is clear. “Do you have vegan food?” usually isn’t.
If breakfast matters to you, find a hotel that provides a kitchenette or at least a mini fridge and kettle. That gives you the freedom to prepare your own meals when needed. It’s also a good fallback if local restaurants close early or if you simply don’t feel like going out.
You’ll also want to research hotels in terms of walkability and proximity to vegan restaurants or markets. Use apps like HappyCow, but also read reviews carefully - some places overstate how accessible they really are. A hotel “close to the centre” might involve a 20-minute walk uphill, which can feel very different with luggage or tired legs.
Even in cities known for vegan food, stores might not stock what you’re used to. Plant milks may come unsweetened when you're used to sweetened. Vegan butter might be olive-based instead of coconut-based. Protein powders might be impossible to find in smaller towns. And if you take supplements - B12, vitamin D, iron - bring what you need for the whole trip.
You’ll also want to research hotels in terms of walkability and proximity to vegan restaurants or markets. Use apps like HappyCow, but also read reviews carefully - some places overstate how accessible they really are. A hotel “close to the centre” might involve a 20-minute walk uphill, which can feel very different with luggage or tired legs.
Bring Backups!
Even in cities known for vegan food, stores might not stock what you’re used to. Plant milks may come unsweetened when you're used to sweetened. Vegan butter might be olive-based instead of coconut-based. Protein powders might be impossible to find in smaller towns. And if you take supplements - B12, vitamin D, iron - bring what you need for the whole trip.
Think about what you use every day or every other day. Then pack extra. That includes things like your favourite snacks, tea, or even spices if you like cooking. A small container of nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, or cinnamon can make simple meals feel like comfort food again.
Don’t assume you’ll find your favourites overseas, even in well-stocked stores. And if you're heading somewhere unfamiliar, it’s not a bad idea to test a few travel-sized versions of your essentials before the trip. That way, nothing surprises you when you unpack them thousands of miles from home.
Fast travel is exhausting. Packing every day, jumping from train to train, switching hotels constantly - it adds up. A vegan lifestyle, especially one that prioritises whole food options, doesn’t mix well with constant movement. You’ll end up relying too much on packaged snacks, hotel toast, and whatever vegetables happen to be available that day.
Slow travel lets you find rhythm. Staying in one city for a week means you can discover the one grocery store with the good produce, the one café with oat milk that isn’t watery, and maybe even a local vegan group hosting a pot-luck or hike. You settle into a routine. You get to know which bus goes where. You stop having to look at your map for every little thing.
Don’t assume you’ll find your favourites overseas, even in well-stocked stores. And if you're heading somewhere unfamiliar, it’s not a bad idea to test a few travel-sized versions of your essentials before the trip. That way, nothing surprises you when you unpack them thousands of miles from home.
Embrace Slow Travel!
Fast travel is exhausting. Packing every day, jumping from train to train, switching hotels constantly - it adds up. A vegan lifestyle, especially one that prioritises whole food options, doesn’t mix well with constant movement. You’ll end up relying too much on packaged snacks, hotel toast, and whatever vegetables happen to be available that day.
Slow travel lets you find rhythm. Staying in one city for a week means you can discover the one grocery store with the good produce, the one café with oat milk that isn’t watery, and maybe even a local vegan group hosting a pot-luck or hike. You settle into a routine. You get to know which bus goes where. You stop having to look at your map for every little thing.
It also gives you room to adjust. Bad weather? Delay your hike. Tired from yesterday’s walking tour? Spend the morning at a park or museum. It’s travel that listens to your energy instead of forcing you to keep up with a checklist.
When you travel as a senior vegan, you’re part of two communities at once - and both can open doors! In many cities, local vegans are eager to share their favourites, and they’ll often go out of their way to help visiting travellers. You might find yourself at a group lunch, a vegan walking tour, or even just a cozy café chat with someone who gets it.
Community Counts!
When you travel as a senior vegan, you’re part of two communities at once - and both can open doors! In many cities, local vegans are eager to share their favourites, and they’ll often go out of their way to help visiting travellers. You might find yourself at a group lunch, a vegan walking tour, or even just a cozy café chat with someone who gets it.
Look for local Facebook groups, Meetup events, or hashtags tied to the city you’re visiting. Even if you don’t want to meet up in person, scrolling through those spaces can lead you to restaurants, markets, and local dishes you wouldn’t find on your own.
That kind of connection also works across age. Younger vegans often respect and appreciate older travellers living the lifestyle. And fellow seniors - vegan or not - tend to bond quickly while navigating public transport or dealing with noisy hotel neighbors. Whether you’re asking for help, offering a tip, or just swapping stories, small interactions make a place feel less foreign.
Most of us live by routines: morning coffee, the same breakfast, the same midday walk, a certain brand of non-dairy yogurt or sandwich bread. Travel interrupts that. And while it can be frustrating at first, there’s also freedom in it.
You might find yourself eating dinner at 9 p.m. in Spain. Or skipping lunch entirely because you got lost in a market full of spices, rice, and dried fruit. Or realising you’ve gone three days without your usual smoothie but discovered a new favourite dish made from something you’d never even tried before.
That shift in routine doesn’t mean your values or needs change - it just means you’re responding to where you are. “Sticking to a vegan lifestyle while travelling isn't about restriction,” said Larry Wilson, Certified Senior Advisor at Mirador. “It's about knowing your values and choosing experiences that align with them.”
In the end, the most satisfying trips are rarely the ones that go exactly as planned. They’re the ones where you stay grounded in what matters to you while staying open to what each place offers.
That kind of connection also works across age. Younger vegans often respect and appreciate older travellers living the lifestyle. And fellow seniors - vegan or not - tend to bond quickly while navigating public transport or dealing with noisy hotel neighbors. Whether you’re asking for help, offering a tip, or just swapping stories, small interactions make a place feel less foreign.
Your Routine May Change - And That’s Fine!
Most of us live by routines: morning coffee, the same breakfast, the same midday walk, a certain brand of non-dairy yogurt or sandwich bread. Travel interrupts that. And while it can be frustrating at first, there’s also freedom in it.
You might find yourself eating dinner at 9 p.m. in Spain. Or skipping lunch entirely because you got lost in a market full of spices, rice, and dried fruit. Or realising you’ve gone three days without your usual smoothie but discovered a new favourite dish made from something you’d never even tried before.
That shift in routine doesn’t mean your values or needs change - it just means you’re responding to where you are. “Sticking to a vegan lifestyle while travelling isn't about restriction,” said Larry Wilson, Certified Senior Advisor at Mirador. “It's about knowing your values and choosing experiences that align with them.”
In the end, the most satisfying trips are rarely the ones that go exactly as planned. They’re the ones where you stay grounded in what matters to you while staying open to what each place offers.
