Can children with severe food allergies travel safely? Yes! Hear from a Backroads mom as she shares key strategies for trip planning, dining and emergency preparedness for confident family travel.
Exploring the World with a Food-Allergic Child
The beauty of family travel is that we get to expose our kids to new people, places, experiences and ways of thinking. Backroads’ Family Adventures offer you opportunities to connect with your children in novel and fun ways and help them connect with the world around them. They invite families to get outdoors and be active together, indulge their curiosity and explore safely and with support. Travel expands a child’s world by asking them to step out of their comfort zone, take reasonable risks and see things from a different perspective.
As the parent of a child with life-threatening food allergies, I’ve often felt the urge to do the exact opposite. There have been times when I’ve wanted to make my child’s world smaller, safer... an environment I can “control.” Leaving familiar surroundings can feel risky.
According to The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), about 33 million people in the US (11 percent) have at least one food allergy, and that number includes roughly 5.6 million children. Any food can cause an allergic reaction, but the most serious reactions are caused by nine of them: milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish, shellfish and sesame.
Backroads is dedicated to helping families travel with confidence.
Backroads can’t guarantee an allergy-free experience on our Family Adventures, but we’re dedicated to helping families travel with confidence. Depending on your child’s allergens and your family’s comfort level, certain trips and destinations may be a better fit than others. A Backroads Trip Consultant can talk you through and help you compare options, from national park adventures in the US to international Family Adventures in Europe and beyond.
We also let you know exactly how we support your child’s health and safety before and during your trip. Studies have shown that families with a food-allergic child tend to limit travel, especially internationally. While everyone’s situation is different, it is possible to travel safely with food allergies, with research and advance planning.
Raising a Resilient Adventurer
I like to travel because of all the fun things I get to do. Meals only happen three times a day, but the fun things happen way more often.
~MG, age 12
Before she could walk, my youngest was diagnosed with several severe food allergies, including egg, peanut and tree nuts. All through preschool and elementary school, she sat at the allergy table rather than with her besties and spent many birthday parties enjoying the fun but not the food. I sent her to school, celebrations and friends’ houses with her Auvi-Q pens and her own safe foods—always with a little anxiety. We’ve been to the emergency room more times than I care to remember—the most recent visit happened on annual family vacation in Mexico.
Food allergies can be isolating and frightening, but my daughter refuses to let fear make her world small. Despite her experiences with a food allergy, she continues to be one of the bravest and most resilient people I know, and she constantly inspires me. Over the years, we’ve learned how important it is to always be prepared, stay vigilant and follow her anaphylaxis action plan. Our experience in Mexico reinforced those lessons but did not diminish her desire to travel.
How to Prepare for a Family Trip with Food Allergies
While we do our best to make accommodations, some aspects of travel—including restaurants, hotels and other third-party vendors—are outside of our direct control. However, with early communication and careful planning, we can help make the journey as smooth as possible.
Top Five Tips for Preparing for Your Backroads Trip
- Tell us about your child’s severe food allergies as early as possible. Talk to your Trip Consultant during the booking process to make sure you’re well informed and booked on the right trip. Once you’re booked, fill out the Personal Information Form (PIF) in your Backroads Account as soon as you can. Some trips may be able to accommodate your child’s allergy better than others. The more we know ahead of time, the better your team can prepare.
- Talk with your Trip Leaders on Day 1 about food allergies and any cross-contamination concerns. This is a great opportunity to discuss whether it’s possible to separate snack tables and if you’d like your leader to share information about food allergies with the group.
- Verify your ingredients and preparation methods with restaurants directly. Restaurants receive this info from Backroads before the trip, and leaders confirm choices two additional times. But for peace of mind, it’s always a good idea to review your meal choices with the restaurant yourself.
- Carry medications and trusted snacks with you at all times. Also bring a printed copy of your child’s physician-approved food allergy and anaphylaxis emergency plan. (Check expiration dates on all medications, including epinephrine auto-injectors!) Note that Backroads Trip Leaders are not trained to administer epinephrine, nor do they stock it in their First Aid kits.
- Understand the limits of accommodation. We have protocols in place to support your health and safety on our trips, but we cannot guarantee you an allergen-free environment.
You can read a comprehensive list of Helpful Tips on our website. I’d also like to offer a few more pieces of general advice:
Before booking:
- Research labeling laws and ingredients prevalent in the cuisine of the country you’ll be visiting. A country’s food can greatly vary by region, so keep this in mind. Consider also checking with your child’s health care provider about destination-specific precautions.
- Empower your child to speak with restaurant servers about their allergens. They may not like it, and you may need to step in to clarify and elaborate, but it’s an important skill for them to learn for the future when you aren’t around.
Before departure:
- Make sure that everyone traveling with you (family, friends, etc.) is familiar with your child’s allergens, symptoms and anaphylaxis action plan in the event that a serious reaction occurs and you’re not close by.
- Look into getting a customized food-allergy chef card. A card clearly identifies allergens and reinforces your verbal explanation for restaurant staff. FARE offers downloadable versions in 11 languages, including English. A company called Equal Eats offers Chef Cards, available in 58 languages, for purchase.
- Pack sanitizing wipes to clean areas your child may come in contact with that could have been touched by a potential allergen.
In case of emergency:
- Know where the nearest ER is, wherever your travels take you. Having this knowledge can never hurt, especially when traveling with kids. On a family trip in Colorado a few years back, we found ourselves in the ER—not for an allergic reaction but for a broken elbow. This is life with an active, adventurous child.
The Bottom Line
A serious food allergy doesn’t rule out family travel. Clear communication, thoughtful planning and having an emergency action plan can help children feel empowered and included, while teaching them skills they will use throughout their lives. With time, families can gain peace of mind to explore the world confidently—and children can feel free to follow their passions and curiosity.
Traveling with a Child with One or More Food Allergies?
We recommend calling (800-462-2848) and speaking with one of our Trip Consultants directly. Find out how we can work together to make family travel easier for you.
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