At Backroads we want to work together with you to support your health and safety on trip. What follows are some helpful tips if you have dietary restrictions and/or serious food allergies.  

Generally Speaking

Please be as cautious as you would otherwise be when traveling without Backroads. No one knows you or your health matters better than you.  

Straight Talk

We strive to accommodate all dietary restrictions, intolerances and allergies, but it is your responsibility to make informed choices regarding what you eat.

• Vendors: Backroads works with hundreds of outside vendors. We cannot guarantee that vendors will always be able to accommodate a dietary restriction or provide an allergen-free experience.  
• Restaurants: Restaurants on Backroads trips are not allergen-free facilities. We cannot guarantee compliance with your requests from restaurant employees.
• Backroads Picnics: We cannot guarantee that allergens may not have been introduced before or during food preparation.
• Personal Snacks: Backroads does not control personal snacks that other guests bring or purchase on trip (e.g. if someone buys a Snickers at a market).  
• Equipment: Allergens may be present in bike trunk bags, in storage bags used to transport equipment including helmets, walking sticks and map cases, and in vehicles.  
• EpiPens: Backroads leaders are certified in First Aid and CPR. This training does not include EpiPen administration. As with any medication, we ask that you come prepared. EpiPens are not stocked in Backroads First Aid kits nor are our leaders trained in their administration.  

What We Ask from You

Before your trip, share all dietary restrictions, serious food allergy details and cross-contamination concerns in your Backroads Account or speak with a Backroads Trip Consultant. The more detailed you are about what you can or cannot eat or be exposed to, the better. 

• If your restrictions are extensive, please also share with us what you are able to and like to eat. We will do our best to accommodate them, which may be difficult and extremely limited in some locales, depending on the restriction/allergy. 
• Bring your favorite snack bars from home for quick energy on the road.  
• On Day 1 of your Backroads trip, talk with your leaders and discuss strategies and dietary needs.
• Also on Day 1, let your leaders know if you would like them to alert fellow guests of any severe allergies.  
• At restaurants, confirm the suitability of your meal choice directly with your server. 

What Backroads Trip Leaders Will Do To Support You

Your Trip Leaders will do their best to accommodate all reasonable dietary requests. Your Trip Leaders will make sure our restaurants, hotels and ships are aware of your restrictions, but we cannot guarantee that all requests can be met, or that allergens will not be introduced before or during preparation. 

• We alert every restaurant to dietary restrictions and allergies during pre-trip confirmations, and then again at the time of dining.  
• We will strive to offer suitable snack bars. However, options may be limited in certain regions and may contain common allergen-trace elements.  
• We will have fresh fruit and allergen-free bulk treats available daily.  
• To avoid cross-contamination, we will try to offer a separate snack table where feasible.  

Common Allergies & Restrictions 

For your convenience, we’ve included more information about some of the most common allergies and restrictions below. 

• Severe Peanut and/or Tree Nut Allergies: We sometimes have guests with severe nut allergies, and we do our best to provide nut-free snacks and food items, such as fruit and nut-free bars, served on a separate nut-free table. Be aware we normally serve peanuts, mixed nuts and/or peanut butter on our primary snack table, and therefore cannot eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination. If you have a nut allergy and have specific snacks or snack bars that you prefer, please bring a few of your own. 
• Severe Dietary Allergies: Please note that while we have first-aid kits on hand, we do not stock insulin or EpiPens (epinephrine auto-injectors), and Trip Leaders do not administer medical injections. Please be sure to bring any medications you may require.  
• Celiac or Gluten-Free: We often have guests with gluten-free diets, and we do our best to provide gluten-free snacks and food items, such as trail mix, fruit, rice crackers, bread, etc. If you are gluten-free and have snacks or snack bars that you prefer, please bring a few of your own. Be aware that when it comes to fresh or nonpackaged gluten-free food (such as fruit, cheeses, vegetables, meats, etc.), we cannot eliminate the possibility of cross-contamination.  
• Kosher Meals: Backroads can accommodate some Kosher-style dietary preferences, such as alternatives to pork and shellfish, as well as offer ample vegetarian options. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that all Kosher meal requests will be met. We do not select ingredients for the restaurants where we eat and we cannot shop for picnic ingredients with any certainty regarding availability of Kosher ingredients. None of our vendors are able to accommodate a strict level of Kashrut, which requires separate utensils, cookware or a Heckscher. Please indicate your specific needs for keeping Kosher.  
• Kids with Serious Allergies: For Kid Meals on Backroads Family Trips, where kids and adults eat at separate locations, we ask that one parent join the Kid Meal or one sibling (trained to administer an EpiPen) be present with the child. Alternatively, your family can opt out of Kid Meals and leaders will arrange for your family to eat together. For Kid Activities, parent attendance is not required if your child brings his or her own appropriate snacks for the planned activity. Parent participation is encouraged if there is any concern about possible allergen exposure.