If you have preferences, allergies, sensitivities, or dietary limitations with food, traveling could present challenges. Sampling unfamiliar dishes in foreign lands may cause anxiety or pose serious risks for those with severe allergies. Consider these helpful suggestions to ensure that selective eaters can still enjoy a delightful vacation experience. Let's get to the point!
What are some important things to keep in mind if you're a picky eater seeking out new adventures?
1. Conduct research
Looking ahead is key when you're visiting a place with a different food culture. Take time to explore the typical cuisine of the region you'll be visiting and make a note of any local ingredients or flavors that interest you. If possible, book restaurant tables in advance, or check out nearby dining options that serve dishes you're familiar with. Planning in advance can help alleviate any concerns you may have about unfamiliar foods. If you have the opportunity, consider trying your hand at preparing a few regional dishes at home before your trip to get a sense of their flavors.
2. Find middle ground
Source: blocks/Unsplash
Feeling anxious about experimenting with unfamiliar foods? Strike a deal with yourself! Include one familiar and safe food item in each meal (like a hamburger or hot dog) along with one adventurous choice. This way, you can sample new foods while still savoring something comforting. You might discover a newfound love for these new flavors, leading you to exclusively order local dishes by the end of your journey.
3. Ease into it
You don't need to immediately order unfamiliar main courses. Instead, ease into it. If you're not particularly fond of soup but enjoy bread, consider starting with Colombian arepas or bunuelos. As you spend a day or two exploring, you'll eventually feel prepared to indulge in more daring dishes, such as sancocho or ajiaco. It's perfectly fine to allow yourself time to get used to the cuisine of a new country. If you're aware that your stomach is sensitive to new foods, simply take it meal by meal, allowing yourself the opportunity to adapt gradually.
4. Opt for buffet or market
Source: CHUTTERSNAP/Unsplash
Restaurants that offer buffet-style dining are a win-win situation for all. Buffets cater to diverse preferences within your group, whether you're selective or have dietary restrictions. They enable you to explore a variety of dishes and taste small samples of new cuisines. Similarly, street markets also provide a wide selection of food choices.
5. Enjoy meals together
If you're willing to experiment with new foods but worry about not enjoying the dish and wasting it, consider sharing a meal with your travel buddy. When dining with a large group of loved ones, ask if they would be open to sharing a bite of their dish with you. This way, you can sample a variety of local specialties and identify your preferences, making it easier to choose when dining out later.
6. Bring snacks
Source: Hybrid Storytellers/Unsplash
Though it may not always be feasible, consider bringing snacks along on your travels whenever possible. For road trips, packing a cooler with your favorite snacks is a convenient option. While flying, it's a bit more challenging, but you can still prepare healthy and satisfying snacks to carry with you. As a backup, including a box of protein bars in your checked luggage is a good idea. Upon reaching your destination, you can also buy some food from a grocery store to store in your hotel room. Knowing that you have snacks packed can bring peace of mind – ensuring that hunger won't be an issue even if finding food becomes tough.
7. Utilize pictures
If you have a food allergy or intolerance, dining out can often become more of a hassle than it's worth. Adding a language barrier to the equation makes things even more challenging. While Google Translate and translation tools can be useful, complications can still arise. One helpful tip is to carry photos in your wallet to present to servers instead. You can either create your own images of the foods you must avoid or purchase cards on platforms like Amazon that explain your allergy in the local language. Ensure these photos clearly list all the food items impacted by your allergy or intolerance. For instance, if you cannot consume dairy, it's crucial for the servers to comprehend that you cannot have milk, butter, cheese, or any items containing these dairy products.
Seamless airport parking awaits: your journey begins with us – ParkingNearAirports.io!
Source: Helena Lopes/Pexels
You might be surprised about this fact because most people are confident that on-site parking is the best choice when you're traveling by air. But, actually, it's not true, and we'll explain why.
People who prefer to get to the airport by car think that it's the most convenient option since on-site parking is the nearest place to the airport where it's possible to park a vehicle safely for the period of a trip. However, they make a huge mistake, as there is a big chance to face many following difficulties:
- You will need to find a spot in a crowded lot,
- You will need to carry the luggage all the way through the parking lot,
- You must pay expensive fees without great service, and much more.
Sounds not so good, right? But there is one great solution in this situation – an off-site parking option!
The off-site parking service has many advantages, which will definitely convince you to change your choice during the next trip:
- First of all, it's much cheaper. On-site parking can become too costly for you, as the price for such a parking type might equal half the value of the whole trip. The cost of the off-site parking, in turn, will be not so high, offering alongside free shuttles going back and forth between the parking lot and the airport.
- Secondly, it's much faster. By choosing an on-site parking option, you'll be needed to find a free spot in a crowded lot, which takes a lot of time. However, by selecting an off-site parking option, you'll be able to drive directly to the entrance, where staff members will help you to pull your luggage out of your vehicle and load it into the shuttle, as well as park your car securely for you. Finally, a free shuttle will bring you and your bags to the airport.
- Thirdly, it's much more convenient. No more worries about being late to the airport and your flight – the off-site parking is a hassle-free option that is usually faster. Since you use the services of a private company, people want to be sure you're satisfied with the quality and comfort of the services provided, so you don't need to wrack your brain about the quick path to the airport anymore.
Source: Henry & Co./Unsplash
As for the companies that provide the best off-site parking services, we've prepared an ideal option for you. Our booking platform, ParkingNearAirports.io, built excellent relationships with many parking lot operators to leave customers satisfied and their cars – safe. Furthermore, it doesn't matter what the airport you're flying from is – on our easy-to-navigate website, https://parkingnearairports.io/, you'll find the best deals for all the major airports and cruise ports in the United States and Canada.
To understand it better, we can give you an example. Let's imagine that you live in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and plan to visit Europe. Then, you can use the services of affordable parking near Atlanta Airport with shuttle. If you're flying from Baltimore, Maryland, the situation is the same – choose cheap airport parking BWI. So, as you can understand, everything works simply.
By the way, on our website, you can find all the required information about the advantages of off-site parking, airport parking deals, and others. So travel profitably and enjoy your following trip together with us!
