How to Make Travel More Inclusive: Real Stories from Various Travelers
- lisasaperbloom
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
What does it actually look like to make travel more inclusive?
For many of us, it starts with the moments that are often overlooked: reading a menu in a new language when you have a food allergy, navigating sensory overwhelm in a crowded airport, or wondering if a tour will accommodate your body size or medical device. These moments might not make the guidebooks — but they deeply shape how we experience the world.
I’m Audra, the history-loving traveler behind The Nerd Traveler, where I explore how heritage, culture, and identity intersect with every journey. And I’m Lisa from 1 2 3 Go Solo, where I empower women to embrace solo travel with confidence — whether it’s their first trip or their fiftieth, locally or globally.
As travelers with food allergies (mine are dairy and gluten, Lisa’s are garlic and onion), we’ve had to rethink what it means to feel safe and welcome on the road. And we’re not alone.
We’ve teamed up with other women travelers to share what inclusion looks like in practice — not just in marketing.
This collaborative series includes four real stories from travelers who have navigated international travel while managing:
Food allergies
Neurodivergence
Medical devices
Plus-size accessibility needs
What Does Inclusive Travel Really Mean?
“Inclusive travel” is a phrase that gets used a lot — in tourism marketing, in DEI conversations, and on listicles promoting accessible resorts or destinations. But for those of us living with specific needs, inclusive travel is not a trend. It is a daily negotiation between what we dream of doing and what our body, brain, or dietary needs will allow.
It means asking a hotel if their “accessible room” has more than just wide doorways. It means checking if the food tour includes options that will not make you sick for two days. It means wondering if you will fit comfortably on the plane — or if you will have to explain, again, why your medical device cannot go through the scanner.
And more than anything, it means not having to justify why you deserve to be there.
Inclusive travel is about more than ramps and allergy menus. It’s about making space — in itineraries, in infrastructure, in our mindsets — for the beautifully varied ways people experience the world. And when that happens, everyone benefits.
This post is not a checklist. It’s a collection of real stories from travelers who have learned how to advocate for themselves, plan with intention, and still find joy along the way.
The first installment, which we bring you today, is how the two of us approach food sensitivites and allergies while traveling the world, experiencing different foods and cultures.
Food Allergies and Travel – It’s More Than Just Avoiding Bread
Audra’s Story – Gluten & Dairy-Free Travel in Europe
When I first started traveling internationally, I rarely thought about food restrictions. My reactions to gluten and dairy were minor — a little skin irritation here, a bit of fatigue there — nothing that felt worth missing out over. I considered it part of the deal: you travel, you indulge in local cuisine, and you live with the consequences. After all, it was all about the experience, right?
But in my late 40s and early 50s, that began to shift. During COVID, I did a food experiment and reset that made it impossible to ignore the connection between what I ate and how I felt. What I had once blamed on jet lag, new soaps, or general “travel body weirdness” was, in fact, my body reacting to gluten and dairy. The symptoms got stronger, and the trade-off no longer felt worth it.
Last year in Lyon, France, I ordered scrambled eggs. They were rich and velvety — and made with butter and cream, of course. I hadn’t thought to ask. By mid-morning, we had to delay our funicular ride so I could find a bathroom — fast.
Now, I approach food with more intention. I use Google Translate to read menus and explain my allergies in the local language. I look for allergy symbols — increasingly common in Europe — and I’m planning to test an Easy Access eSIM so I can keep translation tools and reviews handy, even when I’m offline. (I’ll update this post after my next trip to France.)
Being gluten- and dairy-free abroad requires more than avoiding bread or skipping dessert. For me, it has meant relearning how to travel — not with less joy, but with more awareness. And that has made every experience feel more grounded and intentional.
Lisa’s Story – Avoiding Onion & Garlic Around the World
People often assume that traveling with food sensitivities means avoiding a few menu items or asking the server to hold the cheese. But for me, onions and garlic are more than inconvenient — they’re migraine triggers. And not the kind of migraine you can “power through.” If I get exposed, I could be down for 48 hours.
And yet, onions and garlic are in everything — especially sauces, soups, and local staples. Traveling internationally and even locally means I have to do more than just glance at the menu. I research restaurants before I ever leave home. I contact hotels and resorts to ask how meals are prepared. I book places with kitchens so I can cook for myself. When I’m in Mesoamerica, where local ingredients are fresh but dishes are often onion-heavy, I have to make sure I know simple phrases to say and ask, like “No cebolla o ajo?”.
Grocery shopping has become a part of how I travel. It gives me control over my meals and removes the anxiety of wondering if I’ll lose a full day (or two) of a trip because of what I eat.
It is not always convenient. But it is empowering. Traveling with food sensitivities like mine has taught me that preparation is not paranoia — it is care. It means I get to enjoy the trip, rather than recover from it.
Final Thoughts – How You Can Help Make Travel More Inclusive
Inclusive travel is not just about personal checklists. It’s about changing how we think, plan, and move through the world — with more awareness, more flexibility, and more care for each other’s realities.
You don’t have to know every detail of someone’s story to make a difference. Sometimes, inclusion starts with:
Asking before assuming someone can participate in a tour or activity
Choosing accommodations that prioritize access for all bodies and brains
Being patient with fellow travelers who need more time, space, or explanation
Supporting businesses that train their staff in accessibility, food safety, and cultural humility
If you are navigating any of these challenges yourself, we hope this post reminds you: you are not alone. Your needs are valid. And your presence in the world matters.
Each of us shares what helps, what hurts, and what we wish the travel industry — and other travelers — understood a little better.
If you’re a fellow traveler looking to better understand these experiences, thank you for being here. You’re already taking the first step.
If you have a story to share about how you’ve made travel work for you — or want to be part of a future version of this post — we’d love to hear from you.
Because making travel more inclusive is not about doing it perfectly. It’s about doing it on purpose.
Need Help Planning a More Inclusive Trip?
Audra offers custom travel planning and advisory services to help you navigate logistics, food restrictions, and destination research with intention. Whether you’re solo, navigating allergies, or just need a nerdy deep dive into itinerary planning, I’ve got you covered. Work with me →
Lisa offers 1:1 coaching for women who want to travel solo but don’t know where to start. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to take the leap, she’s the support system you didn’t know you needed. Learn more here →
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