Sunday, July 21, 2019

Barcelona Gluten Free

Stop number three on our European summer vacation, after Disneyland Paris and Paris, was Barcelona. We spent four nights at an Airbnb in the Eixample neighborhood with my parents, my aunt and uncle, and my brother's family.


As I mentioned in my Paris post, I do a lot of research before traveling to Europe, or on any vacation. I always use the Find Me Gluten Free app, and reviews from fellow bloggers, if they are available. For Barcelona, my favorite posts were written by Becky Excell and The Gluten Free Suitcase. I also like to read restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor once I decide where I might like to dine, and Instagram can come in handy too. I follow a lot of 100% gluten free restaurants, and bloggers who travel internationally. The Find Me Gluten Free app has a great filter for dedicated gluten free restaurants, and it is useful for finding restaurants that are nearby when we are out sightseeing. I could have eaten at all 100% gluten free restaurants in Barcelona, but when traveling with a group of 12 people, and you are the only one that needs to eat gluten free, that can be difficult.


Friday, July 19, 2019

Paris Gluten Free

The second stop on our European summer vacation this year was Paris. After spending a few days at Disneyland Paris, we headed into the city, where we stayed at an Airbnb in the Marais for five nights. I first learned about the Le Marais on House Hunters International, and it is recommended by Rick Steves, the author of the travel guide I purchased before our trip.


First off, let's start with a little information on how I research restaurants for our trips. I always use the Find Me Gluten Free app, and reviews from fellow bloggers, if they are available. For this trip, my favorite posts were written by Becky Excell and The Gluten Free Suitcase. I also like to read restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor once I decide where I might like to dine, and Instagram can come in handy too. I follow a lot of 100% gluten free restaurants, and bloggers who travel internationally. I am a planner, but I don't necessarily have specific restaurants picked out for every day of our trips ahead of time. When we decide what sites we want to see in Europe, I use the Find Me Gluten Free app to figure out what restaurants are in the area, then I cross reference them with the list of restaurants I want to dine at that I create before we leave home. I never just walk into a random restaurant and ask if they have gluten free options. Thankfully, my family is willing to tag along with me on my gluten free eating adventures. There are so many 100% gluten free restaurants and bakeries in Paris, there was no way I could visit all of them in five days, and there was no need for me to eat anywhere with gluten, if that is what I chose to do. The Find Me Gluten Free app has a great filter for dedicated gluten free restaurants that really comes in handy when I travel.


Sunday, July 14, 2019

Disneyland Paris Gluten Free

Last month, we spent three nights at Disneyland Paris, which has been on my bucket list for a long time. We decided to splurge and book the Disneyland Hotel, which is right at the entrance to Disneyland Park, one of two theme parks at Disneyland Paris. Our bags were scanned when we entered the hotel, so we never had to go through security, because the two theme parks are both connected to Disney Village, which was also right outside our hotel.


Last summer, I booked a Summer Super Early Booker Package online, and received 2 nights and 2 days free, with 5 days of park tickets. We booked four nights, but did not use the last night of our stay. I did this, because the cost difference was only about $25, and we could keep our luggage in our room until our Airbnb was ready in Paris, which was several hours past check-out time at the Disneyland Hotel.