Sometimes, TWV (traveling while vegan) is easy. In New York City, there was no shortage of vegan restaurants (Candle 79, the Chelsea neighborhood, and Williamsburg area of Brooklyn are examples). Savannah, Georgia was a bit harder, but far from impossible.

I’ve travelled to Costa Rica and Vancouver, and lots of places in between–and I’ve always found vegan food. As summer travel heats up, I thought I’d share some travel tips with you:

Book it

Flying? When you book your flight, don’t forget to request a vegan meal. On short flights, or when food is sold à la carte, see the next tip, wich is:

Pack snacks

In order to eat healthy and never be famished, I pack snacks for the plane and for the trip. I’m never without a Luna bar (or 5) and a bag of almonds. They keep me energized between meals, and on the off-chance I can’t find more than a flimsy salad to eat, I get by with what I pack.

Research

Veg Dining and Happy Cow are great resources. You can even download their apps for your smartphone so you’ll never be left wondering. Look up the city or country you’ll be traveling to and plan to visit vegan, vegetarian, or veg-friendly restaurants.

Shop

I generally don’t eat out three times a day when I’m on vacation. I look for farmers markets and grocery stores so I can stock up on nibbles like hummus and carrots, fresh fruit, soy yogurt and other healthy foods. Most will fit in a hotel room mini fridge so you have something to turn to throughout your stay. Camping? The world is your oyster (just don’t eat the oyster!). Veggie dogs, instant oatmeal, and vegan marshmallows will keep you happy.

Ask

I prefer to support vegan restaurants, but I’ve found vegan meals in the least likely of places. Even meat-centric restaurants will assemble a special meal upon request. I’m always polite, grateful, and tip accordingly. I’ve found that people are usually happy to accommodate my requests.

Network

Between friends and social media (FB, Yelp, web searches for vegan resources in the place you’re visiting), I get a lot of tips and suggestions.

Armed with these tips, you’ll be ready for your vacation. Do you have any other ideas for a smooth vegan holiday?