Choosing the right destination and accommodation for a family holiday is always a big task. But when you are catering for two children with food allergies, it is a mammoth one. You need to be certain you can actually feed them.
We recently planned our first family trip abroad and after much debate, we settled on Greece.
My first thoughts were that I would prepare most food myself so we opted for a self-catering apartment. Well, that was my first challenge. It seems ‘self-catering’ for some places actually means they have little more than a kettle on offer. So I shared my needs with my travel agent and she helped me find somewhere that had a hob and a microwave so I could prepare basic meals. I also packed some favourite tinned and dried foods in our luggage as a bit of a safety net.
Another issue was getting there. The plane journey required a little prior planning. Travelling with someone with a nut allergy in a confined space thousands of feet up in the air for three hours is not the time to discover just how sensitive they are. So I contacted Jet 2 and told them about my son and they were fantastic – they did not sell nuts on our flight and put out an announcement requesting passengers refrained from eating them so my son could travel safely. So that was easily sorted.
Our consultant had given me a letter authorising me to carry Piriton and Epipens in our hand luggage and apart from checking the Piriton wasn’t going to go bang, nothing else was examined or queried at the airport. I didn’t even need to present the doctor’s letter.
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I chatted on an online forum before we went and people put me at ease. It’s reassuring to know there are people in the same boat as you and they were so helpful, offering excellent advice drawn from their own experiences. One very kind lady offered to translate a medical warning into Greek to hand to the waiters, conveying our requirements. This was fantastic and worked a treat. I had this printed and laminated and handed it to waiters each and every day. Not once did we have any miscommunication or confusion and I felt relaxed and happy that my children could eat safely. Other people suggested places to eat that had English staff or owners where there was no language barrier.
We also braved the local supermarkets. And we found that although everything looked different, we were able to buy items that were safe. We managed to cobble together some delicious lunches of ham, cheese, apples and yummy fresh Greek bread. We also found a local supermarket that imported and sold UK brands, including our very favourite tins of baked beans.
So we pretty much had the whole eating thing nailed.
It all went so smoothly, without any big hoohaas, delays or fuss. I had what I needed with me, all the risks were reduced as much as possible and we had a super holiday eating delicious food. We can’t wait to go away again soon.
I really want to get it across to other parents of children with allergies – it is possible to have a family holiday and, even better, to enjoy it!
By guest blogger, Teresa Buckle – jet setting mother of 2 children with severe food allergies