Traveling with celiac disease abroad: life-saving phrases and apps to download

Traveling is wonderful. Explaining to a waiter on the other side of the world that you can’t eat gluten — a little less so. Here are the phrases to keep with you at all times — in five languages — and the apps that will save your trip.

The real obstacle isn’t the food: it’s the language

It’s something you learn quickly when traveling with celiac disease: the problem is almost never a lack of gluten-free food. The problem is being able to explain it. In Italy, awareness of celiac disease is generally good, but it’s not a guarantee — even there, you sometimes need to explain your situation clearly. In other countries, the same sentence — “I’m celiac” — might get a polite smile and no real understanding.

In Japan, for instance, celiac disease is almost unknown — and there, saying (or showing) the right phrase can change your entire day. The good news is you only need a few things: the right words, a couple of apps, and a bit of preparation. Let’s get started.

Life-saving phrases (to say or show)

Keep them saved on your phone, or printed in your pocket. Showing them in writing is often more effective than saying them out loud.

ENGLISH (UK: “coeliac” · US: “celiac”)

— I’m coeliac and I can’t eat gluten — no wheat, barley, rye or oats.
— Is this gluten-free? Please be careful with cross-contamination.

FRENCH

— Je suis cœliaque, je ne peux pas manger de gluten : ni blé, ni orge, ni seigle, ni avoine.
— Est-ce que c’est sans gluten ? Attention à la contamination croisée, s’il vous plaît.

SPANISH

— Soy celíaco/celíaca y no puedo comer gluten: ni trigo, ni cebada, ni centeno, ni avena.
— ¿Esto es sin gluten? Cuidado con la contaminación cruzada, por favor.

GERMAN

— Ich habe Zöliakie und darf kein Gluten essen: keinen Weizen, keine Gerste, keinen Roggen, keinen Hafer.
— Ist das glutenfrei? Bitte achten Sie auf Kreuzkontamination.

JAPANESE

— 私はセリアック病です。グルテンを食べられません。 (Watashi wa seriakku-byō desu. Guruten o taberaremasen.) — これはグルテンフリーですか？ (Kore wa guruten furī desu ka? — “Is this gluten-free?”)

In Japan, almost no one knows about celiac disease, but everyone understands a wheat allergy: 私は小麦アレルギーです (Watashi wa komugi arerugī desu) often works better.

One phrase isn’t enough: bring a “dining card”

The phrases above cover 90% of simple situations. But to really explain cross-contamination and hidden gluten, a detailed dining card — a card that lists, in the local language, what you can and can’t eat — is much safer.

Today, most dining cards are digital: you can download them as apps or PDFs and show them straight from your phone, which makes them easy to update and always on hand. Two reliable references: Equal Eats’ cards (around 50 languages, available as an app) and Legal Nomads’, which are particularly accurate and designed for trickier countries, Japan included.

Practical tip: bring a printed version too, just as a backup. Phone batteries always die at the worst possible moment.

Apps to download

Gluto — to find safe places flagged and reviewed by the community, with the Glutoscore. It’s the starting point even before you book your flight.
Find Me Gluten Free — restaurant reviews, especially strong in English-speaking countries (US, UK, Canada).
Equal Eats — multilingual dining cards, always within reach.
Google Translate + Lens — download languages offline and use the camera to read menus and labels. In the meantime, learn the word for “wheat” in the local language: blé, trigo, Weizen, 小麦.

Hidden gluten, country by country

Every cuisine has its own traps. The most common ones:

Asia (Japan especially): soy sauce and miso almost always contain wheat; soba noodles are often mixed with buckwheat and wheat; tempura and fried food are battered. Bring single-use packets of gluten-free tamari.
UK and Ireland: watch out for fish & chips (batter), malt vinegar on fries, and gravy thickened with flour.
Germany and Austria: breading everywhere, dumplings, sausages with fillers, and — of course — plenty of beer.
France: sauces bound with roux, baguette everywhere, various croque sandwiches.
Spain: the potato tortilla is your friend, but watch out for croquetas, breaded dishes (rebozados), and bread that shows up automatically.
United States: shared fryers are common, but gluten-free culture is very widespread and dedicated menus are common across much of the country.

The suitcase kit

Not much needed, plenty of peace of mind: a few gluten-free bars or snacks for emergencies, packets of tamari (worth their weight in gold in Asia), a dining card — even just on your phone — and a list of safe places saved offline. With these four things, you travel light but covered.

In conclusion

Traveling with celiac disease doesn’t mean giving up on a country, a dish, or an evening out: it just means preparing a little more. The right words, a card in your pocket (or on your phone), the right app — and the world becomes a place worth tasting again.

And the best part is you’re never really alone: Gluto is now in Europe, the UK, North America, and Japan, so you can find safe places reviewed by the community wherever your trip takes you.