Opportunities for Gluten Free Travel To Paris and Other International Destinations
September 23, 2013
In her years as a travel agent, Ellen Morse has created international travel itineraries for many happy clients. Over the past couple years, she has extended her expertise to the gluten free community by launching Gluten Free Travel - US. She takes pride in helping her gluten free clients find suitable destinations, and the list of destinations continues to expand. Among the places her clients traveled this past summer were South America, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Turkey, and Australia. Other clients of hers are looking forward to upcoming trips to Puerto Rico, Rome, London, and Paris.
Ellen reports that it's especially exciting to learn of the wonderful changes that have taken place in Paris. I can speak about our own family's experience in Paris several years ago, and despite the wonderful trip it turned out to be, finding a gluten free meal in Paris (or even someone who truly understood what "gluten free" meant) was a real challenge back then. Our family dined a couple times at the only gluten free restaurant in Paris (it was in Montmartre). However, despite being a hub of international and local gluten free diners, that restaurant closed its doors about a year after we visited.
Fortunately, another gluten free restaurant, No-Glu, has opened in the heart of Paris, as has a dedicated bakery called Helmut Newcake. For a long while, Ellen and her team were reluctant to recommend Paris to gluten free travelers, given the dining challenges. But now, in addition to many restaurants including those listed above, Ellen can recommend hotels that are delighted to welcome gluten free guests -- and may even provide gluten free rolls and bread with breakfast.
If you're interested in traveling to Paris, Ellen can customize a "Paris Your Way" itinerary that suits your budget and travel preferences. This is NOT a group-based tour...rather, Ellen will offer recommendations about where to stay, where to eat, and what to do while visiting the City of Light (you can even plan an extended weekend if a full week-long vacation is not in the cards).
Ellen will work with the hotels on your behalf, refer you to restaurants that offer gluten free options in Paris, and locate markets where you can shop for gluten free snacks. (Please note that their service is fee-based, so gluten free planning is an extra cost. You can call Ellen at 312-337-9235 or email her at [email protected] for more details.)
In addition to helping you plan meals, Ellen can arrange the following: tours of the Louvre; private or guided tours of the city by foot, boat, bus, or bike; a theater performance; a fashion show or guided shopping experience; a day or evening dinner cruise along the Seine; private or group chocolate and wine tastings; and even a Gluten Free French Cuisine cooking class! If you long to visit areas in the French countryside, Ellen will arrange tours of the Chateaus of the Loire Valley; Provence; Versailles; Fountainbleu; Normandy; the wine country of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Reims, or Champagne...and even a day-trip to Bruges, Belgium -- known as the Venice of the North.
The possibilities are endless. Rather than being overwhelmed with the logistics of international travel -- and trying to do all the research to find the best places to stay and dine -- why not let Ellen and her experienced team at Gluten Free Travel - US do the work for you?
While most travelers consider Paris (and Europe as a whole) to be best in spring, summer, or fall, Ellen says these destinations can be quite attractive, less crowded, and much less pricey at the Holidays and beyond. If you live in the Northeast, the weather will undoubtedly be better in France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and the UK than it is at home!