FOOD & ALLERGIES* INFO
FOOD & MEALS
All meals are designed for you to eat with the group, at the same table, from the same food. This is not a cruise ship with a custom omelet station. It is a shared table, and that is part of the experience.
Most meals are served family style -- meaning your trip leader orders a variety of dishes for the table, and everyone shares. On some meals, your table will pool your allotted cash and order together. On 2-3 occasions, you will receive cash to choose your own restaurant. Either way, you eat with the group.
Food Philosophy: You are not expected to like everything. You are expected to try everything. You may discover a new favorite. You will almost certainly eat something you cannot pronounce. That is the point.
We rarely visit American chain restaurants overseas. You can find one on your own time and your own dollar -- but you did not travel to the other side of the world to eat a burger you could have had in America.
DIETARY NEEDS -- PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
Vegan and gluten-free diets are very difficult to maintain on this trip. Menu options are limited, and most meals are shared family style. Please plan accordingly.
If ClassicalTrips.org is being asked to cover the cost of special meals as part of the trip budget, the following is required -- no exceptions:
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A written medical diagnosis from a licensed MD, submitted to the ClassicalTrips.org office at least six weeks before departure
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Your specific dietary requirements must be discussed with and approved by a ClassicalTrips.org Trip Leader, also six weeks in advance
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If your dietary needs are severe enough that the above process cannot accommodate them, we will recommend a different overseas travel provider better suited to your situation.
If you have food preferences that are not medically necessary, please note: food preference is not a food allergy. You are welcome to bring your own snacks or supplemental food at your own expense. Refunds are not provided for uneaten meals.
All medical food allergies must be listed in your ManagedMissions signup form.
EPI-PENS & ALLERGY MEDICATIONS
If you carry an Epi-pen or require special medications for allergic reactions, you are required to bring them. Epi-pens and many prescription medications are not readily available in the countries we visit.
Bring duplicate supplies:
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One set in your checked personal bag
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One set in your carry-on luggage
Do not assume a pharmacy will have what you need. Plan as if it will not.
A NOTE ON WATER
Fresh, clean water is provided at every meal -- sometimes sparkling, sometimes still. Soft drinks and sodas are rarely included. Water is the drink of the trip, and honestly, the European water is excellent.
Bring a water bottle. Do not bring an expensive one. Bottles get left on buses, forgotten at ruins, and abandoned at overlooks. We do not backtrack to retrieve them. A basic bottle you will not mourn is the right call.
