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iving with food allergies is daunting in a familiar environment; it’s that much more challenging in a strange setting. Yet that doesn’t mean a child with allergies can’t enjoy the thrill of traveling. Here’s how some intrepid parents made it work
Packing for a trip can feel like a mammoth task.

But for families with kids with allergies, it involves much more than just remembering sunscreen, snacks for the airport, and the favorite teddy — forgetting essential items can be a matter of life and death.
Leaving their home environment means increased risk their child will be exposed to allergens. And that exposure can lead to anaphylaxis — a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that occurs minutes, sometimes even seconds, after exposure to an allergen.

It’s therefore no wonder many families choose to give up traveling altogether once their children are diagnosed with allergies. But with intensive preparation and some practical know-how, many families have found ways to continue enjoying traveling, even when their children have severe allergies.

Seasoned traveler Shaindy says her family continues to travel extensively even though her two sons are highly allergic to a range of foods. “We love traveling and travel as a family several times a year. We go away for Pesach and for the summer. We’ve been to Rome, Israel, Amsterdam, and in the United States: Seattle, Chicago, California, and Florida.

“My 17-year-old is allergic to sesame seeds and tree nuts, and my 13-year-old son is highly allergic to fish, chicken, soy, lentils, peas, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame seeds. My younger son has actually gone in to anaphylactic shock a few times, and once he needed more than one EpiPen to get the allergy under control,” she says.

“When we travel, I plan well in advance. I bake my own challos and freeze them to take along. That way I know there are no sesame seeds on it or cross contamination from other challos.”

Airplane travel is the first hurdle that needs to be crossed when traveling overseas or to distant locations. It can be a terrifying prospect, as limited medical help is available in case of an emergency.

Gila from London is the mother to two-year-old Chaim, who is highly allergic. Dairy is his most severe allergy; even mere contact with a drop of yogurt or milk will result in an outbreak of hives, requiring immediate administration of an antihistamine. Despite the allergy, the family continues to travel regularly and has been to many destinations, including Israel, India, South Africa, Spain and Portugal.