Food For Thought. Dining On The Train

Travelling by train can be vary rewarding, an event in itself. Modern rail travel has lost none of it romance. Train takes you to parts of a country maybe less visited. Train travel gives an opportunity to view landscapes of great beauty, like sitting in a private art gallery see priceless works of art. The train also gives you a chance to meet the real people of any country not just tourists. Train travel is an experience like no other where the window by your seat really is a window on a new world.

The train also offers a chance especially on the long distance high speed trains of Europe to enjoy dinning of all kinds from quick smacks to full high quality meals. Often regardless of ticket type or class. This adds to the romance of travel and value to a journey. The problem is being a Coeliac or having a Gluten Intolerance food that you can eat can be hard to find or limited to a Brownie or Crisps. This can make a journey very disappointing no matter how good the view is or how fast the train travels, you just want to get off and have something to eat. This situation may not be as common as you think. Many trains restaurants on European trains offer a least one Gluten Free option. This means those who do have Gluten Intolerance of any kind can enjoy the romance and glamour of dinning on the train, which after all is an event in itself. Many of these meals are good quality well much better then the old British Rail Sandwich which Coeliac's couldn't eat and left everyone else wishing they didn't have to eat. Yes catering of trains has improved and is no longer a joke and in Europe especially it can be quite sophisticated.

Below we have a list links to help you find out what's on offer on some trains in Europe and North America. All the menu's have English descriptions and Gluten free options are marked just have a look in the legend before go and find something to eat.

UK/Europe:

Eurostar: Eurostar run international services from London to Paris Brussels, Lille, Disneyland Paris and Marseille plus Seasonal Ski trains to the French. Eurostar offers an at seat service in Business Premier and Standard Premier,where Gluten Free meals can be ordered 72 hours before travel.

Look For: Gluten Free on the menu. More Here >

Europe:

Austria.

Obb-austrian-state-railways. OBB run train services in Austria including a number of sleeper services. They also run train to Germany, Italy and the Czech Republic.

Look for: Glutenfrei or the orange wheat symbol with a line through it on the menu. More here >

Czech Republic.Czech Railways (ČD Railjet). Czech Railways (ČD Railjet) ČD run international services from Austria to the Czech Republic. Czech Railways (ČD Railjet) ČD do offer some Gluten Free meals on it's trains.
Look For: Obiloviny obsahující lepek on the menu. More here >

France.

Sncf-tgv. SNCF-TGV. run High Speed train services in France .SNCF-TGV offers a range of food on it's menu.

Look for Sans Gluten on the menu or read INFORMATIONS ALLERGÈNES and look for Gluten.
More here >

France/Italy.Thello. Thello is the sleeper service from Paris (Gare de Leon) to Venice and a day train fromMarseille to Milan. Thello Do not have specific meals for which are Gluten Free as the menu is seasonal But do offer some salad options at the bar-restaurant. However there is no problem taking you own food aboard.

Look for Sans Gluten or Senza Glutine on the menu. More here >

Germany.

Deutsche Bahn. Deutsche Bahn run train services in Germany and to Brussels, Amsterdam and Copenhagen and many other major European cities. Deutsche Bahn offers a small ranges of Gluten Free meals in both of its dinning brands on train.

Look for: Glutenfrei on the menu. More here >

Spain.

Renfe. Renfe run train services in Spain including High Speed and Intercity services.Renfe offers an at seat service in First Class where Gluten Free meals can be ordered 24 hours before travel. Some other services have a Cafeteria.

Look for Sin Gluten on the menu. More here >

North America:

Canada.

Via Rail Canada. Via Rail Canada run long distance trains services in Canada.

Via Rail Canada offer a Gluten Free menu if you are travelling in Business, Prestige or Sleeper Plus class. Gluten Free meals must be requested in advance.

Gluten Free menu request times are:

• 48 hour advance notice is required for Business class on the trains in the Quebec City - Windsor Corridor.
• 72 hour advance notice is required for Sleeper Plus class on the Montreal - Halifax train.
• 10 day advance notice is required for Sleeper Plus class and Prestige class on The Canadian train (Toronto - Vancouver)

There is a limited Gluten Free menu in Ecomomy class.

Look For: Gluten Free or Sans Gluten on the Menu. More here >

Travel by Train

I have always like trains When I was young my parents could not drive so we had to use public transport which meant when we went on holiday using the National Express coach or for longer journeys the train. There is more of a sense of occasion when you travel by train. A train journey offers you a chance to relax, to let the world just pass by.

We travel quite often and almost all is by train. These family trips which we combine with researching new ideas we have for Gluten Free Home bakes, often based on the local staple meals and treats to more indulgent patisserie items and regional trends. We have travel to such places as Berlin by train. Modern rail travel is fast with High Speed Rail across Europe, It is efficient and in the most part inexpensive. Why do we travel so much by train? You might ask, we are not great flyers and with the connections now available in the world of rail. We find rail travel answers all our needs. It was train travel that allowed me to see Venice and Milan when I visited Verona. To see the French Countryside and spend a day in Paris when I visited Amiens.It also allowed us to Visit the small French town of Alber.t

Rail travel offers something the plane can''t, That''s a chance to really see the country and its people and as such is a more rounded experience, A part of travel I really like. Rail travel also enables us to try some of the food and start our research early after all we only Home Bakes. Our journeys of discovery really can start on the train to with many train companies in Europe offering a range of dinning options to all classes of ticket not just the trolley service with the curled sandwich, which of course a Coeliac can''t eat anyway. As part of our usual trip research we look to see what if any Gluten Free options if any there are, so we can be more prepared and maybe take our own food. We know this might be of use to you when you next hop on a long distance train in Europe.