Where a little planning goes a long way

Paris now ranks #5 globally on HappyCow — Carrefour and Monoprix stock extensive vegan ranges with clear EU labelling. Outside Paris, traditional French cooking embeds butter and cream at every level. Ask "sans beurre, sans crème, sans fromage" and expect to self-cater more heavily in rural areas.

Carrefour, Waitrose, and LuLu Hypermarket stock excellent international vegan products with English labelling throughout. Inside Dubai and Abu Dhabi's hotel and mall corridors the experience is seamless — but step outside that infrastructure and vegan understanding drops sharply. Treat it as a city-state destination rather than a country.

Buddhist "pure vegetarian" restaurants (齋) are widely available but often include egg and dairy — always confirm "完全植物性" (completely plant-based) or "無蛋奶" (no egg, no milk). ParknShop and Wellcome supermarkets stock solid self-catering ranges. Despite the city's density, HappyCow listings per million visitors are the lowest in Level 2.

US FDA allergen labelling applies — Walmart, Costco, and Pueblo supermarkets stock identical vegan products to the mainland. San Juan's Santurce district has the strongest dedicated scene.

Includes Gozo. Traditional ftira bread is naturally vegan — but watch for ġbejniet (sheep's cheese) in salads. EU labelling applies, and the island's small size means you're never far from a supermarket.

Woolworths supermarkets use clear "Vegan" and "Plant-Based" labelling nationwide — look for the green leaf symbol. Cape Town ranks among Africa's most vegan-friendly cities.

Cactus and Delhaize supermarkets stock excellent French, Belgian, and German vegan imports — some of the best cross-border retail access in Europe. Tiny scale means limited dedicated restaurants.

UK-style supermarkets with strong imports — MarketPlace and Lindo's stock familiar British vegan brands. Hamilton has the strongest dining concentration but options are limited islandwide.

Mercadona supermarkets stock Spain's "Hacendado Vegetal" own-brand range with clear labelling — look for the green "VEGANO" shelf tags. Tenerife and Gran Canaria have the strongest scenes.

Ibiza's wellness tourism has created a dense vegan cluster around Santa Gertrudis — but traditional Mallorcan cuisine hides sobrassada (pork sausage) in unexpected places. Ask "¿Lleva sobrassada?"

Reykjavík has several dedicated vegan restaurants, but outside the capital options thin dramatically. Bónus supermarket (the pink pig logo) is cheapest for self-catering essentials.

Sam's Kitchen is a dedicated vegan restaurant in the town centre. Indian restaurants with clearly labelled vegan menus are well established. Morrison's and Eroski handle self-catering with both British and Spanish imports. English is the only language you need.

Tallinn's tech-forward culture extends to food — Bolt Food and Wolt deliver from multiple vegan restaurants, and Rimi and Selver supermarkets stock solid ranges with EU-standard labelling.

Ubud has one of the highest concentrations of vegan restaurants per capita in Southeast Asia — but "vegetarian" here often includes egg. Always confirm "tanpa telur, tanpa susu" (no egg, no milk).

Ljubljana was European Green Capital 2016 and has strong plant-forward culture — Mercator supermarkets stock good ranges, and the compact old town has several dedicated vegan spots within walking distance.

VIBE Plant Based Cafe in Douglas won the 2025 Manx Menu overall award across all four categories, beating every non-vegan restaurant on the island. Tesco and Shoprite stock full UK vegan ranges. Beyond VIBE, options are thin, so self-catering is the reliable backup.

Orthodox fasting food ("nistísimo") isn't reliably vegan — honey and shellfish are permitted. Safer to ask "horis kreas, horis gala, horis avgo" (no meat, no milk, no egg) than rely on fasting labels.

Portuguese labelling laws and mainland supply chains apply — Pingo Doce and Continente supermarkets stock the same vegan ranges as Lisbon. Funchal's old town has the strongest dining scene.

Look for yellow "Vegetarian" signs at Chinese-Malaysian restaurants — but these often include egg. Hidden fish-based ingredients are common. For strict vegan, seek "Vegan" in English or Buddhist restaurants marked 卍.

Do your main vegan dining in nearby Spain or France, then treat Andorra as a scenic add-on. Pyrénées department store has the best food hall, and duty-free pricing makes specialty products cheaper.

Carrefour and LuLu Hypermarket stock extensive imports with English labelling. The Pearl-Qatar district has the densest concentration of international restaurants where staff understand "vegan".

Most liberal Gulf state for dining — Carrefour and LuLu stock excellent imports, and the expat population supports Mediterranean and Indian restaurants where vegan options are standard.

The Avenues and 360 Mall have the best concentration of international dining. LuLu Hypermarket stocks comprehensive South Asian and European vegan imports with English labelling.

Budapest ranks in HappyCow's European Top 20 — but traditional Hungarian cuisine hides lard (zsír) in unexpected places including pastries. Ask "Van benne állati zsír?" (Does it contain animal fat?).

Jersey's only dedicated vegan restaurant, The Sinful Vegan, closed permanently in February 2024. The island still works well thanks to its UK supply chain. Waitrose, Co-op, and M&S stock identical vegan ranges to mainland Britain, and Visit Jersey publishes a dedicated vegan dining guide listing restaurants with plant-based options across St Helier.

Dutch supply chains mean Albert Heijn products appear in local supermarkets — Super Food and Ling & Sons stock European imports. The Palm Beach hotel strip has reliable international dining.

Dutch colony benefits mean excellent European imports — Centrum Supermarket and Goisco stock comprehensive ranges. Willemstad's Pietermaai district has the strongest restaurant scene.

Includes Alderney, Sark, and Herm. La Fregate in St Peter Port offers a full three-course vegan fine dining menu. Waitrose, Co-op, and M&S stock standard UK vegan ranges. Quieter than Jersey but the same dependable supply chain. Restaurant options are thinner, so self-catering is your anchor.

Halloumi is everywhere but avoidable. Alphamega and Papantoniou supermarkets stock good EU imports with standard labelling — similar challenges to Greece but smaller scale reduces friction.

São Paulo has more vegan restaurants than any city in Latin America — look for "natural" restaurants serving pay-by-weight buffets where you can see exactly what you're eating.

Dutch supply chains deliver Alpro, Vivera, tofu and nut milks to Van den Tweel supermarket. Vegetarianbonaire.com lists 10-plus restaurants with genuine vegan options, and a local Vegans of Bonaire community is active. Structurally comparable to Aruba and Curacao but smaller and quieter.

Bratislava's 1-hour proximity to Vienna means similar supply chains — Billa and Lidl stock Austrian and German vegan imports, and the compact old town has several dedicated options.

Dalmatian coast tourist areas are improving, but traditional dishes hide anchovy paste in seemingly vegetable dishes. Zagreb leads — look for "biljno" (plant-based) on menus.

Includes São Miguel. Best-supplied of the Azores islands — Continente supermarket in Ponta Delgada stocks mainland Portuguese vegan ranges. Growing ecotourism means improving restaurant awareness.

Tokyo ranks #12 globally for 2025 — but dashi stock made with bonito (fish) flakes hides in almost every soup, noodle broth, and simmered dish. Ask for "shojin ryori" for Buddhist vegan cuisine.

Finnish-administered with full EU allergen labelling and Nordic retail infrastructure. Mariehamn has around a dozen vegan-friendly restaurants but no dedicated vegan venue. S-Market and K-Supermarket stock the same Finnish vegan ranges as the mainland. The food culture leans heavily on fish, so self-catering is the reliable fallback.

"Soda" restaurants serve traditional rice and beans (gallo pinto) that's naturally vegan when made with vegetable oil — but ask "¿Está hecho con manteca?" to check for lard.

Buenos Aires' Palermo district has Latin America's fastest-growing vegan scene — but traditional "vegetariano" often means "no red meat" (chicken and fish included). Always specify "vegano estricto".

Santiago's Bellavista and Lastarria districts lead — look for "Jumbo" supermarkets which stock the best vegan ranges. Traditional empanadas almost always contain lard in the pastry.