European City Breaks with a Nut Allergy: Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Berlin, Krakow & Sofia

A city break packs a lot of eating into a short time: a pastry on the way from the airport, a late lunch, an evening in a restaurant you booked months ago, a street-food stop you did not plan. With a peanut or tree nut allergy, that means explaining your allergy several times a day, often in a language you do not speak.

The good news is that most popular European city-break destinations are in the EU, which has common rules on allergen information. The less good news is that rules do not translate your allergy for you. This guide covers what the rules mean in practice, what to ask about in each city, and how to make yourself understood.

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What EU Allergen Rules Mean on a City Break

France, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Bulgaria all follow EU food-information rules covering 14 regulated allergens, including peanuts and specified tree nuts.

• On prepacked food, allergens must be emphasised in the ingredients list, for example in bold or capitals.
• For food served without packaging, such as in restaurants, bakeries and cafés, allergen information must still be available. Each country decides how, so it may be written on the menu, in a folder, or given verbally by staff.

In practice, how well this works varies by venue. A small market stall or a busy bakery may not have written information to hand. Tell staff about your allergy before ordering, and ask questions about the dish you want.

Allergy Words to Look For

Labels and menus will be in the local language. These are the terms most often used for peanuts and for the tree-nut group on packaging:

• French: arachides (peanuts), fruits à coque (tree nuts)
• Italian: arachidi (peanuts), frutta a guscio (tree nuts)
• Spanish: cacahuetes (peanuts), frutos de cáscara (tree nuts)
• Czech: arašídy (peanuts), skořápkové plody (tree nuts)
• German: Erdnüsse (peanuts), Schalenfrüchte or Nüsse (tree nuts)
• Polish: orzeszki ziemne (peanuts), orzechy (tree nuts)
• Bulgarian: фъстъци (peanuts), черупкови плодове (tree nuts)

Use these to recognise familiar words, not to replace reading the full ingredients and allergen information for the specific product. Words on menus can also be more specific than the label terms, for example the name of an individual nut.

City by City: What to Ask About

Paris

Bakeries and pâtisseries are the big one. Almonds appear in frangipane and many tarts, and praline combines nuts and sugar. Everything is often made and displayed in the same space, so ask about both ingredients and cross-contact. For more, see our France guide.

Rome

Gelato is the obvious one: pistachio and hazelnut (nocciola) are standard flavours, and scoops are often served with shared scoopers. Ask about cross-contact, and be cautious with pesto and pastry fillings. Pine nuts are not part of the regulated tree-nut group, so say exactly what you need to avoid. See our Italy guide.

Barcelona

Almonds and hazelnuts are used in Catalan sauces such as romesco and in desserts and turrón. In Spanish, frutos secos is a broad term covering nuts and dried fruit, so state your specific allergen rather than relying on it. Tapas bars share fryers and boards, so ask how things are cooked. See our Spain guide.

Prague

Traditional desserts and cakes often use walnuts or ground nuts, and chimney cakes (trdelník) can be rolled in nut toppings. At Christmas markets and street stalls, ask what each item is coated or filled with. See our Poland, Czechia and Slovakia guide.

Berlin

Berlin's food scene is international, so nuts can appear in dishes from many cuisines as well as German bakery goods. Marzipan, hazelnut spreads and stollen or Lebkuchen at Christmas markets are worth asking about. Street-food counters and bakeries are the places where cross-contact matters most.

Krakow

Cakes, pastries and sweet dishes may contain walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, so ask before ordering desserts and baked goods. Milk bars and restaurants will usually be happy to check ingredients if you explain clearly. See our Poland, Czechia and Slovakia guide.

Sofia

Baklava and other Balkan sweets commonly use walnuts or pistachios, and walnuts can appear in cold soups and salads. Ask about the specific dish and how it is prepared. See our Bulgaria guide.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is easy to add to the same trip, and English is widely spoken, but a printed card still helps in busy kitchens. We have a printed Dutch peanut and tree nut card and a Netherlands guide.

Eating Out on a City Break: Practical Tips

• Show your card before you order. Handing it over after the food arrives is too late to change what is made.
• Research a few places before you go. Pick one or two restaurants near your hotel that you have checked, so you always have a fallback.
• Be careful with breakfast buffets. Pastries, granola, spreads and cakes sit side by side and shared tongs are common.
• Check the label every time when buying snacks from supermarkets, even for products you know from home. Recipes differ between countries.
• Allow for plan changes. If a place does not feel right, leave. A snack from your bag beats a risky meal.

Getting Around With Your Medication

Carry your prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors in your hand luggage and keep them accessible on trains, planes and walking tours rather than at the bottom of a bag. An insulated allergy medical bag helps protect them from temperature extremes, which matters in summer heat and winter cold. Check your airline's rules and follow the plan agreed with your healthcare professional.

Download Your Cards Before You Fly

Save your cards to your phone before you travel so they work without data or Wi-Fi. Printing and laminating a copy of each is a good backup, and keeping one in your day bag and one in your hotel room means you always have one to hand.

Our digital bundle covers French, Italian, Spanish, Czech, German, Polish and Bulgarian. If you only need one language, you can buy single cards for French, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Polish or Bulgarian.

Get the Europe City Break Allergy Card Bundle →

Heading somewhere warmer? Our Mediterranean holiday guide and full range of language cards cover more destinations.

This guide provides general information for travelling with food allergies and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Allergen information, recipes and food preparation practices can change. An allergy translation card is a communication tool and cannot guarantee that a food or establishment is safe. Always make your own assessment and follow the allergy-management advice provided by your healthcare professional.