Welcome to my gluten free France country guide, in which you’ll find some practical tips for navigating France as a coeliac/celiac. From key phases and self catering tips, to help with eating out and details on where to find the most delicious gluten free bakeries, I’ve got you covered.

I spent time working in France as an aupair when I was younger, have visited many cities and regions across the country and I speak (slightly rusty) French, so I am well placed to give you some tips on being gluten free and travelling there.

For more detailed information about specific French cities, please see the city guides section below. There you’ll find links to guides that give more detail about a particular region, city or town.

Gluten Free in France

I want to start out by being very realistic and honest – France is one of the least coeliac-friendly countries I have visited (and I have traveled a lot). It is a notoriously tricky place for dining out as a coeliac, unless of course you are in Paris, which has a wonderful array of gluten free bakeries and restaurants.

Outside of the major cities, France is one of the hardest European countries in which to be strictly gluten free. With there being low awareness of what gluten is and what coeliac disease is, not much attention is paid to the importance of avoiding cross contamination when dining out.

HOWEVER, you can absolutely have a wonderful time visiting France. There are some stunning landscapes, classic cities and gorgeous beaches in France so don’t let food be the barrier that stops you from visiting. I’ve got tips below to help you.

Essential French Phrases

A few handy French phrases to get you started. English is quite widely spoken in France, but at least you can communicate some key basic phrases if you are in a total jam.

Je souffre de la maladie cœliaque = I am coeliac

Je peux pas manger gluten = I cannot eat gluten

Sans gluten = gluten free

For a detailed print out that you can take to restaurants, try this French language coeliac travel card. It gives more detail about what coeliac disease is and which foods the restaurant need avoid when cooking for you.

Consider Self Catering

France is a doddle for gluten free self catered holidays. The supermarkets are really well stocked with gluten free products (including bread, pasta, biscuits, snacks and more). I only found that flour and breakfast cereals (non chocolate varieties) were harder to come by.

Auchan was my favourite – they have a big section dedicated to “Sans Gluten” products and that made it easy to shop. In some others like Carrefour, the gluten free range was mixed in with “Bio” (organic) products, which makes it a bit more time consuming.

Even the smaller shops tended to have a few gluten free products, although I would perhaps take youself some supplies from home to get your started if you are staying in a remote area.

If you can’t read French, use the Google translate app to scan labels on products – it gives a really speedy and handy translation.

The main things you want to avoid are: blé, froment, orge, avoine, seigle and gluten.

Discover French Gluten Free Bakeries

Oh there are some WONDERFUL fully gluten free bakeries and eateries to be discovered. Check out my city guides for details or do a google maps search for “sans gluten” over the area you are staying in and hope some pop up.

I had THE BEST coeliac safe gluten free patisserie in Annecy for example (at Liber Art) – worth travelling for!

Top Tips for Eating Out in France

I recently asked my French followers on Instagram for their advice on how to eat out safely in France. I want to start by saying many of them told me they did not eat out at all. They felt many restaurants paid no heed to cross contamination being an issue for coeliacs and they preferred to eat at home, to avoid running the risk. However, there were some exceptions and here is the advice they shared, along with some other advice from regular visitors to France:

  1. Don’t Assume Naturally Gluten Free Dishes Are Coeliac Safe: while dishes like galettes are typically naturally gluten free, they are often cooked on the same hot plate as crepes (wheat based), so you should always ask questions about how a meal is cooked. The same for steak frites – check the fryer is not used for other products and that the steak is cooked on a clean surface/griddle. Fish may be dusted with flour before cooking. And salads – bread may have been cut on the same chopping board, so always ask questions, don’t just assume.
  2. Dedicated Gluten Free Eateries are Gold: if you can plan your holiday to include a visit to a gluten free bakery it’s a lovely treat. I really enjoyed being able to eat out in these places and the staff were always helpful (and understanding) when I checked things were safe for me as a coeliac.
  3. Do Your Research: have a browse of restaurant reviews on websites like Find Me Gluten Free or Tripadvisor. You can sometimes find helpful information from other coeliacs there (though take the advice with a pinch of salt, as not everyone is as safe as they should be).
  4. Call in Advance: if you can, give restaurants a call ahead of time to find out whether they can cater for you. It saves having to trawl around when you are feeling progressively hungry and grumpy!
  5. Find a Dish that’s Safe and Stick to it: some French readers told me they have little local restaurants they trust. They generally stick to the same dish and ALWAYS ask about preparation processes and ingredients, in case things have changed since they last visited.
  6. Be Patient: I find the French approach can seem brusque to English speakers sometimes, and people may come off as rude. Sometimes they are being rude, but often they are just busy or don’t quite understand why you can’t just eat a naturally gluten free dish. I took the time to explain my issue with cross contamination in a couple of restaurants, and this helped them understand why I was asking questions and not simply ordering. It pays off – whether it means you manage to dodge getting sick, or whether you find a gem that can cater for you safely.
  7. Say You Are Allergic to Wheat: if the language barrier is preventing you from communicating that you have coeliac disease, or they simply don’t understand the condition (one place assumed I was dairy free not gluten free), some readers recommended stating you have a severe wheat allergy. It doesn’t cover all the bases, but can be a starting point.

My Gluten Free French City Guides

In the guides below, you’ll find some information for specific cities across France. I hope you find them a helpful starting point for your gluten free France adventures:

Enjoy your trip! And if you have any changes or addition to my guides please do let me know laura@mygfguide.com. While I try my best to keep information up-to-date, please only use these guides as a start point for your own research. Menus and processes change frequently in hospitality and it’s important you stay safe by always double checking.

Safe travels! Laura xxx

Photo credit: Alexander Van Steenberge