Traveling with pets: a few tips on how not to get lost on the road and enjoy the trip

Do you take your dog or cat regularly on trips and holidays across the Czech Republic? Is travelling with your dog or cat fun for you and not a horror? Have you got a destination in mind, where you’d like to stay for longer or you’re even planning a trip around the world? If you’ve answered yes to all three questions, there’s no doubt you’ll soon expand the range of adventurers who travel around the world with their pets.

Most pet owners give up travelling with pets abroad sooner than they try it on their own skin. The important thing is not only confidence and intuition that you can do it, but also trust in others. Since you can’t avoid situations on the road, when you have to entrust your pet to strangers. It’s necessary to count with this as well. What else should you prepare for before you go on a journey together?

Anyone who underwent this adventure with his pet at some point will tell you, that it’s never been easier. Each year, an increasing numbers of airlines allows the transport of (small) pets on board, the network of pet-friendly hotels and hostels is growing, and thanks to the internet and E-bay, it’s possible to order the favourite brand of your pet even abroad.

Besides, it can enrich your experience from the travels. My friend, who travels with her dog like this, says this makes her feel much happier, stronger and more confident than she was before. Imagine how your pet enjoys the sense of utter freedom when it sweeps through snow-covered plains, zigzags on sandy beaches on the other end of the planet or conquers a mountain peak with you, and after reaching it, it’s cheerfully bobbing around.

It is said that it’s easier to travel with puppies or kittens. Same as children, they’re only discovering the world around them, unlike for adults travelling isn’t as stressful for them. Personally, I think that it mostly depends on the character of your pet. Before it gets used to a new rhythm of life and absorbs all the changes, it might be a bit confused. Therefore, do not rush anywhere while travelling, since you never know what can happen in a hurry. As my friend says, there will always be the next bus.

Apart from a microchip, passport and confirmation from a veterinary on the health of your pet a travel schedule will come in handy. If you are planning to travel around Europe, you should not encounter any issue. However, outside of the European Union, every country follows different rules, uses different forms, some require placement of the animal into a several-week quarantine.

These rules apply even through countries that you’re only passing through. And of course that it also varies depending on which country you’re coming from. For example, if you are returning from Asia to Europe, stricter rules may apply to you than if you flew over from North America. You should be able to find all the important information at www.pettravel.com.

Travelling with your pat will partially limit you in means of transport that you will be to use while travelling. As in the Czech Republic, some carriers require for the animals to be placed in transport crates or they don’t allow their transportation at all. Therefore, I recommend that you do a small research already before the travel based on your itinerary.

If your dream destinations were unwelcoming in this regard, there’s always the option of using an RV. However, even with that you won’t be as flexible as if you were travelling alone. So, when you’re planning, rather think about your trip together already weeks ahead, not just over a couple of days :). Also try to segment the trip as much as possible, in order to lower the number of flights and long transports to the minimum. At least at the start, it will take a while until you create your daily rituals.

If you don’t manage to find a pet-friendly accommodation, I have a tip for you in the form of the TrustedHousesitters platform. Registered users offer their accommodation for free in exchange that over the time you’ll be staying at their place, you will in turn watch their pets. It’ll certainly be more pleasant for both you and your partner, if you rent out your own apartment and not to have a shared room.

The same way as back home, count with the fact, that you may encounter someone who doesn’t share your love for animals. But more often, it’ll happen to you, that you and particularly your animal friend will be the center of attention. I’m sure your pet will enjoy it :).

And what is your experience with travelling with your pet abroad?