We’ve always done a lot of travelling with Kiki and Rikki. Travelling with two dogs was difficult, but now, of course, we have three, but I’m up for the challenge. As you probably know, we travelled to Monaco recently and brought all three dogs with us. I’ve shared a couple of posts on Instagram about this topic, but I wanted to write a blog post as we had so many questions from you about the journey and travelling with dogs.
We all travelled by car on this occasion, but Kiki and Rikki have previously flown. As with any trip, whether with or without dogs, you must plan ahead of time, know exactly what documents you will need, and mentally rehearse how everything will work.
What you need to think about before you leave.
Going on holiday with your dog sounds luxurious and like a dream, but in order to make that dream a reality, you must first complete some chores. This includes vet visits, paperwork, and other responsibilities. Travelling with dogs isn't always easy, but we're here to help. I would always recommend calling your vet for advice specific to your dog and the country you are visiting. In the meantime, let me give you some general advice to get you started.
Depending on where you're going, your dog may require different vaccinations, treatments, and documents. Here's a rundown of the most common things you'll need to keep your pet up to date on:
- Microchip: To travel, your dog will need to be microchipped.
- Up-to-date vaccinations: Rabies is the most important to have updated, but as I mentioned, ring your vet to ask them what vaccinations you will need specific to the country you are visiting.
- Passports: Like us, our dogs also need passports. If your dog has a UK passport, you will most likely need to get an EU travel certificate. The EU certificate is valid for four months.
- Tapeworm treatment: Depending on the country you travel to, your dog might need to get a tapeworm treatment no earlier than 120 hours and no later than 24 hours before you travel.
You'll need documentation to prove that your pet has all of the above. I would suggest making a folder to help you stay organised. Make extra copies of everything; you never know when you'll need a backup document, and it's better to be safe than sorry.
The different ways you can travel
When travelling with dogs, you have a few options. Dogs can fly out of the UK with some airlines, including Air France, Lufthansa, and Iberia. Unfortunately, dogs cannot enter the UK by plane and must travel by car or ferry. We always return by car via the Eurotunnel; more on that later.
The only way dogs can enter the UK by plane is by cargo and sometimes this is not the safest option. I prefer using a car and Eurotunnel. Eurostar does not allow pets, but only service animals. I have never tried the ferry, but I know many people that have and they have said it is a nice option, the ferry started allowing pets anywhere as where previously they had to be in a room.
Eurotunnel
We frequently use the Euroshuttle to travel with pets because it is one of the simplest ways to travel with them - it is such a simple process! You can drive yourself or hire a pet-friendly taxi or private driver service, as we did. You must purchase an additional ticket for your dog when booking to use the Eurotunnel. Make sure your dog has a European pet passport or a health certificate, is up to date on rabies vaccinations, and is microchipped before you travel.
Once you arrive at Euroshuttle, you will be directed to the pet reception. Where they will check in your pet, check all your documents (including rabies vaccination) and scan your pet’s microchip. There is also a dog-friendly area right next to the reception that your dog can enjoy before they board the train!
When you drive onto the train, you and your pet will stay inside the car for the whole journey, which takes about 40 minutes. Probably one of the main reasons I like using the Eurotunnel so much is because you don’t have to be separated from your pet, this makes the journey a lot more relaxing as you don’t have to stress about how they are doing, I much prefer travelling with my dogs when I can stay with them for the whole journey. I would highly recommend using the Eurotunnel to travel with your pets.
Travelling by car
The next topic I believe is important to discuss is long car rides with dogs and how to make your dog as comfortable as possible. Every time we take the dogs in the car, I try to follow a set of rules. Knowing they are at ease makes me feel less stressed.
Here is a list of the rules that I also try and follow when travelling by car:
- No food for at least 12 hours before leaving: Yes, a little fasting will not harm your dog! Travelling with your dogs on an empty stomach will make it much easier for them if they become ill. Of course, it is still important to ensure that they have a constant supply of fresh water. I do give them small treats along the way to let them know they're doing great.
- Seat belts: Safety comes first, always! I use My Pawchella’s safety belt. You just fasten the attachment to the seat buckle and clip it onto the harness. You can use our code KIKIANDRIKKI10 for a discount. I cannot stress this enough - NEVER CLIP THE SAFETY BELT ONTO THE COLLAR! ⚠️ If the car was to suddenly come to a stop, a harness will distribute the pressure across your pet’s chest. I don’t need to explain what might happen if it's pulled by the collar, right?
- Take breaks: You will have to make stops to give your dog the opportunity to stretch its legs and walk around for a bit. We normally stop every two and a half hours for a 10-15 minute break.
- Pack pads and tissues: I always pack some of these in case an accident happens. Mostly for situations where somebody ends up being sick 🙈
Product recommendations
I always mention a lot of the products I use when travelling with my dogs, and many of you ask where you can get them. So I have curated a list of my essentials for when I'm travelling with my dogs. I trust these products and think they are the perfect accessories for the travelling pet parent. Some of them have been life-changing - making journeys easier, safer and more comfortable for my dogs and me. So without further ado, let’s begin.
Amazon’s Basics Pet Bucket Booster Seat
First on our list, we have Amazon’s Basics Pet Bucket Booster Seat. When I shared this on my Instagram story, lots of you messaged me asking where I got it from. To be honest, when I ordered this, I wasn’t 100% sure what the quality would be like, but I was really impressed. The dogs find it super comfortable and it’s safe. It also comes with an adjustable security leash that you attach to your dog's harness, and it's tall enough so your dogs can look out the window if they want to!
Dog water bottle
Moving on. We have my personal favourite, this dog water bottle. It’s so simple, but I’m telling you, it has made keeping Kiki, Rikki and Stormi hydrated so much easier. I didn’t know how much I needed it until I got it. It’s especially useful for travelling and car journeys. Filling up a water bowl in a moving vehicle is not an easy task, but this gadget makes it so much easier. It’s also the perfect size for travelling as it doesn’t take up much room.
Dog pads
Travelling with your dog sounds glamorous and a bit like a dream. However, we have to think about the logistics as well. After all, our dogs are animals and will have accidents! So this next product is essential, trust me, you will need these. The product I’m talking about is Dog pads. I specifically would purchase these. They are super absorbent and again easy to bring with you when travelling. They also have a lavender smell to them which disguises bad smells which might result from any accidents your pooch has! A must-buy.
Adaptil Calm-On-The-Go Collar
Many of you messaged about this following product and were very curious to know if it worked! We used a calming collar on Stormi as she had quite a traumatic time the last time she travelled, so we wanted to make sure this experience was as relaxing as possible for her! We brought Adaptil Calm-On-The-Go Collar. It works by releasing a synthetic copy of the pheromone that a dog’s mum releases to her litter to reassure them. The pheromone has the same effect on an adult dog. I found this super interesting and was curious to find out if it worked, and it did! It had no scent to it and no effect on us humans, but it worked so well for Stormi. If you have an anxious dog, I would strongly recommend getting your paws on one of these.
My Pawchella’s safety seat belt
Finally, our last product, My Pawchella’s safety seat belt. I know we’ve mentioned this one before, but I really do believe it’s a must-have! I think it’s because I know the brand so well and trust them that I know using their products to keep my dog safe in the car is a huge peace of mind. Obviously, there’s also the factor that you get to design it yourself! I mean, My Pawchella really does do it all! If you want to design your safety seat belt, you can use our code KIKIANDRIKKI10 for a discount!
This brings us to the end of this blog post! I hope you have found some of this information useful and you can use it to start planning a holiday with your pet. We also have a mini-guide on Instagram which you might also find helpful. It's a collection of all of our travel tips ❤️
