“What’s it really like travelling with your dog?”
Throughout all my international journeys, this is the question I get asked the most (followed pretty closely by “¿Cuál es su nombre?”/”What’s her name?”)
And, I mean, I can’t really blame people for asking.
Would you look at that face?
Now, before we get any further, I want to note: if you’re a “new country every week” type nomad, this is probably not for you. That kind of life, in my experience, is simply not conducive to the stringent policies around international pet travel, not to mention the stress it can put on an animal.
But if you’re more of a slow nomad like myself, and are happy to settle in one place for a while, explore numerous cities, really experience a place before moving on, then read on. Here’s everything you need to know about digital nomad life with your dog.
The Prep
If you’re looking to travel with your dog, there are two things you need to prepare yourself for: research and paperwork. So. Much. Paperwork.
After all, every country has their own requirements for both import and export, which typically include a rabies vaccine at a minimum, but often feature other specifications, health certificates, tests, documents and even quarantine. So, before you even think about booking a ticket, get ready to be neck-deep in research into the specific requirements of your current location and planned destination(s).
While you do this, never assume you know the process until you’ve gone through the officially listed requirements with a fine-toothed comb. Specifications can vary massively, especially when it comes to vaccines. For instance, rabies jabs are good for two years, but the majority of countries require annual vaccinations, so while a documented rabies vaccine from over a year ago may be accepted in one country, it could be denied in another due to its date of administration.
When travelling from a country with a higher rabies risk (such as Ecuador) to a country that has eradicated rabies (such as in the EU), entry may require a rabies titre test to ensure that the vaccine actually worked. Alternatively, some countries won’t allow entry at all for dogs, regardless of vaccination status, or require such an extensive process (such as a lengthy quarantine) that it nixes the mere possibility of a visit.
It’s also worth noting that some countries have breed-specific bans.
What I’m getting at here is: always, always, always double-check requirements. Think of it this way: dog first, ticket second.
When it came to Bella, our process went something like this:
- Figuring out if this was even possible, travel-wise. Could Bella fly in the cabin? Not only was this a matter of comfort and ease, but because pugs are brachycephalic, she wouldn’t be able to go in cargo. Luckily, the answer was yes—generally (though not always) speaking, if your dog (including the carrier) is under 8kg, they can fly in the cabin with you. Because Bella is about the size of a wet guinea pig, we were sorted!
- Getting Bella jabbed and up-to-date with all of her documents. For Bella, this meant a rabies jab, a titre test to ensure that said jab took, annual vaccinations and a European pet passport (see section below).
- Going through the export process. We used Heathrow Vet Services, who specialise in animal exports, to cover this part for us. This saved us a world of headache when it came to paperwork. From this, we got Bella’s export certificate.
- Booking everything. This included calling the airlines to book in Bella’s companion ticket. Word from the wise here: if you’re booking with a pet, ALWAYS CALL. Will it take longer? Yes. Will it ensure that you actually get it done correctly? YES.
One thing that I highly recommend is to find a vet in your country of origin who specialises in pet exports, like Heathrow Vet Services. All that aforementioned paperwork? It gets tricky—even your average vet can get tricked by it. So a specialist can ultimately save you the time, money and frustration of incorrectly done paperwork.
The last thing to prep is your mentality.
Your experience will be different from those of other digital nomads you may come across—all for a very worthy reason. Your pet will be a consideration in everything you do and limit some of the experiences you can have.
You’re always going to have to check your next destination’s rules and regulations for pet entry. You will always have to find pet-friendly accommodation. You will always need to do the research to find a local vet. You will always have to keep your pet at the forefront of your planning. You will always, always, always need to plan one step ahead when it comes to coming and going.
It just comes with the territory.
The EU’s Pet Passport
A European pet passport is more or less what it sounds like—an ID for your animal that allows them to travel between European countries. It is a mandatory document, and specifically covers dogs, cats and, interestingly, ferrets, and contains information about your pet, including a description and details, as well as its health records.
As of a fairly recent change, EU pet passports are only issued to pet owners who are residents of the EU. Non-EU residents (including those from the UK, who were previously eligible for EU pet passports) will need a new animal health certificate each time they plan to bring their pets into the EU.
That said, EU are still exceedingly useful if you fit into that category and plan to explore around Europe, acting as a centralised record of your dog’s jabs.
Travelling
By Plane
As mentioned before, travelling is always going to be a little more complex for us pet-parents. Considering the sheer number of airlines and the fact that each and every one has it’s own restrictions, figuring out travel with a pet is no mean feat.
The best way to approach it is to consider each airline individually and, importantly, look to see if booking is code-shared. Code-sharing is when two airlines have a commercial agreement to sell seats on flights operated by one another; this is important as two airlines having such an arrangement does not ensure that they have the same regulations.
This is another reason why I highly recommend booking flights via the phone—doing so allows you to iron out any such details. In fact, most airlines require you to call after booking to add a pet to your flight and do not offer online booking for pet travel, so it’s often easier to book the entire trip by phone in the first place.
Similarly, take caution when booking connecting flights. Oftentimes, trips with layovers are shared between providers, meaning that you can start your trip under one set of airline regulations and then be expected to adhere to another halfway through. Connecting flights can prove to be even more problematic in the event that you have to cross the border or go through customs in the layover country; doing so means that you would need the relevant papers for that country in addition to your destination country.
For this reason, I always opt for direct flights when possible.
By Train or Coach
Similar to air travel, rail and bus travel will be highly dependent on the individual provider. In the same vein as air travel, it’s highly recommended that you do your research and book over the phone when possible to ensure that everything goes according to plan.
I haven’t had many issues with rail and coach travel with Bella in the past, but most of our travel together has been via plane, taxi, or public transport, and given her small size, this has been pretty easy to navigate.
That said, read on to learn more about the issues public transport and taxis can yield when travelling with a pet.
By Car or Van
Understandably, car and vanlifers will have a much easier time of travelling with their pet than the rest of us nomads. With a built-in base for their pet and the ability to not rely on any third-party rules when it comes to the actual means of travel, the nomad/pet lifestyle is quite a bit more attainable for these folks.
Things to Pack
Bella is pretty low maintenance (monthly spa days notwithstanding), but a few must-haves I would recommend are:
- A collapsible bowl. Most pet parents will have this anyway, but it can seriously come in handy for any time you don’t have access to a dog bowl.
- A Blink (or similar) security cam. I find this incredibly useful for times I’m going out and leaving Bella at my accommodation—I can plug in anywhere and check on what she’s doing (usually,
Luxury, by Bella. sleeping).
- A comfort item, such as a toy. We’ll talk a little bit more later about why this probably isn’t the best lifestyle for a particularly anxious dog, but even the bravest amongst us (like Bella) need a comfort item sometimes. Their favourite toy is great for this.
- Snacks. Just like us, our pets get hungry and tired whilst travelling—and that’s without any complications like layovers, or any additional processes or checks you may have to go through with them. Unlike us, though, there isn’t always an overpriced bodega to stop into with snacks to tide them over. Having some on hand will seriously improve their level of comfort throughout the process.
- A potty mat, in case of an emergency. Enough said.
- Her passport and paperwork, including vaccination records. We have gone through too much to leave these behind!
Other Things to Consider
Dog-friendly Accommodations
Another thing that you will always have to consider is whether your planned accommodation is pet-friendly. The last thing you want is to pull up after a long day of travel and be turned away at the door.
Oftentimes, I’ve found, the sorts of accommodations I stay at (longer stay Airbnb) are happy to accommodate (especially due to Bella’s size and good behaviour) but I do typically have to go out of my way to clarify. Usually, I will write to them to ask, and I have to pay a deposit.
With the way I live, I tend to have a home base in whatever my current country is and then travel around to smaller hostels from there. When I do this, I typically leave Bella with a sitter at our Airbnb (luckily, she’s quite a mellow dog and doesn’t face any particular anxiety in my absence), which really helps when it comes to finding cheaper, shorter-term places to stay.
If she does come with me, again, I will simply write to clarify their guidelines and then pay whatever necessary deposit. Her small size usually allows for a large degree of leniency here.
Public Transport and Taxis/Ubers
One important, and oft-overlooked, consideration is on-the-ground transit once you’re at your destination. If you haven’t selected a particularly walkable city, and if you’re the type of owner who plans to take your pup everywhere, don’t let yourself be fooled into thinking that every city’s public transport is pet-friendly—most cities/transport providers will have specific rules and regulations regarding pet travel on their vehicles. Similar could be said for overall pet-friendliness for public locations—as we pet owners know, some cities are very accommodating, with dog-friendly cafes and restaurants out the wazoo… and some are not.
Same goes for Ubers/Taxis/Lyft/whatever the local equivalent is. Not every place has an Uber Pet option, and, even if they do, you’ll have to figure out their specific rules and regulations. In my experience, there will be some option, but you may have to pay extra for it.
So, once again, it all comes down to researching your destination and finding out alternatives beforehand.
Vet Care Abroad
One of the most important things will always be to try to find a local vet before touching down. Just like yourself, your pet is not immune to health issues when travelling, and the last thing you want is to find yourself in a new country, where you don’t speak the language, with a sick pet and nowhere to take them for help.
Once you’ve found the vet you plan to use, be sure to check if they have an emergency line in case of any middle-of-the-night scares; if they don’t, ask them to be referred to a 24-hour vet that you can keep tucked away in case of crisis.
Final Notes
I’ve tried to cover as much as possible here, and the things that I’ve learned along the way, but it’s by no means an exhaustive list. Miss Bella and I are still learning the ropes every day.
One thing that I think is important to highlight is that, while the nomadic life may be calling you, it’s important to consider whether or not it’s calling your dog. If, like Bella, they’re happy as a clam no matter their locale so long as they have treats, then the answer may very well be yes. But if your dog is high-anxiety, has exceptionally intense separation issues, struggles with temperament, or generally prefers the quiet life, the lifestyle may cause unwanted stress in their life. Ask yourself, “Is the nomad life right for my dog?”
It’s also key to remember that this is all coming from someone with a small dog (she essentially classifies as a carry-on), and it was still a massive headache. For large dog owners, the process is far more complex.
No matter what, at the end of the day, digital nomadding with your dog comes down to careful planning and preparation. Whilst at times difficult, it’s by no means impossible, and an incredible experience (a built-in travel buddy? I think yes!)
After all, what’s more random than a random British guy strolling down the streets of Cuenca, Ecuador? A random British guy with his pug.
