Travelling in Europe
with your dog

It seems that travelling through Europe with your dog is becoming more and more popular.

Holiday companies are realising that people don't want to leave their dogs behind when they travel abroad.

Dog-friendly hotels and holiday homes can now be found in Andorra, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Greece (to name a few) as well as the more obvious places like France and Spain.

Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by mosquitoes and it is vital that you protect your dog against it.

Mosquitoes are most active during the months of approximately May to October and they are particularly lively in the evening after dusk. Purchase a Scalibor collar from your vet in the UK. It contains deltamethrin and also controls infestations with ticks for five to six months. It can be worn two weeks before departure and is effective, according to the manufacturer, for up to six months. If you are planning an extended trip some vets recommend changing it after three months.

It remains active if your dog goes in the water.

In the evening it is a good idea not to leave your dogs lying outside, and to use an electric plug-in mosquito deterrent in the rooms.

The Processionary Caterpillar
Just a mention if you are planning to visit an area where there might be pine trees. These caterpillars build large nests in pine trees in January - apparently they look like thickly spun spiders' webs and they are clearly visible from the ground.

The caterpillars leave their nests every evening to feed on the pine leaves and follow each other nose to tail. They are a mottled dull brown in colour with faded yellow markings and the hairs on their bodies are poisonous. In April they leave their nests altogether to pupate.

If a person or animal touches one it may cause a severe allergic reaction which can be fatal.

Do not allow your dog to run free in pine woods, even an extendable lead could be problematic. Many camp sites are located in these areas and you will probably see warning posters round and about.

If you decide to take your dog on holiday with you prepare for your trip well and be vigilant. Talk to your vet and make sure you do everything you need to do to keep your pet protected.

The first day we drive to a little hotel in the country between Chalons en Champagne and Rheims and have a splendid evening meal!

The next day we go on to Calais which I have done in three hours but it is a bit of a rush. Tara is welcome at the hotel and is even allowed to come with me to dinner and sit under the table.

2. What Channel crossing would you recommend?
The best Channel crossing for Brighton is Calais to Folkestone/Dover. You can try Newhaven-Dieppe but there are no motor-ways near Dieppe and until you can join one, the roads are choked with lorries and the going is very slow and dangerous.

I should add that it is much easier to find dog-friendly hotels and restaurants in France than it is in England but always ask in advance whether they are allowed.

On the one journey we made to Spain with a dog the atmosphere was distinctly anti-dog and we found only one hotel where she was welcomed.

On the other hand, in Portugal people were much more sympathetic and seemed on the whole to like dogs although there were a few strays wandering around.

3. Are there any parts of the journey Tara does not like?
She is quite happy driving with her head under the seat as usual but doesn’t like returning to the car after a break . We always cross the Channel by the tunnel as on the ships dogs have to be left locked up in the hold in the car.

My car was once in the hold when the sea came in and all the cars were wet and covered with salt. Tara was not with me on this occasion but as a result I prefer her to be with me on the train in her usual place.

4. Are there any problems with Passport Control?
The Dog Control Office at Calais is very strict. You take the dog into a special office and there the microchip is checked. Then they make sure that the passport is for that dog and that the dog has had its tick and worm treatment on the hour and date indicated on the passport.

This must be within the last 24 – 48 hours. Then you get a special paper to put on your windscreen showing the dog has passed the control and you can drive on to the train.

5. Is it difficult to apply for a pet passport?
It is not difficult in Switzerland but I can’t speak for any other country. The process is as follows. The dog has to have a microchip for identification purposes.

Next step is a rabies vaccination (which is compulsory anyway in Switzerland if you intend to enter a neighbouring country – France , Germany , Italy , Austria etc.)

After one month the dog has to have a blood test, the sample being sent to a designated laboratory in the country. If the result is satisfactory, the passport is issued and the dog can first enter the UK six months after the date of the rabies vaccination.

Just before leaving home, the dog has to have “Frontline” or some other product against ticks and also worm pills. The vet has to certify on the passport the exact hour and date on which these products have been given and the dog has to arrive in Calais within 24 – 48 hours of this hour and date.

For specific advice about Pet Passports in the UK go to the Pet Passport page.

6. Are there specific things that you take with Tara on a long journey?
Mainly a bottle of water and a few biscuits for the day. She has nothing before she leaves in case it makes her sick.

For the night I have her bowl and about two days’ supply of her usual food, to which I add some titbits from my own meal.

She also has a towel and a cloth to clean up any water she may spill in the hotel bathroom or with which to collect any mud she may bring into the bedroom.

I have given up taking a blanket for her as she would never lie on it when it was there. I also have a second lead and her usual medication for the time of the holiday.

(Have a look at the ten essential items to take with you as chosen by the RSPCA's Chief Veterinary Adviser.)

7. How do you prepare her for the journey?
We have a half hour's walk or so before setting out. The French “aires” or motorway stops are far larger than the concrete English horrors and there is usually lots of grass and trees for dogs to run about.

We usually stop at one every two or three hours for bits of food, comfort stations and a run etc.

8. Do you always leave at a particular time?
No, whenever I am ready.

9. Have any unusual things happened on any of your journeys?
Fortunately not, as far as I can remember. My previous dog, Cormac, jumped into the river at the hotel and then padded into the room with muddy feet which meant a lot of clearing up.

Another time, at Calais , his papers were not accepted as the vet had forgotten to put the time when he had given the worm pills and Frontline and we had to rush to a vet in Calais to get another signature.

However, I think the official at the dog’s office had an arrangement with this vet that they shared the amount of the extra fee I had to pay!!

10. Is there any advice you’d give to someone taking their dogs in the car through Europe.
Not really. It is useful to have a Michelin guide for the countries in question where you can see in advance if a hotel accepts dogs or not and to arrive around 5 p.m. to take up your room, if you have reserved it.

If you haven’t, start telephoning suitable places early in the afternoon.

11. And finally what car do you drive?
My car is a Toyota Yaris Verso and it is very well geared to dogs!