Travel light but travel right – for a pet-friendly holiday!
What can be better than going on a holiday with your pet? For pet parents, travelling with pets these days is much easier than it used to be. Travelling by road, air or train with a pet only requires a little research and planning but is worth the effort for the joy it brings you to have your pet with you. And your pet will be eternally grateful for not being left behind!
How you travel with your pet will depend on where you plan to go. Domestic or international? Short vacation or a long one? To one destination or multiple locations? And of course – by road, rail or air? After you freeze on your requirements, do your homework, practice due diligence, prepare your itinerary, make your bookings and finally break the news to your pet!
5 important tips to enjoy traveling with your pet:
Identify a pet-friendly place to stay – hotel, guest house, resort or Air BnB. What are the rules regarding pets? Does the accommodation offer beds/bedding designed for pets? Do they offer designated areas to walk pets, and for pets to pee and poop? Will a variety of nutritious pet food be available – cooked or packaged? Will the property have a vet on call? Or pet sitters and dog walkers if you need to step out without your pet in tow? The importance of due diligence cannot be stressed enough if you want to enjoy a wonderful, stress-free holiday with your pet.
Decide on the mode of transportation – road, rail or air. If you decide on going by road, things will obviously be more in your control. Where you’re going and for how long will influence your choice of vehicle, your scheduling (consider how many stops you will need to make to walk and feed your dog), and the type of pet-friendly accommodation wherever you stop.
Consider this: If you travel by air, you may not be able to keep your pet with you. Although certain airlines allow pets in the cabin based on its size and weight. While some other airlines are planning to allow pet owners to travel with two pets on a flight. But this is not something you can take for granted, so do look into these details before deciding on which airline.
Plan well ahead for train travel: This means familiarizing yourself with the rules and regulations laid out by the railways for traveling with pets. You can book tickets online for your pet and yourself. Remember, you can travel with up to two dogs in a coupe, and four dogs in a cabin. Ensure you are carrying all the relevant documents for your pets as stipulated by the Railways.
And last but not the least: Do not expect to find pet products easily wherever you go. You may find places with excellent infrastructure for pets, and then again, you may not. So, make it a point to carry the basics – your pet’s food and water bowls, some form of bedding, some wet and dry pet food, medication, your pets’ favorite toy, etc. This will ensure that your pet is comfortable and stress-free.
In addition to the above, if you have a well-trained and well-behaved pet, your holiday is going to be a memorable one, and well worth the effort. Bon voyage!
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