Traveling with pets- Cat and Charlie's perspective

From Charlie’s puppyhood he has been a traveler. His first short trip was to the beach, but has gone onto travel to a lot of upstate New York, and he and Cat have a lot of traveling in their futures (being that their karma must be to find us so they can get on the road!).

Cats first trip was to a lovely B N B in New Hope PA while we were waiting to move into our current home-there are alot of pet friendly spots out there.

Traveling with our pets is important to us, and I truly think they enjoy it too-they get to come everywhere with us, more walks and adventure hikes, and swimming, than when they are chilling at home when we are both at work! Plus a lot of campsites have fenced in dog park areas so yeah, really? Whats not to love for the furry members of our family? Recently they got to come to Bass Lake with us and some of our favorite people! They got to sit by the camp fire, hike a water fall, snuggle with their people and run around the dog park-and Cat (who is really a dog) loves to swim. The waterfall made him super happy. One of the nice things about RV life that we are so looking forward to in our home on wheels is that the dogs will always be safe in. We can roll up to a restaurant and they will have their ac or heat while we grab a bite (doggy bag brought back for them of course!)

So when travelling with your pet, what do you need to look for? There are so many great resources for this.

Bringfido is a great site that rates sites and allows you to search the area you are in for things from dog parks, to hiking, to pet friendly hotels and restaurants. Good spots get 5 bone ratings! They even have an information line you can call to find out about international travel or really anything “fido” related!

Most Hilton chains allows dogs, and Homewood Suites usually do too. Keep in mind there may be a pet fee, but it’s worth it! Always ask when making a reservation-don’t wanna get caught off guard!

The American Kennel Club has a good article that also lists chains we can visit.

Bark Post does as well.

Airbnb advises to look at the “house rules” of the property to see if your pet is allowed. I would advise calling and confirming with all accommodations too.

If you are looking for an upscale luxurious stay check out Select Registry, this is a site that has been offering a collection of independently owned properties with an amazing level of service since 1972. The inn I work at is a member of this and I can truly attest that we do a fantastic job. Select Registry currenly offer 50 properties that welcome pets.

So what about international travel with your furry family members? Although they will never travel to Australia to see their friend Nikki in Australia due to Quarantine regulations, not to mention the long flight (there is no rabies there so all dogs need 6 month home quarantine and at least 10 days in a kennel when they land in the land down under-this would be too much for most dogs I think, but especially Charlie, he has a nervous constitution-if you are coming to America from Australia I think it is easier, but still a long journey for a pet).

Getting to Canada is easy, just needing a health certificate from your vet-stating that they have all their shots.

To get into South America is a little more complicated, as there are so many countries with different rules, I found more than one website dissuading this activity. But there is info out there, and Mexico apparently has some great spots that have off leash dog parks, I am leaving this one for you to research more of since we have not ventured there yet.

Traveling to Europe often requires similar things to getting into Canada, health Certificate and vaccinations. Check with your airline as well, and make sure you have all documents. Cat may have a trip to France in his future, he is small enough to ride under the seat, Charlie would not do well being loaded into the plane’s underbelly…. There is also a European Pet Passport that allows you to travel to most countries once you are in Europe with Cats, Dogs and Ferrets.

Again, always do your research before embarking on any journey, but especially with our furry friends! My plan is to keep health records for these two with us as we travel. Most campsites upon entering will ask for them, which is good for all of us!

Enjoy the journey!

And if you are looking for things to help you with travel with your favorite pooches, we have just become an affiliate with KURGO and I highly recommend them. They offer everything from leashes to travel safety items. Purchases through the link above allows us to receive commissions on the sale which help keep Cat and Charlie (and their human friends) traveling!