Europe is a hot spot for American travelers. There are all kinds of places to visit and sites to see. You can experience a wide array of cultures all in one trip, such as going from Germany to Switzerland to France to Italy in a few days. If you have pets, you may be considering taking your pets with you on your trip to Europe. This article will show you how to travel with pets to Europe.
Decide where and when you will travel to in Europe. You may visit England, and then ride the Eurostar to Paris. Perhaps you're planning on taking a train from Germany through Switzerland and Italy. Figure out your plans.
Determine which pets you wish to take with you on the trip. Most people will take dogs, but some will consider cats, parrots and even hamsters.
Pick an airline and flight schedule for your trip, and look into their policies for taking pets on board. Some airlines allow certain pets but not others. Some consider animals as carry on luggage while others consider it checked luggage. Different fees may apply for taking each pet. For example, it costs about $100 to take a pet on United Airlines as carry on luggage and $125 for a small kennel to be checked baggage domestically. The fees increase as you go international.
Contact the airline directly to take your pet. Often there is room for only a set number of pets in the cabin, for example. For international travel, you will need to contact the embassy or foreign consulate in that country about taking your pet as well. The US Airways website gives you a link to the embassy/ foreign consulate for your trip. On international flights, generally pets will have to go in checked luggage.
Pick your hotel or resort for your stay in Europe. You need to find pet-friendly hotels. Most hotels in Europe do allow pets, but you should contact the hotel directly to make sure, or look at the hotel's policies on their website.
Determine your mode of transportation for your trip. If you will travel by train, you need to make sure your pet can be on the train you are using. If you rent a car, you should check with the rental car company to find out if pets are allowed in the cars.
Visit the SHERPA website, listed in the resources. To find out many policies about traveling with pets. The website also gives links for finding more information, such as traveling with pets in the Eurotunnel and links for having microchips inserted into pets before travel.
