The Dance of Light and Matter

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Pet Travel Tips and Resources

I’d like to share a summary of some of what I learned and what worked or didn’t for our trip. If you have any questions please reply in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.

Mango and I went for 2 months. Of course the paperwork issues will vary depending on how long you are gone, where you visit, and where you are a resident. Please use all of what I share as one source of data, and do your own research. I’m not a dog travel expert, just a human who went on an epic adventure with their beloved dog. :) Enjoy!

  • Before you go—let them know what is going to happen

    • Tell them what to expect! You can walk them through what will happen. I have two resources for this.

      • telling time with pets post: It can really help to walk through what is going to happen so they know what to expect. I did a soundcloud audio and post about this, link above. I also have done this for people in private sessions —especially when their animal has to go into the hold or will need to quarantine upon arrival.

      • Pet private sessions. We can go through the whole plan.

    • practicing/showing the airplane seating situation or other arrangements?

      • I actually did this. I used my imagination to show her best I could what would happen, but I also set up a simulation with her carrier using two folding chairs. I’m a little ridiculous. I was really nervous! I figured, why not?!

        • I was inspired by a youtube video I watched of a woman who trains dogs taking her service dog (a bigger dog, so not in a carrier) onto the plane. It helped me so much to visualize how it might go for us. I have lost that link, but just googled and it looks like there are a lot of videos so it’s another idea to search for this.

    • Getting used to the carriers and backpacks

      • If you have time, obviously leave out the carrier, put treats in there, get them used to it. Make sure it smells like them or like you. Put them in the backpack and go for a walk. We did not have time for this with the backpack because I found out about it so close to our departure.

    • Changing up the routines— food and sleep timings closer to the new time zone, making it easier for the long plane ride ahead and pee timings, if possible.

      • I did this on the way to Europe. I kept inching her feeding and final pee timing earlier and earlier. This at least helped me LOL! I did not do this for the return trip. We were too busy exploring and traveling and living day to day. She did fine on both trips. I will say and for obvious reasons—the overnight flight was easier because she slept the majority of the time. The return flight was daytime and she was restless.

  • Microchip and Pet Passport

    • Does the chip scan in the new country? Why it matters

      • During the international health exam, my vet checked to make sure that Mango’s microchip was “ISO compliant”, meaning recognized internationally. They thought it was. But when we went to the French vet, no microchip could be found.

      • This matters to them because if they can’t find your microchip, then there is no proof that your dog is vaccinated for rabies, which is what everyone cares about. The vet told me to wait and not travel while he figured out with French Administration what to do. That took 10 days, and altered our plans. He advised that some countries might be loose about it, but for sure not to travel to Germany until it was resolved, for example.

      • This matters to us because if you ever were separated from your dog, thinking that your microchip will reunite you, but the microchip doesn’t scan, there will be no way for people to reunite you. Which is why I also recommend having a collar with your international phone/whatsapp or some reliable way to reach you while traveling. We know that collars can come off, but it’s another measure to be safe.

      • This matters to us also because if you are stopped at a border/airport or anywhere and your microchip doesn’t scan— for the same reasons it matters to the country authorities—I really don’t want to think about what could happen. The vet thought I could be held up for hours while it was all worked out which is why he strongly advised me against traveling to Germany before resolving the microchip issue. He said that from an official standpoint, Mango was homeless, unidentifiable without the microchip. Would they insist on a rabies shot on the spot? Would you have to wait hours while your vet helps, and how could they help if there is no proof that Mango is Mango?(Also, your vet is likely in a different time zone and may be busy or it could be a Sunday…)

    • Rabies shot and titre requirements

      • Look up online the requirements. They change. At this time, you only need valid a rabies shot for the Schengen Area, and in high risk rabies countries and often islands that have no rabies that allow animals to enter will require a titre. See the French Vet info below and recommended website.

    • Pet Passport Photos

      • I did need these for the pet passport. They did not take a photo of Mango, so I added the photo I brought with me for her passport.

    • Address

      • I had a friend who provided her address. I do not know if you have to have a local address in all countries that issue pet passports. It is something you’ll need to research or ask about.

    • Do you need a pet passport? Can you get one?

      • If you are just traveling then as long as you have your USDA paperwork, that’s all you should need. I had just read it could be easier traveling throughout Europe and also to get back in if you have it, and I anticipated staying longer than we did. Would I do it again? Yes because of the microchip issue.

  • Tags/collar

    • before you leave, bring with you collar tags with foreign contact information,

      • WhatsApp phone

      • Email address you can access from your phone (you will need a European SIM card or international plan with your phone provider or rely on hotel and other wifi to check your whatsapp and messages).

      • local phone if you can

      • address—local if you can

  • Food!

    • Part of our trip was a road trip with a mix of airbnb’s, gites and hotels, and part was trains and planes and hotels.

    • For the road trip part, I cooked for her (recipe) and created packets I could freeze and take along. I had cooler bags and ice and refrigerators to use. For the planes and trains and hotels I had to pivot and figure out a new strategy.

    • how much to bring

      • I brought a small bag of treats for the plane back pocket for take off, in flight and landing, one bag of regular treats in my luggage, a handful of her favorite nighttime final pee treats to last until I could buy something else there (cod skins), one bag of Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried mini size in my carry on (in case of lost luggage we would have at least a couple days of food) and one bag of Stella and Chewy’s freeze dried patties in my luggage. It was almost not enough. I saved that freeze dried food as much as I could and it came in really handy especially as I transitioned to new countries and places where I didn’t yet know where to source food. I would bring more treats next time, unless I knew ahead of time where to get them. I had a really hard time for whatever reason in France finding clean, high quality food and treats. I finally did in Normandy but my bag of treats I brought was almost out by then.

    • what to bring (kind of food and—enough treats!)

      • Food and treats for continuity in the suitcase until you can find something comparable, at least a few meals in carry-on (in case of lost luggage or flight cancellations or long delays), and treats for the seat back on plane/carryon.

    • where to find

      • Pet stores are called animaleries in France and I had more luck using that as a search term. Some of the garden stores have pet supplies.

      • In Spain and Portugal I finally had good luck finding high quality food fit for suitcase travel at Kiwoko stores. The brand Nature’s Variety had a whole meal freeze dried food that seemed similar to Stella and Chewy’s and came in small lightweight packets. This worked well for Mango. It is a raw food, and it was fine for her. (Plus the omega alpha probiotics I brought with me). I also picked up a pressed food that was similar to the home cooked food but in a soft pellet style. I combined these two foods and we were good for hotels only travel in Spain and Portugal, didn’t need freezers or fridges.

    • what you can find

      • see above for the brands that worked for us in Spain and Portugal. You might be able to find those in other countries, but I did not find them in France. In Europe people do know/follow the BARF diet. I did not find anything fresh, organic, natural at the big pet stores or garden stores in France. However I found a frozen BARF diet at a freezer in a smaller French pet store in Bayeux. They have an online store so you could order and have things delivered. Another brand I found and tried was Edgar Cooper, which you can find more places. I did read online that you could go to any butcher and ask for a BARF diet and they will have it. I did not try this. When I got the BARF frozen, I cooked it for her which I am sure messes up the balance of nutrition, but it was the best option because that is currently better for Mango.

    • cooking

      • If you have access to a kitchen in your aparthotel or airbnb, cooking may be the best option. Here is the recipe I use. I was able to find everything I needed at local markets, butchers, and Bio markets. I used a dutch oven or other dish available instead of the instant pot, and cooked in the oven until the rice and quinoa were done which takes a couple-few hours at 300-350F or higher. You’ll have to google for temp equivalents. Alternatively, you can cook the ingredients separately and put it together. I then created little packets with parchment and foil that I froze. Some hotels will accept things to put in a freezer or fridge, and others do not so that is something to check ahead. In France I could get an airbnb, cook for a week or so, make the freezer packets and take them to a hotel. In Spain they would not take any food for their fridge or freezer so I had to find other options.

  • Veterinarians

    • Before you go-US

      • Rabies shot at least 23 days before (check current regulations)

      • International Health Exam and Certificate within 10 days of travel

      • The vet who helped me is https://holisticveterinaryhealing.com/

      • Check if the microchip your pet has is internationally recognized. The only issue with this is, my vet thought Mango’s was, but it did not scan in Europe which was problematic.

      • Check this website to learn about European regulations. https://www.anivetvoyage.com/reglement-europe.html

    • When you arrive-in my case, France

      • The vet who helped us was excellent

      • I think this is an optional step

      • You can explore getting a pet passport but will need a local address

      • You can find out if your US microchip scans in Europe

    • Before you return home-Portugal

      • Within 5 days of travel, a health exam and fit to fly health certificate

      • It is unclear to me if this is required or optional

      • The vet I found was fantastic.

  • On the go first aid and medical, ticks and fleas

    • Vetricyn in a go tube

      • Vetricyn is something I always have on hand. It has prevented infections in the past. Once she chewed her tail and it got infected and required vet treatment. The next time she chewed her tail I just sprayed this on it a few times and it healed on its own quickly. The animal chiropractor who told me about it actually uses it in his own mouth! I brought it along in a small go tube in my toiletries.

    • qtips

    • flea comb

    • brush?

    • tick removal tool (the only time I needed this was on a moving train, discovering a new tick just beginning to burrow! Yikes! Worked like a charm).

    • natural drops I carried these in my toiletries.

    • ETS for Animals or Rescue Remedy

    • Homeopathic Travel Drops?

  • Doggie Jet Lag!

    • Oy! It’s a thing!

      • I mean, of course dogs get jet lag. I just didn’t think about it beforehand. I did adjust her feeding and sleep schedule slightly in anticipation of the time zone change and particularly for the flight. It took Mango about a week to adjust. For her whole life we have walked 1-7 miles in the morning. She loves it and is always happy to do this. However, in France when we arrived, she would not walk in the mornings for at least a week. She just would do her stubborn holding of feet out, weight like a ton of concrete. It was very disconcerting. After a week or 10 days she was in the routine. She is such a creature of routines, and so I think even more than humans, the jet lag is more confusing for them. The jet lag adjustment returning to the US was MUCH easier. I think so much it had to do with sunrise/light and dark rhythms. Unfortunately I have no solutions to offer, just a head’s up your dog may have jet lag worse than you.

  • Bags, backpacks, bottles, towel

  • scroll down to the bottom of the post to see another image of our set up.

    • Sling (my versatile day pack and airplane personal item)

    • Backpack (metros, trains, sacred sites, and walking breaks)

    • Water Bottle (good all around and life saver on the plane) (also avail on k9 sport sack site)

    • Carryon that fits in overhead bin, holds a few of my things plus dog food, towel, pee pad and Sherpa Carrier folded until we are on the plane.

    • Sherpa Carrier (planes and trains) (folds down flat and fits in my carry on bag). I think that Sturdibags are way better quality! If you have to carry your animal in the carrier a lot, then I would consider that instead. But for us, the benefit of being able to break it down and assemble after getting to our seat on the plane or train, to only have it assembled when I needed it rather than adding another piece of luggage to cart around sealed the deal towards Sherpa. Back in the day I used to have a 16 lb. cat that flew with me. His Sherpa bag was beautiful, sturdy and excellent quality. I do not know what happened to this company but the current version of the bag is flimsy in my opinion. Again, it was perfect for our needs and I would use it again.

    • Microfiber towel. I used an REI version, but any version will work. It’s lightweight and came in handy when it rained to dry her off, and to bring along for travel days. Cab drivers appreciated me wiping off the hair or having her sit on the towel, I put the towel on restaurant benches or chairs.

  • Pet Bed or blankie?

    • carseat and hotels

      • I did buy a pet bed at a garden store that we took everywhere and I even smushed it in my suitcase and brought it home for her. It functioned well as a car seat in the back. Her leash has an opening at the bottom that I slide the seatbelt through, and then she can curl up in her bed on the back seat, secured by the seat belt but still having room to move around a bit.

      • I brought her blankie with us so there would be a familiar smell. We didn’t need both the bed and the blankie. I did put the blankie on hotel beds for her to sleep on.

      • I like having something that is hers to help her anchor to wherever we stay. I think this is more my thing and she would be fine without it.

  • Car Rental/Road Trip

    • Pet bed—see above that I used as a makeshift car seat. The Jardiniere had a bunch of pet beds. I got a small lightweight one that went everywhere with us and fit in my suitcase. It was about 35 euros and good quality.

    • Leash. Likely you have your favorite. This is mine. It has an opening toward the bottom you can slip a seatbelt through if you don’t have your best car seat ever (see below). And the handle loop unbuckles so you can quickly connect your dog to the table where you are having lunch or bench where you are taking a little rest.

    • towels/food/bowl

      • I always have a basket in the trunk with extra things like treats, tick removal, poop bags, freeze dried food, collapsible bowls, bottle of water, and extra microfiber towels.

    • best car seat ever —what I use in the US.

  • Trains

    • tickets

      • You’ll have to check the country and train provider regarding whether or not you need a ticket for your dog. In Portugal, you needed a ticket for big dogs and they had to stay on the floor with a muzzle. I traveled on a train with two single women both with big dogs and the train ticket taker was adamant and threatened to kick them off the train if they didn’t comply.

      • In Portugal a small dog in a carrier did not require a ticket.

    • boarding

      • If you are like me and have luggage plus dog—just figure out how you are going to get all of that on board. In my experience the backpack was a life saver because she was safe and I was hands free not having to worry about her falling in the gap or being trampled or some suitcase dropping on her.

      • People help. I don’t think I lifted my heavy suitcase on or off the train one time. Before I even could, someone either on the train or on the platform would step up and help me. I didn’t even ask, they just helped. It was very affirming about humanity.

    • luggage

      • there are small luggage compartments when you enter the train. Again, having Mango secure in the backpack helped so so much with this. Mostly someone helped with my bigger bag, but I had my carry on bag too. If Mango had been underfoot that would have just been much harder. The train aisle is really small and there may be a lot of people boarding in a small window of time before the train starts moving again.

    • carrier/floor/muzzle (big vs. small dogs)

      • again, if a small dog you need a carrier or have them muzzled on the floor. I have a carrier that folds up into my carryon. It is the one I use also for the plane. Many kinds could work.

      • if a big dog, they’ll need to be muzzled on the floor. One of the women with the big dogs had a mat to put down for her dog. The trains were clean, but the floor on the regular train was a slippery hard surface. When I traveled first class it was carpeted.

    • Everyone helps!

      • seriously restores a faith in humanity. People are kind and rush in to help.

  • Planes

    • Tap Air (great but regardless of what seat you buy, you get put in the back by the toilets).

    • United Airlines (recommended)

    • carrier (required/essential?)

      • Mango is a service dog and my understanding is the carrier is optional, but she has to be on the floor. I chose the carrier so that she would be contained, have a familiar “this is my travel bed” for planes and trains, and also so that if I needed to go to the bathroom, I could zip her carrier and she would be safe and secure and not bother my seat neighbors. For a bigger service dog you would have to make sure your dog stays on the floor. For a small dog not a service dog, they have to be in a carrier at all times.

      • be mindful that the side of the plane, your other bags, blankets, shoes or your legs may be blocking the ventilation mesh of the carrier. Make sure they have plenty of air.

    • water, treats and food (to give or not to give/how to provide on plane)

      • I stopped feeding Mango 4 hours before the flight. This is recommended and why I did that. She was fine and I would do this again.

      • I brought plenty of treats and gave her treats on take off, during the flight if she became unsettled and during landing. I let her lead here. I pretty much kept the carrier top open and pet her the whole take off and landing. In some cases she hunkered down, curled up and in others she was more needing comfort and treats.

      • I let her drink as much as she wanted on the flight. I had the Springer water bottle so it was not messy if she did not want the water. I offered it periodically. She definitely drank on the flight. We get dehydrated so I’m sure they could also. She did not have any accidents and was able to hold it for the entire flight as well as customs and until we could get luggage and go outside.

    • paperwork

      • I had to show my paperwork at check in/bag drop. They wanted her service dog paperwork, her rabies vaccine, her pet passport or USDA documents, plus there are forms you may need to download from the airline, fill out and bring with you. There is a service dog form, but also there is a pet relief form that states that your dog will not soil the plane and if they do you will pay for any damages. Check to see what your airline requires, whether you are traveling with a pet or service animal. I recommend calling them when you book your ticket to make sure your pet is added to your ticket. If your dog is not a service dog you might have to pay a fee. In terms of the pet relief form, I brought a pee pad but mango wouldn’t use it and didn’t need it. I have heard some folks use doggie diapers.

    • what kind of seat to book

      • I booked a premium seat —upgraded economy but not the flatbeds—for my international flights. Because the carrier has to sit between your legs, I recommend spending more so you have the extra room. Also, depending on the flight, you may need the extra room to even be able to bend down to reach the carrier without hitting your head on the seat in front of you. If you want to book the flatbeds, just check that your animal can travel with you in that part of the plane. It was unclear to me.

      • When I booked a premium seat on TAP air for my flight from Barcelona to Lisbon, they put me in the back of the plane in the squished seats anyway. Because this happened on planes and trains in Portugal, I did not choose to fly back to the US on TAP, even though it would have been less expensive. I went United both ways and am happy with that choice.

  • Metros

    • check to see if your dog can travel on the metros. There will be signs if not. I was not able to figure this out ahead of time, maybe you are smarter than I am. ;)

      • France—required in a carrier. The backpack worked like a charm.

      • Barcelona—she was able to just walk on leash. No restrictions. I had the bag in my sling in case we needed it and we did not.

  • Pre-flight baths

    • Since the re-entry into the US without any interference is based on your dog looking healthy, I decided to give Mango a bath before our journey home. She was pretty filthy from all the adventures and weather. I’m sure this felt good to her and also all the people at the airport and on the plane could not get over how soft she is. I just think a pre-flight bath is a good idea in both directions.

      • Portugal—if you are in Porto and need a groomer, I can recommend the one I found. Imperio dos Patudos Rua da Alegria 214, Porto. 20 Euros. They were lovely, gentle. I found them by asking a very kind pet store owner near my hotel.

  • Churches, sacred sites, stores

    • They basically do not want your dog to pee, cause damage or be aggressive

    • Do you need paperwork?

      • I brought my service dog paperwork with me in the sling everywhere we went in case I needed it. I needed it for a shopping mall and also when we went to Lourdes, even though she was in her backpack. Mostly when she was in her backpack, we were not bothered.

    • The backpack

      • I can’t recommend this enough. You can use mango10 to get 10% off.

      • We were able to go most places (except Lourdes) simply because she was secure and on my body. It was easy to put her in it on the steps of a church, at a train station before boarding just from the floor or a bench, or from a cafe chair. Just practice if your dog might need more getting used to it. Mango took to it almost immediately. My first time putting her in it by myself on the go was in Lille outside a metro station at a cafe. Now she asks to go in it when she’s tired and wants a ride.

  • Hotels and Gites

    • comfort, routines, safety

      • You’ll see below I brought a blankie and a bed with me so that there was something familiar for her. The great thing about Gites and Airbnbs is that you can cook and have a kitchen and more normal home feeling set up. But hotels work well for Mango. She never barks and is fine in elevators filled with people or crowded lobbies. Just keep in mind your dog’s temperament of course when choosing. I tend to choose pet friendly hotels even though she is a service dog because they are set up for animals, are kinder about it, and I prefer to respect the wishes of the places I stay.

    • Den hack—I’ll find a chair or desk with sides or structure. I put her bed or a pillow on the floor, drape my scarf, hotel towels or blankets over it to create a dark and cozy den. Mango might choose to be on the bed with me, but appreciates having the choice.

    • Ramp hack—I always move a bench or chair from the room next to the bed so Mango can get up on the bed. If it’s a rolly chair, I wedge it so it can’t roll.

    • be sure to check the floors (broken glass in hotels, candy and food on the floor)

      • Even at nicer hotels I have found chocolates or candy on the floor under or around the bed and broken glass in different areas. Look under desks, bureaus and beds and behind curtains. My standards are high and I think hotels have gone through challenges and changes with cleaning and maintenance staffing and protocols due to Covid. I scan and even will get down on my hands and knees to make sure it’s safe for Mango before I let her roam freely in a hotel room or airbnb. I wish this weren’t a thing, but in my experience it can be and it’s just not worth the risk for me to not be vigilant about it.

  • Paperwork to go to Europe

    • Do your research to figure out if where you are going requires a rabies titre. If you will be going through a high risk rabies country on your trip (say you are going from Italy to Greece by car), you could get caught needing to quarantine for a few months in order to re-enter the Schengen Area.

    • Check current requirements and find a good vet to help you. When I traveled we needed a rabies shot at least 23 days before travel, an international health certificate within 10 days of travel that is certified by the USDA (which means get your appointment at the 10 day mark so there is enough time for your vet to send the paperwork to the USDA and for you to get it back in time to travel)

    • The downloads and paperwork your airline requires

    • Extra step—when we arrived we went to a local vet in order to check the microchip scanned (it didn’t), get a new microchip and European Pet Passport for ease of travel within Europe.

  • Paperwork to come back home (To USA)

    • Your USDA Paperwork

    • No one looked at this, but I took Mango to a local vet for a fit to fly form. I read different things and erred on the side of caution. My understanding is 5 days before you travel you need to get this health exam done by a local vet. In our case, United only asked me for her rabies certificate, it’s all they cared about.

    • No one checked any paperwork for Mango on entry. They could, so best to be prepared. What I read is your animal needs to appear healthy. (see pre-flight bath recommendation).

  • Does anyone check the paperwork?

    • Only at check in for flights in my experience.

    • I have been told they can when you are going through security or when you enter the new country or re-enter the US.

  • Blog and Facebook resources—online communities of travelers with dogs

  • Airports

    • In general (see Travelnuity-excellent resource)

    • Barcelona - outside area in the terminal after you go through security. It’s by Burger King, it’s where the Starbucks is. Life saver! There are water bottle filling stations near the restrooms.

    • Dulles—has a pet relief area which is a life saver before a long international flight. Check your airport. Most US airports have these now and they are shown on the airport maps and easy to find. The closest one may be far away from your gate, so familiarize yourself when you get to the airport and make a plan so that you can head for one last pee before you have to board. There are water bottle filling areas outside some of the restrooms interspersed between the gates.

    • Lisbon - like most European airports, no pet relief or outside smoking area after you get through security. There are three security pass throughs and the airport claims it takes about 50 minutes to get through them. You must be at your boarding gate 30 minutes before your flight departs (double check this—I think that is right it’s that or 30 minutes before boarding). So take advantage of the grassy areas outside of the arrivals area as long as you can, but give yourself plenty of time to go through security points and get any water or food you might need. You can fill your water bottle at the restaurants.

  • Cabs

    • Reaction to dogs in general vs. reaction to Mango

      • It was mixed. About 1/2 of drivers were fine with Mango. The others either wouldn’t take us or needed me to show them that I would hold her or keep her on my lap. You can ask the hotel to order a cab that accepts dogs, but in my experience the hotel just calls the cab. In some cases they’ll talk to the driver and make sure they take you. Mostly I had no trouble after any initial snubs from drivers, once they realized how calm Mango is. Only one person I think actually refused to take us.

    • How to help them feel safe and happy to take you and your pup

      • smile and reassure them

      • show them that you have a towel with you that you can put down for your dog to sit on

      • ask if they would prefer your dog sit on the floor

      • let them know your dog has peed already (especially if you are being picked up from an airport or train)

      • offer to use a muzzle if they are worried about aggression

      • put your dog in a carrier or offer to do so

      • after you get out, use the towel to wipe away any fur that may have gotten onto the seat

      • give them a tip

  • Everyone loves Mango (and your dog, too)

    • (thousands of pets, what about boundaries?, happy encounters, making new friends, bringing joy to others, being safe)

      • OK so with Mango, people go gaga. Everyone wants to stop me, talk to HER and pet her. This is ok with me and you end up meeting interesting people and finding out about their dogs they left at home, sharing your experiences of traveling, etc. When you are traveling solo, this is kind of nice.

      • Mostly I enjoy the joy she brings to others. It’s quite beautiful.

      • One time a couple men approached me rapidly from both sides coming towards Mango as if to pet her. I just got up and backed away smiling, and did not allow them to come closer. This was the only Mango-oriented attention time I did not feel safe.

      • People will just come up and pet your dog in the backpack without even acknowledging you. Not many people but some do. It can be a little invasive. Just be aware this is likely to happen, be prepared. I always felt safe except that one time. Also, I always had my money belt under my clothes, and had awareness about my own personal space which included Mango’s body next to mine.

  • Pros and Cons of traveling solo with your dog

    • the obvious! I think the biggest pro is the people you attract. I met several people I’ll likely stay in touch with who may become lifelong friends because Mango broke the ice and brought us together.

    • how it affects where you go and what you pay attention to

      • Because of Mango and our routines, we found beautiful parks and river walks. We are drawn to places where locals frequent more than tourist sites and end up having conversations with people who are not a part of the tourist world.

      • I think it’s obvious but my mindset of what to do today on any given day has more to do with what we can explore and find outside or around town that will interest both of us whether it’s a park or a street of local boutiques that welcome dogs and may have treats or an outdoor fair of local artists or an outdoor cafe. I’m able to take her to museums and tourist attractions but just am not as interested in those things.

    • the biggest or potential challenges

      • the biggest challenge I faced hands down was the food. Sourcing it, either the pre-made or the ingredients and places to cook it and refrigerate it, and the added weight and space of carrying it.

      • The jet lag impacted what we could do in the first weeks

      • what do you do if there is a problem—finding vets you can trust—we did not have any problems with this thankfully, but it was a level of awareness

      • the next biggest challenge was the microchip issue and that the US chip didn’t scan, having to wait for the vet to figure out what to do from French administration. I had a friend in France with an address we could use for the microchip registration, but if you don’t, you’ll have to get creative if you want to get a pet passport.

      • the stress of figuring out pet relief on international flights from Europe, or really wanting to find somewhere for them when you arrive and having to snake through customs and wait for baggage claim, etc. (she was fine, I was worried).

      • All the paperwork and timings of all the shots and exams—just the coordinating it all adds a layer to any trip. Figuring out what you need to have/finding reliable sources of information. I found the facebook groups invaluable for this.

      • Managing bags and dog for boarding trains. There are big gaps sometimes between the platform and the train, and sometimes not a ton of time to board and stow the luggage. EVERYONE helped me with this so it really wasn’t a problem. But there is just more to track when you have multiple bags and your dog in a crowded station. It honestly was pretty easy because Mango is just really good in crowds, but also because of my ability to judge whether or not we needed the backpack.

      • The extra luggage or space in luggage for food and bowls and carriers for planes and trains plus backpack and water bottle, and harnesses and dog coats and poop bags. Likely similar to traveling with a small child.

      • Making sure your Airbnb, hotel or gite is welcoming to your animal and that your animal is safe in that environment. I never had a problem with resident animals in the gites or airbnb’s, but I did always read for that.

      • This also was not a problem for us, but could be depending on your dog. Many of the dogs especially in Spain and Portugal are not on leash and will come right up to your dog. I didn’t always see this coming. In every case though Mango and the dog were fine.

    • The biggest benefits

      • It’s all worth it and really not that hard. It just takes a little more time and planning and prep.

      • Maintaining routines. I find that Mango’s routines are grounding for me, bringing a sense of home, of normal, of “grounding” to my life which is really useful when you are in a foreign country, do not speak the language, may have trouble finding food you can eat (I’m vegetarian and in Portugal, that was hard), etc. Showing up for Mango and her needs helps my own personal balance wherever we are.

      • Meeting people and seeing things you never would have if you had been traveling without your dog

      • The joy of moments and memories shared

      • Always having a travel buddy you love spending time with, always having a focus to organize your day around, setting out on any given day ready to have an adventure together.