Pet friendly travel

Should you bring your pet on holiday?

Before you take your pet away on your trip with you, you need to make sure that your four-legged friend is suited for travel – especially if you’re going to be flying anywhere. What you’ll need to do is take your pet along to the vet before you jet off, to find out about any potential illnesses, physical injuries, or behavioural problems that might make travelling unenjoyable for them.

The essentials

Of course, the most important thing is to make sure that your destination allows you to bring your pets along with you into a new country. This means finding out all about quarantine laws and restrictions before you fly, otherwise, you risk copping a fine or being denied entry into the country.

It’s also vital to find out whether or not you need a pet passport for your pet. If you’re heading over to Europe, you’ll need one for your dog, cat, or ferret, which is a process that you can start with your vet. You’ll need at least three months to do this, so get planning ahead! Check out Pet Travel for more information.

You’ll also need to get your pet microchipped if you haven’t already, and find out about rabies vaccinations from your vet.

The practicals

If you’re going to be transporting your pet, you need to find a carrier fit for an animal king. It’s essential that you follow the recommendations when it comes to the size of the carrier and make sure that your pet has enough room to lie down, stand up, and turn around comfortably. You can find airline-approved pet carriers at World for Pets or My Pet Warehouse.

It’s a pretty good idea to give your pet a month or so to get used to the carrier before they need to travel in it, so that they don’t get stressed or freaked out on your trip.

Before you leave, make sure that your pet has been fitted with a secure collar and ID tag, and ensure that this has both your home address and the address of your destination. You should also attach a travel label with the same details to the side of the carrier, and carry a recent photo of your pet with you, to make them easily identifiable if you get separated.

Definitely don’t give them any tranquilisers before you travel, unless agreed to and prescribed by your vet. If you’re flying, try not to feed your pet for four hours before you fly, but be sure to give them some water during that time. Another thing you can do is to trim your pet’s nails beforehand so that they won’t get caught anywhere!

Finally, bring a lead with you so that you can give your furry friend a little exercise before the journey, and so they can stretch out their legs when you do finally arrive.

Flying with pets

If you’re going to be flying with your pet, make sure to take a look at your chosen airline’s pet policies beforehand. You’ll need to find out whether your airline allows small dogs and cats in the cabin with you, or if they have any restrictions on transporting pets below the cabin. You’ll also need to find out if your airline has any pet health and immunisation requirements, such as a recent health certificate for your pet.

Pets and the Eurotunnel

If you’re heading over to Europe and hiring a car, we have some great news for you. At Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, they’re huge animal lovers and will provide a great experience for your pet. Not only can your pet travel in your car with you for just £22 (you can check live exchange rates here) but there are also designated pet exercise areas and specially trained staff. Find out more at Eurotunnel Le Shuttle.

Make travel simple with Travelex

With all the pre-planning that goes into travelling with pets, one thing that’s easy to take care of before you leave is your travel money.

Simply place your order online and you’ll be able to collect your cash from your nearest Travelex store or at your local Australia Post office.

When you’re setting up your pet passport, why not try our Travelex Money Card too? It’s a prepaid card that works exactly like your debit or credit card, and it means that you can load all of your travel money onto one card instead of carrying cash around with you.