Travelling with your pet: train, plane, boat and places to stay

Before you book, ask

• Whether they accept your species and what size or weight.
• Whether it travels with you, in a carrier or in the hold, and the maximum size of the carrier.
• How much the animal's ticket costs and whether places are limited per journey or per room.
• What documents they ask for: health record, European pet passport, vaccinations.
• For places to stay, whether there is a supplement, whether it can be left alone in the room and which areas it can use.

Transport

The rules for trains, planes, boats and buses vary by company and route, and they are not the same for a cat as for a large dog. Always check the conditions of the company you are travelling with and carry them printed or on your phone. Assistance dogs have the right to accompany their user.

How to prepare

• Get it used to the carrier weeks before: make it a place where it eats and sleeps, not something that only comes out for trips to the vet.
• Do not give it sedatives on your own. If it is very nervous, ask your vet.
• Bring water, a folding bowl, bags, its food and a blanket that smells of home.
• Check that the microchip is in your name and has your current phone number, in case it runs off far from home.

If you are going to another EU country, see also «Travelling around Europe with your dog, cat or ferret: passport, microchip and rabies».