I apologize is this has been covered before. DH and I are retiring in the spring of 2017. We'd like to pack up the house, put it all in storage and head to Europe for 6+ months with plans to spend 4-6 weeks renting apartments in various spots (tbd at this point but looking at Languedoc, Tuscany, Black Forest, Portugal and Switzerland where our son is located). We've traveled to europe many timed before but not with our pet and taking our 7 year old wheaten terrier with us is a must.

I'd like to know if anyone on this board has traveled with a pet; issues you confronted, unexpected pitfalls, etc. I've scoped out either cruising over with him on Cunard since they are pet friendly or using Lufthansa or KLM as they are both highly rated for pet transport.

Ideas, help??!!

Thank you in advance

The problem with Cunard is that there's a 2 1/2 yr wait list for the kennels.

1. Do you have your visa sorted?

2. You're definitely going to need a pet passport. And the dog will need to be microchipped and vaccinated between 4-52 weeks for Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, and Rabies (possibly more -- speak to a vet who has done this recently for expats). Your dog will also need a crate that is big enough for him to stand in. You'll also need a USDA Health certificate, a EU Vet Health Certificate, and some other stuff I can't remember. Again, consult with a vet who has done this before (or better, a pet relocation service).

Yes, Sparkchaser, that is why we are starting to look at this 9+ months in advance. There is a great deal of paperwork needed and the timing has to be perfect.

Well, the obvious, such as renting a dog-friendly apartment and making sure you have any needed medications or supplies for your dog.

Of course, make sure you have all the appropriate vaccinations and paperwork for your pet, for whatever form of trans-Atlantic transport you plan to use.

I would also want to consider what you will do if you have to make an emergency/unscheduled trip home to the States, on a different form of transport. (Someone at home becomes injured/seriously ill/dies, you have to make an emergency flight, that sort of scenario.)

I would also locate vets in your different destinations, before your trip, so you can find one in a hurry should your dog need care.

If you are planning to spend six months in Europe, you need to check about rules on how long you can stay and where (the UK versus the Schengen zone, et cetera) and if you'll need any visas.

I feel sure I've seen some other threads about travelling with pets and will see if I can turn them up. Good luck with your trip planning.

Have you poked around online for the information? I just put the words "taking your dog to europe" in a Google search and loads of links on the topic popped up.

We transported 5 cats to and from Germany about 15 years ago--the paperwork was staggering even then!

But it sounds like you know what you need to do to comply with the law, and my knowledge isn't up to date. I assume that the EU has a standard protocol, but do make sure that each individual country you plan to enter doesn't have additional requirements.

Two of our cats traveled in the cabin with us, in carriers that fit under the seat in front of us. We had to pay for the privilege, of course, but I was glad to be able to keep an eye on them. Of course, they hated every second.

The other three went into the hold in individual hard sided carriers that complied with the airline's rules.

That was VERY stressful for them. On the way to Europe, we gave them mild sedatives; on the return trip, we did not. They were super stressed out either way. One soiled herself and was a trembling ball when we retrieved her.

I would not do that again unless our lives depended on it.

Sorry to rain on your parade!

As pathological as I know it IS, there have been travels, projects, etc., which I have put off because we HAVE a pet.

I think you've been given some very good advice and i would try to plan for any and all eventualities. A friend of mine was waiting in the baggage claim area for his two crated dogs to appear and they didn't! I cannot imagine something like this and it is a rare occurrence (like that dog that got loose on the tarmac recently).

Two years wait for a Cunard kennel? God.

That two year wait tells me Dukey and I aren't the only pathological ones, lol.

I would sail if I could; Plan B would be taking the pet into the airplane cabin with me. (I have no idea how big a Wheaten terrier is, sorry!)

Google Pet transport to Europe. You will find tons of articles relating to shipping pets, everything from requirements to the best airlines. Only four were recommended. You want everything to be climate controlled and correct pressure. The pet should be the last boarded and the first off the plane, and taken directly inside, never left sitting on the Tarmac.

One thing mentioned in one article that I remembered from my daughter transporting several animals. You can ship them only at certain times a year because of temperatures. Be sure to check that before you decide when to go. Airlines are very strict about that.

There are several companies that handle shipping pets. They often provide kennel care before and after the flights, so they can take the pet at exactly the right time and pick them up as soon as they arrive. Check out that service.

When taking the pet with you, be sure to take a leash. It is hard taking a pet through security. Sometimes they want it out of the crate while they check the crate. A security person took one of my daughter's cats out of the crate (without telling DD she was going to open the crate) and it got loose at JFK. DD did catch the cat, but it was so frightened, it bit her terribly so she required hospitalization. It was a
nightmare!

Get whatever kennel you will be using and let your dog start sleeping in it so he/she will be used to it and feel it is a safe place.

If your pet is too big to go with you in the cabin, consider shipping it to your son a few days before you go.

Traveling with a dog in the cabin is NOT the same as transporting cats in cargo for TWO very big reasons:
dog vs cat
cabin vs cargo

Wheaten Terriers (30-40 lbs.)

We brought our two dogs to the UK when we moved over and would never put them through the stress again. Ever. Certainly never for just a few months.

Wheaten terriers are too big for the cabin - they're legitimate-sized animals, not yipping little toy dogs.

Sheeyoot, moving 20 minutes away from our house freaked our cats out for a week about 10 years ago. I'm thinking that bringing a pet across the pond and bouncing from abode to abode (because for him, it would seem like bouncing from abode to abode) would shatter his nerves.

Our pugs were too big to go in the cabin...Wheaton terriers are most certainly too big.

I think the dog would be OK once they are IN Europe. Most cities seem to be pretty darn dog-friendly there. It's the getting him there in the first place (and home again) that concerns me.

< It is hard taking a pet through security. Sometimes they want it out of the crate while they check the crate. >
Very true! Sassafrass, that story is my worst nightmare! We had to carry our freaked out cats through security while their crates were checked and it frayed my nerves.

<Sheeyoot, moving 20 minutes away from our house freaked our cats out for a week>
Also very true. I would guess dogs are more adaptable, but don't really know.

Just to clarify, I do not think that the airline did anything wrong with our cats in the hold. They have strict rules and I believe they followed them. It was just terrifying for the beasts in and of itself.

<I would guess dogs are more adaptable, but don't really know.>

Yes (most) dogs are more adaptable and travel better than (most) cats.

I believe most flights have a 2-animal in the cabin rule. That's why the others had to go in the hold.

No, the rule was one pet in the cabin per person--the two of us wouldn't have been allowed more regardless of the total limit for the cabin.

First you need to sort out your visa eligibility. You can't just move to Europe for six months. You also need to look into health insurance for yourselves.

Once you know you can get visas then look into moving the dogs. They have to meet EU import requirements completely. Taking them into the UK or to Norway requires extra steps.
It will be extremely stressful for them no matter which route you choose.
There are many things you will find it harder to do with two dogs in tow. Many hotels won't take them. You have to leave them at home alone when you visit museums and the like, meaning you can't easily spend a few days in a different city.
You will have to get them used to different food, and hope any vet you may need speaks English.
You may be able to board them if you want to visit somewhere else, but the costs soon mount up, and it all adds to their stress.

Having recently become dogless after 13 years, we miss a dog terribly, but have been able to visit places on our current trip we could never have gone to if Timber was still here.