How do you arrive at your holiday destination with your dog?

Traveling on the well-deserved vacation is possible in many ways. Whether by car, train, bus, ferry or plane – that depends on the travel destination and your own preferences. It is best for the dog if the travel time and the distance to the destination are as short as possible.

Before departure

Before you start your journey with the dog, it should be able to let off steam again so that it is exhausted and behaves calmly during the journey. It is also important to think about enough drinking water . Depending on the mode of transport, the dog shouldn’t get too much of it, however, as there is no opportunity to go for a walk at will on a flight, a ferry or train ride.

Traveling by plane

If the journey is made by plane, a direct flight should ideally be booked. The shorter the flight duration, the less stressful the journey will be for the animal. If possible, however, you should avoid traveling by plane. Most airlines allow smaller dogs to be carried as hand luggage in a transport box.

Large dogs have an even more difficult time being transported by plane. They are loaded into the hold in a box. Many airlines have certain regulations on the nature of the transport box. It should be firm to the bite, waterproof, sealed and air-permeable addition, hard-shell boxes are sometimes prohibited. It is important that the dog gets used to the box before departure.

On vacation by train

Anyone who decides to travel by train should try to make the journey as pleasant as possible for the dog. This also means that the long train journey does not appear completely new and strange to the dog. It is helpful to take the animal for a short ride on the train in advance to get it used to the surroundings and the station. The most pleasant journey is in a 1st class wagon, as there are usually not that many people and there is more space.

On vacation by car

Most dog owners certainly choose to go on vacation by car. This is one of the most enjoyable ways for a dog to travel. After all, you can take breaks here as you like and respond flexibly to the needs of the animal. The dog must be specially secured when driving in a car.

In order to prepare the dog for the journey in the car, you should get him used to the transport box at home. If you are using a seat belt, a trusted person should sit next to the dog for the first few trips to calm it down and see whether the harness is properly seated.

Take a break – rest areas

A trip by car or mobile home has another positive aspect in store for the dogs. Depending on the country, there are a large number of dog-friendly rest areas, especially in Germany and neighboring countries such as Austria and Switzerland. A large run-out area for the four-legged friends and a water and feeding point are central aspects that make a dog-friendly resting place.