A Worry-Free Holiday for Your Dog or Cat

If you're travelling with your pet, it's useful to follow a few tips to make your stay as comfortable as possible. What are they?

Happy holidays for you and your pet!

• Above all, make sure your pet is up to date with formalities and vaccinations.
• If you're staying at a hotel or a holiday home/residence: have a blanket on hand to protect chairs or beds.
• Place a newspaper, a piece of cardboard or a towel under the food bowl: this will avoid dirtying the floor.
• Bring a stain remover spray and an air freshener.
• Clean your dog's paws outside before coming into the building. Dry them outside if wet.
• Let staff know about your pet, or introduce it to them. If your dog travels with you, ask whether it's allowed in the dining area.
• Make sure your pet doesn't become a source of inconvenience for other guests.
• Follow all local rules and regulations as well as internal ones: use of a leash or muzzle, picking up droppings, access bans, noise nuisance, etc.
• Prevent your pet from escaping or running off.
• Do not expose your pet to intense heat. Do not leave it in direct sunlight for long without protection. Make sure it always has drinking water available. Do not leave it in a vehicle in hot weather, even with the window slightly open. A car quickly turns into an oven. Also remember that the sun's position keeps changing: a shady spot can quickly become exposed to full sun.
• If you're spending your holiday at the seaside: find out about beaches that allow dogs (and their opening hours). Make sure your dog doesn't tire itself out while swimming, or get carried away by the current or the tide.
• Be careful if you let your dog swim in a pool. Read our tips on this by clicking here.
• Protect it from parasites and insect bites (fleas, ticks, ...) and remove grass seeds/awns.
• For hikers and walkers: avoid making your dog walk on hot surfaces (asphalt), as this can burn its paw pads. Teach your dog to drink from a bottle with a spout (this avoids wasting water). Above all, avoid letting your dog drink from just any waterway, from stagnant water, or from a puddle (risk of diarrhoea).
• On holiday, we sometimes tend to vary our diet and adapt it to local customs and products. The same can apply to the pet travelling with us. But be careful, as this is not without risk, and some foods are toxic to dogs. Click here for more information on "forbidden foods".

One last good tip: Your dog or cat travelling abroad must have an identification microchip. Also add an identification tag with your contact details.

First published: 07/2014 - Updated: 04/2023