We've all been there, planning a holiday but feeling sad at the thought of leaving your dog behind. After traveling to over 20 countries in Europe (and a little beyond) with our dog, we've compiled the ultimate guide to taking your furry friend with you. Trust us, you'll all be happier for it!
Table of Contents
How to road trip Europe with your dog
Preparation for taking your dog from the UK to Europe
- European Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate: Essential for travel, these documents ensure your pet's health and compliance with European regulations.
- Rabies Vaccination: Your dog must be vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel.
- Flea and Tick Treatment: Ensure your dog is up to date to prevent any health issues.
- Country-Specific Requirements: Some countries require additional documentation, such as a rabies titer test. Check the specific requirements for your destination.
Dog friendly Transport to Europe
We find the Eurotunnel to be the best method for traveling with a pet. It's really easy as they stay in the vehicle with you:
- Pet Check-In: You check your pet in and scan their microchip. There’s a pet exercise area before you get back in your vehicle.
- Travel Time: Your pet stays in the vehicle with you, and the travel time is less than an hour, making it a stress-free experience.
You can also get ferries and they are only a short duration so it’s not too bad but you do normally have to leave your pet in the vehicle alone so you will need to ensure they are used to doing that beforehand.
If you want more detail about this stage of taking your dog and some helpful tips about what to pack, check out this blog.
Best places to travel in Europe with a dog
From our experience, these are the most dog-friendly places we've been in Europe:
Norway
- Pros: Norway is one of the best place to travel in Europe with a dog because of the abundant nature to explore and the relatively low population density. There are mountains, beaches, fjords etc and you can find places to explore with hardly anyone around. Norway has cooler summer temperatures so it’s the perfect place to explore in the summer holidays.
- Cons: Restaurants and shopping centres are not that dog-friendly. Your dog has to be on a lead at all times due to wildlife.
Spain
- Pros: Highly dog-friendly with plenty of outdoor seating at restaurants. We saw the most locals with pets here. Clear signs where dogs can and can’t go on the beach. Much easier out of season as in season there are a lot of ‘no dog’ signs.
- Cons: Personally, we would not choose to explore somewhere like Spain in summer due to the heat. We struggle enough ourselves, let alone having our dog in the campervan.
Portugal
- Pros: Many large beaches to walk on, offering plenty of space for your dog to run and play.
- Cons: Similarly to Spain, we probably would not choose to explore here in summer due to the heat.
The Alps (France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia)
- Pros: Ideal for hiking and generally dog-friendly, with dogs usually allowed in gondolas.
- Cons: Some lakes do not allow dogs, and there may be specific dog beaches. It can get really hot in the summer.
The Balkan’s
General Note
Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, is generally not the best place to travel in Europe with a dog because it has a significant number of stray dogs. However, most of the dogs are harmless so you shouldn’t worry about too much, simply be prepared for the reality. It’s still possible to travel here no problem with your dog, you should just be aware of the situation.
People are generally a bit more afraid of dogs in these countries, however there are also people who love dogs and they are even more obsessed with dogs having seen all the strays around them. It can be really hot here in the summer so that is something to consider. There are some differences between the countries here so we’ll outline our experience
Croatia: Fewer strays than elsewhere in the Balkan’s, possibly because it’s been more touristy for a while than other surrounding countries. A lot of the beaches are stones/pebbles so it’s not necessarily the best place to walk a dog. It can also be super busy in the summer but isn’t everywhere.
Albania: We rescued our dog in Albania and travelled there with her as a puppy. Strays are in some of the worst conditions we’ve seen, but people are generally welcoming to pets.
Montenegro: A lot of stray dogs in the mountain areas but again they are pretty friendly. There are loads of beautiful places in nature to explore and take your dog.
Bulgaria: Fewer strays than other surrounding countries as more is being done there to help them. There are lots of nice mountains in Bulgaria such as the Pirin mountains and Rila national park as well as lots of lovely sandy beaches to walk the dog on.
Romania: We travelled Romania in August and at times it was far too hot for our dog we had to just camp out near water to stay cool. It can be pretty busy but people either move out of the way of your dog if they’re scared or they want to say hello. Lots of lovely nature to explore, we found the coast not as good as Bulgaria as there were a lot of resorts.
Greece: Out of season Greece is an amazing place to be with your dog because there are loads of stunning beaches, people generally take very good care of the stray dogs here and absolutely love them.
Guide to road tripping Europe with your dog
We hope this convinces you and helps you plan a road trip in Europe with your dog. From our experience, these are our best tips for taking your dog from the UK and the best places you can visit with them!
