Essential Tips for Traveling in Europe with Your Service Dog
THERE ARE 5 MAIN AREAS TO PLAN TO HAVE A GREAT TRIP WITH YOUR SERVICE DOG
- Plan ahead and have reservations in place
- Plan what your Service Dog will need and have any new items purchased ahead of time
- Know how to have your Service Dog be recognizable as such
- Be prepared to handle any challenges or questions
- Know what else to expect on the trip and how to handle it
Essential Tips for Traveling in Europe with Your Service Dog
Planning
Travel with your Service Dog is rewarding. But the trip is not something you can do impulsively. It takes lots of planning whether this is your first trip to Europe with your Service Dog, or your tenth. And planning your trip takes your time and also support from other people and companies. There are Essential Tips for Traveling in Europe with Your Service Dog.
Planning can take 6 months or more. Here are the steps found to be most helpful (Єuro Service Dog Travel can help with all steps):
- Service Dog Training
- Preliminary Planning
- Regulations and Requirements to Enter European Countries
- Detailed Itinerary Planning
- Medical Letter That Your Need for a Service Dog
- Travel Reservations
- Airline Accommodations
- Service Dog’s Health Certificate
Details on each of these steps follow:
Service Dog Training
Make sure your Service Dog is well trained so that their actions and ability to work are not challenged. Note that there will be paths, different sounds and smells, and changes to routines.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can give you more information and resources with this
Preliminary Planning
Preliminary plan the itinerary, at least note the countries you plan on going to. Note any key dates critical for your trip. For example, if there is an event you want to attend, note the date(s) of the event.
Modes of Travel and Your Preparation
You should also decide if you will travel by rail, bus, car, taxi. boat/ship or plane once you are in Europe. Make sure your Service Dog has been exposed to airplanes and the other forms of transportation (or similar forms).
Єuro Service Dog Travel can give guidance on this
Regulations and Requirements to Enter European Countries
Research the regulations for Service Dogs in the country/countries you will visit. You need to know what is required to travel between countries, if that is part of your planned itinerary. Also, you need to know what is needed to cross borders. It is also important to know the United States requirements to return with your Service Dog to the United States. Note that these regulations change from time to time so always should be rechecked before each trip.
This is crucial to do early on as it could affect aspects of your itinerary.
Results of the research can affect the order you visit countries. It can also discover whether you need to allow time in Europe for regulatory compliance for your service dog. Still, there may be surprises that don’t show up in your research. Sometimes there are requirements that countries or airports have that are not written in the regulations. Failure to follow them will, at worse, deny you entry into that airport or country. Note these regulations can change even at the last minute so be sure to recheck within a month of travel.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can help with this information
Detailed Itinerary Planning
Plan your itinerary, including countries, cities, and note the number of days you will spend in each place. If you are taking local tours, note the kind of tours and destinations you want to do in each place.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can provide guidance and assist with this
Detailed Itinerary Planning
If your Service Dog’s rabies certification expires within 6 months of your trip’s end, get an updated rabies shot at least 2 months before the trip.
Medical Letter About Your Need for a Service Dog
You probably already have a letter from your physician that you need a Service Dog. Is your letter dated within the past 12 months? If not, it is highly recommended that you get an updated letter. If you don’t have one, you likely will need one during your trip.
Travel Reservations
Make your travel reservations. To have your trip go smoothly, all reservations need to include that your have a Service Dog. Don’t assume that your Service Dog will be universally accepted, as required under US ADA regulations. Acceptance may not occur in Europe. It is strongly advised that you work with a travel agent to make your reservations. A great travel agent can eliminate much of your planning time by making reservations with companies that accommodate Service Dogs! (A list of travel agents, hotels, tours, etc. that have been found to be exceptionally helpful or accepting of Service Dogs can be found on the “Resources” tab).
Airline Accommodations
Once you have your airline reservation for the European travel, they needs to know you are traveling with a Service Dog. This is done within your reservation, fill out the special accommodations section under your name. Note that you have a Service Dog, as well as any other accommodation you need. There can be other forms that must be on file with the airline at least several days before the flight.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can give you more information and help with this
Get your Service Dog’s Health Certificate
Get an appropriate health certificate for your Service Dog from a veterinarian.
Getting off the Eurostar train on a trip from London to Paris
PREPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR SERVICE DOG FOR THE TRIP
Physical Activity Awareness
You need to be aware that there is typically considerably more walking in Europe than when you are at home. The amount of walking on your trip is a problem. And most streets or sidewalks are paved with uneven cobblestones and parts of Europe are very hilly.
European stairs are irregular and often quite high. This is because the streets, sidewalks, steps and entryways are old. They are really old–often built long before the United States became the United States. There are not usually ramps into buildings—often not even handrails. Curbs have no accessible ramps.
Many hotels do not have elevators. Most of those will help you get your luggage up to your room, but not all. And those that do may not have this service to get your luggage down at the end of your stay.
Do you use a wheelchair that is pushed by others? Are they up to the extra effort needed to go over cobblestones and hills? Are you prepared to be jostled over the cobblestones?
Food and Sleeping
You need to consider what your dog will eat and where they will sleep. How you will handle this? Does your Service Dog sleep on the bed with you? Beds are often smaller than what you are used to. Full size beds are slightly wider than US twin beds and king size beds are more like US queen size.
Service Dog Identification Card
Get a Service Dog identification card, laminated. This does not need to be through a website that charges large fees to “register” your Service Dog. But the ID card it should be easily recognizable.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can provide these for you.
Leashes and Harnesses
Realize that you will be moving your luggage and carry-on bags every time you change hotels. Also, if you shop for souvenirs, you will often have both hands full. Do you need an another leash of a different style?
Are there any requirements at venues you will travel to or modes of transportation requiring special harnesses or other?
Єuro Service Dog Travel can give you detailed information and recommendations on this
Traveling on the Airplane
If you travel on a European based airline, they have special requirements. Make sure you know them and are prepared.
Єuro Service Dog Travel can give you information and provide the equipment for this
just at the end of the pandemic
section of the Rhine River
BE PREPARED TO HANDLE QUESTIONS OR CHALLENGES
Essential Tips for Traveling in Europe with Your Service Dog
In the United States, people typically recognize your Service Dog by identification tags, identification cards, or recognizable vests.
Imagine you are in a European country:
- Will your Service Dog be recognized as a “Service Dog”?
- What if the predominant language is not English? Will your Service Dog still be recognized and accepted?
- Will your Service Dog always be accepted? Are their any other pitfalls you need to handle or work around while in Europe?
Єuro Service Dog Travel can help with answers and assistance with accommodations for all of these questions/challenges.
