Travelling with your dog in the car and on public transport

Travelling with a dog is not complicated, but it does need preparation: the right carrier, the paperwork in order and stops planned by the dog's needs, not by the satnav. Car, train, bus and plane follow different rules.

In the car

• Never loose in the cabin and never in the boot without a grille: in hard braking, an unrestrained dog becomes a projectile.
• Carrier or harness anchored to the seat belt, on the back seat or in the boot with the grille.
• A light meal three or four hours before leaving and nothing during the trip; water in small amounts.
• A stop every two or three hours to walk, drink and relieve itself, always on the lead.
• Never leave it alone in the car in the sun: the inside temperature rises 10 °C in ten minutes and can kill it.

On the train, bus and metro

Spain and most of Europe allow small dogs —usually under 10 kg— in a carrier or bag with a maximum size, sometimes with a supplement or a limit per traveller. Larger dogs depend on each company: check before buying the ticket, and give it a light sedative only if the vet prescribes it.

On a plane

Small dogs travel in the cabin in a carrier that fits under the seat, with a limited weight; larger ones go in the hold, in a certified crate, with an earlier check-in. Almost no airline admits flat-faced breeds in the hold, because of their breathing. Book the pet when you buy the ticket: places are limited.

Paperwork to check before leaving

Microchip, valid rabies vaccine (given at least 21 days before travelling) and, to leave the country, a pet passport or health certificate. Some destinations also require deworming a few days before or a rabies antibody test. Check the rules of the country you are going to, not the ones of the country you are leaving.