Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Travel with pets

Pet services at the destination

Veterinarian, pet shop, daycare, pet sitter and dog walker for the travel days.

Traveling with your pet doesn’t mean being with them every minute. At tourist destinations and in larger cities, services exist that care for your pet for a few hours, handle an emergency, or replace items you forgot.

Knowing what services are available at your destination before you leave home gives freedom to your itinerary and peace of mind in an emergency.

On-call veterinarian and pet shop

A veterinary clinic with on-call service is the first address to note. In a small town there may be no night or weekend coverage, and the nearest on-call service may be in a neighboring municipality. It’s useful to know this beforehand.

Save the phone number and directions, and bring the vaccination card and the contact details of the animal’s regular veterinarian, who can share the medical history with the covering vet.

The pet shop covers daily needs: food, pee pads, litter, spare leash, waste bags. Specialty diets are not always available outside larger cities; if your pet uses one, bring enough for the whole trip, plus a margin. Many pet shops offer bathing, which is handy after the beach, a hike, or mud.

If you have a pet health plan or pet insurance, check before you travel whether coverage applies outside your home city and how reimbursement works.

Day care, pet hotel and pet sitter

Day care takes a dog during the day alongside other dogs, with space to play and caregivers on site. A pet hotel does the same but includes overnight stays. A pet sitter is a person who cares for the animal for a few hours at the family’s accommodation.

These services are useful on days with activities that don’t allow animals: a national park, a boat tour, a museum, or a long indoor lunch. They’re also helpful when lodging does not allow leaving the pet alone in the room. This can happen both at pet-friendly places that have policies and facilities for animals and at places that accept pets only as an exception and under conditions; therefore, ask for the pet lodging agreement before booking and check what it says about leaving the animal alone.

Day cares and pet hotels usually require an up-to-date vaccination card, flea and tick protection, and often a behavior assessment before the first day. Book in advance, especially during holidays and peak season.

Not every dog does well in groups. For a shy, elderly, or dog-reactive animal, a pet sitter often works better. Cats generally stay calmer in the room with a caregiver’s visit than in a new environment.

Dog walker and trainer

A dog walker takes the dog for a walk while the family does another activity. It’s a simple option for dogs that need to burn energy and for busy days.

In larger cities there is also pet-only transport with a driver and a vehicle equipped for animals. That helps those who traveled by plane or bus and need to take the pet to the clinic or day care.

A trainer should be involved before the trip. A few lessons can help the dog walk on a leash without pulling, stay calm beside a table, accept the travel crate, and not bark at every hallway noise. These are exactly the behaviors hotels and restaurants often require.

How to find and choose services at your destination

Ask your host: accommodations that work with animals usually recommend trusted clinics, pet shops and caregivers. An online search for the city name plus the service shows the rest, along with reviews from other customers.

Before leaving your pet, visit the place or talk to the person. Check whether the space is clean, fenced and shaded, how many animals there are per caregiver, how dogs are separated by size, and what is done in an emergency. Inform them of habits, fears, allergies and the veterinarian’s phone number.

Leave your animal for a short period the first time. Prices vary by city and season: check the current rate sheet and agree in writing on the period and what is included.

Frequently asked questions

Where to leave the dog during an activity that doesn’t accept animals?

At a dog day care or with a pet sitter at the destination. Both care for the animal for a few hours; book ahead and bring the vaccination card.

What is a pet sitter?

A pet sitter is a person hired to care for the animal for a few hours or days where the pet is, providing food, water, walks and companionship.

What’s the difference between day care and a pet hotel?

Day care takes the dog during the day and returns it in the late afternoon. A pet hotel includes overnight stays.

How to find an on-call veterinarian while traveling?

Research, before you leave home, the clinic with on-call service in your destination or the nearest city and save the phone number and directions. Your host at the destination will often also recommend one.

What does a dog day care require?

Generally, an up-to-date vaccination card, protection against fleas and ticks, and a behavior assessment. Each facility has its own rules: ask when booking.