der-domino-effekt

With the UK summer upon us, chances are you’ve already booked your holiday. Maybe you booked way in advance for a great price, or perhaps you plan on leaving it till the last minute to get a better deal only days before departure?

No matter how you plan to book your great escape, there is something very important you need to think about.

Where do you leave Bruno, the family’s much loved pet bulldog?

Do you leave him at your Mums house where he is almost certainly going to be spoilt rotten? You return home to find Bruno 14lbs overweight and on a specially tailored crash diet because he’s ‘clinically obese’ and crapping frequently. Your dog poop management system (you and a spade) simply isn’t able to deal with the extra volume.
Do you leave him with your best mate Dave, who despite your loyalty, can’t even look after himself? You return home and quickly realise Dave didn’t know he was meant to be looking after the dog and Bruno evidently didn’t ‘get’ the plan either, seeing as he went walkabouts for most of the week.Or do you edge towards the third, unthinkable option; Dropping him off at the Kennels with a bunch of doggy strangers? Surely Bruno hasn’t done anything sinister enough to deserve such abandonment?So, leaving him behind is not really an option. Just in case you were still mulling over your options, consider the kids. They would cry tears for the entirety of the trip and swear blind that they ‘hate you’ – not really pleasant things to hear while you’re on your well earned break!You need to pack an extra bag for Bruno!!
Now for the difficult part: Pet travel. How do you transport your furry little canine friend to the holiday destination?

Here are just a few options:

• Drive to France. Eurotunnel offers a reliable service from Dover to Calais. Drive on the shuttle in Folkestone and drive off in Calais. The journey takes roughly 35 minutes, which is next to no time! Once you’re out the Channel Tunnel, the open road is your oyster! Bruno can stick his head out of the window and enjoy the summer breeze, or sleep contently in the back (whilst drippling all over the seats). You and the sprogs can have a whale of a time enjoying the start of your holiday.

• Jump on a Ferry. SeaFrance and Brittany-Ferries both operate a Ferry service to Calais. Drive aboard, relax and jump off about 1h 30mins later. Just make sure you find your sea legs – you don’t want to turn green halfway across the Channel with no exit route.

• Get a Plane. With things like airport taxes and ash clouds, you can never be too sure how much you’ll be paying for a flight, or even if you’ll reach your final destination. For convenience, flying is great with the family, but factor in Bruno and it becomes a less suitable option.

By now you’ve probably decided your plan of attack?. You’re driving to Europe and you’re going with Eurotunnel – it’s cheap, it’s quick and it’s super reliable!

But there’s something else you need to think about. You don’t want to travel hundreds of miles to your dream holiday spot only to be told ‘pets aren’t allowed’. Do your homework before you go to avoid a nightmare situation- find out about Pet Friendly Hotels.

These sites should be helpful:

• Eurotunnel.com – lists a range of Pet Friendly Hotels in France and Europe.

• Petfriendlyhotels.com – provides access to a range of Pet Friendly Hotels across the globe.

• Pettravel.com – has information about pet passports, pet quarantine and pet friendly hotels.

• Defra.gov.uk – explains the Pet Travel Scheme if you are bringing pets into, or back into, the UK.

So there you have it, some useful tips for planning a holiday with your family pet. Not only will Bruno enjoy the journey, but once he’s at the hotel he’ll have the time of his life, and so will you and the kids!

Start planning your family holiday now and enjoy the good times with all the family.