Mountain Trip in Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France

 

 

Our homepage: The content ”Holydays in Europe by Car and Berner dogs” is presented with the purpose of sharing the information and experience that we gained during our trip to you. Tis may be of valuable support to you if you are planning to go on such a trip by yourself.

 

We have entered links to the hotels that were welcoming guests with dogs. I you need further information you are welcome to mail your questions to us and we will be happy to answer them. Your are also most welcome to mail us if you have supporting information and/or links to such hotels and we would be happy to include such links to our homepage.

 

 

GERMANY:

 

 

Our journey began when we left Helsingor City a Saturday afternoon at 1600 hours heading for the ferry Rodby-Puttgarten that took us to Germany. Since the weather was fantastic and the traffic minimal we continued our driving till 1’oclock in the night when we were about 200 km from the Austrian border. Here we settled for the night in a freeway hotel which had no objection towards guests with dogs. In general most hotels in Germany are open for guests with dogs.

 

 

AUSTRIA

 

We knew that Austria could be a problem in relation to hotels open to dogs why we had spend much time preparing ourselves studying Austrian hotels on the Internet. However, it had not been an easy task and at many of the allowing places they take an extra fee of EUR 20 per dog per night. In addition to the extra fee you are also often offered rooms that are somewhat below the ordinary standard. During the weekends it can be extra hard to find suitable hotel rooms open to dogs since many hotels chooses to cut down on the number of available rooms to guests with dogs.

 

 

ITALY

 

In Italy it is almost impossible to find a hotel that would allow you to enter with dogs. One day we tried at 20 different hotels before we succeeded finding a room. The hotel personnel had all kinds of excuses for rejecting us. However, it is a bit easier outside the main turist places. However, it is important to check this at home prior the trip. Othervise you find yourself spending more than one hour every day looking for a usable hotel. If you, dear reader, have any references to hotels in Italy open to guests with dogs we would appreciate if you could write us.

 

 

SWITZERLAND

 

 

This is a marvellous country both in relation to nature and to the way you are being welcomed at hotels despite that you are bringing dogs along. The people here were most friendly and helpful and at none at the hotels that we stayed in charged any extra fee. It is a true fine country to travel with dogs.

 

 

FRANCE:

 

 

This is probably the best country to travel in with dogs. There is a tradition for that dogs is a part of the daily picture on the streets and everywhere else. The local population is so used to see dogs with or without an owner, so the probably do not notice it. At most of the hotels there were no problems bringing along the dogs.

 

 

SPAIN

 

 

Unfortunately we did not manage to get there on our trip despite the fact that we had made plans for it and prepared ourselves for the visit by mailing to a lot of hotels. However, the planning had been difficult since many hotels did not reply or did refuse dogs. In the Ordessa area we only found one hotel that would accept dogs.

 

This was not the first time that we travel with dogs round in Europe but we think it has turned out to much harder to accomplish than previously. Therefore, it has become even more valuable that we try to support each other in our mutual interest in travelling with dogs. If you got any information, hints, experience or other good advises that would help others and us we would be happy to receive it.

 

 

 

  

THE VET AND THE DOG PASSPORT

 

  

 

In order to travel around in Europe with a dog you shall carry a valid passport for the dog. This passport is more a kind of a vetenarian document that may tell authorities if the dog has got the required vaccinations etc. You get this passport at your vet. In the passport all vaccinations must be recorded. Remember, that a vaccination for rabies takes four months from the first vaccination till you get the reply from the vetenarian and thereby the approval stamp in the passport. You should also consult the vet about using the type of vaccine that lasts three years. For entering certain countries additional requirements may exists. For entering the dog into Sweden or Norway the dog must have had the so-called Ormekuren for Dvärgmask (Echincoccos). It is also a good idea to give the dog this threatment when you come back from abroad since the worm can be a killer to man and pets.

 

Remember to fix a shield with your telephone number onto the dog’s neckband so that you can be called and/or identified should the dog run away and be found by others. It is also a good idea to make a note on the shield that the dog has been equipped with a chip for identificat
THE DOG IN THE CAR 

 

Make sure that the dog is as comfortable in the car as possible. We had the automatic air condition system switched on at all times in order for the dogs to be comfortable. This was especially important when we were forced to be in the sun during traffic jam where the temperature other vice could raise to an unacceptable level. However, most of the time we avoided such situations by travelling the long distances on the freeways during the hours where the temperature was low late in afternoon, during the evenings, and during nighttime. Always ensure that you have sufficient with drinking water in the car and take as many breaks as necessary for the dogs to come out and do the thing and whatever they like. If our dogs were allowed to stroll a bit at every brake the dogs were much more relaxed at the backseat for hours afterwards.

 

 

 

If you do not prefer to spend time shopping in malls for dog food you should bring  a sufficient amount of your own food with you from home. On our last trip we did not carry enough dog food with us from home why we wasted a lot of time looking for shops with the kind of food that we – or rather what the dogs - prefer. In the end we had to buy other brands of food for the dogs that resulted in their bad stomach.

 

 

 

DOGS, MOUNTAINS, AND RIVERS

  

 

   

Our dogs are mountain dogs so their genes are made for mountains. However, they had to be carried in ledge in the beginning especially at the steep and hostile places in the mountains since we were afraid that they should fall down and hit themselves. Even at the riverbanks down below we had the dogs in ledge since the water current in the river was so strong that it easily would carry the dogs away if the dogs should fancy jumping into the water, which they would if they could. We always had to think two or three steps ahead when approaching new areas.

 

 

 

SUN, HEAT, AND DOGS

  

 

 

 

 

 

When the temperature reached about 25 to 27 degrees Celsius we decided to drive back up into the mountains since our dogs have a thick layer of warm fur and the dogs are, therefore, not very comfortable with high temperatures. They enjoy when the temperature is below 20 degrees Celsius. That is why we did not go to the sunny beach with the dogs.

 

 

 

FREEWAY FEES IN EUROPE

  

 

In Germany there is no fee for using the freeways. 

 

In Austria you have to buy the so-called vignets, which is a kind of ticket, at the gas stations just before you cross the borderline into the country. These vignets are valid for 10 days at a price of DKK 30 each.

 

 

 

In Italy you pay the fee when you leave the freeway.

 

 

 

In Switzerland you buy a sticker to set in the windscreen that costs about DKK 250. The sticker is valid for the current year.

 

 

In France it is quite expensive and you get a ticket when entering the freeway and pay the fee when you leave the freeway.

 

 

 

FOTOS AND SCRAPBOOKS

  

 

 

In our scrapbook we entered nine pages with photos containing about 500 pictures and we have included our notes from each day. We hope you find this material interesting and we would appreciate any comments that you may have – good and bad.

 

   

 

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