Travelling Pets

Stockholm, Sweden

2010-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

The City
Situated on the Baltic Sea, this 700 year old city spans over 14 islands and encompasses both modern and historic European architecture. By day, walking through the city you get a sense of a the city's age combined with all the amenities of a larger sized city and by night, the city provides ample entertainment from theatres to restaurants to night clubs.

Hotels
We stayed at the pet friendly Clarion Hotel Sign, which is part of the Comfort, Quality, Clarion Hotel chain. This 4-star hotel has a very good restaurant and bar, a decent exercise area, an excellent sauna where you can get an authentic Swedish massage among other services. There is also parking, a business center, and other amenities that you would expect of a top-end hotel. The architecture and style of the hotel and rooms is in a modern theme with cool designs and colours. This hotel is also completely non-smoking. The breakfast buffet is definitely worth trying. It was a little pricey (about 10 euros per person) however this was not your usual european breakfast buffet with a few stale croissants, some slices of cheese, and coffee that has been sitting for several hours. This buffet was equipped with a lot of choice and everything was very fresh and constantly being refilled by a very courteous and professional staff.

If you don't feel like hitting the buffet, there is an excellent pastry shop down the street from the Clarion called The Muffin Bakery. This is a chain store so there are several in Stockholm; the one we visited was on Drottninggatan 73, a five minute walk from the hotel.

View Stockholm in a larger map

Here you'll find excellent coffee and tea options as well as various muffin and pastry concoctions that are very interesting and tasty. Unfortunately, pets aren't allowed inside however they have a nice patio if the weather is good.

Pets in Restaurants

Unfortunately, many restaurants and cafes were not so happy to accept pets however, in general, patios are pet-friendly so if you get stuck, look for restaurants with out-door sections such as patios or beer gardens.

Parks and Parkettes
Within the city of Stockholm there are several parks and many little parkettes however most of them are manicured and well maintained and therefore are not meant for dogs to be running around in. It is also expected that your pet is on-leash at all times and needless to say, that you pick up after them.

Cool Swedish Links:

Visit Sweden

also some specific pet info here: Visit Sweden Pets

Sweden.se
Lonely Planet

Dog Jaunt

2009-11-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

Dog Jaunt is a great website for dog travel in the same vein as travellingpets. On it you can find tons of information about how to get around with your pet, especially in the U.S.A. There is also a lot of great info about public transit in various cities, national trains & airlines as well as great entries on pet travel in general. Here are some highlights from their site:

New York, USA

Florida, USA

Paris, France

List of dog-friendly gardens and parks in Paris

United Kingdom

Burg, Spreewald, Germany

2009-11-11T01:29:00.000-08:00

A weekend getaway location in the East of Germany (near to Leipzig, Berlin, Dresden and the Western border of Poland), Spreewald was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1991 and is perhaps best known for the pickles that come from the region, the famous Spreewald gurkens so sought after in the movie "Goodbye Lenin"

Hotels
We stayed at the pet friendly Hotel am Spreebogen in the city of Burg, with two dogs in two separate rooms (us with our small Mini Schnauzer and our friends with their large Boerboel). We paid an extra 10€ per dog per night and a nice-sized breakfast buffet was included in the room price. Dogs were allowed in all areas of the hotel (lobby/lounge and wintergarten/green room which doubles as the restaurant). Each of the rooms on the main floor of the hotel has a private door to the outside grounds which is ideal for letting your dog out in the morning and night.

Free-roaming cats abound in Burg so if your dog is the type that likes to go after cats you should be alert. Further care should be taken inside the restaurant of the Hotel am Spreebogen as it is made up of large glass windows so dogs can easily see any of the cats roaming the hotel grounds.

Walking

There is not much forested area in Burg, but we took the dogs for a very nice walk along some of the smaller canals from the hotel to the city center of Burg along the bike path. Upon leaving the property of the hotel simply turn right onto Ringchausee street and follow the path straight to the village center of Burg. On this walk, you will pass many fenced in properties with dogs and/or other livestock as well as some farms with unfenced free-ranging chickens.

Once you get to the village center of Burg, Ringchausee becomes Bahnhofstrasse. Along Bahnhofstrasse and then left on Hauptstrasse, there are a few curio shops where you can buy Spreewald souvenirs, pickles and of course a nice warm cup of gluhwein which can be enjoyed by the Burg dam. Not very much is open on the weekends, but the Dreissig cafe, located at the beginning of the village center (Bahnhofstrasse 15), was open on both Saturday and Sunday when we were there.

Just past the Burg dam is the Spreewaldmuehle GmbH ("A" on map). Just across the street from the muehle (mill) is where you can start a very nice forested walk. You walk along the canal, past the fork in the waters until you reach the metal sheet bridge. At the bridge veer left onto the dirt road to Penkeweg street. At Penkeweg go left and follow the street until the Penkeweg/Penkeweg crossing, across from the school. Once again go left along the "new" Penkeweg dirt road. At the next Penkeweg/Penkeweg crossing go right and walk along the shady path until Byhlegurher Strasse. Turning left on Byhlegurher Strasse and following the bike path brings you back to the starting point at the muehle. We kept our dog offleash on the majority of this walk, but be weary that there are wild animals (deer) and domestic farm animals (cows, chicken, geese, sheep) all around, so if your dog is not fully trained it would be advisable to keep them on leash so not to anger the locals.

View Larger Map

Getting There
To get to Hotel am Spreebogen, take the Deutsche Bahn to the village of Vetschau and then take the 38 bus to the "Burg Hotel Zum Spreewald" stop (make sure to tell the bus driver where you are going so he stops for you!). The stop is a short (UNsidewalked) walk (~100m) to the hotel (continuing in the direction of the bus route). The bus costs 2€ per person and we were not charged for the dogs although in principle each dog should pay a child's fare unless they are in a travel case.

Links to the Spreewald area:

Coming Soon!

2009-11-09T18:40:00.000-08:00

Athens, Greece
Mykonos, Greece
Santorini, Greece
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coventry, United Kingdom
London and surrounding areas, United Kingdom
Paris, France
Miscellaneous, Germany (Frankfurt, Goettingen, Cologne (Koeln), Munich)
Miscellaneous, Spain (Barcelona, Madrid, Grenada, Tarifa, Gibraltar)
The Riviera (Monaco & Cannes, France)
Zurich, Switzerland
Warsaw, Poland
Berlin, Germany

Naxos, Greece

2009-09-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Greek Cycladic island of Naxos is a wonderful vacation spot and incredibly dog-friendly. Most hotels, restaurants, shops, and public areas welcome dogs and there are plenty of things to do with your 4-legged family members!

Other animals in Naxos: You will meet dogs and cats everywhere on the island. All cats we encountered ran from our dog and are generally weary of people, dogs and other cats. Some dogs definetly wanted to start a fight with our dog but only one wouldn't back down and we were lucky that we could pick up our own dog to stop the fight, most however walked away or stood their ground and growled at us. Some dogs are totally scared of people but were very friendly with our dog; so in general, approach with caution. In Athens and throughout the Cycladic islands, it is sometimes difficult to figure out if the dogs on the street are "street dogs" or if they actually belong to someone but are off-leash. It is very common to see dogs on the street with collars and if you watch closely, they tend to linger around a store front (presumably their home). Some can be very protective as in the case of this little old fluffy guy who made sure that everyone knew that this was HIS place.

We meet a great pup at Lemon Cafe (see below) he spent the whole afternoon with us but he wasn't a stray, he was owned by some local fisherman who were docked in Naxos town for the day. This does not mean that Naxos doesn't have a stray animal problem, it does and some people actually set out to poison strays by leaving poison baits out in the street (so we have heard) . As such, do not let your animal consume anything they find in the street!

The Naxos animal welfare society does amazing work in Naxos, they are really helpful and can answer all your questions about the dogs in Naxos. Even if you aren't visiting there, many of their rescue dogs need homes and they will help you organize an adoption to your home country. Please consider visiting thier site and making a donation! (You can also donate to them on the island as they have charity boxes set up in almost all the stores).
*UPDATE* CLICK HERE to set up a 10€ monthly contribution via paypal to help cover NAWS' veterinary bills
Restaurants/Bars in Naxos Town (aka Chora Naxos): We never had any problem at any restaurant with our dog, so its pretty safe to assume all venues are dog friendly. At every restaurant we went to for dinner, we asked the owners to grill us a chicken breast for our dog and serve it in a container we could place on the ground. No one had a problem with this at all and everyone immediately offered a water bowl as well! (If you prefer to buy dog food for your dog, there is a large supermarket just outside of the center about 50 meters plast plaka beach, we strongly recommend it over the pet store in the city center).
The list below is in no way complete but some of our favorite places on the island. Also, since we are both lacto-ovo vegetarians, a recommendation for an eatery in any of our posts means that the restaurant has plenty of delicious veggie options.

Cafe Soulatso located on the roundabout in the center of Naxos Town is the best place for breakfast. Plenty of options and many breakfast combo specials with an excellent atmosphere.

Lemon Cafe located on the boardwalk is the best place for wireless. Just buy a coffee, connect, and play on the web while facing the waterfront. Another great thing about Greece is that there is really no rush and you can sip your coffee or drink all afternoon (no pressure to keep buying coffee or food).

Sottovento, located on Plaka Beach in Naxos Town, is a higher class of Italian restaurant. Although the prices are slightly higher than most other places, it is well worth the price with a variety of interesting dishes and a large selection of wine.

Plaka Beach Bar, located on Plaka Beach in Naxos Town, is a chill beach side bar with an excellent atmosphere directly on the beach and a handful of tasty food options.

East West Asian Restaurant & Picasso Mexican Restaurant

Accommodation in Naxos Town: As with most Greek Islands, very few people pre-book/reserve a room in hotel prior to their arrival. The custom is that upon arrival by boat or plane, hotel owners are gathered near the port exit and try to get you to stay at their hotel. In most cases, these people are owners of a house/apartment complex with several rooms that they rent out during the tourist season. Generally they show you pictures of and offer you a price to stay there but with so many other hotel owners around, you can definitely haggle and pick the best option. If you do not want to stay in Naxos Town, though we recommend for your first time that you should, then pre-booking your hotel is suggested.

We stayed at Studios Maria; it was clean, right near the center of Naxos Town, pet-friendly, and very competitively priced. Each room has a fridge, kitchenette (burners, fridge & a sink), private bathroom, TV, AirCon and clean sheets, towels and rooms cleaned daily. If its your first time in Greece you should really stay at a place with a pool and traditional style rooms, but these places will cost you a bit more for the nice atmosphere. For the budget-minded traveller Studios Maria is a nice place to stay and Maria herself is very friendly and helpful and will take you to and from the port by request.

Getting around on Naxos Island: Most people rent vehicles to get around, especially if you plan on visiting the beaches. It is difficult to pre-book because most of the rental agencies are local business with limited internet exposure. The benefit is that you can window shop and haggle for the best price. With our small dog, we opted for a dune buggy (and in the past we have also used a 4-wheeler), both are great, but with a larger dog, most likely a car is your best option. After shopping around, we rented from Mike's Bikes and got a competitive price and a 200 CC dune buggy (tip: if you plan on going off any of the main roads and up any of the mountains opt for 200 or more CCs). When our buggy broke down on the last day of rental, they came to pick us up ASAP and got us back to Naxos Town, no questions asked. Make sure to have a working cell phone with you if you are planning on going outside of the city. Villages are few and far between and the roads are steep!

Hiking in Naxos: Although Naxos has a hilly terrain, there are very few marked paths. After some researching and mapping out a route that was supposed to be signed, we did our best and trekked up a hill/mountain to an abandoned church. The trick is to be aware of whether you are still on a public road/path or on someone's property, which may not be clear until you are at someone's doorstep. Paying a bit extra to get a good map of Naxos when you first arrive is the best idea if you plan to hike Naxos. The quality maps have footpaths outlined but we must admit, you wont find many fellow hikers on your expeditions. Bring plenty of water and sunscreen because its hot and there is almost no shade.

Beaches: Any map of Naxos will have the beaches highlighted on them. The beaches outside of Naxos town, especially north of the city, are secluded and you may very well be the only one on them at any given time. As far as we could tell all the beaches are dog-friendly, as no one complained about our dog on the beach (when other people actually were around). Make sure to bring along a sun umbrella and some drinking water because it gets very hot and there is very little shade. The first and last images below are from Lionas beach, one of our favorites. The ride there is down a very very fun winding road from high up in the mountains to the northern tip of the island. The other two images are from Amitis beach very close to Naxos town, but remote enough that for most of the day we were alone. The drive from the main road to the beach is super quaint as you pass by small local farms. The beaches on the West side of the island are easier to get to and more visited but are also incredibly windy (at least in September when we were there) so we would advise to stick to the north and east and if you feel like being social, the beaches right by Naxos town.

These beaches also have small towns nearby and they usually have a cafe or restaurant.

Tourist Attractions

Cave of Zeus: The Cave of Zeus is a tourist spot that is not frequented by many people because is it somewhat difficult to reach (half of the journey is on a path, however, the rest is climbing on rocks). You don't need climbing gear but a good paid of shoes is recommended. Our dog had no problem navigating the hilly terrain but we did, make sure to bring water and sunscreen. The hike takes 1-2 hours round trip after a 20 minute drive from the nearest village so make sure to leave plenty of time before sundown before you start.

The Tower of Aghia: This Tower is an interesting tourist site that is on the road to most of the beaches in the north (and if you plan on driving along the coast).

View Larger Map

Town of Chalki (a.k.a. Halki or Chalkio): This is a very quaint town near the center of the island with excellent cafes and a wonderful atmosphere. Great for a lunch stop on your trip. Specifically the Dolce Vita cafe (sign shown below) had some of the best coffee, zucchini pie, and dessert on the island.

View Larger Map

Getting there: We flew Lufthansa from Toronto via Frankfurt to Athens with our 8kg dog in the cabin (September 2009). We then took a train and then the metro to the port of Piraeus in Athens. Dogs are definitely allowed on the train, but we had conflicting information whether or not they were allowed on the Athens metro. As we had our dog in his travel case we felt confident taking the metro but we are not sure whether it would be possible to do with a bigger dog. From Piraeus we took a ferry boat to the port of Naxos. Our dog was allowed to be with us the entire time on the boat and there was no extra charge for him. Allow at least 3 hours from the airport to the port.

Venice, Italy

2009-07-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

One of our biggest regrets is not taking our dog to Venice with us because it has a super dog-friendly atmosphere! Since the vast majority of Venice is made up of narrow walkways and stepped bridges, the streets are essentially only accessible to pedestrians. As such, we mostly saw dogs walking off-leash and often without any owners in sight. There are a number of stray dogs and cats in the city and some of the local people take care of them (below is a cat house built for the local strays).

Many shop and restaurant owners had their pets off-leash and interacting with customers as well, so we imagine most of the restaurants (especially those with patios, which make up the mjaority) are dog friendly. If not, there are many delicious pizza and panini take away restaurant options thorughout the city.

As with most cities, there are many Venetian attractions that we imagine dogs are banned from such as art galleries and museums. We however spent most of our weekend there walking along the canals and there was plenty to see and do outdoors.

Although Venice appears to be pet-friendly, accommodation with your pet is not guaranteed as some hotels/hostels or apartment landlords are nervous about accepting pets. Booked.net however currently lists just under 200 pet-friendly hotels in Venice! At the present moment, we have very little first hand information about pet-friendly accommodation so we would love to hear your experiences.

We stayed at the Locanda Acquavita which was a pleasant hotel but not pet-friendly (one of the reasons we did not bring our dog with us). It is located in the Cannaregio (East) region of Venice and accesible from the Fondamente Nuove port. In Venice you walk everywhere and nothing is ever more than a 1 hour walk away in Venice and we felt we were close enough to everythign we wanted to see. The room was fully equipped and clean and a simple breakfast was served in the room every day. There is a good non-touristy Italian restaurant 2 doors away from the hotel and a supermarket less than 2 minute walk from the front door.

Leipzig, Germany

2009-07-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

(last updated November 2009)

Everywhere we have been in Germany it has been extremely pet-friendly, especially for dogs. Leipzig is no exception and dogs are pretty much found everywhere!

As a general rule in Leipzig, dogs are allowed (on-leash) in:

Restaurants
Coffee shops
Bars and Pubs
Beer gardens
Stores, including department stores and malls
Public Transit (Trams, Trains, Buses) *
Virtually all outdoor public areas

*dogs must pay a child's fare to ride public transport UNLESS they are carried in a bag. Large dogs must be muzzled on request

Dogs are NOT allowed in:

grocery stores
bakeries
stores where food is sold (ie: DM pharmacy)
movie theatres (independant movie theatres may make exceptions, call beforehand to inquire)
Leipzig's one and only Karaoke bar (zum kakadu)
Leipzig Zoo

Leipzig is really dog-safe and we have never heard of (nor had) anyone stealing or hurting dogs that were tied up oustide a store (like a supermarket). There are very few/no stray dogs in Leipzig, however one friend of ours, returned from her shopping to find her tied-up dog making sweet love to a female dog that was off-leash and in heat. So be aware if your dog is not spayed or neutered.

In shopping malls if you must enter a dog-unfriendly store , you can tie your dog up to the nearest post INSIDE the mall.

Always have poop bags with you, there are city officials that can stop you if they feel you are breaking any of the dog rules (e.g.: dog off-leash in an on-leash area) and they generally will ask you if you have poop bags with you. Plus, its just common courtesy.

Hotels
Several hotels allow dogs however our experience is limited in this area as we live in the city. Generally hotels do accept dogs so if you find somewhere you would like to stay then call or email in advance to see if its allowed; it never hurts to ask (and please leave us a comment to this post or send us an email so we can add the info to this entry, thanks!) Booked.net currently lists 17 hotels in Leipzig that allow pets, but the only one we know first hand is:

Best Western Premier Viktor's Residenz Hotel: this is a pretty old-style European hotel located right beside the hauptbahnhof (main train station) and a 2 minute walk from the city center. Their website states a 10 euro charge per pet per night applies. Georgiring 13, 04103, Leipzig, +49 (0) 3 41/68 66-0, info.leipzig@victors.bestwestern.de

Dog Parks
In Leipzig, most park areas require dogs to be on-leash, however, there are many areas that are designated off-leash with signs that read "hundewiese". These areas are great places to meet other dog owners and socialize your dog, especially on weekends (see some examples below in "best dogs parks").

In most cases, even if you dog is not on-leash in other areas, no one will say anything (especially if you are a responsible owner and have control of your dog and clean up after him/her).

The following map points out some of the best dog-friendly parks in the 'zig:

View Leipzig Dog Parks in a larger map

Rosental: Rosental Park has a huge off leash dog area surrounded by forest at its westernmost side. Its a great place for your dog to learn to be off leash since even if he/she runs away there is no nearby road. We have never had any problems or seen any vicious dog fights and always feel totally safe with our dog at this park. As an added bonus, the Leipzig Zoo's Kiwara savanah area borders the human park (just beside the dog park) so on your way to and from Rosental you can see giraffes, zebras and other African "wildlife".

Cospudener See (aka the Cossi) is a man-made lake just south of the city. The lake is 11km around which makes for a terrific jog/walk/bike ride with your 4-legged companion. Alternatively, you can take your dog to the dog beach ("hundestrand" - "hoond-de-shtrund") where (s)he can play in the water and on the shore with other dogs off-leash. The only caveat is that nudism (FKK - Freikörperkultur aka free body culture) is alive and well in Leipzig and the dog park borders (and blends with) the nudist beach, so prudes be warned. To get there, take tram #3 from the Leipzig main train station (hauptbahnhof) to the Huttenstrasse stop. Then turn the corner and go to the bus stop, where you will pick up bus #65 and get off at the Cospudener See, Nordstrand stop (use this LVB link to check times of departure). When you get off the bus and walk straight to the beach you will be at the Hacienda strand (beach). From the Hacienda restaurant, walk rightwards (as you face the lake) and at the Western end of the beach (just keep walking till there is no more beach) that is the dog beach.

Leipzig Wildpark. Tucked away in a large forested area is the Leipzig Wildpark ("Vild-park"), a small city zoo with free admission and animals from Europe and North America. You can take your dog through the park with you and its open 365 days of year and is quite beautiful in the winter when it snows. The entire forested area is lovely to walk through and the trails are extremely easy to follow. The main paths are primarily used for cycling so it is not advised to have your dog off-leash in those areas (and certainly not in the Wildpark itself). Take tram #9 to the Wildpark stop.

View Larger Map

Dog-Friendly Restaurants/Pubs
The following map points out some of our favorite dog friendly restaurants and pubs in Leipzig. There are some very cool restaurants/bars/beer gardens such as Substanz (See map) where dogs are allowed off-leash to roam around and meet other pups as well as patrons but this is completely up to the owner's discretion. In this case, follow the lead of others.:

View Leipzig Restaurants in a larger map

Shiki Sushi The amazing staff at Shiki Sushi will happily make you a large vegetarian sushi platter for however many people you want (15 euros for a good sized portion, 30 euros for two and so on). They have always been so nice to our dog there and have even made him maki on occasion when its a slow day. Make sure to ask for "vegetarisch" ("veh-gay-tar-ish") and "ohne fisch" ("oh-ne fish") (and "ohne eier" ("oh-ne aye-er") if you are vegan) as most Germans who call themselves vegetarian still consume fish. Casual dining. Marktgalerie, 04109, Leipzig (in the Breuniger passage and just off of Barfussgäschen)

Sol y Mar One of the restaurants with the best atmosphere's in the 'zig. Dogs are allowed at the this restaurant no questions asked however, in the area where you are served in bed, dogs are not allowed on the bed, they are permitted to lay beside you on the floor however. Casual/buisiness casual dining. Gottschedstraße 4, 04109 (just 20 meters west of the city center)

Le Telegraph This restaurant in the city center has some of the yummiest breakfasts to start your day and supplies newspapers from around the globe for your morning reading pleasure. Lunch and dinner also served but they really excel at breakfast! Casual Dining. Dittrichring 18-20, 04109

La Grotta Palazzese has the best pizza in Leipzig and the owner is a big dog lover too. Over 100 wood-burning stone-oven pizzas to choose from plus other Italian fare and a dessert chef who always has some amazing confection to satisfy your sweet tooth. Casual Dining. Ratsfreischulstrasse 6-8, 04109

McCormack's ballroom hosts a ENGLISH pubquiz on Tuesday nights starting at 8:30pm. The trivia game usually goes until 11pm and you can get some good food and drink at cheap prices and do one of the few English activities there is to do in Liepzig. (note: pubquiz is sometimes off over the summer months) Kurt Eisner Str. 43 (not to be confused with McCormack's Pub)

Barfussgäschen. This small street just off of the Marktplatz in the Leipzig city center ("zentrum") is a great place to grab a drink and/or some food when visiting the city. Kildare's Irish City Pub and 100Wasser are two of our favorites but all the establishments have something fun to offer. Most of the year you can sit outside on the front patios as heaters and blankets make it tolerable even when the tempertaure dips.

Stelzenhaus. This "stilt house" right on the Karl Heine Kanal is a real treat west of the city center. The food is exquisite and the atmosphere modern and soothing. Business casual attire is best for this fine dining experience. There is a map on their website if you care to tram and then walk there, but easiest for visitors is to take a taxi which will drop you at the Stelzenhaus front door (~10 euro with tip from the city center). Weißenfelser Straße 65, 04229

Brunch. If you are in Leipzig on a Sunday then you must do as the Leipziggers do and grab a brunch buffet! Some of our favorites are at the Südbrause (Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 154, 04277) or the Kanal 28 cafe (Am Kanal 28, 04179) which is in the neighbourhood of Plagwitz in the West of the city, but well worth the cab ride there.

Only Sorta Dog-Friendly but worth a mention

Zest This is our favorite restaurant in Leipzig. It is vegan and fusion cusine but almost every meat-eater we have taken there has fallen in love with the chef. Sadly, however, no pets allowed inside. Luckily though, during warm weather they have an outdoor patio, in which case you can dine outside with your dog :) Casual/buisness casual dress for this fine dining experience. Bornaische Str. 54, 04277, 0341 2319126

View Zest Restaurants in a larger map

Basamo One of our most favorite places to hang out. Jerry offers up great Moazambican food, an amazing selection of drinks and the best Afro-carribean music around. The main restaurant/bar has 2 floors of chill out space where dogs are allowed. The basement houses the "dance cave" which alternates between Reggae & African music nights and Hip-hop & RnB nights (referred to as "black music" in Germany). Jerry will let you bring your dog downstairs but its dark and some of the clientele are easily freaked by our canine companions, so stick to upstairs if you have your pet with you. Casual dining. Nürnberger Straße 11, 04103, 0341/960 76 54

Kaimung a great sit down & take out Thai/Asian fast food restaurant located near Augustusplatz in the city center, but because they share floor space with a bakery, no dogs allowed inside. During the summer you can eat outside and otherwise just run in for takeout after tying your dog up outside. For take out ask for your order "zum mit nehmen" ("tsoom mit nay-men"). Grimmaische Str. 25, 04109

Just skip it

Kaiser Maximillian - possibly the most overated restaurant in the 'Zig.

Veterinary care & health concerns

We have been taking all of our pets to Dr. Sabine Zimmermann-Kuhn since we have been in Leipzig. Her English is quite good and she has always been very friendly and professional with us. Taking your dog to the vet is really cheap in Leipzig (at least compared to Canadian/American standards) so if you have any problems with your pet you should not hesitate to contact Dr. Zimmermann or anyone else who is recommended to you. Veterinarian is "tierartz" ("teer-art-st") in German. note: We have found that German veterinarians are not as forthcoming with possible tests and treatments as North american vets, as such, we find saying something along the lines of "money is not an issue" will open up possibilities to you when faced with few treatment options.

Lyme disease (commonly referred to as Hundemalaria (dog malaria) in German) exists in Leipzig and throughout Germany. It is transmitted by ticks which are incredibly common here, so make sure to have your dog properly treated against ticks with your treatment of preference. Even with regular use of frontline medication, our dog generally picks up a tick now and then, so be vigilant and check your dog for ticks.
Heartworm (a common concern in North America) does not exist in Germany but does in other parts of Southern Europe, so plan accordingly.

The Leipzig Tierheim is one of the best run animal shelters I have ever visited. Please consider adopting from them if you are staying in Leipzig for an extended period of time or donating to keep their program and facilities running.

2009-06-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

Flying with your Pet

LAST UPDATED: July 19, 2009

The various airlines worldwide have different rules and regulations regarding traveling with your pet based on their company regulations, insurance guidelines, and also the country specific mandates on the import/export of animals. At Travelling Pets, we regard our pets as living members of our lives, however, you will find that with most of these airlines, pets are considered baggage (so sad). Therefore, if you are having difficulty locating the pet information for an airline, start with the baggage section. That being said, we have focused our efforts on providing information and promoting airlines that respect pets as more than a suitcase. We have also provided the details of airlines that provide pet travel in the cargo hold as well as shipping companies that we feel will respect your loved one, as this method of transport may be a necessary last resort for some travellers.

As a general rule, any service pets (i.e. guide dogs) are permitted on all airlines and we will only indicate airlines that do not allow them.

This post will be updated on a regular basis with new companies and new information. This site should be used as a guide. All information should be checked on the individual airline and government sites for country specific pet travel requirements to ensure that the information is correct and current.

Airline Overview:

	Air Berlin: Pets in Cabin: YES, 6kg, carrier: (cm) 55 x 40 x 20, 20 EUR one way Pets in Hold: YES, over 6kg, 30 EUR one way (short/med-haul), 60 EUR one way for flights of 3,000+ miles
	Air Canada: Pets in Cabin: YES, 10kg, carrier: (cm) 23 x 40 x 55, $50 CAD for CAN/US, $100 CAD International Pets in Hold: YES, 32.5kg, must stand, turn around and lie down
	Lufthansa: Pets in Cabin: YES, 8kg (incl. carrier), (cm) 20 x 40 x 55 Pets in Hold: YES, details at Lufthansa Reservation Office

Airline Details:

Air Berlin

Pets in Cabin: YES, 6kg (incl. carrier), carrier: (cm) 20 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, over 6kg, carrier: animal must stand, turn around and lie down

Pets can be carried either in the cabin or in the hold, depending on the animal's weight and size. Pets must be carried in an enclosed container that is leak-proof and escape-proof. They must have enough space to be able to stand in their normal position. They must also have space to lie down. The pet carrier must be provided by the passenger. Early registration is required. The carriage of pets can be registered by contacting the Air Berlin Service Centre any time up to 48 hours before departure. As space is limited, please contact the service centre before booking to find out whether there is still enough room on your preferred flight for your pet.

Pets weighing up to 6 kg

You can take dogs and cats with you into the cabin if they are in a suitable pet carrier (max. measurements 55 x 40 x 20 cm, adequate ventilation) that weighs no more than 6 kg with contents. The animal’s head is not allowed to protrude from the pet carrier nor is the animal permitted to leave the carrier at any time during the flight. On no account are passengers allowed to place the pet carrier on a seat, not even if an additional seat has been purchased.

Pets weighing more than 6 kg

Pets weighing more than 6 kg including the pet carrier are transported in the hold. They must also be in a suitable pet carrier. Please note that all carriers used to transport animals in the hold must have a water/feed container that can be filled from outside. The water/feed container must not be filled during the flight.

Air Canada

Pets in Cabin: YES, 10kg, carrier: (cm) 23 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, 32.5kg, carrier: animal must stand, turn around and lie down

Air Canada never used to allow pets in the cabin which was very confusing since other Star Alliance companies such as Lufthansa allowed them. For instance, if you wanted to book a flight from Frankfurt to Toronto and you used the Lufthansa website, you had to make sure that the flight number started with LH to ensure that it was actually a Lufthansa plane or you would find out at the airport that your pet could not board the Air Canada plane (discovered through personal experience).

Thankfully, it looks like Air Canada is trying out the "pets in the cabin" system starting July 1, 2009. It seems to be a slightly complicated system over other airlines with pre-registration and a whole plethora of rules and regs but in the end, your little buddy will be able to fly with you under the seat in front of you.

This is a new feature for Air Canada and we presently have little experience with this service. We welcome your comments.

Pets in Cabin:

10 kg max
carrier: airline approved to be able to fit under seat (cm) 23 x 40 x 55, leak-proof, ventilated, hard or soft ok.
pet should be able to sit up and turn around in the carrier
has to be an Air Canada or Jazz flight
only 1 pet per person
charge: $50 CAD for Canada/US; $100 CAD International
must pre-register (only a certain number of pets are allowed per flight): must be done within 24 hrs of booking your flight
when you pre-register, you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
must arrive 30 minutes prior to suggested check-in time
pet must be kept in carrier under the seat for entire flight (cannot be let out)
carrier counts as your one carry-on item

Pets not allowed in Cabin on flights to and from Australia, Columbia (no cats; only small dogs allowed), Hawaii, Hong Kong, Jamaica, New Zealand, Peru and the United Kingdom.

Pets in Hold:

must contact Air Canada Reservations (1-888-247-2262) within 24 hrs of your booking
pet must be pre-registered
when you pre-register, you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
pet and carrier must have a combined weight of less than 32.5 kg
no more than 2 pets per person
pets over 14 kg must have their own separate carrier
2 pets not weighing more than 14 kg each may travel together in same carrier
carrier must be hard plastic, leakproof and with ventilation holes
pet must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably

More details are available on the pet page of the Air Canada website. It is also important to check out the country specific details of required age of your pet as well as vaccination and medical history.

Lufthansa

Pets in Cabin: YES, 8kg (incl. carrier), carrier: (cm) 20 x 40 x 55
Pets in Hold: YES, details when you contact Lufthansa Reservation Office

There is a fee that must be paid for your pet to travel which is paid at the airport once you have checked-in. As a rough guide, an 8kg dog and carrier travelling from Toronto to Frankfurt is about $200 CAD each way. You must go through the same procedure on your return flight (check-in, then pay). Arriving at the airport a few minutes ahead of the suggested time for check-in is a good idea since in most cases, to pay for your pet, you must stand in a different line after you have checked-in (most times it is the excess or bulkly luggage counter that can be very slow). There you will be issued your boarding passes. Also, Lufthansa is quite strict about the "in-cabin" weight of the dog and carrier not exceeding 8kg.

Pets in Cabin:

8 kg max (incl. carrier)
carrier must be airline approved to be able to fit under seat (cm) 20 x 40 x 55, leak-proof, ventilated, hard or soft ok.
pet should be able to sit up and turn around in the carrier
charge varies (8kg "pet & carrier" travelling from Toronto to Frankfurt is approximately: $200 CAD each way)
must contact Lufthansa Reservation Office within 24 hrs of booking your flight (only a certain amount of pets are allowed per flight; if there is already too many pets on that flight, Lufthansa will cancel your ticket free of charge provided you have contacted them within the 24 hr period). During this contact you must give details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier)
must arrive 30 minutes prior to suggested check-in time
pet must be kept in carrier under the seat for entire flight (cannot be let out)
carrier counts as your one carry-on item

Pets in Hold:

must contact Lufthansa Reservation Office for information and to provide details to agent (weight of pet, dimensions of carrier; must provide your own carrier that complies with the relevant IATA [International Air Transport Association])
carrier must be hard plastic, leakproof and with ventilation holes
pet must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down comfortably

More details are available on the pet page of the Lufthansa website. It is also important to check out the country specific details of required age of your pet as well as vaccination and medical history.