Why travel with your Humans?

Traveling with Humans is nothing new, people do it all the time. We love to go to the store, to the grandparents and of course everyone needs to go on vacation. So we take "the Humans" along with us since they need a break now and then too.

Why take "the Humans" overseas?

Originally when we planned to travel Europe, we planned to stay 6 months while "the Humans" worked remotely full-time. We ended up only staying in Europe 2 months and going back again for a 2-week journey. Since we planned to stay 6 months, it was impossible to even consider leaving "parents" behind.

How did you do it?

We did a lot of research making sure that our "parents" were allowed to travel with us to all the countries we wanted to travel to and from. A great resource for this is Pet Travel's website. Basically when traveling to the EU, the United Kingdom has the stricted policy. If you plan well in advance and are willing to spend the money, you can avoid quarantine completely by following the rules found at Defra's Pet Travel Scheme website. Be sure to check every country's rules just in case.

How did you get around? Plane, Train, Ferry, etc.

We used 2 different airlines. We used Delta Airlines, which internationally was $95 each way per dog. We also used Northwest/KLM Airlines, which was about $135 each way per dog.

We did rather well for all the flights. Lucky for us, we are the max in length, height and weight to be able to fit "In Cabin" under the seats in our Sherpa bags. We went to the bathroom before we took off and then got snacks upon take off and landing. We didn't really eat or drink much during the long flights at all, we just took the time to sleep. We wish our "Human" parents would have done the same. They just don't learn how to travel right.

We are also very use to using the train with the EuroRail pass that our parents got. Most of the time we got to ride for FREE if we were in our bags. Spain is the exception to this rule, where it is 1/2 of the ticket (not worth it for us). So in Spain we decided to make our parents rent a car. It was much more scenic that way.

We also took ferries to the UK and to Ireland. P&O Ferries was from Calias, France to Dover, England and Stena Line from Stranraer, Scotland to Belfast, N. Ireland.

We also have enjoyed Double Decker buses, Cable Cars, London tube, Paris Metro, Car/Van, Horse drawn carriages, Bike drawn carriages, or even just walking/hiking.

Where did you stay?

We stayed in vacation rentals and hotels. In general the easiest place to stay with your 2 legged family in Europe is the Accor Hotels chain. They range from really basic hotels to really nice places and are located all over Europe.

We created a website with all the places we have stayed on our first Europe trip. We hope you find it useful. At least we know they take pets for sure! Check it out.

What's it like traveling Europe with your "Humans"?

Traveling with our "parents" is unlike any other travel experience someone could have. They tend to be as eye-catching as a celebrity walking around in public. Locals and tourists like to come up and ask about us. Tourists tend to ask how we got them there, while locals will comment about "Black and White" Scotch Whiskey. The fact we got to meet and talk to people of all ages and nationalities was a great experience. When we walked around without "parents", it was a totally different experience.

So what are the negatives?

Some people hate dogs, it costs more and not all forms of transportation are available. For people who love to visit the inside of Museums, you'll obviously have to let your "Human" companion go alone to them. Sometimes it can be hard to find a place to eat with your human, but in southern EU it seems to be quite easy to get a bite to eat.

Are you Rich?

Of course not, we're dogs. As for our "parents" they are your average middle-class Americans who set their priorities different from most other people. They were blessed with an opportunity to work online while overseas. Maintaining an internet connection presented another set of challenges along with traveling with us, but in the end it was well worth it.

Are you Famous?

Depends on who you ask. While we are traveling, people stop us everywhere and ask to take our picture, especially with them in the photo with us. Once we were offered 20 € to be in a picture with them. We of course said "no, it's free to take a picture of us!". I don't know if celebrities even get asked that question, but we were honored at the gesture.

We feel the hardest part of being semi-famous, is that when we get set for a photo some people step in front of the camera to get a better shot then our parents are taking of us. Our Disneyland photo shows that one for sure. Other issues that happen are that once the shot is ready, people who are walking by stop and stare at you. It makes us just want to bark at them to keep moving! Nothing special here to see! Oh well, "humans" sometimes just get starry-eyed when they are around us, we just have to keep a low profile when shooting.

Is Kenzie a West Highland Terrier?

Kenzie is a purebred Wheaton-colored Scottish Terrier who is often confused for a Westie.

Where are you off to next?

We're currently planning to travel to the East Coast USA in April 2007 if things go as planned.

This includes the White House, Disney World, Texas, NYC, Boston, Mt. Rushmore, Chicago, and a few other stops driving from Seattle towards the East. Should be a fun trip. Too bad our parents will have to work again on the road but at least we still get to play and see all the country has to offer.

Check back soon to see if we are coming to a city near you.

The family of 6 Scotties!
Our cousins, Douggie, Duncan, Oliver, & Elliot.

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