5 tips for a city trip with your dog - how to make it work so that everyone gets something out of it!
Traveling to the cities of this world is of course also possible with your dogs. To make it fun for two-legged and four-legged friends, you need to keep a few things in mind.
City trips with a dog, is that a good thing?
Admittedly, many a grassland fan immediately shakes his head. But this is only a prejudice. Around half of the dogs kept in Germany live in cities! So why shouldn't a dog also enjoy urban holidays?
Some dogs have a lot of fun in cities. Everything smells so exciting, there are a thousand things to see and there's more to sniff at the dog hotspots than anywhere else.
You should only be careful if your dogs have never seen and experienced city flair, hustle and bustle, underpasses and shopping streets before.
In that case, take it slow. Instead of jetting off to Rome, Paris or Amsterdam at the height of the season, it's better to choose less "exciting" destinations at the beginning.
Medium-sized and quiet cities like Stuttgart, Zurich, Heidelberg or Salzburg (but also better outside the high season!) are suitable for the start.
If you follow these 5 tips for a city trip with your dog, you should all get your money's worth:
1. plan your journey and travel on public transport
Even if you're going on a big city tour by car, you may occasionally need to rely on public transportation in the city center. Not every city handles dogs on buses and trains the same way.
Only Deutsche Bahn and S-Bahn lines it operates generally have the same rules across the country.
If you have a large dog or a listed dog, be sure to pay attention to the specifics of transport and "behavior" in the city of your choice.
If you travel by plane you have to check the transport conditions of the airline in time before departure and of course you have to keep them scrupulously.
2. city centre or suburb?
In metropolises with millions of inhabitants like Berlin, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan or Vienna you have to consider carefully in which part of the city you want to stay overnight.
If in doubt, choose a place to stay
- in a quiet part of town
- a quiet side street in the centre
- in a suburb.
Look for accommodation that is explicitly designated as dog-friendly. Other hotels may say "all right" and charge an expensive rate, but they're not really welcoming or dog-friendly.
3. check out the dog-friendly places.
Every city has parks, green spaces along rivers, or even small wooded areas. Look at maps and find a city and accommodation that offers exercise and adventure for dogs.
Check out forums or guidebooks for people with dogs for valuable tips from other travellers who have doggy secret tips (but also the places you'd better avoid!).
4. do something without a dog!
A city trip with a dog has to offer enough new things for humans, too. It would be a pity if you miss the opera in Milan or Dresden or if you can't go to the cinema or fancy bars in the evening.
Choose an accommodation where you can leave the dogs alone. This is the only way to have fun in the cities of the world.
5. inform yourself about high season conditions and bigger events
In some cities there is an unbelievable crowd during the holiday high season, so that you would not have much fun with your dog.
In addition, some cities have times or parts of cities that are seasonally bursting at the seams. Watch out for major music events, parades, fairs and big city festivals. If you want to have a quiet time with your dogs, you should avoid such happenings. Outside of such events, hotels and guesthouses are usually cheaper. You can get information at the tourist offices of the respective cities.
Have fun on your next city trip with your dog!
