Traveling across Europe with your dog
Traveling through Europe with your dog is a dream, isn't it? Alix, Ducan and their dog Fish tell us about their incredible trip through Europe! I also give you all my advice for traveling in Europe with your dog in good standing!
Table of contents
Today, I interview Alix, an adventurer who gave up everything to go on a trip across Europe with her dog. She went on an adventure for a year with her dog and her boyfriend, Duncan. This trip full of adventures is impressive. Their road trip in a converted van with their dog required a lot of preparation. Their trip is centered on the theme of climbing, they go from spot to spot from country to country. It was therefore necessary to prepare this trip for Alix and Duncan but also especially for their dog, Fish!
In this article, Alix reveals all the preparation behind this fantastic journey and of course, she presents all the stages of their journey which began a few weeks ago. Discover the first weeks of their fabulous road trip in Europe with their dog and their passion for climbing. Alix was marked by their passage in the Balkans and shares with us more particularly his experiences in Albania with his dog.
Wondering if their dog also climbs? You will know everything by reading this nice interview!
Alix, Duncan and their beloved dog
Hi, I'm Alix and since the beginning of October 2020, I've been traveling with my boyfriend Duncan and our dog, Fish. We took a sabbatical year to do a road trip through Europe and the theme of our trip is climbing, which is our common passion.
Duncan is Scottish, and Scotland will of course be part of our tour of Europe, but rather in June: strategic month to have a little heat, everything is relative, while avoiding midges, these diabolical insects very present in summer in Scotland.
We adopted Fish last year when she was just a puppy and I groomed her from a very young age so she could follow us on this trip to Europe.
Musher and Sophie "Want to know more about the meeting of Alix, Duncan and their dog Fish? That's good, Alix gave us all the details in her Portrait Wouafement Bien. Quickly go find out! 😉”
Since she was little I educate her in a positive and gentle way, and we got her used to trips in a campervan and long walks at a very young age. And now she's really enjoying this European road trip with us!
Fish is a very athletic dog. His favorite sport is swimming. We often say to ourselves that it is still aptly named! She is like a fish in water. Last summer we spent a few weeks in Charente-Maritime and we choose dog-friendly beaches. At 5 months she was already swimming far with us, even too far sometimes, she was never tired! I also introduced him to paddle boarding, she immediately understood. Without hesitation I would say that the place that makes her happiest is a place where she can play in the water... sea, ocean, river... It happens quite regularly that the climbing spots are near a river , and then there is paradise for Fish!
Tips from Musher and Sophie: – “Alix, Duncan and their dog have been planning their van road trip through Europe for weeks. Routes, climbing spots, van layout… I'll let Alix explain everything to you in detail in the rest of this article, but before that, I'd like to give you some good advice for preparing for an upcoming trip to Europe with your dog. European Commission website YourEurope is the reference source for organizing your trip and avoiding a thousand administrative questions. Vaccines, passport, minimum dog age, dog breeds, special legislation, conditions if you are traveling with several dogs…. everything is referenced on the Your Europe website. Better to be well informed before crossing borders with your dog. Your veterinarian can also help you prepare for your trip. Once these administrative questions are settled, all you have to do is make sure your memory card has enough space to take a thousand and one photos of your trip 😉 For more info you can also use: : @youreurope #YourEurope #AskYourEurope #YourEuropeAnswers”
Climbing with your dog
Before our departure, when we lived in Paris, we went bouldering as much as possible in the forest of Fontainebleau, with Fish and the van. This type of climbing does not require any rope or equipment other than a crashpad (climbing mattress) and shoes. The idea is to climb rocks about 5m high. We always left Fish free and she stayed within our perimeter, keeping an eye on us. She loved it! That's how we introduced her to the sport.
When traveling, we practice sport climbing; on rope. This is the goal of our roadtrip across Europe: go from spot to spot to enjoy our passion and discover the countries as we climb. Our dog quickly got used to seeing one of us disappear vertically. When we arrive at a climbing spot, the first thing we do is check that the place is safe for her. If so, and if the other people present are ok with her frolicking as she wants, we don't tie her up. Until now we have almost always been alone at the bottom of the lanes: low season + covid I guess. So she was always free. We trust him 100%. We set up her “corner”: her blanket and water, and we play with her when she feels like it. As we often stay a whole day, she also takes her little naps under the tracks.
On non-climbing days, Dunc sometimes goes trail running in the mountains. Much to Fish's despair, he isn't taking her yet. We prefer to wait until she is a little over 1 year old before starting the "cardio". Even if Fish manages to follow us everywhere now. She sometimes impressed us with her jumps, her scree passages, her mini climbs!! Often we don't know what awaits us during the approach walks to our climbing spots. We always take her harness with us for any difficult passages where she needs to be lifted. In Italy, we once had to go through a cave while caving to get to our climbing spot. We had to lift Fish using a rope and his harness on certain passages, all with a flashlight! When I tell you that she has already done everything...
Traveling in a van with your dog
Regarding life in a van with our dog, we went through the “vomit” phase for a while…Our dog had to get used to it, and the vomits naturally became less frequent. When she was still very small, our dog traveled on my lap, then now she has her corner behind our seats. As I said, the key is to get used to it gradually: we started with a few weekends in the van, then we left to "test" life on the roads doing the tour of Brittany with our dog for 15 days, end of June. It was absolutely awesome! Very successful experience and Fish obviously validated this region full of swimming! Brittany in a van with his dog, I recommend it 100% !!!!
This was followed by 3 months of preparation: mainly consisting of refining the layout of the van, adding small personal touches and more storage, selling our goods, doing administrative work….The itinerary was seen in the main lines. I had prepared in detail our tour of Brittany and I learned that above all we had to let go and let ourselves be carried away. That's what we're doing right now and it's magic! Indeed, you can NEVER predict how long you will stay in a place, it depends on the quality of the climbing, the place, the people you meet and especially the weather.
The three of us travel but we often meet acquaintances or other travellers. In October we stayed in France and visited many friends, mainly climbers. In Burgundy, in the JuraWithin Alpes, Area Sisteron, Gap, MarseilleAnd then Nice. We mainly slept “wild”, and sometimes with friends.
In the Balkans we had a great meeting: three Breton brothers and sisters traveling by bike to Mongolia. We saw each other many times on the road: in Croatia, Montenegro et Albania. We even spent Christmas together!
Because we got used to it very quickly, Fish is comfortable sleeping in new places, as long as she has her corner with her blankets. Naturally, the dog will not like to change places every day, he likes to have his "territory". But Fish is a real adventurer, she seems to love it; another question of habit from an early age…!
We are driving in a 1998 Mercedes Vito, converted and with a pop-up roof. We flip the passenger seat, and install Fish's "basket" in the front. There's plenty of room there to sleep and it's her space, she knows that. We are happy that she has associated the van with her “safe place” where she can take refuge if she is tired or if she needs to feel calm.
The idea of traveling in a van with a dog with the aim of going climbing everywhere we had been thinking about for a while! The climbing spots are most of the time in remote places, in the middle of nature, and it is a real pleasure to be able to sleep "on the spot". By the way Dunc and I met in a climbing gym. During our trip, we favor sport climbing, that is, where the cliffs are already equipped. Dunc also does “traditional” climbing: conversely, the cliffs are not equipped and he places equipment during his climb. This type of climbing is the most popular in the UK, and also more difficult.
The big departure of Alix, Duncan and their dog, Fish
We left on October 6, 2020, and in Fish's suitcase there were his toys, his toilet bag, his European passport of course, his croquettes, his travel bowl, treats, his brush, a spare collar, his harness, to longe… Without forgetting its first aid kit and his health record! In general, she must see a veterinarian before each border crossing.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a kibble brand that is sold all over Europe. If anyone has any recommendations, I'm all ears! Until now she had Purina Pro Plan then Taste of the Wild, with an adaptation period of course.
So far we have visited the France,Italy, Croatia, Montenegro and Albania. We have "transited" through the Slovenia and Bosnia. Today we are patiently waiting to know if the Greece will open its borders. It is the country we are looking forward to the most because there are hundreds of climbing spots, sunny weather and breathtaking landscapes! We're wishing for the best. See you on January 7 to have the answer!
Traveling to Albania with your dog
The country that has impressed us the most so far is Albania. Every day we see or experience incongruous things there. Albania is a country in economic transition, it is one of the poorest in Europe. Very marked by 45 years of dictatorship, until 1991. Stray dogs are innumerable. There are very few animal associations. What you see on the streets can be very difficult. Stray dogs are very numerous, and struggle to survive...
There have been several times when we have slept in the middle of nowhere with the van, and seen a skeletal dog arrive begging for food. In this case, we give him Fish croquettes.
Besides, we let Fish play with the strays without worries! From experience, they are very gentle and just want to survive.
My advice before traveling to Albania with your dog: deworm him well, put some anti-flea product on him, and check that his vaccines are up to date.
On the other hand, it is absolutely necessary to be wary of guard and shepherd dogs. For yourself or for your dog. Duncan went for a run in the mountains yesterday and he got chased and bitten, we ended up in the hospital. Dunc got the scare of his life.
I mentioned earlier visits to the vet for Fish: indeed she had a large mass, a kind of huge lump, at the level of her shoulder. We had to go to several vets before we found a competent vet who could treat her. Fortunately, the ball disappears day by day thanks to the treatment administered by the veterinarian. More fear than harm !
Albania is a country full of adventures and this trip to Albania was a big culture shock!
In Balkans, dogs are accepted in the restaurants but on the terrace. We noticed that in Montenegro and Albania the pet dogs are pedigree dogs, a lot of huskys or labradors. Small dogs too. There is a strong traffic of pedigree dogs in Eastern countries. It wouldn't occur to people to adopt a street dog, and that's very sad. Moreover, the inhabitants are very afraid of it. And as Fish is very similar to Albanian stray dogs, the majority of people move aside on our path, it's quite confusing!
And yet, Albania remains our favorite country because we have met incredible people there. Albanians are kind-hearted people who will do absolutely anything to help. We lost count of the quantities of oranges, lemons, pomegranates or persimmons offered to us along the way. There are also Albanians that we met and who welcomed us into their homes!
So far we have found it very easy to travel with Fish, at no time have we had to give up a place or activity. Besides, we prefer never to leave her alone in the van. Despite months and months of learning, she has not mastered loneliness. We left her alone for 10 minutes one day when we were visiting a farm in Montenegro and she had scratched so much on the window that it damaged the edges… There is still a lot of progress to be made!
If all goes well, our itinerary will be Greece, Sicile, Sardaigne,Spain, the West of France, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, before the final return to France scheduled for the end of August. We will therefore have a few crossings to make by boat with Fish, we will tell you. 
We avoid planning too much, and prefer to live as much as possible in the present moment, according to new regulations, our meetings, etc.
I will be more than happy to answer your questions about each destination or about vanlife with your dog, if there are any! You can ask me all your questions on Instagram: @alix_eyes
The advice I would give above all is to leave with a well-prepared dog, which you have gradually got used to. That he is well in his paws and able to be comfortable and happy in all situations.
See you soon !
Wow! Thank you Alix for this great travelogue! It makes you want to give up everything to travel and discover the world like you do with Duncan and Fish! But what would EmmèneTonChien.com and the Wouafer's become if I dropped everything tomorrow to go on an adventure? In any case, we are all looking forward to discovering the rest of your trip with your dog and your next adventures. Sign us up for an upcoming interview.