What goes into the Hundereise suitcase?

A holiday with your dog takes careful planning. Aside from having to find the right accommodation first, you don't want to forget a thing for your four-legged travel companion — or for yourself.

Having completed quite a few Hundereisen by now, we know the feeling well. There's always something missing…

To get around that problem, I put together a packing list of the most important basics a while back. Today I'm sharing it with you to make holiday prep a little easier.

The list for the dog

The essentials

There are a few items that must never be missing on any holiday and that you simply need for your dog. These include the following:

  • Harness or collar
  • Lead (standard lead, long line, flexi-lead — whatever you normally use)
  • Pet passport
  • Muzzle (because on holiday you might take a cable car, travel by boat, or it may be required by law in certain places)
  • Food (enough of whatever you normally feed — we usually bring a little extra, since our hikes and day trips burn more energy than usual)
  • Bowls for water & food (we also pack a spoon and kitchen roll — we come prepared)
  • Treats / biscuits
  • Poo bags — better to have them than not…
  • First-aid kit + any medication needed
  • Dog bed

The optional extras

And then there are things that not every dog needs, or that are only needed at certain times of year. I'd put the following in the extras category:

  • Dog towels (in autumn/winter for muddy paws, in summer after a swim — maybe these should go in the essentials after all)
  • Life jacket (definitely optional, if needed)
  • Coat and/or snood (for the cold-sensitive furry ones)
  • Dog (travel) blanket (for restaurant visits, hiking breaks, etc.)
  • Toys (absolutely essential for the Frenchies, pretty irrelevant for the Galgos)
  • Collapsible bowl and water bottle (for hiking)

When you're travelling with four or five dogs in total, the luggage really does add up. You either need a very large car, a trailer, or a roof box. Martina invested in the latter last year, which meant we could visit the Nürnberg area in just one car.

Let's not forget the two-legged travellers either

Packing list for you + me

And to make life easier, here's the section for us two-legged folk as well. This list naturally depends on the type of holiday (summer, winter, hiking, etc.) and on your own personal needs (such as glasses, make-up, and so on).

I have to admit, the list below is probably more geared towards the ladies ;) But all the fundamental essentials are covered:

  • Backpack (+ small penknife, + small wallet) + handbag
  • Hiking boots
  • Shoes
  • Flip-flops
  • Wellies
  • Rain jacket
  • Hiking trousers
  • Jeans + trousers
  • Jumpers, shirts, long- and short-sleeved
  • Underwear
  • Socks
  • Loungewear/pyjamas
  • Swimwear
  • Scarf + hat + gloves
  • Toiletries
  • Glasses/contact lenses
  • Blister plasters + a small pharmacy kit
  • Hair accessories
  • Make-up
  • Jewellery
  • Camera, laptop
  • Batteries + chargers
  • Books

A little bonus for you to download

Just tick it off. With space for your destination and length of stay.

The packing list for a holiday with your dog

Further travel preparations

The journey is the destination. If you have a longer drive ahead, it's worth familiarising yourself with the route beforehand and planning in some rest stops. When we set off on a longer car journey, we make sure there's enough water on board (for the Frenchies) and some yoghurt drink (for the Galgos). Since our dogs travel well in the car, we also offer them a little food during walkies breaks to keep their energy up.

Different countries, different rules. If you're crossing borders with your dogs, different laws will most likely apply. Make sure you look into the entry requirements of your destination country well ahead of your holiday so you're up to date on vaccinations and everything that goes with them.

Just in case. To be on the safe side, it's worth looking up the phone numbers of vets in the area in advance and jotting them down. Ever since Archy and the epilepsy fairy moved in with us, being well prepared gives me a real sense of security ;)

We hope you enjoyed our packing list and travel tips — and that you're already looking forward to your next holiday together!