Advice on moving to Italy with my guinea pig

Ketoprofene17

Ketoprofene17

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Hi all,

I apologise in advance for the long post, but I'm trying to collect as much feedback/advice as possible before planning my move for good. I'll be moving back to Italy in a few days, my guinea pig will be staying here with my girlfriend for a couple of months, while I sort out a few things over there.

Guanciale is a 20 months old healthy boar, who's just been castrated in preparation for us to get him a female companion when we're settled down in Italy. I received some traveling advice by Stephanie at Clent Hills (Guanciale's usual vet) and by the vet at the Cat and Rabbit clinic in Northampton (where I took him to get castrated). Stephanie seemed to think flying would be fine, whilst in Northampton I got told flying may cause some pressure-related problems and they recommended car or train, based on some of their customers' feedback.

I did some research to try and figure out the best way to get him to travel as quickly and comfortably as possible. Cost is not necessarily the most important variable, unless the journey turns out to be crazy expensive. Here are the highlights of the options I have investigated so far:
  1. Flying: The only airline that would let me take him with me in the cabin is Iberia. I don't think I'd consider putting him in the hold, it could get cold and terrifying (correct me if I'm wrong please). The overall journey would be: Birmingham to Heathrow by car -> Heathrow to Madrid by plane -> 2h layover in Madrid -> Madrid to Rome by plane -> 20 mins drive home. Overall estimated duration: 14 hours . Overall cost: around £350 for me and him together. This is by far the quickest option, but, as mentioned above, I am worried that pressure-related and/or dehydration issues may arise.
  2. Train: The overall journey would be: Birmingham to London by train/car -> London to Paris train -> short stop in Paris -> Paris to Milan train -> Milan to Rome train. Overall estimated duration: 21 hours . Overall cost: around £300 for me and him together. This option is still relatively quick. The part I'm worried the most about is the Channel crossing, as I'm not too sure what the pressure is like down there. Also, I personally struggle with ear pain when trains enter tunnels, so I'm not sure how well Guanciale would cope with that.
  3. Coach: The overall journey would be: Birmingham to London by train/car -> London to Paris coach -> 3h stop in Paris -> Paris to Rome coach. Overall estimated duration: 33 hours. Overall cost: around £100 for me and him together. This is the option that'd take the most time, but it'd avoid any pressure-related issues/ear problems. The question on whether the journey is too long for him to stay in a little carry-on bag still stands.
  4. Car: The last option would be for me to buy a car (I don't own one at the moment), travel with him down to Italy and then sell the car once down there. Overall estimated duration: 30 hours (22 hours drive and an 8 hour break in between). Overall cost: unknown for now. I considered renting a car/van and dropping it off in Italy, but it would be too expensive (£1500 just for the 2 days rental + petrol and tolls).
Please feel free to add anything/any other traveling option I may have forgotten or to give me your opinion, that's all I'm after. Also, if anyone genuinely thinks that this would be too much stress for him to cope with, please feel free to tell me. I would absolutely hate to give him out for adoption, but the last thing I'd want is for him to suffer too much or even not make it to Italy with me. The vet at the Cat and Rabbit clinic told me guinea pigs are actually good with traveling compared to dogs and cats, but I'm after any possible advice.

Thanks in advance to everyone!
Paolo
 
I have flown with guinea pigs before (Heathrow to Zurich - direct flight), and if you can take them as hand luggage this is by far the easiest and least stressful option for everyone involved.

I have also flown the same route with both rabbits and dogs as checked baggage (cargo), and can confirm that if you book an animals as cargo they will travel in a separate hold that has both heating and light (dim). They will not be cold - the temperature is controlled and monitored for the duration of the flight.
However you do need to check them in early and they do wait in a cargo holding area beforehand, and this can be open, loud and drafty depending on the time of year, so that is something to consider. I imagine this could be quite stressful for a guinea pig.
Personally if you can get a carrier to fit under the seat in front (the airline will advise on dimensions) then I would try and take him as hand luggage if at all possible.

The train would also be an excellent option as you can keep him with you (in his carrier) the entire time. Pressure is no bigger issue on the channel tunnel than any other tunnel.

For both the train and plane dehydration is not an issue, as you simply need to pack a small snack box with cucumber slices, apple pieces, and some lettuce leaves. You can then put these through the carrier bars into his cage at different times throughout the journey. These will not be a problem going through airport security.

Hopefully some of this is helpful, and personally if he will have a long and happy life with you (which it sounds like he will) I don't think travelling for a day would be a problem. If you prepare well in advance (which clearly you are) then it should go smoothly and will be worth it in the end.
 
Swissgreys said:
I have flown with guinea pigs before (Heathrow to Zurich - direct flight), and if you can take them as hand luggage this is by far the easiest and least stressful option for everyone involved.

I have also flown the same route with both rabbits and dogs as checked baggage (cargo), and can confirm that if you book an animals as cargo they will travel in a separate hold that has both heating and light (dim). They will not be cold - the temperature is controlled and monitored for the duration of the flight.
However you do need to check them in early and they do wait in a cargo holding area beforehand, and this can be open, loud and drafty depending on the time of year, so that is something to consider. I imagine this could be quite stressful for a guinea pig.
Personally if you can get a carrier to fit under the seat in front (the airline will advise on dimensions) then I would try and take him as hand luggage if at all possible.

The train would also be an excellent option as you can keep him with you (in his carrier) the entire time. Pressure is no bigger issue on the channel tunnel than any other tunnel.

For both the train and plane dehydration is not an issue, as you simply need to pack a small snack box with cucumber slices, apple pieces, and some lettuce leaves. You can then put these through the carrier bars into his cage at different times throughout the journey. These will not be a problem going through airport security.

Hopefully some of this is helpful, and personally if he will have a long and happy life with you (which it sounds like he will) I don't think travelling for a day would be a problem. If you prepare well in advance (which clearly you are) then it should go smoothly and will be worth it in the end.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replying , I keep not getting notified of replies to the threads so I thought nobody answered after my last post! :no:

After some careful consideration, I have ruled out coach and car journeys and I'm now left to decide between train and plane. I understand you've flown once, I am just a bit worried about doubling that up, as there'd be no direct flight for me.

The train journey would be longer but it may be easier on Guanciale? I traveled with him by train before but only for a couple of hours on a "slow" train.

What would you say is the "best" option between the two? Aka, what would you go for if it was your guinea pig you were transporting?

Thanks in advance!
 
Ketoprofene17 said:
Thanks for replying , I keep not getting notified of replies to the threads so I thought nobody answered after my last post! :no:

After some careful consideration, I have ruled out coach and car journeys and I'm now left to decide between train and plane. I understand you've flown once, I am just a bit worried about doubling that up, as there'd be no direct flight for me.

The train journey would be longer but it may be easier on Guanciale? I traveled with him by train before but only for a couple of hours on a "slow" train.

What would you say is the "best" option between the two? Aka, what would you go for if it was your guinea pig you were transporting?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
It is good you have narrowed the choices down.
For what it is worth I think you have made a good decision so far.

One thing to consider is the time of year you will be traveling.

If you are traveling at a time of year when the temperatures are pretty stable Spring/Autumn/early Summer then train could be a good choice.
The downside of the train is that they can be nosier with more stops, and people coming and going and moving around a lot. Also you need to think about what space would be available for his carrier - would it be under a seat or in a luggage rack? If so this might result in it being bumped around with people moving luggage in and out and a constant stream of people walking past.
Plus last time I went on the train to Milan (without animals) the air conditioning on the train malfunctioned and this made for a long, hot 3 hour ride. Just something to think about.

The advantage of flying is that the whole thing is temperature controlled, and once you are in your seat and his carrier is stowed, it will be pretty quiet with minimal movement around to stress him out. If you get a window seat (my most hated place on a plane, but the best if you have animals in a carrier) he won't be disturbed and will be well out of the way.

So my personal pick would still be flying.
I was always astonished at how well all of my animals coped with flying, and others I spoke to had the same expereince - the continual hum and gentle vibration of the plane is very soothing, and even my super nervous dogs ended up sleeping for most of the journey.
 
If it helps, I always have ear pressure issues on flights, no matter how short. I’ve never had pressure issues on the tunnel and I travel that regularly, as recent as the past weekend.
 
Swissgreys said:
I have flown with guinea pigs before (Heathrow to Zurich - direct flight), and if you can take them as hand luggage this is by far the easiest and least stressful option for everyone involved.
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Which airline did you fly with? I haven't been able to find an airline that will allow my piggie as carry on yet.
 
Quick update for all of those who were so kind to reply.

Alitalia won't fly him, even though they initially said they would. I suspect the same will happen for the Iberia flights mentioned in my first post. I also rang up a pet traveling company who said it'd cost me around £1000 and warned me about the risks associated with flying a small animal in the hold.

At this point I'm not sure flying is an option at all.
Train isn't an option either, as the Eurostar won't allow pets on board.
Same for Flixbus, the only coach company I know of that crosses the UK-Europe "border".

I am honestly running out of options and I'm getting very frustrated and disheartened as it seems like I have no way to take him with me.
 
Alitalia said they would? So why the backtrack all of a sudden? I suspect it may depend on who you talk to...
 
Aw, this is a nightmare for you. Have you thought about the Hull to Rotterdam ferry. They take animals with foot passengers, then a train to Italy? I know it’s going to be a huge journey but that might work. It is overnight, but you can check on your pets, they are put into secure air conditioned cages for the journey. Worth giving them a call. Good luck!

89DB51A8-E385-4441-BC29-4BE735A0D7DA.webp
 
@HeatherW yes, I suspect it does. They first said they'd have to put in a formal request as guinea pigs aren't in the list of allowed animals, but when I called again today they said they just can't transport them and that's it. I'll give it another go on another day to see if I can get to talk to someone "kinder".

@Bill & Ted I think in case I end up driving, I'd have to take a ferry anyway, in which case I'd probably go for the P&O Dover-Calais journey, which would be more "on the way". The problem of not owning a car still exists, but could be overcome in some ways.

This is becoming way harder than I initially thought I'd be. Someone told me to give him out for adoption, which is terrifying, but I'm starting to run out of ideas.
 
Ketoprofene17 said:
@HeatherW yes, I suspect it does. They first said they'd have to put in a formal request as guinea pigs aren't in the list of allowed animals, but when I called again today they said they just can't transport them and that's it. I'll give it another go on another day to see if I can get to talk to someone "kinder".

@Bill & Ted I think in case I end up driving, I'd have to take a ferry anyway, in which case I'd probably go for the P&O Dover-Calais journey, which would be more "on the way". The problem of not owning a car still exists, but could be overcome in some ways.

This is becoming way harder than I initially thought I'd be. Someone told me to give him out for adoption, which is terrifying, but I'm starting to run out of ideas.
Click to expand...
Oh, please don’t give up, if you could buy a car and travel over to Calais, that sounds the best bet. I regularly travel with my guinea pigs Bill and Ted nearly 400 miles in one day and they are fine. As long as they are kept cool and have plenty to eat, we don’t put them in pet carriers though, we leave them in an indoor cage and secure it.
 
I wouldn't put him in a carrier in case I decided to drive, I have an indoor cage that'd work perfectly for traveling. I looked into renting a car one way and got a quote of £1500 for 2 days rental (!), plus an estimated £350 for petrol and tolls. Buying a car wouldn't be the cheapest option either of course. Overall, I am quite lost, not gonna lie.
 
Remember that there will always be options, but everyone has a limit to what they can do, and it is ok to be realistic.
You have clearly tried a lot of things, which so far don't seem to be working out for various reasons.

Firstly I would revisit the car rental option.
I think what you have been quoted is frankly insane.
Start with Auto Europe - they do very reasonable one way rentals, starting at around 70 - 80 pounds a day from well known companies like Europe car.
https://www.autoeurope.co.uk
I did a quick check on a 2 day rental from Calais to Florence, and the total cost was less than 200 pounds for a mid sized vehicle.
Depending on your route I really can't see any way that petrol and tolls will cost anywhere near 350 pounds.
Petrol for our family car from Zurich to Calais costs us in the region of 70 Euros.
Petrol from Zurich to mid Italy costs slightly less if you use the San Bernadino (Gotthard is more expensive becasue of the traffic).
Tolls for both trips would be no more than 50 Euros, which gives a total of less than 200 Euros, and would naturally be even cheaper in a smaller car.
Try and hire a diesel if you can.

Pick up your rental car in Calais (get there on the Dover/Calais ferry - it's cheap, a short crossing, and pets are allowed). This will reduce the costs dramatically as you are not taking a right hand drive car to Europe, which is a pain for the car hire companies becasue no one will rent it when you drop it off in Italy. This may be the reason for the ridiculously high original quote, because the car hire company need to get it back to the UK for it to be rented again)

I would also continue to hassle the airlines, take names and ask to speak to the manager/duty manager.
But there may come a point where it simply is not viable to bring him with you to Italy.
There is no shame in admitting that something is not going to work out once you explored all of the options

Depending on where you are based now might be the time to look into local rescues and have a word with them about the possibility of placing your boy in another home. You certainly don't have to decide anything either way, but it could be another option to explore and a way to make sure that you have considered the reality of what will happen if he can't go with you.
 
@Swissgreys I may be thick but I had checked on that website already and nothing came up. I just checked again and this came up, both for Florence and Rome as destinations.
111007

Any idea why it could be coming up with something on your end and not on mine?
 
No idea - when I search on the exact same dates I get a few options (more for mid week rentals around the same time, but I still get results).
Maybe try clearing you cache, or looking on another device?

If all else fails you can always call them.

Cars.webp
 
It might be becasue you are searching on less than 2 days of car hire (you are dropping off 30 minutes before it ticks over into Day 2).
Try leaving pick up and drop off times the same.
 
I just rang them up and the quote was £50 for the rental + £450 for the drop-off fee. That's still quite steep considering petrol and tolls to be added onto that.
 
How would you be getting there if you didn’t have the piggies, would you be flying with luggage? Does it make a huge difference in price?
 
Yeah, it'd be a straight forward direct flight with Jet2 (who obviously don't allow pets on board) for more or less £100, with a bag included. :no:
 
What a logistical nightmare for you.. I do hope you find a solution soon.. shows how much you love your piggy x
 
I haven’t decided yet, but for now the most likely option is to have a friend/relative/someone drive him to Calais and then I’ll do the rest of the journey by train. Not very straightforward, but at this point it seems to be the only doable option.
 
It’s ironic to think that something as large as a cat or dog is usually no issue for airlines but when you ask about a guinea pig you are suddenly enquiring about some airbus sized alien creature with poison tipped fangs and a machine gun backside.

Why do they make it so had to travel with SMALL pets?
 
Perhaps you could dress him up as an “emotional support peacock”?

But joking aside I really hope you manage to find an affordable solution.
 
It's not even a matter of size unfortunately. I was told by 2 airlines that hamsters, rabbits and ferrets are allowed. The only pets falling in this "vacuum" are guinea pigs and chinchillas. It flabbergasts me, but there isn't much I can do about it.
 
What flabbergasts me is how many people must be flying with hamsters for that to even be on their lists. Of all the pets I imagine people moving county/ taking on vacation with, a hamster was not something that sprang to my mind.
 
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