HappyCavies
New Born Pup
Hello fellow guinea pig lovers! This is a guide/information post on travelling with guinea pigs on planes and trains in Europe, so read on to find out more!
(As there was so much to say and we couldn't cut anything out, this is split into 2 parts)
Last month (January 2018), we decided to adopt our two babies during our gap-year volunteering trip to Portugal: needless to say, the only issue was getting them home to the UK! After many hours researching any and methods of travel with pigs, we finally organised a safe - but long - journey back to the UK with our new additions to our little family.
After the stress and hassle of contacting countless companies looking to travel with piggies, we thought we would make this post in hopes that it might help others in a similar position
Please Note:
For context and reference, here are the many stages of travel we took - in total around 30 hours from very start to the piggies arriving in their new home! Lon-Lon and Scruffy were superstars for the entire trip - we were very proud guinea pig parents to say the least
*1 - unfortunately there were no direct flights from Portugal to Belgium that we could take
*2 - we chose to fly to Belgium as it was a much shorter drive to England than it would have been from Portugal, and chose not to fly direct to England as discussed later
Travel by Train
Most of the train companies we researched allowed pets (guineas included) to travel onboard their trains so long as they are not disturbing other passengers (by noise, smell, etc) and are kept inside a secure carrier. Of course, please double-check with the train company you intend to travel with.
Airline Companies
Long story short: there are very few airlines that allow guinea pigs on their flights, and most that do only carry them in the cargo/hold area.
Travelling with yours in the cabin (under the seat in front) versus them being kept in the hold/cargo area as checked baggage is one of the main things to consider. Whilst more airlines offer to transport guinea pigs in the hold/cargo area, after researching the two options we made the decision to only fly if our pigs would be in cabin with us - personally we did not want to take the risk of any potential mistreatment and felt it safer to have them on us at all times.
Furthermore, no airlines travelling to the UK allow any pet other than service/guide dogs to fly in cabin. This is the reason why we made the decision to fly to Belgium, and drive the rest of the way home to England (a much shorter and less expensive drive than if we drove all the way from Portugal!).
Luckily, after many hours searching and calling airline companies, we finally came across AirEuropa who allow guinea pigs, as well as other small animals, to fly in cabin! In accordance with their policy, our two babies were allowed to travel in the same carrier as they are familiar with one another for the small price of around €30. The only restrictions were the number of animals being transported per passenger and per aircraft, the weight of the piggies plus their carrier not exceeding 8kg and the carrier itself not being any bigger than 55x35x25 cm.
Here is their webpage on pet travel for further details: Passengers
Finally, despite guinea pigs being legally allowed to move freely between EU countries, in order to fly AirEuropa kindly reminded us that they needed official identification and documentation: a pet passport, microchip and a health certificate given by a qualified vet.
Vet Procedure
After booking our flights and train tickets, we booked a vet appointment as soon as we could!
Pet Passport: This was written out by the vet for each guinea pig during the appointment and contains all the piggies', owner's and vet's details. There's even an optional space for a cute picture of your piggy to stick in!
Microchip: For this our two were put under anaesthetic using a gas, as the vet explained it can be quite painful for their little bodies (we did not know going into the appointment this would happen and so trusted in the vet's decision, we don't know if that is how the procedure normally happens or if some vets put them under and some don't). Apart from Scruffy being sleepy for a minute after coming back to us, both guinea pigs seemed happy and unfazed. The microchip numbers were then written into the passport as well as stuck onto official registering papers.
Health Certificate: A basic health check to confirm they were fit to fly was performed (eyes, teeth, breathing, etc) and recorded into a dedicated section of the passport.
Extra: Although not stated as needed by the airline, the vet also gave them an anti-parasite and worming dose onto the backs of their necks, again recorded into the passport.
*Despite general pet requirements for flying stating a rabies vaccine is needed, guinea pigs do not!*
The total price for all of the above for both of our cavys came to just under €200 (not including the appointment fee as we were very lucky to receive a discount through the centre we volunteered for). However, prices may differ between individual veterinary surgeries.
END OF PART ONE
(As there was so much to say and we couldn't cut anything out, this is split into 2 parts)
Last month (January 2018), we decided to adopt our two babies during our gap-year volunteering trip to Portugal: needless to say, the only issue was getting them home to the UK! After many hours researching any and methods of travel with pigs, we finally organised a safe - but long - journey back to the UK with our new additions to our little family.
After the stress and hassle of contacting countless companies looking to travel with piggies, we thought we would make this post in hopes that it might help others in a similar position
Please Note:
- we made this journey early 2018, so for anyone reading this at a later point in time; keep in mind that things change! Any information may not be true anymore after some time.
- just like humans, every individual cavy may react very differently to travelling - especially those who are naturally nervous, who may not cope so well with the noises, changes in surrounding and the many unfamiliar humans they may encounter!
- also bear in mind that this information was true for our experience; each trainline, airline, airport and country has their own rules, guidelines and policies, so please check, check and double-check for a hassle-free journey for you and your piggies!
- this was an unnecessarily long route that we had to take for our two fluff babies - 30 hours for what would normally be a 3 hour direct flight. We understand it was a lot to put them through, and wouldn't have dreamt of doing so if the line between adopting and rescuing them wasn't so blurred. We felt between the long journey and being left in a place where they were not being looked after properly (eg. no unlimited hay), we chose the better option.
- many parts of what we have said below only applies to guinea pigs flying in cabin. Different procedures and information apply when they are going to be travelling in cargo/hold as checked baggage.
Our Journey- just like humans, every individual cavy may react very differently to travelling - especially those who are naturally nervous, who may not cope so well with the noises, changes in surrounding and the many unfamiliar humans they may encounter!
- also bear in mind that this information was true for our experience; each trainline, airline, airport and country has their own rules, guidelines and policies, so please check, check and double-check for a hassle-free journey for you and your piggies!
- this was an unnecessarily long route that we had to take for our two fluff babies - 30 hours for what would normally be a 3 hour direct flight. We understand it was a lot to put them through, and wouldn't have dreamt of doing so if the line between adopting and rescuing them wasn't so blurred. We felt between the long journey and being left in a place where they were not being looked after properly (eg. no unlimited hay), we chose the better option.
- many parts of what we have said below only applies to guinea pigs flying in cabin. Different procedures and information apply when they are going to be travelling in cargo/hold as checked baggage.
For context and reference, here are the many stages of travel we took - in total around 30 hours from very start to the piggies arriving in their new home! Lon-Lon and Scruffy were superstars for the entire trip - we were very proud guinea pig parents to say the least
- 15 minute car journey to the train station
- 3 hour train drive to the airport in Portugal
- 12 hour (overnight) wait at the airport for our flight the next morning - obviously given the choice we would have avoided this, or opted for a pet-friendly hotel
- 1 hour flight from Portugal to Madrid (*1)
- 1 hour layover in Madrid
- 3 hour flight from Madrid to Belgium (*2)
- 4 hour drive from Belgium, across the Eurotunnel, home to England
*1 - unfortunately there were no direct flights from Portugal to Belgium that we could take
*2 - we chose to fly to Belgium as it was a much shorter drive to England than it would have been from Portugal, and chose not to fly direct to England as discussed later
Travel by Train
Most of the train companies we researched allowed pets (guineas included) to travel onboard their trains so long as they are not disturbing other passengers (by noise, smell, etc) and are kept inside a secure carrier. Of course, please double-check with the train company you intend to travel with.
Airline Companies
Long story short: there are very few airlines that allow guinea pigs on their flights, and most that do only carry them in the cargo/hold area.
Travelling with yours in the cabin (under the seat in front) versus them being kept in the hold/cargo area as checked baggage is one of the main things to consider. Whilst more airlines offer to transport guinea pigs in the hold/cargo area, after researching the two options we made the decision to only fly if our pigs would be in cabin with us - personally we did not want to take the risk of any potential mistreatment and felt it safer to have them on us at all times.
Furthermore, no airlines travelling to the UK allow any pet other than service/guide dogs to fly in cabin. This is the reason why we made the decision to fly to Belgium, and drive the rest of the way home to England (a much shorter and less expensive drive than if we drove all the way from Portugal!).
Luckily, after many hours searching and calling airline companies, we finally came across AirEuropa who allow guinea pigs, as well as other small animals, to fly in cabin! In accordance with their policy, our two babies were allowed to travel in the same carrier as they are familiar with one another for the small price of around €30. The only restrictions were the number of animals being transported per passenger and per aircraft, the weight of the piggies plus their carrier not exceeding 8kg and the carrier itself not being any bigger than 55x35x25 cm.
Here is their webpage on pet travel for further details: Passengers
Finally, despite guinea pigs being legally allowed to move freely between EU countries, in order to fly AirEuropa kindly reminded us that they needed official identification and documentation: a pet passport, microchip and a health certificate given by a qualified vet.
Vet Procedure
After booking our flights and train tickets, we booked a vet appointment as soon as we could!
Pet Passport: This was written out by the vet for each guinea pig during the appointment and contains all the piggies', owner's and vet's details. There's even an optional space for a cute picture of your piggy to stick in!
Microchip: For this our two were put under anaesthetic using a gas, as the vet explained it can be quite painful for their little bodies (we did not know going into the appointment this would happen and so trusted in the vet's decision, we don't know if that is how the procedure normally happens or if some vets put them under and some don't). Apart from Scruffy being sleepy for a minute after coming back to us, both guinea pigs seemed happy and unfazed. The microchip numbers were then written into the passport as well as stuck onto official registering papers.
Health Certificate: A basic health check to confirm they were fit to fly was performed (eyes, teeth, breathing, etc) and recorded into a dedicated section of the passport.
Extra: Although not stated as needed by the airline, the vet also gave them an anti-parasite and worming dose onto the backs of their necks, again recorded into the passport.
*Despite general pet requirements for flying stating a rabies vaccine is needed, guinea pigs do not!*
The total price for all of the above for both of our cavys came to just under €200 (not including the appointment fee as we were very lucky to receive a discount through the centre we volunteered for). However, prices may differ between individual veterinary surgeries.
END OF PART ONE