International dog travel is changing – for the better
A new book, canine aviation news and the return of pet passports
It’s been a good week for dog travel this week – and not just because I’ve been swanning about the Isle of Arran in Scotland in the sunshine with Arty. While we’ve been forging our way forward on the footpaths of Ayrshire’s coast and islands, two pieces of excellent news arrived in the last week.
Italy is leading the way in canine aviation
The first in Italy, where the government has relaxed the rules on flying with animals in the cabin of a plane. They were already allowed on board, but only small dogs in carriers were permitted and weight limits were prohibitive for anything more than a Jack Russell Terrier. Now, it’s legal for airlines to permit larger dogs to join you at your seat. For any dogs over 8kg (17.5lbs), this is an exciting prospect — as long as they can fit inside a carrier that can be fixed to the seat next to you.
Of course, those of us based in the UK still can’t fly with any pet in the cabin due to the CAA’s incredibly limiting rules (to whom do we speak to get this changed?!). But this bodes well for the future of canine aviation. In the coming years, perhaps we’ll see the rules relaxing more elsewhere, and maybe one day we will be able to fly from the continent with our Labradors, lurchers and Leonbergers all the way to the USA and beyond. I hope so. We all know how a dog on the tube in London elevates a morning commute, so surely dogs in the sky would only serve to cheer up disgruntled and nervous passengers?
UK pet passports to return
The second piece of good news came just yesterday, as the UK government struck a new trade deal with the European Union and agreed that pet passports will return. This means no more pricey animal health certificates – just one document valid for life, as long as their rabies vaccinations remain up to date. There’s very little detail made public on this so far, so there’s no information on whether we’ll still need to have a worming tablet administered by a vet and paperwork signed in the five days before arriving back in the UK, but for now, it signals much smoother summer holidays for everyone who fancies a jaunt in France, Spain or dog-loving Italy.
Cover reveal: Dog-Friendly Europe
And all of this is extra good news to me, as I am now able to share with you the cover for my next book – Dog-Friendly Europe. You’ll recognise its cover star, who is lying down in a plush field of wildflowers on a mountain somewhere in Alta Badia, Italy.
Publishing in March 2026, by the time this hits the shelves, our pet passports should be in full swing and the continent will be your oyster. The book, not yet available for pre-order (stay subscribed here to get the news when it is), has beach breaks, mountain escapes, long walks, museums, wineries, boat trips and a jaunt to Europe’s highest train station. Each chapter covers a different destination, from a city break in Venice to the châteaux of the Loire valley, with my personal recommendations on things to do, walks, where to stay and – importantly – what to order for dinner with the dog.
Dog-Friendly Europe: Epic Adventures for Your and Your Hound is published by Conway (Bloomsbury) and will be released in March 2026.