Can I leave the dog alone in the room while I go out to dinner?

It depends on the place, and it must be checked before booking. Many forbid leaving the animal alone in the room, or allow it only if it stays in the crate, precisely because an animal left alone barking or causing damage is the most common cause of complaints. Even where it is allowed, leaving a dog that is not used to absence alone is a bad idea: the skill must be built at home first, with short alone sessions, not improvised on holiday.

The cat travels worse than the dog, is it still worth bringing?

Many cats experience the move and the new place with more stress than a dog, because they are attached to territory more than to people. For short stays, a pet sitter at home or a trusted person is often the kinder choice for the cat. If you do bring it, reduce the space to one room, bring the litter and familiar objects and give it time. In any case it is worth weighing case by case, because not all cats react the same way.

What documents do I need for a stay?

For a stay you should carry the up to date health booklet and the microchip number, in paper and digital copy. If the trip crosses a border the rules change and specific documents are needed, such as a passport and vaccinations with precise timing, which must be checked for the destination country with the competent authorities well in advance. Do not assume that one country's rules apply to another.

How do I stop the animal ruining the furniture?

The most effective counter move is to bring its own objects and protect the furniture: a washable cover on the sofa or bed, the bed in a defined corner and a portable scratcher for the cat give the animal a surface of its own to use. An animal with somewhere to rest, scratch and play ruins far less than one left to make do with what it finds. Collecting hair and checking for damage before leaving completes the job.

What do I do if the animal falls ill away from home?

This is why you find the contact of a nearby clinic and an out of hours facility before leaving, not during the emergency. Keep the exact address of the place written down, because in an unfamiliar location you may not be able to say it on the phone. If worrying signs appear, call the clinic and describe the situation with a few objective figures. A remote call does not replace an in person visit, but a contact found in advance saves precious time.

Travelling with pets40 minLevel: BeginnerUpdated on July 27, 2026

Preparing a stay in a pet friendly place

What to check before booking, what to pack, how to set up the room on arrival and how to leave the place undamaged: the guide to a stay with your animal.

Audience: Pet owners
Species: Dog, Cat
Scope: Valid everywhere

What you need before you start

La conferma scritta della struttura che gli animali sono ammessi, con eventuali limiti di taglia, numero e costi aggiuntivi
I documenti sanitari dell'animale aggiornati e il numero di microchip, in copia cartacea e digitale
Il recapito di una clinica veterinaria vicino all'alloggio e di una struttura aperta di notte nella zona
Gli oggetti familiari dell'animale, cioè cuccia, ciotole, cibo abituale e un paio di giochi già usati

Pet friendly on a listing does not mean the same thing everywhere: for one place it means a small dog allowed in a room, for another a fenced garden and bowls ready. The difference between a relaxed holiday and two days of tension is decided almost entirely before departure, in the questions you ask the place and the items you pack. An animal in a new place looks for familiar reference points, and bringing them is what lets it relax quickly. This guide is not about transport, which deserves a chapter of its own, but about everything else: what to ask before booking, what to bring, how to turn an unknown room into a recognisable space in minutes, and how to leave the place with no damage or arguments when it is time to go.

What to check before booking

Almost every problem on holiday with an animal comes from a pet friendly taken for granted rather than checked. Before you pay, ask in writing for the real conditions: many places accept animals with size or number limits, extra charges, off limits areas or a rule against leaving them alone in the room. Better to find out from your screen at home than at reception with the animal on the lead and the suitcase in hand.

Size, number and species allowed: a second animal or a large size can change availability.
Extra charge for the animal and any deposit, so there is no surprise on the final bill.
Off limits areas: some places exclude the restaurant, pool or certain rooms, and it is better to know first.
Rule on being left alone: many places forbid leaving the animal alone in the room, or allow it only in the crate.
Presence of fencing, green spaces and surfaces, which completely change how a dog is managed.
Proximity of a veterinary clinic and an out of hours facility, information to have before rather than during an emergency.

What to pack for the animal

The animal's bag is not a smaller version of yours: it follows a different logic, made of familiar objects and documents. The familiar objects rebuild a recognisable environment, the documents matter if something goes wrong. The table splits what you bring by category, so you can check you have not forgotten a whole function.

What to bring, split by function
Category	Contents	Why it helps
Familiar objects	Bed, used blanket, a couple of the animal's own toys	The smell of home reassures in a new place
Food and water	Usual food in enough quantity, bowls, water for the first days	A change of diet and water on a trip causes upsets
Documents	Health booklet or passport, microchip number, your clinic contacts	Needed in case of a check or an emergency
Hygiene	Bags, litter and scoop for the cat, wipes, a paw towel	Keeps the place clean and avoids disputes
Safety	Spare lead, harness, tag with a contact, first aid kit	In an unknown place the risk of escape rises
Cat comfort	Known litter tray, portable scratcher, a covered hide	The cat needs height and somewhere to hide

Setting up the room in six steps on arrival

Do a safety round before releasing the animal
As soon as you enter, with the animal still on the lead or in the crate, check windows, balconies, gaps in the fence, cleaning products left about and plants you do not know. A new place hides risks you have already removed at home: spotting them first is easier than chasing a problem later.
Set the rest spot straight away
Put the bed and the blanket from home in a quiet corner, away from the door and the traffic. That spot becomes the animal's refuge in the room, the anchor it returns to when something unsettles it. Choosing it yourself in the first minute stops the animal choosing it where you do not want.
Place bowls and litter in the right spots
Water and food in a stable place, away from the rest zone. For the cat, the litter goes in a quiet, secluded spot, never next to the bowls. Use the litter the cat already knows, because a new tray or different substrate can be enough to make it avoid using it.
Let it explore calmly, without rushing
Give the animal time to sniff the room at its own pace, without pushing or chasing it. The cat in particular should be let out of the crate on its own and may want a single room at first. Forced exploration stretches adjustment out rather than shortening it.
Reproduce home times from the first day
Meals, outings and rest at the usual times, even on holiday. The predictability of the times is what tells the animal that, new as the place is, the rules are the same. It is the fastest way to make it relax in an unfamiliar setting.
Keep the useful contacts in view
Write down or keep to hand the exact address of the place, the nearby clinic's contact and the out of hours facility's. In a place you do not know, in an emergency you cannot even say where you are: having the address written saves precious minutes.

Managing the stay day by day

Once the room is set up, the stay rests on a few rules of coexistence with the place and with the animal. The central theme is one: do not let the animal become a problem for other guests or for the property, because that is how the bans arise that later fall on all travellers with animals.

Typical stay situations and how to handle them
Situation	How to handle it	Why
You have to go out without the animal	Check the place's rule, do not leave it if not allowed	An animal left alone barking disturbs and causes damage
The dog barks in the room	Short alone sessions built before the trip	The problem is prevented at home, not solved on holiday
Meeting other animals at the place	Short lead and gradual introductions, never forced	A new place raises tension between animals
Common areas and restaurant	Respect off limits areas and keep the dog close	Common rules protect your stay too
Heat in the room or the car	Never leave the animal in a parked car, mind the air conditioning	Heatstroke on a trip is a real risk
The cat hides and will not come out	Reduce the space to one room and give time	The cat settles by degrees, not on command

Leaving with no damage or surprises

The moment of departure decides whether that place stays pet friendly for whoever comes after you. Leaving the place clean and intact is not only courtesy: it is what keeps the doors open to other travellers with animals. This checklist closes the stay with no disputes.

Collect the hair from sofas, beds and rugs: a lint roller or a cover taken off in time makes the difference.
Check there is no damage to report yourself first, before the place finds it.
Empty and take away the litter and the bags, without leaving them in the room bins.
Make sure you do not forget the bed, toys and bowls, which the animal will find useful on the next trip.
Do a last round of the outdoor spaces to pick up the dog's waste.
Thank the place and, if the stay went well, say so: a positive review helps keep that place open to animals.

Frequently asked questions

Can I leave the dog alone in the room while I go out to dinner?: It depends on the place, and it must be checked before booking. Many forbid leaving the animal alone in the room, or allow it only if it stays in the crate, precisely because an animal left alone barking or causing damage is the most common cause of complaints. Even where it is allowed, leaving a dog that is not used to absence alone is a bad idea: the skill must be built at home first, with short alone sessions, not improvised on holiday.
The cat travels worse than the dog, is it still worth bringing?: Many cats experience the move and the new place with more stress than a dog, because they are attached to territory more than to people. For short stays, a pet sitter at home or a trusted person is often the kinder choice for the cat. If you do bring it, reduce the space to one room, bring the litter and familiar objects and give it time. In any case it is worth weighing case by case, because not all cats react the same way.
What documents do I need for a stay?: For a stay you should carry the up to date health booklet and the microchip number, in paper and digital copy. If the trip crosses a border the rules change and specific documents are needed, such as a passport and vaccinations with precise timing, which must be checked for the destination country with the competent authorities well in advance. Do not assume that one country's rules apply to another.
How do I stop the animal ruining the furniture?: The most effective counter move is to bring its own objects and protect the furniture: a washable cover on the sofa or bed, the bed in a defined corner and a portable scratcher for the cat give the animal a surface of its own to use. An animal with somewhere to rest, scratch and play ruins far less than one left to make do with what it finds. Collecting hair and checking for damage before leaving completes the job.
What do I do if the animal falls ill away from home?: This is why you find the contact of a nearby clinic and an out of hours facility before leaving, not during the emergency. Keep the exact address of the place written down, because in an unfamiliar location you may not be able to say it on the phone. If worrying signs appear, call the clinic and describe the situation with a few objective figures. A remote call does not replace an in person visit, but a contact found in advance saves precious time.

What to do next

Before booking, get written confirmation of animals allowed, costs and rules, and find a nearby clinic. Pack familiar objects, usual food, documents and a cover for the furniture. On arrival do a safety round, set rest, bowls and litter straight away and resume home times. On leaving collect hair and waste and leave the place intact, so it stays open to whoever comes after you.