Jerseygirl

We crossed the Atlantic last January in a force 12 gale/violent storm. The QM hardly moved. It is not a cruise ship but an ocean liner. I dread to think what the crossing would have been like on a cruise ship.

My concern would be the drive to Canada. As I stated earlier I would fly. Most dog owners are extremely worried about their dog but the dogs are just fine. What breed are they? Are they highly strung/nervous?

Siouxie

If you are considering moving to Vancouver then driving from New York in December with 3 dogs would be somewhat foolhardy, in my opinion. The journey would be horrendous, minus 30c at times, heavy snow storms, roads closed (particularly when you get towards or into BC, unless you were considering driving across the US and then up) - a trip across Canada is one to do in late Spring to Autumn, not one to risk in mid winter - and with animals that would need to be restrained in a vehicle for days on end.. presuming you could find motels that would permit you to have them indoors with you (the majority don't and those that do will only permit 2 dogs and they have to be crated and not left alone at any time).

What breeds are they - have you checked they are allowed into Canada / BC / Ontario and all the other Provinces you would need to drive through? Each may have a different ruling about specific breeds.

Sorry, don't mean to interfere with your plans.. just voicing my concerns.. do feel free to ignore me..

Jerseygirl

Vancouver....drive from NY...at anytime of the year with 3 dogs...but winter...are you serious?

Hel2979

we have a cockapoo, jackapoo and jack Russel cross. 1 is terrified of her shadow, 1 is very nervous and 1 is pretty mellow.

so you'd suggest a flight from NY to Canada or a flight from UK to Canada? The drive concerns me! My husband thinks it will be fine, but that's just blind ignorance leading his opinion!

Jerseygirl

The flight from NYC to Vancouver takes approx 6 hours. There could well be delays due to the winter weather in NYC. You would need to check with the airlines if they will transport dogs in the hold in winter. You should be able to take 1 per person in the cabin. There are restrictions to the number of pets in the cabin per flight.

From London to Vancouver it takes 9/10 hrs direct.

I would fly direct from London but quite frankly I would be worried about the nervous dog/s.

When we moved to the US 22 years ago we had 2 dobermans. One was highly strung, the vet recommended that she didn’t travel in the hold of a plane. We looked at various options...even hiring a private plane. In the end we decided to leave them both with the breeder as we intended to return after 1 year.

Hel2979

The nervous nature of our dogs worries us with flying! But like you say the time of year also need to be taken into account. We have had all 3 from pups....1 is 8 and a half, 1 is 7 and a half and the youngest is 3 and a half. They are well and truly part of the family so leaving them is not an option.....we just need to figure out what is the best option!
out if interest.....how much was a private plane?

Siouxie

Here's a thought. Pay for an adult friend to take the flight with you - and provided your dogs are below a certain weight / size you could EACH have one in the cabin. International airline pet policies for in-cabin travel » Dog Jaunt

As JG said, many airlines won't take animals in the hold in winter not just due to flight part but the sitting on the ground - potentially for hours - in an unheated hold if there are flight delays. Air Canada for one. Is it imperative that you move over in December? Could you not move over in September / October instead?

As to the drive, there will be limitations on places to stay for one - plus the length of time the animals will need to be restrained.. going through Canada it takes approximately 4 days to drive from Toronto to Vancouver - in winter you could pretty much double that - you would need snow tires and snow chains to get through some of the roads - a legal requirement in some places (do hire cars in the US come with those?). I wouldn't subject an animal to that, personally.


Private jet? from around 72,000 Euro's apparently from LGW to Vancouver! https://www.privatefly.ca/private-je...Search=5442887 there's website where you can book last minute flights as well..
Long Range Jet from € 72 440

Hel2979

The drive sounds like a no go now I'm more aware of the pitfalls. The cabin flights are a no also as our cockapoo is 12kg. Looks like we may need to try aim for earlier in the year....if that's possible. Thanks for all your help

Jerseygirl

It was over 20 years ago...even if I could remember it would be no use now.

Hel2979

fair point! 😀

scrubbedexpat091

https://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/s...e-restrictions

Gives you an idea of what some of the restrictions might be, every airline will have their own rules.

Howefamily

I have a nervous dog so completely understand your concerns. I really like the idea of having another person travel so that you can take them in the cabin with you. the other option if you do take the QM2 is possibly to do the drive but really research the route and use websites that cater to pet friendly accommodation. if you decide to do the drive over say 2 weeks it could be ok.
goodluck in your plans. the plus point is you have little dogs so that's helpful.. mine is a husky cross but we have taken both our dogs on vacation with us and have had no issues

Hel2979

I'm going round in circles atm! The time of year really doesn't help! We won't be in a rush to travel from NY to Canada so driving may be an option. The weather and roads worry me though! Thanks for you thoughts

scilly

Driving across Canada can be horrendous in the winter .............. and the several mountain passes between Alberta and Vancouver, including the Rockies, Cariboos, Coastal and others, are all liable to be closed for unknown periods several to many times in the winter.

All cars travelling outside the Lower Mainland into the rest of BC need GOOD winter tires, preferably with the mountain+snowflake symbol ............... and many rental cars do not come with winter tires.

The car will also have to be equipped with a block heater cord and plug ......... otherwise your car is likely to be hard to start in the morning, especially if parked outside.

How are your dogs about walking on ice and snow at -30C to pee?

I mentioned earlier that a lot of hotels and motels

The northernmost road across Washington and Idaho is usually closed all winter (summer-only traffic), so that means a detour further south if you decide to drive across the US.

The Trans-Canada Highway across Canada, although only 2 lane in a lot of areas, does seem to be generally kept clear from what I have seen from the train.

Lightbulb moment!!!!

What about the train?? VIA's The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver allows dogs in the baggage car, you can visit them, and there are several stops when you can take them off the train. Dogs have to be at least 18 months old and fully house-trained. You cannot have them with you in the public areas. It takes 4 days/5 nights.


As regards flying, not only do the airlines restrict carrying pets in winter, but some also ban pets during summer months. A friend here baby-sat a cat for months because the owner had to fly to California in June and the airlines would not take pets, it was early September before she could return to pick up the cat.

Hel2979

The train sounds a fab idea.....I'm going to look into that one!
so many good points....my dogs may not want to pee at that temp!
thank you for all the insight!