That’s one pricey pup!
A woman who spent about $1,000 on travel costs to include her dog on a month-long holiday around Italy says it was “totally worth it.”
Catherine Sophie didn’t want to leave behind her beloved 3-year-old Maltese, named Teddy as she galavanted around Italy for a month — so she decided to bring him as her travel buddy, no matter the cost.
The actress travels from her home in Glasgow to London with her pup frequently and knew Teddy was an easy and comforting sidekick for a journey.
“I travel a lot for work and Teddy is a great companion,” she told South West News Service. “I have been really lucky — he is so well-behaved.”
So the 23-year-old booked the pair on a trip from Edinburgh and took off on April 2 with Teddy under her seat.
The duo landed in Rome and then continued to Bari and Civitavecchia as Catherine practiced her Italian around the country.
“It was something I have always wanted to do,” Catherine said.
She visited the Vatican, the Colosseum, beautiful beaches and even stopped by her great-grandfather’s grave to pay her respects, all while staying with Teddy in pet-friendly Airbnbs.
“He was great company for me,” she said, adding that “having a dog with you means that you are getting out every day and exploring some places you might not usually.”
But the trip got a little more complicated — and expensive — on the journey home.
Catherine couldn’t find a direct flight that would allow her to have Teddy in the cabin with her when she returned to the UK, so she opted to take two planes, a bus, a boat and a car back home.
The pet lover and her pup flew from Rome to Amsterdam and then took another flight to Dublin, where they jumped on a bus to Belfast and then took a ferry to Scotland.
Catherine’s mom then picked the pair up from the dock and drove them to their doorstep.
In the end, Catherine estimates that bringing Teddy pushed travel costs to $1,000 — including pet fees, a pet passport and rabies shot — but she has no regrets.
“It was totally worth it,” Catherine said.
