Experts say that traveling with your pets is worth the hassle
Travel for humans during holiday seasons such as Christmas or Chinese New Year is tough enough: long lines, crowds everywhere, chaotic traffic. Throw a pet in the mix, and it's a recipe for disaster.
But Sheron Long, a frequent traveler and author of "Dog Trots Globe — To Paris and Provence," said it's worth the trouble. "Every trip was better when Chula could be with us," she said of her Shetland sheepdog. "It causes you to explore and go see different things and meet people."
The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that more than 2 million pets and other animals are transported by air each year in the U.S. The majority of four-legged carry-on passengers are dogs, but some airlines allow rabbits, birds and other small animals. Experts say before including a pet in travel plans, consider whether it would enjoy the experience. "Some dogs don't like to travel, some love it," said Kelly E. Carter, the pet travel expert for AOL's Paw Nation and a Chihuahua owner. "You have to know your pet."
Most airlines have size requirements for pets in the cabin, so a small pet must fit in a carrier that can be stowed under a seat and larger ones must be checked in. Long's dog weighs over 13 kilograms so 9-year-old Chula has to fly in cargo.
During the holidays, though, when planes are fuller and lines are longer, some airlines ban pets in cargo. Certain breeds can never fly on some airlines, including those considered to have bullying characteristics, like pit bulls, and snub-nosed animals like Persian cats because of potential breathing problems.
The hassle of traveling is only half over once the plane lands. Carter, who once canceled a trip in which she and her dog were hoping to try a new hotel in Northern California, recounted how the hotel worded its pet policy online: "We are smoke-free and pet-free." "My God, are pets considered killers, like smoke? That's a sign people don't want to be around pets," she said.
However, Lisa Porter, the CEO of a website that lists pet-friendly activities and places to stay around the U.S., said more businesses are catering to customers with a pet than ever before. Most five-star hotels have accommodations and perks for well-behaved pets, and even most discount hotels are pet-friendly.
In France, where Long and Chula spend four months every year, so many people take their dogs to restaurants that there is an "under-table culture going on," she said. Chula has been such a good travel companion that she inspired Long's book, which is a travelogue written from a dog's point of view. Long said having Chula around means never being lonely — partly because of all the people who stop to admire the dog. "If you want to be a hermit, go traveling alone," Long said.
專家說，和寵物結伴出遊的麻煩是值得的
趁聖誕節或農曆新年等假期出遊已經是一件很累人的事：到處大排長龍，混亂的交通，還有洶湧的人潮。再加上一隻寵物，這便種下了引發災難的種子。
但經常出遊，而且還是《狗兒逛地球：巴黎及普羅旺斯紀行》一書的作者雪倫龍格說，雖然麻煩，但卻是值得的。她談到她的喜樂蒂牧羊犬時說：「只要朱拉能跟我們同往，每次出遊總是比較愉快。牠促使你去探索，去看不同的事物，以及認識不同的人。」
據美國運輸部的估計，美國每年運送的寵物和其他動物數目多達兩百多萬。手攜登機的四足動物中，大部分是狗，但有些航空公司也容許兔子，雀鳥和其他小動物登機。專家說，把寵物納入旅遊計畫之前，應該先考慮寵物是否喜歡出遊。吉娃娃狗主人兼美國線上網站爪掌族的寵物旅遊專家凱莉卡特說：「有些狗不喜歡出遊，有些卻很喜歡。你得了解你的寵物。」
大部分航空公司對安坐機艙內的寵物都訂下大小規定，小寵物得是收藏在座椅下容器能夠容納的，大型動物就得託運。龍格的狗，九歲的朱拉重十三公斤，因此搭乘飛機時得放在貨物艙。
假日的航班往往乘客較多，人龍也較長，因此有些航空公司不讓寵物進入貨艙。有些品種的動物是某些航空公司完全不接受的，特別是被視為有霸道性格的動物，如比特鬥牛犬。塌鼻的動物，如波斯貓等，也不受歡迎，原因是可能會發生呼吸問題。
飛機降落後旅遊的麻煩其實才過了一半。卡特有一次取消了和她的愛犬到加北部一家新飯店嘗新的出遊計畫。事後她追述了這家飯店在網路上公佈的寵物接待政策。這家飯店說：「我們禁菸，也禁寵物。」她說：「我的天，寵物被認定是像香菸一樣的殺手了嗎？這顯示，有人不希望寵物在他們身旁出現。」
麗莎波特是一個網站的執行長，這網站公佈了美國一些歡迎寵物的場所和適合寵物的活動。不過她說，現在願意迎合帶寵物顧客的企業比過去任何一個時候都要多。大部分五星級飯店都有供行為良好寵物之用的棲身之所，甚至大部分的廉假旅館也歡迎寵物。
龍格說，在她和朱拉每年都花四個月時間遊歷的法國，很多人都帶著狗上館子，因此這個國家「有一種桌底文化在運作」。朱拉一直都是一位很好的遊伴，而且還是龍格那本書的靈感泉源。這本書是從狗兒角度寫成的遊記。據龍格說，有朱拉在身邊，於是不會寂寞，部分原因是很多人駐足觀賞她的狗。她說：「假如你要當隱士，那就獨個兒出遊吧。」
全通翻譯引用 http://chinapost.com.tw/guidepost/topics/default.asp?id=3136&pre=1&sub=7
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