we just departed amsterdam and WOW. this may be our new fave destination. the beautiful old buildings along the canals are beyond charming. the humans ate insanely good meals & if you aren’t a meat eater or if avoid dairy / gluten it’s still extremely easy to find amazing food. we loved the museums, the parks & the vibe. plus the city was super dog friendly! all that said, amsterdam def requires some planning so you don’t end up with the impression that all of amsterdam is a party city filled with drugs & the red light district ( no judgement if that’s your thing tho!).

check out our tips for flying with your dog & the scoop on international travel.

STAY

the hoxton

this hotel gets a full bean endorsement. no pet fees and super duper dog friendly - they included a dog guide for info on friendly bars, restaurants, pet stores & even vet info! they also provided me with a luxe dog bed, bowls & poop bags. if you aren’t familiar with the hoxton hotels, expect a chill but trendy vibe. it definitely caters to a “type”. almost everyone checking in had away luggage and the lobby/ bar/ restaurant was filled with young professionals on their macbooks. that said, we would totally recommend the hotel to anyone - the atmosphere is not off putting or pretentious and the front desk team was delightful. do expect to carry your own bags to your room though and note there may be some stairs involved!

the location was perfect, tucked into a picturesque canal in central amsterdam close to the great shopping and restaurants in 9 streets & jordaan. amsterdam is totally walkable. the humans trekked across from museumplein back to the hotel (about an hour walk) and it was great. the human bed was super comfy and the bathroom was spacious. the humans chose a room that was on the smaller side & did not face the canals, but we were really only in the room to nap, change, shower & sleep. the hotel delivers fresh juice, bananas to your room each morning. super useful for powering up before heading out for the day! we’d absolutely stay here again.

bonus: our fave stroopwafel shop was around the corner.

EAT

because we traveled in june, we were lucky enough to be able to eat outside a lot and therefore, i was able to dine with my humans us most of the time. some restaurants the humans have included are NOT dog friendly, but i love having some down time to nap, so it’s OK by me.

pluk:

do it for the ‘gram! this breakfast/ lunch spot is adorable & the food & baked goods are super photogenic - but also tasted great. we loved how easy it was to skip the dairy (hello oat milk!!) and the fruit bowls were phenom. i did eat inside with the humans and no one said anything - not sure this place is dog friendly, but definitely isn’t opposed to well behaved, silent dogs. one location has outdoor seating.

don’t worry, i didn’t really eat this. but the humans did!

van wonderun stroopwafles

our faves were the classic & the salted caramel. make sure to ask for them to prepare yours fresh. a warm stroop is the best!

morgan & mees

chic dog friendly outdoor seating, young and cool crowd and good food.

they even have lady human’s fave: oat milk!

matcha mafia

we happened to exit our uber right in front of matcha mafia and lady human LOVES her matcha, but this chic, instagrammable spot won skeptical man human over too! the drinks are amazing and don’t miss out on the baked goods. this spot is super walkable from museumplein, so if you need some caffeine after hitting up the museums, this is your spot. also, the neighborhood de pijp is super cool and the restaurants and bars over in that area all looked really fantastic.

winkle43

if you only have one apple pie on your trip, make this the stop. super pup friendly and the humans report the apple pie is absolutely amazing. they even gave me a tiny taste of apple! be sure to look in the kitchen and see how all the apples are peeled and cored.

restaurant de kas

NOT dog friendly, but the humans say it worth having your pup nap at the hotel while you enjoy. this restaurant in a gorgeous greenhouse is on every foodies list. the humans were skeptical given how hyped up it was, but we had an excellent meal and would absolutely go back! note: this is a prixe fix multi-course menu and you will need to reserve way in advance. lunch reservations are easier to get.

BAK

NOT dog friendly, but was probably the humans’ favorite meal of the trip. this restaurant is right near the river and housed on the top floor of a building filled with artists studios. the food was amazing. when reserving (which is a must well in advance), you can specify any food preferences or allergies and your server will be mindful and provide alternatives.

a canal tour: rederij paping

we booked a private tour with dog friendly rederij paping and it was perfect. our guide marc, also the owner, showed us the entire city by boat. he was warm, generous and even stopped for some cookies mid tour! seeing amsterdam by water is an absolute can’t miss.

parks: the parks in Amsterdam are gorgeous so be sure to save time (and energy) to stroll and relax. our: vondelpark

wander: You’ll know when you are getting to the more touristy part of town when you see big crowds and the buildings get larger - some parts were cute, but mostly would not recommend for eating or hanging out. stick with9 streets, jordaan, museumplein and de pijp for good bars, food, cute canals and beautiful parks.

museum picks (not dog friendly!)

rijkmuseum: the major museum for the Dutch masters. the building is beautiful and the gardens outside have places to sit, snack and works of art that shouldn’t be missed. buy tix in advance and skip the very, very long lines.

van gough museum: not only does the museum have some of the most iconic Van Gough paintings, it does a great job of telling his life story, exploring his relationships to other artists and providing context for his art.

MoCo: the humans LOVED this museum and if you like contemporary art, you will too. it’s a quirky, fun building and you can get through the whole thing in about an hour, so it’s great for anyone who prefers a short museum experience. the humans went during the banksy exhibit and had never seen so many works of his art in one place!

SHOP

koko van knebel

we found this super cute dog fashion boutique while strolling and it’s a must for anyone with a pet. we didn’t make any purchases but the store had upscale pet brands like Louisdog and some stuff we’d never seen before.

kunstboer

this store is insane in the best possible way. Even if you aren’t in the market for a glitter unicorn patch army jacket, pop by and put a coin in the dancing stuffed animal machines. We loved it here!

GOAT

vegan, sustainable, organic and CHIC. lady and man human did some major damage here.

hutspot

mens, women’s and home. super cool stuff!

the NUMBER ONE question we get asked time after time is about how ella flies and how they can fly with their dog. when we first decided we wanted to try bringing ella with us on vacation, we picked miami, a short 2.5 hour flight. we decided if ella wasn’t happy, it was a short enough flight that we could comfort her and get on and off the plane pretty fast.

ella was already a seasoned stealth traveler - when we first moved to nyc from our home in dc, we’d go back and forth via bolt bus or amtrak, where dogs weren’t allowed. transparently, we’d sneak her on in a black non-descript travel bag and keep the bag with us underfoot, unbeknownst to the train staff. she was skilled at napping quietly through the 4 hour train ride, so flying didn’t seem like a huge leap. (ps: we don’t recommend sneaking your dog on trains - we got lucky. now that dogs are allowed on amtrak, we do it the honest way.)

ella also had the ‘right’ personality to try out flying. she is a generally chilled out dog, unphased by much. she doesn’t have separation anxiety and she already had a great relationship w her travel bag from our trips back and forth from dc.

so, how can YOU fly with your dog?

asses his or her personality: is your dog high strung? does your dog get excessively stressed in new situations? is your dog too big to fit under a plane seat? if the answer to any of these questions is yes - flying may not be right for her.
choose a travel bag & make it your dog’s bff: we use a sherpa airline approved travel bag that is closed on all sides. some dogs need more ventilation, but ella gets chilly and likes to snuggle into the shearling bottom and starts shivering if we lift the flaps mid flight. you should start with training your dog to go into the bag using a lot of treats and getting her comfortable with closing the bag. once she’s ok being zipped into her bag, start testing traveling varying distances, starting with short car rides, and ideally working your way up to multi-hour road trips. your dog should be OK to spend more than a few hours zipped in before you attempt to fly. we also pack the side storage with some of ella’s must haves: buffalo jerky twists, a collapsible water bowl, a few pee pads in case of delays. if your dog has a favorite toy, include that too!
find and learn the rules! all airlines have different rules about pet travel and you should make sure you familiarize yourself. for domestic flights, as a general rule, if your pet & carrier fit under the seat in front of you, you can purchase a ticket and fly without much issue. as a general rule, less than 20lbs including the carrier is allowable. before you purchase your flight, call the airline and ensure they still have room. many airlines limit how many pets can be on a flight. you will need to have a veterinary issued health certificate that shows your pet is up to date on her vaccines. keep this on you!
international travel: this will be it’s own post, but for now, know that you need to make sure your veterinary paperwork complies with your destination. not all locations will accept pets, for instance australia and new zealand. do your research! check out our milan travel diary for details on international travel.
pro tips:
- If you book your flight online and the actual plane is being operated by a different airline carrier, you may not be able to book a pet ticket. make sure if you are flying Delta for instance, that the flight is operated by Delta and not a partner. often, it’s best to book on the airline’s website directly so you can have the best customer service.
- call ahead, pre pay & get a confirmation number or email receipt. if you don’t pay in advance you run the risk of being denied at the airport. if a customer service rep won’t allow you to pay for the dog’s flight in advance, pick another airline. (we had this issue with american airlines on our recent flight home from mexico)
- get to the airport an extra hour early. you can’t check in online if you are flying with a pet, so you’ll need to allow time to wait in potentially long lines to check baggage and get your boarding pass.
- scope the airport in advance for pet amenities. jfk in new york has pet relief areas in most of the terminals. we always leave time to hit that up before boarding so ella can get a potty break after braving security.
- get naked. did you know your dog can’t wear a jacket when you go through security? true story. some agents require the dog not be wearing any clothing. in effort to be prepared, we put ella’s warm travel sweater on AFTER security.
- note that all charges are PER FLIGHT and not round trip.

Pet Policies linked below (as of January 2019)

Delta Pet Policy: $125 each way for domestic flights/ $200 each way for International flights

contact delta to double check max carrier size prior to flight, certain planes have smaller requirements.

your pet counts as a carry on - you will need to check additional baggage.

American Airlines: $125 each way

pets must be able to stand up, turn around and lie down in a natural position in their kennel (without touching any side or the top of the container)

non-collapsible kennels can’t exceed the under seat dimensions of any aircraft included in your journey. Please contact reservations to verify maximum dimensions for your journey.

soft-sided collapsible kennels can be slightly larger but still need to fit under the seat without having to excessively collapse the kennel, have to be secure, padded, made of water-repellant material and have nylon mesh ventilation on 2 or more sides.

JetBlue: $125 each way

one of the pet friendliest airlines, jetblue has it’s own JetPaws program where frequent fliers can earn 300 points per pet flight!

pet carrier cannot exceed 17"L x 12.5"W x 8.5"H and the combined weight of your pet and the carrier must not exceed 20 pounds.

United: $125 each way

United allows the pet and a carry-on bag, which is unusual!

Alaksa Air (includes former Virgin America): $100 each way

Alaska has blackout dates during the holidays where pets cannot travel in cabin (Thanksgiving/ Christmas/ New Years)