In June of 2023, we traveled to Spain for the first time since the pandemic. We wanted to see the southern region, AndalucÃa, which we had never been to before. Most people have heard of the Costa del Sol; this is its home. Immediately upon arriving in Málaga, we fell in love with the city. We knew right then we had found our future home, whenever the time came to make the move.
Our plan had been to sell our assets and move abroad upon retirement in three to four years. However, for various reasons, we decided to take a serious look at the possibility of leaving sooner. Mauricio and I don't do things small; we go big. When we make a decision, we dive in with both feet and push it to fruition. Many of our friends thought we were just talking big. Others, who know us well, knew once we spoke it out loud, it was going to happen.
Many of the stories you read about people making such a huge move involve several months, even years, of planning. Not us. In July, we set our target to be relocated by Christmas! And, spoiler alert, we made it happen with three dogs!
Here's How We Did It
In our two prior moves, which I documented in Cross Country with Three Dogs - Washington to Florida and Cross Country (almost) with Two Dogs - Florida to Colorado, I mastered all the steps to take to make a successful move with our four-legged family. I applied all the tips I mentioned to plan our route and secure hotels. This move, however, had one BIG difference.
We couldn't be sure exactly WHEN we would be leaving Colorado. There were several things we had to do beforehand.
Decisions
- Decide what we would bring.
- This was the main factor in determining whether to hire a container and the size of the container we would need.
- Sell as much as we could that we were not bringing.
- I read Marie Kondo's books, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy, early in the process so I could start with the donation process well in advance of the movers coming. Many people read her books several years ago, but this was my first time. I have to say that her advice was extremely liberating and took the guilt out of parting with things we had moved cross-country several times.
- Purge and donate as much as possible.
- Sell our house, or keep it as a rental.
- Last day of work. (This one was scary.)
Shipping
- Determine if we would order a shipping container or ship bags and boxes.
- Hire a moving company and order a shipping container.
- Determine a pick-up date for the container.
Pet Preparation
- Arrange vet visits and obtain vet paperwork.
- Ensure all shots are up to date and meet EU requirements.
- Research the USDA's pet transport guidance.
- Order flight-approved crates.
- Research available foods in Spain and transition the dogs in advance.
Journey Prep
- Research and book flights
- Research and book hotels in the US, France, and Spain
- Book cars in the US and Europe
We had a window of December 11 - December 13. A lot depended on when the movers would arrive and finish loading our container, and when we received our vet paperwork. Once vet certifications are received, there is a very small window of only 10 days in which to reach the European Union.
I also had to book fully refundable flights. Airlines limit the number of pets allowed on a plane, so we decided the safest thing to do was to book two separate flights and cancel the one we didn't need. That way, we would not run into a scenario where we cancelled a flight and were unable to book a new one for several days. It would also put us in a situation where we were stuck in a hotel for an unknown amount of time.
This may not be necessary for someone flying with a small dog in the cabin, but we had a small dog in the cabin plus two big dogs on board in the hold.
An important consideration when traveling with pets is the ability to manage their anxiety. We were prescribed medication to administer two hours prior to travel. The day we left Colorado, we gave them the prescribed dosage. We found that Ellie's dosage seemed correct, but that Finn was extremely drowsy and Ginger basically had to be carried. Carrying bags and two dogs is not feasible. On the second day of driving, we scaled back their dosages and felt half was enough for Ginger, and about 2/3 was the right amount for Finn. Confident we would have manageable, but not comatose dogs, we gave them that amount two hours before boarding our flight.
In my post dedicated to this topic: Relocation Abroad from the United States with Pets: Flights, I go into great detail on the timeline and planning process for the flights. It deserved a post of its own! Read on for a day-by-day account of how the trip played out and wound up!
Day One - Colorado Springs, Colorado to Topeka, Kansas
Day Two - Topeka, Kansas to Dayton, Ohio
Days Three and Four - Dayton, Ohio, to Secaucus, New Jersey, to Paris, France
Day Five - Paris to Bordeaux
Day Six - Bordeaux, France to Toledo, Spain
Day Seven - Toledo to Málaga
Thanks for stopping by and sharing!