Dogs travel all over Europe - meeting Santa in Lapland and visiting Eiffel Tower

Meet the dogs who have travelled all over Europe - meeting Santa in Lapland, visiting the Eiffel Tower in Paris and exploring the Old Town of Tallinn.

Owner Nikki O Carroll, 33, got her two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Coco and Jono, in December 2019.

Since then, Nikki has taken their pooches to 21 European countries - including Luxembourg, Andorra and Liechtenstein.

The dogs travel with Nikki and her partner, Robbie Memery, 37, a head of sales, and the couple will either opt for a ferry or take their pooches on the plane with them to get around.

Nikki says she loves her dogs so much she couldn't imagine leaving them with a family member or in a kennel while abroad.

In April 2024, Nikki added to her pups and got Gigi, also a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who is now joining the gang on their adventures abroad.

Nikki, a teacher, from Dublin, Ireland, said: "I love being with the dogs so much, at home we spend every waking minute with them.

"If we go to a restaurant they will come with us.

"Pets are part of the family, I wouldn't leave my kids at home. They are only here for a short amount of time so I don't want to leave them out.

"People think it is so difficult but it is actually so easy to take your animal on holiday.

"The hardest part is researching the vet for treatment when you bring your animal back to the UK or Ireland."

In February 2020, Coco and Jono went on their first holiday of many to Scotland.

Nikki and Robbie took them on a ferry and they visited the Isle of Skye and drove around the Highlands - staying somewhere different each night.

The couple than got a taste for travelling with their dogs and took them on a road trip through Luxembourg, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Nikki said: "We were at home with them for so long that they became attached.

"We also didn't want to leave them behind if we knew we could bring them.

"The first trip we did post lockdown was to Wales and then we decided to take then abroad.

"We drove across the UK to the Eurotunnel to Luxembourg, Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

"They loved it are now on 21 countries."

The first time Coco and Jono went on a plane was in April 2023 when they were travelling to the Baltic states.

Before setting off, all Nikki had to do was buy a pet passport which cost them €70 each and the dogs were able to sit in the cabin with them both.

Nikki said: "We got a ferry to Amsterdam, flew to Estonia, got a train from there to Latvia and from there to Lithuania and then back to Amsterdam.

"At the time we flew with Air Baltic who allowed 12 kilo bags in the cabin.

"Coco and Jono were able to sit with us in their travel bag.

"It was a seamless process."

Nikki says travelling with a dog is a lot easier than people realise.

Once owners have purchased a pet passport and got them a rabies vaccine she says they don't need to get another one for three years.