An international journey rarely begins or ends at the airport. Whether you are simply travelling from the nearest city, or continuing hundreds of miles to your final destination, the journey surrounding the flight needs just as much thought, and often more.
Travelling alone, that can already take some planning. Travelling with a pet adds whole new layer of complexity. Which trains accept dogs? Where can you find a genuinely pet-friendly hotel for the night? How do you build in proper breaks for walks and toilet stops on a long journey? And what are the rules in each country when it comes to pet documentation, muzzles and onward travel?
That is why we created Vicuna Waypoints.
In aviation, waypoints are the points that guide a journey from departure to destination. Vicuna Waypoints takes that idea beyond the aircraft, connecting your home or final destination with a Vicuna departure point through carefully planned, pet-friendly trains, ferries, private transfers and hotel stays across Europe.
Whether you are travelling to a Vicuna flight or continuing your journey after landing, we can plan every stage around you and your pet, making the journey beyond the aircraft feel every bit as considered as the flight itself.
Pet-friendly travel in Europe, planned as one journey
Travelling around Europe with a dog or other pet can quickly become complicated.
Different rail operators have different rules for travelling with dogs. Some countries require dogs to wear muzzles on public transport. Certain ferries offer pet-friendly cabins while others do not. Hotels may describe themselves as pet-friendly but place restrictions on the size or number of pets they accept. And a route that looks straightforward on a map may involve a series of connections that simply aren’t comfortable when travelling with a dog.
With Vicuna Waypoints, we consider the entire journey through Europe as one.
We can combine pet-friendly ground transport and carefully selected hotels, building in sensible breaks for walks, food, water and rest along the way.
Where necessary, we can also take into account practical elements such as veterinary appointments and country-specific pet travel and entry requirements.
We build each Vicuna Waypoints itinerary individually.
That means considering:
• the size, age and needs of your pet
• pet policies on individual trains, ferries, and other ground transport
• sensible opportunities for walks and toilet breaks
• pet-friendly hotels without impractical restrictions
• luggage and private transfer logistics
• veterinary or pet travel documentation requirements along the route
• the timing of your Vicuna flight
• and, most importantly, how you actually want to travel
The result is a journey designed specifically for you and your pet, rather than a generic itinerary that simply happens to allow for one.
Two ways to travel
Different people have different priorities for their journey. Some want to reach their destination as fast as comfortably possible; others want to make more of the journey itself, taking a more leisurely approach and stopping for different experiences along the way.
This is why we created two different types of Waypoint journeys: The Express Route, and The Scenic Route.
Choose the Waypoint experience that suits your journey.
Waypoints: The Express Route
The quickest comfortable way to your destination.
Designed for travellers who want a streamlined journey without compromising on their pet’s comfort
We use the fastest practical combination of pet-friendly trains, private drivers and other ground transport to connect you with your Vicuna flight or take you onwards after landing.
Every journey is planned around both speed and your pet’s needs, with sensible connections, carefully timed breaks and overnight stops where they make the journey more comfortable.
From Brussels to Zurich in a day, Stockholm to Brussels with an overnight in Copenhagen, or onward from your Vicuna flight to Munich, Milan or Madrid, the aim is simple: to find the most efficient journey that still feels good for you and your pet.
Waypoints: The Scenic Route
When getting there is part of the experience.
The Scenic Route turns your onward journey into a carefully curated adventure.
Longer journeys are broken into relaxed, manageable stages, combining pet-friendly rail, private drivers, boats and thoughtfully selected overnight stays, with small detours to places genuinely worth experiencing along the way.
That might mean touring the vineyards of Champagne, an evening on Copenhagen’s waterfront, or crossing the Swiss Alps on the historic Gotthard route.
There is plenty of time for dogs to walk, stretch and rest – and for you to enjoy the places you are travelling through rather than simply passing them by.
Our flagship Waypoints
New York → Oslo
Fly with Vicuna to Brussels before taking the Express Route north through Germany, Denmark and Sweden, or slow things down with a Scenic Route through Cologne, Hamburg and Copenhagen before an overnight sailing into Oslo.
New York → Stockholm
Travel efficiently by rail through Germany and Denmark, or make the journey part of the experience with Scenic Route stays in Hamburg, Copenhagen and Gothenburg before arriving in Stockholm.
New York → Munich
Travel efficiently through Germany by high-speed rail, or take a more leisurely route through Dinant, Luxembourg, Strasbourg and the Black Forest before reaching Munich.
New York → Zurich
Travel quickly by rail via Frankfurt, or take a slower route through Luxembourg, Strasbourg and the Swiss lakes before arriving in Zurich.
New York → Milan
Take the Express Route by high-speed rail through Paris and the Alps, or turn the journey into a multi-day Scenic Route including a crossing of Lake Lucerne and the historic Gotthard route through the Swiss Alps.
New York → Geneva
Continue south from Brussels by high-speed rail, or make the journey part of the trip with stops in Strasbourg and Lyon along the way.
New York → Nice
Head south by high-speed rail to the French Riviera, or take the Scenic Route through Champagne, Burgundy and Provence before arriving in Nice.
And these are only examples
Waypoints is not a fixed collection of routes.
If there is a practical way to connect your destination with a Vicuna flight, we can build a journey around it.
From Scandinavia to Switzerland, the French Riviera to northern Italy, and from major cities to somewhere much more remote, we use our pet-friendly travel expertise to carefully curate and coordinate the route that makes the most sense for you and your pet.
Let your Vicuna journey take you beyond the flight.