Watch: I spent £800 taking my dog on month-long holiday around Italy - it was worth it

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A woman who spent £836 taking her dog on a month-long holiday around Italy says it was "totally worth it".

Catherine Sophie, 23, jetted to Rome, Italy, in April 2024 with her pooch Teddy, a three-year-old Maltese, in tow - for a tour of the country.

Due to the nature of her job as an actress, Catherine is often travelling between London and Glasgow and regularly takes Teddy with her.

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Catherine says it "wouldn't be fair" to leave Teddy in a kennel or with her family during her month-long break - so decided to take him along for the journey.

The pair set out on their holiday on April 2 - and adding Teddy's ticket to her flight to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport set Catherine back £100.

The pair spent a month visiting Rome, Bari and Civitavecchia - where they visited the Vatican, Colosseum, the beach and Teddy took a ride on a Vespa Catherine and Teddy headed back to the UK on April 30 - but as the UK doesn't allow dogs to travel in the cabin, Catherine had to fly from Rome to Amsterdam, then on to Dublin, before getting a bus to Belfast - where she got a ferry home.

Catherine, from Glasgow, Scotland, said: "I travel a lot for work and Teddy is a great companion.

"I have been really lucky, he is so well behaved.

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"Because I was going by myself, he was great company for me.

"Having a dog with you means that you are getting out every day and exploring some places you might not usually."

On April 2, Catherine flew to Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport with KLM.

Tickets including pet fee set Catherine back £273 - alongside a passport and rabies vaccine before travel costing £130.

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Catherine said: "There are a few airlines that are dog friendly and KLM is one of them.

"It is so much easier to travel with a small dog, Teddy stayed under my seat and he was only an extra £50 to £100.

"It was totally worth it."

Catherine and Teddy then spent a month travelling around Italy - visiting Rome, Bari, and Civitavecchia.

During their month in Italy, the duo stayed in dog friendly Airbnb's and Catherine got a rail card for train travel.

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"It was something I have always wanted to do," Catherine said.

"I am trying to learn Italian so I thought it would be a great opportunity.

"I visited my great grandfather's war grave which is something I had always wanted to do."

When the holiday ended and Catherine returned to the UK with Teddy and the pair had a mammoth two day trek.

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Catherine said she wasn't able to take Teddy in the cabin with her when she returned to the UK so she opted to take two planes, a bus and a boat back to Scotland.

She said: "We flew from Rome to Amsterdam and from there we went to Dublin.

"We then jumped on a bus from Dublin to Belfast and got a ferry back to Scotland.

"Luckily my mum, picked us up and took us home from there."

The journey home for both Catherine and Teddy set her back £442.

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Catherine said the cost was completely worth it as she didn't want to leave Teddy in a kennel or with family members.

She said: "The journey there and back did go a lot smoother than I thought it would.

"My family adore Teddy but because I was going for a month it would be a lot for them to take him.

"He is my dog and my responsibility."

Total cost of travel - - Edinburgh to Rome - £273 - Rome to Dublin - £356 - Dublin Airport to Belfast - £16 - Belfast to Cairnryan, Scotland - £61 - Pet passport and rabies jab - £130 - Total - £836 ITINERARY - Rome, visiting the Colosseum, Vatican and sightseeing.

- Bari, where Catherine visited her great grandfather's war grave.

- Civitavecchia, where they spent time relaxing by the beach - Rome, back to Rome to get the plane home.

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