A woman who takes her dog around the world with her says she spent £900 on a trip to Amsterdam – and the Red Light District “loved” him.
Catherine Sophie, 23, is the “proud” owner of globetrotting Maltese pooch Teddy, three, who has travelled to countries like Italy, Northern Ireland and France so far.
In June, she brought him in her handbag to Amsterdam – and last month (October 17), they went to Paris.
She says he was “adored” by people wherever they went – especially in Amsterdam’s red light district.
Catherine, an actor from Glasgow, Scotland, said: “All the attention Teddy was getting was so funny. Amsterdam and Paris were both incredibly dog-friendly. I could take him everywhere with me – he got so much special treatment in all the restaurants.”
Teddy and Catherine flew one-way from Glasgow to Amsterdam on June 11, spending £150 total on tickets.
Due to paperwork and processes required to fly a dog into the UK, she opted to return by ferry – which is administratively easier – spending £300 on a 16-hour ferry to Newcastle after the trip, on June 14.
They spent three days exploring museums, eating at restaurants and doing boat tours of the city – she even walked him down the red light district.
“He was allowed in a lot of cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating,” Catherine said.
“Lots of shops allowed him in, too – we had no issues. We went on a few boat tours, which had lots of dog-friendly areas.
“I walked him through the red light district – it was so funny, all the attention he was getting from the girls in the window.”
Catherine and Teddy caught the ferry back to the UK on June 14, spending 16 hours on the boat.
She says the overnight trip “flew by,” they spent time eating and watching film in the on-board cinema.
And Teddy had lots of places to run around and exercise – as well as the cabin, which was “as big as a hotel room.”
Catherine added: “The boat had loads of different dog-friendly areas [Teddy] could exercise in.
“There was a restaurant, a cinema – even though it was 16 hours, it was quite pleasant. It set sail from Amsterdam maybe about 5:30pm – then got into Newcastle at 9am.”
The pair’s next trip was to Paris on October 17 – which Catherine forked another £900 for. Together, they explored the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and the Place du Tertre, also known as “Artist Square” – to get Teddy’s portrait painted.
“I really wanted to get Teddy a portrait,” Catherine said.
“I thought it would be a really fun thing to do.
“There were also a lot of different food places I wanted to try – Teddy kept getting special treatment by waiters. They kept coming over with water dishes, bringing over wee bits of food for him and making sure he’s okay. “Teddy’s got pretty privilege, for sure.”
The trip cost £900 – including the one-way flight from Edinburgh Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle, which cost £164 altogether. They travelled home on a ferry through the EuroTunnel, costing £175 for the both of them.
Catherine wants to save up to take Teddy to New York in 2025 – so the pair can do “lots of shopping and sightseeing.”
She added: “Nothing’s set in stone yet – I’d love to take Teddy to New York.
“I’m seeing a lot of TikToks about New York at the moment – it would be amazing to take Teddy with me. It’s certainly in the itinerary for 2025 – though, I’ll need to save up first!”
TOTAL COST OF TRAVEL
Glasgow to Amsterdam: £900
Edinburgh to Paris: £900
ITINERARY
Amsterdam: Exploring the city on foot, boat tours, visiting Vondelpark, eating at restaurants, visiting museums.
Paris: Visiting all the iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, getting a portrait at Place du Tertre, sampling macarons and steak frites at restaurants.
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