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Hi Meghan. We travel to Italy with our dog but she is 10 pounds. We took her into the cabin on the plane ( I think yours would go into cargo unless a service dog. The Queen Mary will take dogs but they are kept in a separAte area caged.  Yes on trains. But they are suppose to be in a dog container. I have seen very large dogs boarding trains in crates in Rome. Don’t know if this helps but good luck

@MeganKB My wife and I are on the same path as you but are on more of an 18-24 month trajectory. I share many of your questions but I think I can provide a little help as well. We have two 45 kilo pit bulls who we will absolutely not fly in cargo. We are considering taking them by sea but also looking into other options.

We were in Rome for the winter with our adult kids caring for the dogs and I observed many people with large dogs on leashes and no one seemed at all concerned. I also saw a number of large dogs riding on the metro in Rome who were muzzled which seems fair to me, ours are not biters but in such close proximity it just makes sense to put people at ease. With a Golden Doodle I don't think you'll have any issues with fearful people but a muzzle on the metro really is likely for the best. For longer train trips on the major rail line my wife saw a passenger with a small dog in what amounts to a canine baby carriage but for dogs like yours and ours....well we're still figuring that out.

Thanks for starting the conversation, I'm looking forward to other people's feedback.

@Sheila Newton  Thank you! Yes she would have to go in cargo which I don't love but the Queen Mary is also expensive and takes a lot of time. Thank you for your input!

@goodqt5jy Thank you for your response! I would really rather not fly her in cargo but it seems like that or the Queen Mary are the only options. I also worry a bit with how she would do on a boat for a week. It seems like two not ideal options. Either you put your dog in a bad situation under a plane but it is only for 8-10 hours or you put them in a less than ideal situation on a ship but it lasts for a whole week. Anyway, please let me know if you find any other alternatives.

As far as the train, it really doesn't bother me to put a muzzle on her. Like you said, I doubt anyone would see a fluffy goldendoodle looking like a teddy bear and be afraid but you never know and I wouldn't want to be hassled by the train conductors. Muzzles are really not that bad these days with some really comfortable options for dogs.

Let me know if you discover any other options for transport and thank you for responding!

@meganKB I am moving to Rome next month and am flying my 65 pound Old English Sheep dog on a specialized airline called pet express to avoid having to fly him in cargo. In my research I found several such services, so might be worth looking into!