Travelling to France (or beyond) with a dog?

Maybe you're not just travelling to France with your dog but you're off on a European roadtrip in your motorhome or campervan? Either way, there's some important stuff to know and do before crossing the EU border!

We chose to travel by Le Shuttle/Eurotunnel over the ferry and we did not regret it one bit (there's more on that here) but there are some hoops to jump through before you can head to the EU these days and we found it difficult to navigate. Also, the very last thing you want is to turn up at the border, all set for your break (or move, if you’re going one-way like us) only to be turned away!

Here’s a quick summary of what you need to know (and do) to ensure that you're compliant at the border and beyond (in France and Spain at least but please always check gov.uk and other relevant government resources for both home and destinations for the latest rules.)

First, make sure your vehicle is all set....

1. Get your vehicle paperwork together. Generally speaking, you must have your up to date V5 certificate and your certificate of motorhome insurance (or similar) for travel in France and many other EU/Schengen countries.
   

2. Make sure you’re carrying the legal bits and bobs for road travel for your destination country. You must check official sources online for your country (the RAC website is also helpful). This is highly likely to include, by law, at a minimum:
   

   1. High-vis vests for every person travelling (it’s up to you whether you get one for your doggo too but they’re dead cute)

   2. Warning triangle (note that a flashing beacon may be required in some countries)

   3. First aid kit (make sure it’s compliant)

   4. UK sticker (or the one to cover the old GB bit of your plate)

   5. Headlamp beam deflectors for UK vehicles.

   6. Low emission zone stickers for the countries you're visiting (and ensure you know in advance where you're not allowed to drive if you have an old motorhome like ours)!
      

3. You should also seriously consider (and may be required to have) European breakdown cover. Be careful with the fine-print on this, as ever with insurance. It will probably tow to a local garage and you should check what you’re then able to do or are covered for. Also check how long you’re covered for at any one time as you may need to ‘buy’ more time! For example, we paid a little extra to ensure at least a couple of weeks of accommodation etc should our vehicle be rendered undriveable at any point and we ended up extending our cover in Europe twice!

   
   
   
   

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Taking your fur baby - travelling to the EU with a dog requires planning...

1. The most crucial thing these days it, of course, to ensure that your pet has a UK Animal Health Certificate (AHC) or an EU Pet Passport. You’ll need an appointment with a vet for this and the price for an AHC issued in UK varies between something like £90 and £300, depending on the vet and location. The super important bit is to get this issued within ten days of your departure/travel date (but be careful not to book it the full ten days out to avoid being blocked from travel if there’s a delay for some reason). Also, note that to get one, and to be allowed to enter the EU, your doggo must:
   

   1. be microchipped. This will be read by the vet and recorded on the AHC and it will also be read/checked at the Le Shuttle pet reception when you present your paperwork and before you cross the border.
      

   2. be vaccinated against rabies. This needs to be done at least 21 days before travel (at the time of writing) so get it booked in with plenty of time! You'll also, as part of the AHC process, be asked to sign a declaration that the doggo is yours and not travelling for commercial reasons (i.e. sale) etc.
      

2. Ensure that your pet is properly restrained during travel. We keep it fairly simple and Gracie has a car belt/lead like this one attached to her harness (not her collar) and the back of the drivers seat. Her seat faces the opposite direction of travel so we feel she’s safe there. She sits in her bed on the seat and is now used to the noises and rattles of a campervan as we hit the road.  Gracie is most comfortable on her own bed and we prefer one with raised sides when we’re on the move. Although not the exact bed that she has, hers is very much like this (ensure that it’s washable)! At the end of the day, she travels in it and sleeps in it every night when we’re on the move. We also tend to pop it outside under the awning for her during the day. There’s no space to carry two beds so this is quite a considered choice for us. Be super careful with sizes - you need to size up a lot with this one, for example.
   

3. For us, the one that we knew (!) but is far too easy to forget is that you cannot bring any animal or milk based products! Definitely check the official sources on this, and note that there may be official medical exemptions for you and your pet, but ,generally speaking, you definitely cannot bring any meat or products containing meat or milk with you at all. So, make sure you don't do like The Gadabouts and don’t stock up before you head towards that crossing and remember that you probably CAN’T BRING YOUR DOGGO’S FAVOURITE FOOD/SNACKS/TREATS (even kibble) unless it’s wholly vegetarian or they have an official exemption! Apologies for the shouty shouty font there but this cost us a good £50 or so because we were daft enough not to properly consider it until we were a few days out from the crossing. Hopefully you won't make the same mistake as we did! If you're travelling to Calais, there’s a Carrefour in Cité Europe just on the other side as you pull off the train so you can re-stock there. Be careful in the van though - There’s tons of height restrictions so you need to seek out the camper and bus carpark. Also, don’t go on Sunday if you can avoid it - Nothing else is open (other than the cinema if you fancy a French flick) and Carrefour closes at 12.30pm so you're doomed if you arrive anytime after about 11.30am!
   

A few other important bits...

You might also want to consider these if you're travelling to France or Europe with a dog:

• tapeworm treatment (this is compulsory in some countries and between 24 hours and 5 days before returning to the UK). 

• kennel cough vaccination. We just think it’s worth having on that vaccination record. Anti-vaxxers, move on please.

• keep your doggo's rabies boosters up to date after this trip.

Have you thought about getting an EU pet passport when you’re over there? A big caveat is that the rules do change on this so please check official sources (as we ain’t that), but the short story is that you may be able to get your fur friend an EU pet passport once you're in the EU. Lots of people are doing this and it will undoubtedly be (a lot) cheaper. However, if you do, you must keep the rabies boosters up to date (probably in the EU) to ensure the passport doesn’t lapse! One to ponder?

Finally, while it’s not legal, we’d strongly recommend carrying an up to date vaccination record for your pet. We have found that some campsites insist on it (although it's rarely actually asked for) so it’s definitely worth doing and just generally helpful for domestic or international travel or just if you have a rubbish memory, like us. We wouldn’t be without it - Just ask your vet at the time you’re getting the AHC!

There’s lots of resources out there but that’s it in a nutshell. So, get it all booked in early and go forth and enjoy that much-earned break (or move). Honestly, our experience is that lots of places welcome our furry friends and Gracie is having the time of her life exploring new countries and learning new languages*. Lucky Duke is too and isn’t feeling any resentment towards the much newer, shinier campervans around.

Finally, you need a passport too! It’s all very well getting your doggo sorted but you don’t want them heading off for some sunshine without you if your passport isn’t up to date. I mean, there’s nothing worse than your gorgeous mutt sending you pics of them with a cold beer on YOUR beach! 😉

Also, don’t forget that you need to have several months validity from your return date on that shiny new blue passport if you don’t want to run into trouble (check your destination and home country requirements for details).

*This bit may not be true. She's a dog, after all. In fact, we’re fairly confident she barely understands English, to be frank.

We have more tips and blogs on travelling. with your furry friend on our roadtrip tips page!