Flying to the UK with Your Dog
If you are arriving from Canada or the USA, you are most likely planning to take a flight. It’s important to note that animals are not allowed in the cabin when flying to the UK. We completely understand your concerns about putting your dog in the cargo hold – we wouldn’t either. Your best option is to fly to Paris, France or Amsterdam, Netherlands and then make your way to the UK.
Eurostar High Speed Train
The easiest way to get to London from the EU is on the Eurostar, which is an international high-speed rail service connecting the United Kingdom with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Unlike most trains in Europe and the UK, the Eurostar does not allow the transportation of pets. In other words, sorry but you cannot take your dog on the Eurostar.
No Plane, No Train. Ok, So How Do I Get to the UK?
Okay, so you’ve read this far and you’re shaking your head, saying, “I can’t fly into the UK with my dog, I can’t take the train. What now?” We know how you feel. When we decided to go to the UK with Pedro, we got excited about all the different places we could visit. Then, we began to research how we would get there, and felt totally stressed out when we found out that it wouldn’t be as easy as we had thought. But, you can drive to the UK from France via Le Shuttle and the Eurotunnel.
Le Shuttle
Driving to the UK is pretty straightforward. Le Shuttle is a service that operates through the Eurotunnel, allowing motorists to drive their cars onto a train that is then transported through the tunnel between France and England. This is a great option if you have a car or if you are planning on renting one. When we looked at the one-way drop-off fees for renting a car in France and taking it to the UK, it was crazy expensive and definitely not an option.
Pet Taxi
Fortunately, there is another solution: hiring a pet taxi. These companies specialize in transporting you and your pet(s) and can take you through Le Shuttle, allowing you to cross the English Channel and arrive in the UK. Although it may not be inexpensive, it is certainly a stress-free option.
The Pet Taxi company that we used is:
UK and Europe Pet Taxi
It’s essential to book your transportation in advance, so make sure to contact them as soon as you confirm your travel plans. The Pet Taxi price includes the Eurotunnel cost. UK and Europe Pet Taxi will handle all the arrangements and provide you with an all-inclusive price. Remember that Le Shuttle ticket prices vary depending on the season, the day of the week, and the time of day. If possible, avoid travelling during peak periods as it may take longer to get through the Pet Reception and Customs, and you’ll have to pay more.
We arranged for the Pet Taxi to pick us up at the Calais train station in France, but they can also pick you up in Paris or even Amsterdam for an extra fee.
Le Shuttle Pet Reception
Once you have transportation figured out, you need to ensure that your dog meets the correct requirements to enter the UK. When the Pet Taxi picks you up, they will first take you to Le Shuttle Pet Reception before you go through the Eurotunnel.
Le Shuttle Pet Reception is where you check in with your pet to verify their documentation. The process is very straightforward, provided that you are prepared. It only took about 10 minutes to get the clearance for Pedro to travel.
Here is a link to the compliance checklist from their website:
Pet Travel Requirements:
Travelling from Calais, France to England:
- A microchip
- A Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate
- Has been vaccinated against rabies
- A tapeworm treatment administered 1-5 days before travel
Travelling from England to Calais, France:
- A microchip
- A Pet Passport or Animal Health Certificate
- Has been vaccinated against rabies
Animal Health Certificate
If you have traveled with your dog from Canada or the USA, you should already have an Animal Health Certificate, and your dog should have all the required vaccinations except the tapeworm treatment. The treatment must have been given no less than 24 hours and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before arriving in the UK. If you are traveling directly from Canada or the USA, make sure to get the tapeworm treatment just before you travel. If you are staying in the EU before going to the UK, you need to find a veterinarian in the EU.
When we arrived in the EU, we immediately obtained a pet passport for Pedro. Prior to our trip to the UK in July 2023, we visited a veterinarian in Austria for the required tapeworm treatment, which consisted of a chewable tablet. Pedro thought it was a treat and loved it.
Even though Pedro had a EU Pet Passport, we still had to bring along his Animal Health Certificate and vaccination records from Canada until they expired. Once in the EU, he saw a vet to update his vaccinations in his EU Pet Passport.
You can read more about getting an EU Pet Passport and documents needed to travel with your dog here:
Travelling through the Eurotunnel
After we received the clearance for Pedro to travel to the UK we needed to go through passport control for both the EU and the UK which took approximately 30 minutes. From there we drove on to line up to board LeShuttle “car train” to England. The journey takes 35 minutes and you have to stay in the car with your pet the whole time. Pedro just slept and we arrived in England hassle-free.
Arriving in the UK
It took us about three hours from the time the Pet Taxi picked us up at the train station in Calais, France, until we arrived in London, England. Having travelled the day before from Salzburg, Austria, we decided to pay the extra money and have the taxi take us directly to London instead of catching the train from Folkestone, England. We travelled back to France 8 weeks later using the same Pet Taxi via Le Shuttle to Calais train.
2 Responses
Excellent information, thank you! I’ve been thinking about going to the UK with my dog for several months, but heard that dogs had to be quarantined. Your process sounds relatively stress free. The only problem is that my dog weighs 75 lb. So I assume she would have to fly in cargo 🙁
The other thing I’m wondering is how dog-friendly the UK is, and whether dogs must be leashed on walking trails (I hope so! my girl does not like off-leash dog running up to her). Here in BC that is a big problem
Thanks again!
Hi Lesley
Thanks for the nice note! It is quite straight forward to take your dog with you if you fly into an EU country such as France and then take the train and pet taxi as detailed in my post. I will be honest with you that I am not a fan of putting a dog in cargo for that long of a flight unless it is really necessary (ie you are moving, etc). Having said that I have friends that travel with their large dog to Mexico multiple times a year and never have issues. Most planes have special cargo areas for pets. Just research the airlines first and avoid hot summer months.
Pedro is now over 10 kilos and we would not be able to fly in cabin anymore with him as he is too big. He was only 8 kilos when we originally flew from Calgary. We are going to New York this October but we will be taking the Cunard (ship) from Hamburg, Germany and then back again. The Cunard is the only ship that allows dogs. I will write a detailed post soon.
The UK is very dog friendly and we loved spending the summer there. All the dog owners we met were very respectful and kind. In regards to walking trails there are both off leash and leash required trails and parks. We never had any issues at all.
I hope everything works out for you. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Natascha