Pet Passports/ferry travel

[cansleepanywhere]

Hi,

Has anyone ever taken their dog on the ferry/channel tunnel? We were hoping to do this in October half-term. Pup will be 7 months. We could either take the overnight ferry and leave the dog in the car/pay for a kennel or go on the tunnel, sit in with the dog but then have another 6 hour drive the other side (after 6 to get to Plymouth/Dover!!).

I honestly don't know which would be the lesser of two evils here? Please bear in mind also that we will have 2 DCs with us.

Do vets still prescribe tranquilisers/similar? I'm not sure I like the idea of the dog being in the car by herself overnight, neither do I like the idea of driving for 12 hours straight with 2 kids who'll be ready for action when we're ready for sleep.

[topbannana]

We normally take the ferry but took GingerDog last year so DH braved the tunnel for the first time. Ultimately because we could not reconcile ourselves to leaving the dog in the car on the car deck which can be incredibly hot and noisy. Also some ferries now require dogs to be muzzled when in on board kennels, and the kennels themselves are not cheap.
DH also did some work for a lady who works on the Condor ferries. She said she would never put her dog through a crossing as they had known dogs to die on the car deck due to a combination of heat and stress.
The tunnel was brilliant, in fact GingerDog slept through most of it. It did require that we put in an overnight stop as it is a lengthier journey for us too but it was definitely worth it. We will never travel (barring a change in the rules) on a ferry with our dogs now :)

[topbannana]

cansleep perhaps drive to Folkestone and have an overnight stop, get an early train out and arrive at your destination at lunchtime?

[cansleepanywhere]

Thanks topbanana I'm of the same opinion, I think it would just be too stressful for her to be in the car deck overnight unless we knocked her out and I don't want to do that either. They do pet friendly cabins but again they're expensive and not actually available on our crossing.

The tunnel works out way cheaper too, about £400 difference for us. So it may be the case that we stop one/couple of nights along the way in France. Any tips on where to stop? She's crate trained and we'll be taking it with us but have to cater for the DCs too.

[ontheotherside]

We have a house in northern France and take the dog all the time. I think it depends a lot on your dog's temperament. We only use Brittany Ferries as they allow you to go down onto the car deck and see your dog during the crossing (unless it's very rough). My dog is always asleep when I go to see him, but admittedly he is the most laid back animal imaginable. On quiet winter crossings the deck hands have even let me get him out to stretch his legs :)

You could also consider the high speed Portsmouth/Normandy crossings which are only 3 hours.

We also do the tunnel sometimes and that is fine too - most French motel chains let you have a dog in your room, so easier to stop on that side of the channel overnight, I would have thought.

With a pup of 7 months I would do drive/hotel, but training her to be calm and happy in the car/crate will stand you in good stead if you make this kind of journey often.

Please don't sedate your dog. All the vets I have know really don't recommend that. Also, no reputable carrier should suggest that you muzzle your dog in the car/kennel - that carries a huge risk of overheating. Are you sure that it's not just that they should be muzzled at check in/terminal building? In any case, I have never seen that enforced at Folkestone or Portsmouth, or at any of the French ports either.

[ontheotherside]

cansleepanywhere - I cross posted with you (started writing then had to do something else) so my reply only addresses your OP.

Last week we stayed in a Formule 1 hotel in Boulougne which I wouldn't recommend with kids at the loo and showers are shared not ensuite although they do take pets. Novotel motels and Mercure both allow 2 children in a room with parents (Ibis don't) and do have pet friendly rooms in French hotels.

Good luck!

[cansleepanywhere]

I can see that this is going to take a lot of planning

Our destination is Brittany too and in the future we will be making the journey a lot, we have family there. She is calm in her crate and in the car, just such a long time to be alone.

Will do some t'internet research this evening, didn't realise there was a high speed ferry!!

[ontheotherside]

Yes, the high speed is Brittany Ferries, from either Poole or Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Costs ££££ though :( I don't think it runs in the winter (and to be honest you would not want to be on it on a rough crossing - I have to take 1/2 Kwell and do a lot of mindful breathing to get through it!).

However, I have a feeling that with Brittany Ferries, they do have kennels on the slightly longer crossings to Brittany on some of the ferries, so that would worth checking out.

All those hotels I mentioned are part of the Accor group so you can search for them all on one website.

HTH!

[topbannana]

"Mindful breathing" otos, been there, done that! (Condor Ferries, Poole- St Malo. My first and only foray into potential seasickness- DH would refuse point blank to come if I suggested that crossing again :o)
Cannot remember where I read about muzzling but it was several years ago and put me right off.

When we have stopped over we have been with EuroCamp so have booked an overnight stop at one of their sites. It's been fine and ultimately a more sensible option than driving non-stop.

Whereabouts in the country are you?

[basildonbond]

We will be doing this next summer with dog in tow ... Will definitely do tunnel and stopover one night in France en route (heading to Aquitaine)

The last time we took the ferry we were all violently sick (even DH went a bit green) so the thought of potentially dealing with that plus dog is all too much. We've done the tunnel for the last four or so years now and despite the longer journey is definitely worth it