Every car ferry from England to France takes dogs, but where your dog spends the crossing, and what it costs, varies a lot. On some routes your dog can stay with you in a pet lounge or a pet-friendly cabin; on others it stays in the car. Prices start at £12 each way. Here’s every option compared, the paperwork your dog needs, and the rule for coming home.
The quick answer
- Dog with you, short crossing: Dover to Calais with P&O Ferries, in the Pet Lounge, from £12 each way. Irish Ferries also has a Pet Den on the same route.
- Dog with you, overnight or to western France: a pet-friendly cabin with Brittany Ferries, on Portsmouth to St Malo, Plymouth to Roscoff, Portsmouth to Cherbourg or the Guillaume de Normandie on Portsmouth to Caen.
- Fastest: LeShuttle, 35 minutes with your dog in the car beside you, £24 per pet each way.
- On foot: only Newhaven to Dieppe with DFDS.
Taking a dog to France: every route compared
| Route and company | Where your dog travels | Dog with you? | Price | On foot with a dog? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover to Calais: P&O Ferries | Pet Lounge (dogs only), or your vehicle | Yes, in the Pet Lounge | Pet Lounge from £12 for one dog and one adult | No |
| Dover to Calais: Irish Ferries | Pet Den, or your vehicle | Yes, in the Pet Den | Shown when you book | No foot passengers |
| Dover to Calais and Dunkirk: DFDS | Your vehicle only; you can’t stay in the vehicle | No | £15 per pet | No foot passengers |
| Newhaven to Dieppe: DFDS | Your vehicle, one of 3 kennels, or a pet-friendly cabin | Yes, in a cabin | £20 per pet (vehicle or cabin, plus the cabin); £30 per dog in a kennel | Yes |
| Portsmouth to Caen: Brittany Ferries | Guillaume de Normandie: cabin, kennel or vehicle. Mont St Michel: vehicle only | Yes, on the Guillaume de Normandie | From £35 (Brittany Ferries’ lead-in price for pets to France) | Check with Brittany Ferries |
| Portsmouth to St Malo: Brittany Ferries | Pet-friendly cabin, kennel or vehicle (Saint-Malo) | Yes | ||
| Portsmouth to Cherbourg: Brittany Ferries | Galicia and Santoña: pet cabin or kennel (not your vehicle on the Galicia). Armorique: vehicle or pet cabin | Yes, in a cabin | ||
| Plymouth to Roscoff: Brittany Ferries | Your vehicle or a pet-friendly cabin (Armorique and Pont-Aven) | Yes, in a cabin | ||
| Guernsey to St Malo: Brittany Ferries | Including on the Voyager; pet-friendly cabins on the Islander | On the Islander, in a cabin | From £20 per pet | Check with Brittany Ferries |
| Jersey to St Malo: DFDS | Pets welcome on the Tarifa Jet | Check with DFDS | Shown when you book | No, a vehicle is needed to take a pet into France |
| Folkestone to Calais: LeShuttle | In your car, with you | Yes | £24 per pet | No foot passengers |
Prices and space change, and pet-friendly cabins, kennels and the Pet Lounge are limited, so book your dog’s place when you book the crossing, especially for summer.
Check pet-friendly ferry times and prices
Keeping your dog with you on the crossing
P&O Ferries’ Pet Lounge (Dover to Calais)
The Pet Lounge is a lounge for dog owners and their dogs, with booths big enough for your dog’s bed, free hot and cold drinks, Wi-Fi and an outdoor exercise area. It’s from £12 each way for one dog and one adult, for dogs only, and only if you’re travelling with a vehicle. Other pets stay in your vehicle. See our P&O Ferries guide.
Irish Ferries’ Pet Den (Dover to Calais)
The Pet Den is an indoor area with an outdoor walkway where you stay with your pet. Irish Ferries takes dogs, cats and other small animals, either in the Pet Den or in your vehicle, with up to 5 pets per booking. Motorcyclists must use the Pet Den or a kennel. Registered assistance dogs travel free. See our Irish Ferries guide.
Pet-friendly cabins
On the longer crossings you can book a pet-friendly cabin and keep your dog with you for the whole sailing, including overnight. Brittany Ferries has them on the Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Pont-Aven and Armorique, and on the Galicia and Santoña (the Santoña has 22). DFDS has 4-berth sea-view pet-friendly cabins on Newhaven to Dieppe, for up to 2 pets. They’re among the most in-demand cabins, so book early.
Kennels
Brittany Ferries has kennels on the Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Galicia and Santoña. Large kennels suit dogs such as Labradors and German Shepherds; small kennels suit dogs such as Jack Russells and King Charles Spaniels. DFDS has 3 kennels on Newhaven to Dieppe, at £30 per dog each way.
In your car
On many sailings your dog can stay in the car. Leave a window open for ventilation and some water. With Brittany Ferries, on daytime sailings on the Mont St Michel and Armorique you can usually visit your pet on the car deck for up to 15 minutes, with a badge from the information desk; there are no visits on overnight sailings. With DFDS from Dover, you can’t stay in the vehicle with your pet.
Taking a dog to France on foot
If you don’t have a car, your choice is limited: Newhaven to Dieppe with DFDS is the only route to France where we found that foot passengers can bring a pet, using a kennel or a pet-friendly cabin. Foot passengers with pets check in inside the Newhaven terminal. Newhaven Town station is a 3-minute walk from the port, so it works well by train. See our foot passenger guide.
- P&O Ferries: foot passengers can’t take pets.
- DFDS from Dover and Irish Ferries: no foot passengers at all.
- Jersey to St Malo: you must travel with a vehicle to take a pet into France.
- Brittany Ferries: check with Brittany Ferries before booking.
Paperwork your dog needs for France
Dogs, cats and ferrets travelling from Great Britain to France need:
- a microchip, fitted before or at the same time as the rabies vaccination;
- a rabies vaccination, at least 21 days before travel (your pet must be at least 12 weeks old to be vaccinated);
- an animal health certificate from your vet, used to enter the EU within 10 days of being issued. It’s then valid for 6 months for travel within the EU and for coming back into Great Britain.
- If you live in England, Scotland or Wales, you can’t use a pet passport to enter the EU, even one issued in the EU.
- You can take up to 5 pets in a private vehicle.
- Brittany Ferries offers a free online pet travel pre-check from 96 hours before departure, to check your documents before you get to the port.
For the other border rules, see our travel rules for France.
Coming home: the tapeworm rule
Dogs coming back into Great Britain need tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 hours and 5 days before they arrive. The vet records it on your dog’s certificate. Book a French vet near the end of your trip before you go, and time the appointment around your return sailing: too early or too late and your dog can’t travel. Cats and ferrets don’t need it.
At the port and on board
- Arrive early: check in at least 90 minutes before departure with a pet with Brittany Ferries, P&O Ferries and Irish Ferries, and at least 90 minutes before at LeShuttle’s Pet Reception.
- Documents and microchip: at check-in your dog’s microchip is scanned and its documents checked, and with Brittany Ferries you’ll get a windscreen sticker so you’re parked in the right place on board.
- Muzzles: Brittany Ferries requires dogs to be muzzled whenever they’re outside your vehicle, cabin or kennel, in the port and on board, and fines passengers who don’t. Bring a muzzle whoever you sail with.
- Exercise first: walk your dog before you board. Pet exercise areas on board close in bad weather.
- In bad weather pets in cabins must stay there.
Our port guides cover where to walk your dog at each port, including Portsmouth, Dover, Newhaven, Poole, Cherbourg and St Malo.
Channel Islands
- Guernsey to St Malo: pets travel from £20 per pet each way, including on the Voyager. The Islander, which sails on Saturdays until 31 October 2026, has pet-friendly cabins for up to 2 pets.
- Jersey to St Malo: pets are welcome on DFDS’s Tarifa Jet, but to take a pet into St Malo you must travel with a vehicle.
Which route suits your dog?
- Nervous or older dogs: a short crossing keeps the time away from home low. LeShuttle (35 minutes, your dog stays with you in the car) or P&O’s Pet Lounge (about 1 hour 35 minutes, with you) are the gentlest options.
- Heading to western France: a pet-friendly cabin on an overnight sailing to St Malo, Roscoff or Cherbourg means your dog sleeps with you, and you save a long drive through France.
- Big dogs: book a large kennel or a pet-friendly cabin early; they’re limited and sell out in summer.
- No car: Newhaven to Dieppe.
For the drive itself, see our driving in France guide, and compare every ferry route to France.
Book a pet-friendly ferry to France
Taking a Dog on the Ferry to France FAQs
Can I take my dog on the ferry to France?
Yes. Every car ferry from England to France takes dogs, as does LeShuttle. Where your dog travels depends on the ferry company: in your car, in a kennel, in a pet-friendly cabin with you, or, on P&O's Dover to Calais, with you in the Pet Lounge.
Which ferry to France lets my dog stay with me?
P&O Ferries' Pet Lounge on Dover to Calais (from £12 each way), Irish Ferries' Pet Den on Dover to Calais, pet-friendly cabins on Brittany Ferries' Saint-Malo, Guillaume de Normandie, Pont-Aven, Armorique, Galicia and Santoña, and DFDS's pet-friendly cabins on Newhaven to Dieppe. With LeShuttle your dog stays in the car with you.
How much does it cost to take a dog on the ferry to France?
From £12 each way in P&O's Pet Lounge, £15 per pet each way in your vehicle with DFDS from Dover, £20 per pet with DFDS from Newhaven (£30 in a kennel), and from £35 with Brittany Ferries. LeShuttle charges £24 per pet each way.
Can I take my dog to France as a foot passenger?
Only on DFDS's Newhaven to Dieppe route, where foot passengers can bring a pet in a kennel or a pet-friendly cabin. P&O doesn't let foot passengers take pets, and on Jersey to St Malo you need a vehicle to take a pet into France.
What paperwork does my dog need for France?
A microchip, a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel, and an animal health certificate from your vet, issued no more than 10 days before you enter the EU. If you live in Great Britain you can't use an EU pet passport. Your dog must be at least 12 weeks old to be vaccinated.
How long is the animal health certificate valid?
It must be used to enter the EU within 10 days of being issued. It's then valid for 6 months for travel within the EU and for coming back into Great Britain.
What do I need to bring my dog back from France?
Tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 hours and 5 days before you arrive back in Great Britain, recorded on the certificate. Book a French vet before your return ferry.
Do dogs need a muzzle on the ferry?
With Brittany Ferries, yes: dogs must be muzzled whenever they're outside your vehicle, cabin or kennel, in the port and on board. Bring one whichever company you sail with.