Your dog has a passport. It is a small, blue, A5-sized booklet, issued by your vet, that records the microchip number, the vaccination history, and the rabies antibody test that permits your dog to travel across the borders of Europe. The pet passport, formally, Europe Pet Passport, the document governed by European Regulation 576/2013, is one of the quietest and most civilised achievements of European project, and the experience of presenting it at the ferry terminal in Dover, the vet at the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone, or the border crossing in the Alps, and watching the official nod and wave you through, is the most satisfying travel experience you will have that does not involve a view. Travelling with your pet in Europe is simpler than you think, more rewarding than you expect, and the key is the preparation: the passport, the microchip, and the rabies vaccination that must be administered at least 21 days before the first travel. Here is your guide.

Traveling With Your Pet in Europe

• The legal requirements, the passport and the chip: To travel from the UK to Europe (or from Europe to the UK), your dog, cat, or ferret (the three species covered by the regulation) must have: a microchip (the ISO 11784/11785 standard chip, the 15-digit number, the essential identification, and the first step in the process. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, and the vet will scan the chip at every subsequent step), a rabies vaccination (the primary vaccination, administered at least 21 days before the first travel, the three-week waiting period is mandatory, and the vaccination is valid for 1–3 years depending on the vaccine), and an Animal Health Certificate (the AHC, the replacement for Europe Pet Passport for UK-issued pets, post-Brexit. The AHC is valid for a single trip to Europe, the onward travel within Europe for 4 months, and the re-entry to the UK. The cost: ~£100–150 per certificate, and the certificate must be issued by an official veterinarian within 10 days of the travel. The AHC is the new, post-Brexit bureaucracy, the pet passport, issued in Europe, is simpler, cheaper, and valid for the life of the pet. If you are moving to Europe, get the pet passport from a European vet on arrival). Essential caveat: the rules are changing, and the post-Brexit arrangements are complex. Check the UK government website (gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad) and Europe website (ec.europa.eu/food/animals/pet-movement) for the latest requirements. More travel tips →
• The transport, the ferry, the tunnel, and the flight: The ferry: the cross-Channel ferries (P&O, DFDS, and Irish Ferries) accept pets on board, and the experience varies by the operator: the P&O pet lounge (the kennels, the water bowls, and the lounge for the owners, the best ferry experience for pets on the Dover–Calais route. The pet ticket costs ~£20 each way, and the booking must include the pet at the time of the reservation), the DFDS pet-friendly cabins (the designated cabins on the longer crossings, the Newcastle–Amsterdam overnight ferry, the pet stays in the cabin with you, the walk on the deck, and the best pet-friendly ferry experience. ~£50 each way for the pet), and the Brittany Ferries pet-friendly cabins (the Portsmouth–Caen/Le Havre/Saint-Malo crossings, the kennels on the car deck and the pet-friendly cabins on the overnight sailings. ~£30–80). The Channel Tunnel: the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle is the fastest and easiest way to take a pet to Europe: the car, the pet, the 35-minute crossing, and the pet stays in the car with you. The pet ticket costs ~£22 each way, and the experience, the drive onto the train, the wait in the car, and the arrival in France, is stress-free for the pet and the owner. The tunnel is the best option. The flight: the pet in the cabin (the small dog or the cat in the carrier under the seat, the limit is 8 kg including the carrier. The fee is ~£50–100 each way, and the airline must be pet-friendly, check the policy before booking. The pet in the hold, the larger dog, the climate-controlled hold, and the experience that is stressful for the pet and the owner. Avoid if possible, and if unavoidable, the direct flight, the cool months, and the reassurance of the airline staff)
• The practical tips, the hotel, the beach, and the restaurant: The pet-friendly hotel: the booking platforms, Booking.com (the “pet-friendly” filter), Airbnb (the “pets allowed” toggle), and the specialist sites (Paws & Stay, Pets Pyjamas, the curated selection of pet-friendly hotels and cottages). The essential question: “Is the pet allowed in the room, or only in the garden?” The answer is the difference between the holiday and the nightmare. The pet-friendly beach: the Mediterranean beaches are largely pet-free in the summer (the ban on dogs on the organised beaches is enforced), and the exceptions, the designated dog beaches, the wild coves, and the beaches of the Atlantic coast (the Landes region, the Gironde, and the Brittany coast, the wide, empty beaches, the dogs running free, and the best pet-friendly beaches in Europe). The restaurant: the dog is welcome in the outdoor seating area of most European cafés and restaurants, the water bowl, the shade, and the relaxed attitude of the waiters. The dog is not welcome inside (the health regulations), and the essential rule: the dog must be well-behaved, the lead must be short, and the barking must be non-existent