LeShuttle or the ferry: crossing the Channel with a pet

There are two ways to take a car across the Channel with an animal on board: LeShuttle through the tunnel from Folkestone to Calais, and the ferry from Dover. Both are approved for pets. We use the tunnel, and the reasons are mostly about the animal.

The tunnel

On LeShuttle your pet stays in the car the whole way, with you or with our driver beside it. The crossing itself is about thirty-five minutes. Before boarding the car calls at the pet reception, where the microchip is scanned and the documents are checked; it takes a few minutes when everything is in order.

For the animal it is the least disturbing option there is: the same car, the same crate, the same person, no deck, no noise from the engine room and no long wait in the hold.

The ferry

On the short Dover to Calais crossings pets travelling by car stay in the vehicle on the car deck, and passengers are not allowed down to the deck during the crossing. The crossing is around ninety minutes, plus loading. Some longer routes offer pet-friendly cabins or kennels on board, which suits some owners on some routes.

What it costs

Both charge for the car and a separate fee for each animal. On our journeys the whole crossing, car and pets, is part of the price, so there is nothing to add.

When the ferry is the better choice

For journeys that start or end far from Kent, a longer ferry route can save a day of driving. We will say so when it is the case for your journey; for most journeys into France, Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond, the tunnel is quicker and kinder.