Eurotunnel with dogs Archives - The tails of Dylan

Planning a dog-friendly trip to France? Don’t let the paperwork put you off – here’s everything you need to know, straight from the snout of someone who’s done it twice.

Dylan and Dexter the Labradors ready for their trip to France

Bonjour furiends! So, you’re thinking about bringing your four-legged one to France – magnifique! Before you start packing the treats and debating whose turn it is to have the window seat, there are five things your hoomans need to sort. Don’t panic – it sounds more complicated than it is, and trust me, the croissant-scented air at the other end is absolutely worth every pawperwork hurdle.

Here’s your ultimate guide to taking your dog to France. You’re welcome. 🐾

1. Get Microchipped

First things first furiends – you need to be microchipped and registered in your hooman’s name at the vet. No chip, no trip. Simple as that.

Your microchip number is needed for two things: your Animal Health Certificate (more on that in a moment) and booking your spot on Le Shuttle. So, make sure your details are up to date before anything else, it’s the foundation everything else is built on.

*Microchipping to take your pet abroad — UK Government guidance

2. The Animal Health Certificate & How to Save a Small Fortune

Now. This one caused the pawrents a considerable amount of stress and nearly put them off the whole adventure entirely. Local vets were quoting £300 for both me and Dexter to get our Animal Health Certificates. Three. Hundred. Pounds. The audacity.

But fur-tunately, divine intervention arrived in the form of a discovery that not all vets charge the same. Some offer considerably more competitive fees – and one in particular came up trumps: Andrew at Animal Health Certificate North. He charges less than half what the pawrents were originally quoted, with repeat client discounts available too. Five-star Google reviews, super dog furiendly, and we’ve been to him twice. Pawsitively wonderful.

Important timing rules – don’t get caught out:

Your AHC appointment must be at least 21 days after your rabies vaccination (the day of vaccination counts as Day 0).
Your appointment must be within 10 days of your travel date (the day of issue counts as Day 1).
Your AHC is valid for 6 months for onward EU travel, or until your rabies vaccination expires – whichever comes first.
If you return to the UK and want to travel again, you’ll need a new AHC.

* Taking your pet abroad — UK Government guidance

3. Rabies Vaccination

Here’s something that catches a lot of hoomans out — the rabies vaccination is separate to your regular boosters and usually can’t be given at the same time. So don’t leave this one to the last minute furiends!

The good news? UK rabies vaccinations are typically valid for three years – which is frankly just an excellent excuse to plan more French adventures.

The golden rule: You must wait at least 21 full days after your first rabies vaccination before you can travel. The day of vaccination counts as Day 0, so Day 21 is the very earliest you can set paw on French soil. Plan ahead!

4. Booking Le Shuttle

When booking Le Shuttle, your hoomans need to add us four-legged ones to the booking, and for that they’ll need your microchip number handy. Another reason to get that chip sorted first!

The Eurotunnel recommend checking your doggo in at least one hour before boarding and making use of the dedicated pet exercise area so they can stretch their legs and have a comfort stop before the journey. Word to my furiends though – don’t be expecting a lovely grassy meadow. It’s astroturf. But still does the job and after a long car journey us four legged ones will be grateful for it!

The crossing itself is an absolute dream furiends. Around 35 minutes, you stay in the car the whole time, and between the gentle motion of the train and the warm breeze through the window, me and my little bro Dexter were fast asleep before we’d even reached the tunnel. Far less stressful than flying or the ferry – and it makes the whole adventure genuinely accessible for nervous dogs and anxious hoomans alike.

Don’t forget: You must wait at least 21 full days after your first rabies vaccination before travelling – this applies to Le Shuttle bookings too.

* Le Shuttle Pet Travel Requirements

5. Tapeworm Treatment – Don’t Forget on the Way Home!

This one is easy to forget in the post-holiday glow but it’s non-negotiable furiends – all dogs entering the UK from the EU need tapeworm treatment administered by a vet before coming home.

The timing window is strict:

No less than 24 hours (1 day) before your scheduled UK arrival time
No more than 120 hours (5 days) before your scheduled UK arrival time

Paw-note – if you’re only in France for a short trip of up to 5 days, the tapeworm treatment can actually be given by your UK vet before you travel. One less thing to sort on the other side.

A vet must treat your dog and record it in either your Animal Health Certificate or a valid pet passport. Make sure your vet records the following in the ‘Echinococcus treatment’ section:

The name and manufacturer of the product used
The date and time of treatment
Their stamp and signature

Miss any of these details and you could face problems at the border – and furiends, we’ve heard this can result in quarantine in an approved facility for up to 4 months at YOUR expense. We’re talking potentially thousands of pounds. Not the French adventure any of us had in mind! So double check every detail before you leave the vet’s surgery.

If you’re travelling through Normandy, we can personally recommend Cabinet Vétérinaire du Pont de Normandie – conveniently located next to the Leclerc supermarket just outside Honfleur. They were wonderful with us, the whole process was smooth and stress free. Call ahead to book: +33 2 31 65 60 25 and make sure the timing works with your travel date

* Bringing your pet to the UK – UK Government guidance

The Checklist:

What	When	Notes
✅ Microchip	Before anything else	Must be registered in owner’s name
✅ Rabies vaccination	At least 21 days before travel	Valid for 3 years in the UK
✅ Animal Health Certificate	Within 10 days of travel, 21+ days after rabies jab	Shop around on price – big differences!
✅ Le Shuttle booking	When booking	Have microchip number ready
✅ Tapeworm treatment	24-120 hours before UK arrival	Must be recorded by vet with stamp

That’s it furiends – five steps between you and the most woof-tastic French adventure of your lives. Yes it’s a little bit of admin, but once it’s done it’s done, and the croissants, the cheese, the rivers, the cobbled streets and the very chic French doggos are waiting for you on the other side.

Don’t forget to check out our Normandy adventure for some furiendly inspiration – and drop a comment below or find me on Instagram @thetailsofdylan to tell me about your French tails! 🐾

À bientôt furiends,

Dylan 🐾

Enjoyed this tail? Don’t miss the next adventure – join Dylan’s Pack below!

Dog Friendly Travel

Taking Your Dog to Honfleur, Normandy – A Dog’s Guide to France

June 8, 2026July 17, 2026 thetailsofdylan

Bonjour Furiends! Adventures in Normandy 🐾

Dreamt of cheese, wine and croissants in France but can’t bear to be apart from your furry ones? Stop right there and read on – because the dream is very much a reality.

Bonjour furiends! It’s me, Dylan, reporting live from Normandy with a nose full of the most extraordinary smells. We’re talking doggos, cheese, fresh fish straight off the boats, warm pastries, river water, woodland… honestly my nose didn’t know where to begin.

Think taking your four-legged furiend abroad is too much hassle? It really isn’t. And trust me, your best furiend will love you fur-ever for it.

Getting There – Le Shuttle

Le Shuttle is honestly a dream for dogs. After a smooth check-in at the pet reception – a quick, easy process – and a scoot through customs, we were loaded onto the train and that was that. The whole crossing takes around 35 minutes, and between the gentle motion of the train and the warm breeze through the window, me and my little bro Dexter (who is often the anxious one in new situations, but don’t tell him I told you) were out like lights before we’d even reached the tunnel.

Both hoomans and dogs stay in the car the whole time – far less stressful than flying or the ferry, making trips abroad genuinely accessible for you and your four-legged furiends. No crates, no cargo holds, no separation from your hoomans. Just a little nap and suddenly – bonjour France!

One important thing before you even think about booking though – your pets must be vaccinated against rabies, and you’ll need to wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination before you can travel. Plan ahead furiends, this one catches people out! Good news is that UK rabies vaccinations are typically valid for three years, but always check with your vet as guidance can change. There are also country-specific health certificates required – but more on all of that in a dedicated post coming soon.

Base Camp – La Rivière Apaisante 🏡

La Rivière Apaisante, near Honfleur, France

Now let me tell you about our base camp – and furiends, it did not disappoint.

The hoomans have impeccable taste (they do keep me around, after all). Our base for the week was La Rivière Apaisante, which translates as ‘The Soothing River’ and honestly, it lived up to its name and was worth every wag. A gorgeous traditional Norman half-timbered house, just outside Honfleur, sitting in nearly a hectare of private grounds. Picturesque, charming and utterly relaxing – terraces, hammocks under the apple trees, a fireplace for the evenings. The hoomans were very much in their element.

We had a garden so big even I couldn’t sniff every corner in one go (I tried, obvs). And when the Normandy sun got a little too much, out the back there’s a canopy walk through the woods – cooler, shadier, and absolutely heaving with the most extraordinary smells. Leaves, earth, mysterious creatures I shall not name. Just heaven for a discerning nose like mine.

But the pièce de résistance (we’re in France, we say things like that now) – the river. The hoomans called it ‘the gîte’s water feature’. I called it my personal swimming pool and I will not be corrected.

The cool tiled floors were also, and I cannot stress this enough, magnifique for an afternoon sprawl. While the hoomans had an afternoon nap, read and drank a little vino (after all, we are in France and it would be rude not to), Dexter and I had the run of the place.

Oh, and did I mention the neighbour? A tiny French sausage dog across the track. Very chic. Very French. We exchanged barks. It was diplomatic. Mostly.

For those thinking of booking (and you really should), it sleeps six, it’s pet-friendly (naturellement), and the hosts, Justine & Antoine, are wonderful. Five stars across the board and every single one deserved. Between you and me furiends, the pawrents have sworn me to secrecy. They’re already planning how to move in permanently and don’t want the competition. But a secret this good? I simply cannot keep it.

Exploring Honfleur

Honfleur furiends. Where do I even begin.

The smells hit me before we’d even parked – fish, salt air, pastry, more fish – my nose was working overtime and we hadn’t even left the car. Top tip – free parking at Naturospace, walkable distance from the centre and perfect for a little piddle on route.

The Vieux Bassin (port of Honfleur) is an absolute must for a morning wander. We strolled past the fish market (Thursday to Sunday furiends, mark your calendars – the fishermen bring in the catch fresh and the smells are, quite frankly, overwhelming in the best possible way). The hoomans were admiring the pretty painted harbour houses. I was conducting a very serious sniff investigation of the cobblestones.

And the café culture! Oh la la. Honfleur takes dog-friendly seriously – plenty of welcoming spots for four-legged visitors. We started with a magnifique breakfast at Pollen – très chic, very Honfleur, and absolutely worth a visit. Eggs that were licking-lips good. And the pain au chocolat sitting on the table… so close… so flaky… so absolutely not for me apparently. The injustice.

But the real highlight? Everypawdy wanted a piece of Dylan. Café staff, people passing by – the French are wonderfully free with their affection and I received every single pat with the grace and dignity it deserved.

The Betrayal

Now. I need to take a moment. Honfleur? Ten out of ten, furiendly to the core. My pawrents? We need to talk.

The pawrents – MY pawrents – had the absolute audacity to visit La Maison Du Tripot for tea, WITHOUT ME. Without. Me. I know because I smelt it on them when they got back. And if that wasn’t enough, I also detected the distinct scent of another dog. They made a furiend. Without me. I have questions.

And THEN – as if the day couldn’t get any worse – they left us behind for dinner at Huître Brûlée, a gorgeous little bistro doing seasonal local produce and a menu that changes every three weeks. Trout was a feature this week apparently. A dish they couldn’t stop raving about. At a restaurant that – and this is the really painful part – they welcomes dogs. DOGS. Us. The very species they left at home.

What a betrayal.

The Verdict 🐾

Normandy, furiends. Do it. Pack your bags, sort your rabies jab (more on that soon!), book Le Shuttle, find yourself a beautiful gîte with a river – and go. France is waiting, and it smells absolutely magnifique.

Woofability: 5/ 5 tails

And as for Trouville-sur-Mer, Deauville, Beuzeville and Pont-l’Évêque… well, that’s a whole other tail. Stay tuned.

Woof for now, Dylan 🐾

🐶 Thinking of taking your furry one abroad? There’s a little prep involved – health certificates, rabies vaccinations, and a French vet visit for tapeworm treatment on the way home – but it’s easier than you think. Drop a comment below if you have any questions or you’d like a dedicated hints & tips guide and I’ll get it written!