Pet-Friendly cabins & Options on the France & Spain ferries

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Last updated on June 14, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 2 minutes

Every year, thousands of people travelling from the UK and Ireland to France and Spain by ferry, often on their way to Portugal. And, many of them decide to take their pets with them.

Yes, pets (dogs, cats, and even ferrets) can travel on ferries. Some ferries have pet-friendly cabins, some have kennels, and others only allow you to leave your pet in the car.

Here’s a breakdown of all the different options.

Note: There are only a limited number of pet-friendly cabins and they tend to get booked months in advance, so be sure to book as soon as you know your dates.

Ferries to and from France

Even though there are lots of different ferry companies that operate between the UK and France, the only company that seems to offer pet-friendly cabins is Brittany Ferries.

  • Portsmouth to Le Harve (Brittany Ferries’ Etretat): Has pet-friendly cabins.
  • Portsmouth to Caen (Brittany Ferries’ Normandie): Has pet-friendly cabins.
  • Portsmouth to St Malo (Brittany Ferries’ Bretagne): Has kennels.

Note: All of the above routes are operated by Brittany Ferries. To get a pet-friendly cabin, we recommend booking directly [link] rather than using a comparison site.

Eurotunnel

You can take your pet with you on the Eurotunnel. The journey only takes 35 minutes, and you stay in the car with your pet.

Ferries to and from Spain

UK to Spain (and back again)

Because there are only a limited number of ferries between the UK and Spain, things are much simpler.

  • Portsmouth to Santander (Brittany Ferries’ Cap Finestre): Has pet-friendly cabins and kennels.
  • Portsmouth to Bilbao (Brittany Ferries’ Cap Finestre): Has pet-friendly cabins and kennels.
  • Plymouth to Santander (Brittany Ferries’ Pont-Aven): Has kennels (cats can stay in the car).

Note: All of these routes are operated by Brittany Ferries. To get a pet-friendly cabin, we recommend booking directly [link] rather than using a comparison site.

Ireland to Spain (and back again)

And for Ireland, it’s simpler again. There are pet friendly cabins on both the Brittany Ferries’ Connemara and Kerry which go between Roscoff and Bilbao.

Note: Both of these ferries are operated by Brittany Ferries. To get a pet-friendly cabin, we recommend booking directly [link] rather than using a comparison site.

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