Does Eurostar really allow no pets at all?

Correct - only registered assistance dogs travel on Eurostar, free of charge. There is no paid pet option on any route. That policy is why the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle vehicle crossing is the default for pet owners.

Can I take my dog on a ferry as a foot passenger?

Almost never - ferry operators on the Dover-Calais route require pets to travel with a vehicle. Without a car you would need to book a vehicle crossing, which is where a pet taxi service becomes the practical answer.

What is the quickest alternative to Eurostar with a pet?

Door-to-door pet taxi via Eurotunnel: London to central Paris in about six hours total, with your pet beside you the whole way and no station or airport handling at either end.

Practical Guides 2026-07-29 6 min read

Eurostar Pet Policy: No Pets on Board - Your 3 Real Alternatives

Eurostar only accepts assistance dogs. Here are the three ways that actually work for travelling between London and Europe with your pet - compared honestly.

In this guide

1. The Eurostar pet policy, in one line
2. Alternative 1: Eurotunnel Le Shuttle by car
3. Alternative 2: ferry with a vehicle
4. Alternative 3: flying - and why it is rarely worth it

The Eurostar pet policy, in one line

Eurostar does not carry pets. Registered assistance dogs travel free, but family dogs, cats and ferrets are simply not allowed on any Eurostar passenger service between London, Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam. There is no pet ticket, no pet carriage and no kennel on board - which is why thousands of owners every year look for another way across the Channel.

Alternative 1: Eurotunnel Le Shuttle by car

The fastest and calmest option. Your pet stays in the car with you for the 35-minute crossing from Folkestone to Calais. You need the standard documents (microchip, rabies vaccination, AHC or EU pet passport, plus the tapeworm treatment for dogs entering the UK) and you check in at the pet reception before boarding. No car of your own, or do not fancy the drive? That is exactly the gap a door-to-door pet taxi fills.

Alternative 2: ferry with a vehicle

Dover-Calais ferries accept pets, but on most sailings your dog stays alone on the car deck or in an onboard kennel for the 90-minute crossing while you go to the passenger deck. Foot passengers generally cannot bring pets at all. It is cheaper on paper, but slower, weather-dependent, and hard on anxious animals.

Alternative 3: flying - and why it is rarely worth it

Most airlines flying into the UK require pets to arrive as manifest cargo, handled by a cargo agent, with hours of waiting at animal reception on arrival. Small pets can fly in the cabin on some EU-bound routes, but never into Great Britain. Between the cargo fees, the paperwork and the stress, flying usually loses to the tunnel on every measure that matters to a pet.

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