Paris to London with Your Dog: The Complete Eurotunnel Guide (2026)
Everything you need to drive from Paris to London with your dog - documents, the Le Shuttle pet check-in, comfort stops and realistic timings.
In this guide
Why drive instead of fly
Airlines place most dogs in the hold, and Eurostar will not take them at all. Driving through the Channel Tunnel is the only way to keep your dog beside you for the whole Paris-London journey - which is exactly why door-to-door pet taxis exist. The trip takes around five and a half hours and your dog never leaves your side.
Documents your dog needs
For France-to-UK travel your dog must be microchipped, vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel, and hold an Animal Health Certificate (issued within 10 days) or a valid EU pet passport. Dogs also need a tapeworm treatment administered by a vet 24-120 hours before arriving in the UK - a step many owners forget until the last minute.
The Le Shuttle pet check-in, step by step
At Calais-Coquelles, follow the paw-print signs to the pet reception. Staff scan the microchip, check the AHC or passport and the tapeworm record, and hand you a hanger for your mirror. Then you board the shuttle together and stay in the car with your dog for the 35-minute crossing. With documents in order, the whole process takes about 20 minutes.
Keeping your dog comfortable
Feed lightly three to four hours before departure, exercise your dog before the car, and plan a comfort stop halfway - the Aire de Phalempin on the A1 is a favourite. A familiar blanket and a seat-belt harness or secured carrier make the motorway miles calmer for everyone.
Feeding and exercise on travel day
Give your dog a light meal three to four hours before pickup, not right before - a full stomach plus motorway bends is how car-sickness starts. A proper walk before we arrive means a sleepy dog for the first leg to the tunnel. We carry fresh water and stop roughly every two hours, and your dog sets the rhythm: some need a leg-stretch every ninety minutes, others sleep the whole way.
If your dog gets car-sick
Tell us when you book. We plan shorter stints between stops, keep the cabin cool, and face the carrier or harness forward. Many owners ask their vet about anti-nausea tablets for the travel day - they are safe, inexpensive, and turn a drooly, miserable journey into a nap. Bring a familiar blanket; the smell of home does more than any gadget.
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