Travelling with a dog: TO Ireland
What’s the best way to travel to Ireland with my dog? I get this question very often, so I guess it was time to write it all down in a blog post for you. And it is a good question for sure, because I wouldn’t want to travel anywhere without Neala, my Border Collie (bestest girl!), and I guess you feel the same about your dog (dog lovers, can I get an amen?).
My own dog-travel journey started in 2018, when I started travelling more frequently between Ireland and Germany again.
I got Neala in 2016, the year my Mum passed away, and although I missed Ireland a lot, I just wasn’t ready yet to travel back home in 2017. Too many (good) memories with my Mum are connected to Ireland and I was afraid of too many flashbacks.
We used to have dogs when I was a child, followed by a time with cats-only in my teens. My mother preferred cats anyway and as we were based in Germany back then and only travelling to Ireland when I had school holidays, it was the right call. So I was a rookie when it came to travelling with a dog: Neala is the first dog I had as an adult and it was up to me to make all the decisions.
The following experiences and tips are MY experiences. You might be different and see things differently and your dog might be different. Please keep this in mind while reading this blog post. My goal is to give you an insight in what we’ve experienced in those past years and I hope it will help you.
Let’s get started!
How I travel to Ireland
The first decision to make is: by plane or by ferry?
Since I’ve got tons of equipment (cameras, drones…), a dog and am usually staying 1-3 months in Ireland, travelling to Ireland by plane wouldn’t have been fun. And I need a 4x4 car for exploring for our photos and videos, so travelling by ferry was the best way to go.
If you’re only travelling to Ireland for a short holiday, you might prefer travelling by plane. I know that Aer Lingus carries pets as long as they are booked through a freight forwarder (pets presented for transport at passenger check-in won’t be accepted). Your pets will be carried in the aircraft hold and are not permitted to travel in the cabin of the aircraft (of course, separate processes apply for service animals). Please check the website of Aer Lingus or your preferred airline or contact them directly for further information.
Calais - Dover and Fishguard - Rosslare
With Neala being only about 1.5 years old when I travelled with her to Ireland in early 2018, I didn’t want to put too much pressure onto her and didn’t want her to be alone for too long. That’s why I decided to use the landbridge at that time, i.e. we travelled to Ireland via Britain. Note: that was before Brexit.
We crossed the English Channel on the route Calais-Dover and then crossed the Irish Sea via Fishguard - Rosslare. What did this mean for Neala? Neala was able to stay in my car all the time. I wasn’t allowed to visit her, but with the crossing being only 1.5 hours (Calais-Dover) and 3.15 hours (Fishguard-Rosslare), it was ok.
That said, I have to mention that Neala is really, really fine with staying in “her car“. She feels safe in it and as she knows the car means adventure, she’s always excited to get going. If your dog thinks cars aren’t that much fun/safe, you might want to get your pawsome friend used to it before travelling or check other ways to get there.
We travelled with P&O Ferries from Calais to Dover where dogs have to stay in your vehicle throughout the whole voyage. Please check with other ferry companies if your dog isn’t used to being alone in your car, they might have different regulations.
From Fishguard to Rosslare, we travelled with Stena Line. Neala stayed in the car again - she was really tired from the long drive from Dover to Fishguard, so she got some good 4 hours of sleep during the crossing. If your dog isn’t comfortable with staying in your vehicle that long: Stena Line offers kennels on board which can be pre-booked at no extra charge. There are only a limited number of kennels available. Pets cannot be taken onboard in a pet carrier on this route.
As were based in the south-west of Ireland, Rosslare is our preferred harbour in Ireland, but if you’re planning on travelling around Ireland anyway, check the route Holyhead-Dublin. They travel very frequently each day and the crossing is super fast.
Would I do it again?
Right now, I’d say no. It was the right decision at that time though with Neala being that young. The drive from Dover to Calais was very exhausting for all of us and we would recommend spending a night in Britain on the way - which would’ve been very stressful for Neala as she needs time to get used to new surroundings and usually doesn’t sleep at all in the first night when she’s somewhere new. I recommend taking the landbridge if you hate long ferry crossings or your dog isn’t used to staying alone for a several hours.
Please check the news and websites of the ferry companies for updates on Brexit and travelling in 2021.
France - Ireland
This leaves us with my favourite crossing at the moment: Cherbourg - Rosslare. Before travelling with Neala for the first time, I asked around a lot - is there a pet friendly ferry? What do the kennels look like? Stena Line was mentioned very often and after having travelled with Stena Line several times over the past two years, I agree. Please keep in mind that everyone is different, so what is perfect for Neala and myself might not be great for you.
What I love about this crossing: the ferry usually leaves in the afternoon, so there’s plenty of time to exercise and feed Neala before boarding. The crew is very kind and helpful, especially the crew members in charge of the dog lodges and Café & Restaurant (which are both on the dog deck). From my experience they always go the extra mile when it comes to making your pawsome friend as happy as possible and they have always a smile on their face when being around the animals.
Don’t expect too much from the kennels. I always book the heated dog lodges on board (€30 single) but there are also kennels free of charge (last checked December 2019). The dog lodges are not a doggo hotel. They are not a spa. They are ok for the short period of time though. They are clean, they are safe and they are heated. The room where the kennels are in is small, but they kennels themselves are ok.
I usually spend most of the time with Neala outside on the dog deck, so that she is less stressed and gets some fresh air. As the ferry leaves Cherbourg in the afternoon, we usually enjoy the beautiful sunset on deck, I then leave Neala in the dog lodges to have dinner, then spend some more time with her outside on the deck and then it’s time for bed. Up early again in the morning to exercise her a bit and you’ll be in Rosslare in no time.
I met several dog owners who leave their dogs in their vans / vehicles during the crossing, especially those with several dogs and big cars/vans. In this case, it is probably less stressful for the dogs and I’d do the same. There are two set times when you can visit your dogs, give them food / refresh their water and take them for a short walk on the car deck. A crew member will take you down to the car deck, you are not allowed unaccompanied there.
Why do I prefer the dog lodges right now? I can visit Neala anytime. I can exercise her, give her food and water anytime and can have an eye on her. Maybe this will change some day, but for now it’s the way to go.
One more note: on the route Rosslare-Cherbourg we usually arrive in Cherbourg in the late afternoon. As I’m too tired to spend another 10-12 hours driving through France to get to Frankfurt a.M. in Germany, we usually spend the night at a hotel in Cherbourg. It is very dog friendly from my experience and has a safe car park and lovely rooms. Neala is usually exhausted from the crossing and, as she now remembers the hotel, sleeps through the whole evening and night.
My tips for the route:
Plan and make enough stops for walkies and some exercise (especially with a working dog like Neala). I use to challenge Neala more than usually in the days before our journey, so that she is happy about a day off and sleeps a lot. I wouldn’t overdo it though, as the journey is exhausting for dogs as well, especially for highly sensitive dogs like Border Collies. It all comes down to your dog and I’d trust my gut on it. You know your dog better than anyone else and they will show us what’s best for them.
Always have water for them with you and make sure they drink enough.
Feed your dog at least a few hours before boarding. We usually feed her a little bit more than usual on the evening before leaving and then again after our long walk several hours before boarding. If you feed them shortly before boarding they might get travel sick.
If you leave your dog in the car: leave some water in the car in a non-spill bowl to make sure they stay hydrated.
We usually go for another long walk shortly before boarding to make sure Neala has enough time to go to the toilet one more time. Most dogs don’t like going to the toilet onboard - from my experiences the lack of grass on deck and the circumstances lead to a “no poo, only pee” situation for most dogs. Your dog will be happier if you give them the time to do this before getting onboard, trust me.
Give your dog plenty of exercise before boarding. They are more likely to sleep during the journey or in your car and although I’m sure Neala doesn’t sleep much when in the kennels, she is a lot calmer then she would be without the exercise.
Take their favourite toys with them onboard and play with them on deck if they want.
Take your dog’s bedding onboard so they have something they know in the kennel / in the car.
Take their favourite food onboard. I usually don’t give Neala that much food onboard (that poo situation, you know?) but she gets her favourite food/treats while exercising on deck.
What does your pet need to enter Ireland?
PETS - rules:
Rabies control - Entry of pet cats & dogs into Ireland by ferry from 1 January 2012. From 1 January 2012, all pets entering Ireland from another EU Member State (eg. France) must be:
1 Identified by micro-chip (as currently). However a clearly readable tattoo applied before 3 July 2011 is also acceptable.
2 Subsequently vaccinated against rabies, at least 21 days before entry into Ireland.
3 In the case of dogs, treated against the tapeworm echinococcus multilocularis within a period not more than 120 hours and no less than 24 hours before the time of scheduled arrival in Ireland (i.e. between 5 days and 1 day prior to entry.)
Veterinary certification of the above is to be contained in the EU Pet Passport or the Third Country Health Certificate (as currently). Your vet can give you a pet passport.
If you have any more questions about our experiences, feel free to send me an email or a DM on instagram. I don’t want to cause an information overload, so I’m trying to keep it as short as possible, but I’m here to help. Let me know if you have any questions!
Etta x