Ferry, Eurotunnel or Eurostar with a dog

If you want your dog beside you the whole way, take Eurotunnel Le Shuttle. The dog never leaves the car, the crossing is short, and both terminals have a pet reception that is open around the clock.

If you prefer a ferry from Dover, every operator keeps dogs in the car on the Calais and Dunkirk sailings, but P&O Ferries and Irish Ferries also sell a dog area on board (P&O's Pet Lounge and the Irish Ferries Pet Den), so you can sit with your dog instead of leaving it below deck.

If you are heading for Normandy or Brittany and would rather skip the drive from Calais, Brittany Ferries sails from Portsmouth and Plymouth, and some of its ships have kennels or pet-friendly cabins as well as the option of leaving the dog in the car. Space in the cabins and kennels is limited, so book early for summer.

Going without a car? P&O's Hull to Rotterdam sailing takes dogs with foot passengers, and on DFDS's Newhaven to Dieppe route a foot passenger can bring a dog by booking one of the onboard kennels. Eurostar is not an option for a pet dog.

Eurotunnel Le Shuttle carries your car on a train through the tunnel, and your pet stays in the car with you. Before you join the check-in lanes you take the dog's papers to the pet reception, which at Folkestone is at the entrance of the passenger terminal building.

On the short Dover sailings with DFDS, pets must stay in the vehicle and are not allowed in the passenger areas. P&O Ferries also keeps pets in the car on its Dover to Calais route unless you add a place in its Pet Lounge, which is for dogs only. Irish Ferries lets pets stay in the car or, if there is space when you book, in its Pet Den.

Brittany Ferries offers three ways for a pet to travel: in your car, in a kennel or in a pet-friendly cabin. Which of these you get depends on the ship and the sailing, so check availability in the booking journey before you commit. Outside your car, kennel or cabin, your dog must wear a muzzle anywhere on board.

On P&O's overnight Hull to Rotterdam crossing, dogs cannot stay in the car. Each ship has a handful of dog-friendly cabins, let on a first come, first served basis, and otherwise dogs go in kennels on deck 7, which owners cannot visit until the ship reaches port the next morning.

Every operator checks your dog's paperwork before you board, and a dog with documents that are wrong can be turned away. What the dog needs (microchip, rabies vaccination, animal health certificate or pet passport, and tapeworm treatment for the return to Great Britain) is covered in our pet passport guide; this page deals with the crossing itself.

Pet owners are asked to arrive earlier than other drivers on most routes. Brittany Ferries asks anyone checking in with a pet to arrive earlier than its standard check-in, and P&O asks the same of anyone booked into its Pet Lounge. The exact times for each route are listed in the table above.

Not a pet dog. Eurostar's own pet travel page says pets are not allowed on trains to or from London. Pets are accepted on some of its routes between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, which is no help for getting a dog out of the UK.

Guide and assistance dogs (and assistance cats) do travel to and from London, free of charge, but you must contact Eurostar at least 24 hours before travelling, complete its pre-approval form, arrive an hour before departure and find a member of staff before the ticket gates. Eurostar takes a limited number of assistance animals on each train.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries both sail from Holyhead to Dublin, Stena Line also sails from Fishguard to Rosslare, and Irish Ferries sails from Pembroke to Rosslare. On these routes your dog can stay in the car, and the car deck is closed while the ship is at sea on Stena Line sailings.

Stena Line's kennels are free on both its Holyhead and Fishguard routes, and on Holyhead to Dublin the kennels on Stena Estrid can be visited during the crossing. Irish Ferries has free Pet Den lounges on the ships it uses between Holyhead and Dublin and between Pembroke and Rosslare.

All pets must be booked in advance on Stena Line, whether you travel by car or on foot, and Stena Line says that for travel from Britain to Ireland you need to complete an advance notice form and arrange compliance checks before you arrive. Our pet passport guide covers what Ireland asks for.

Book your dog's place when you book the crossing. Irish Ferries asks for pets to be added at the time of booking, Stena Line requires every pet to be pre-booked, and Brittany Ferries warns that kennels and pet cabins fill up, especially in summer.