todell

does anyone have any information on importing our pet dog into portugal,would it be easier to come by eurostar via the chunnel and drive down through france and spain or can we bring it over via portsmouth/santander,also are there any problems if we wanted to visit the uk.

Mike

Ask you vet about a pet passport.

Joao

I agree with Mike, ask a vet and get it first hand
Joao

s5tuart

The people that I am currently house and pet sitting for bring their German Shepherd over on the Santander Ferry. I believe that this time the dog was allowed to stay in the car. Previous times she had to go into a kennel on board. However, please do check this out yourself before committing.
As others have said, get the dog chipped and get a "passport" and you should have no dramas.
Going back to the UK for visits you can always enlist the services of a free house/pet sitter

dmu

Hi from the France forum where a lot of others who travel back and forth with their dogs, can help! First and foremost, consult your Vet for your dog's Passport!
http://www.eurotunnel.com/uk/tickets...with-your-pet/
gives you info about the Eurotunnel (not Eurostar which is a train for pedestrians only, no dogs allowed).
I'd be concerned about the long drive from Calais to Portugal, though, but apparently there are plenty of dog-friendly hotels on the way, and France members can advise on the best itineraries...

crystalmoon

Hi there, I moved to Portugal 9 years ago and brought my dog with me. I just had to get a vet check letter and wormed and that was it. DEFRA gave me all the info. If you want to return to the UK you need a pet passport from a vet in the UK or you can get one from a vet in Portugal about 10 euros, they have to be wormed and a vet check also a rabies shot 10 euros a month before you return to the UK and a microchip about 10 euros. contact me if you need any more info.

steppitoe

We put our dog in a crate which he seemed to love and put wet towels over the top. He was perfectly cool for the whole journey and we just refreshed the towels when we stopped for meals etc.

He seemed really happy in his little cave and had some happy years living here.

longrangesniper

Don't worry about bringing a dog into Portugal, there's plenty here

crystalmoon

Yes sadly there are many strays but of course it is wonderful to take you own dog with you and not abandon it like so many expats when returning back to the UK.

jace65

When we moved over in Septmener last year we had a dog and a cat to bring with us, and we drove via the chunnel through France and Spain.

Both animals were chipped and had rabies jabs to get their passports. None of this was ever checked though at either the UK side, or anywhere in France/Spain/Portugal! You will need this though to head back into the UK.

We took 3 days in total and stayed in France for 1 night and just passed the Spanish border for another night. Both hotels accepted dogs/cats and we had no problems. Took regular breaks when driving and both animals arrived healthy and not too stressed.

If you want to know where we stayed etc, pm me and I can give you the info.

Alicat1980

Hi Jace, i cant PM you but can you let me know where you stayed, were unable to fly our dog because of his breed and think we may drive the same route you took now, so it would be a great help if we knew of hotels that accepted dogs.
Many thanks

brodev

I have used the following site to find cheap clean hotels in France
http://www.day-tripper.net/hotels-in...et-chains.html
They are mostly the equivalent of Travelodge. I have used them many times and I have always had my dog with me. I don't use Formule 1 as the do not have en suite facilities. Most of the others do but ,if you are like me, and want ensuite then check first.

MikeJ

Brittany Ferries have kennels on their ships which go to Santander and Bilbao. There are also a few 'dogs allowed' cabins but you would need to book well ahead or be very lucky to get one. This cuts more than half of your journey.
LD Lines have a route Portsmouth via Le Havre and then St Nazaire to Gijon where you leave your dog in the car (you can visit the animals for feeding/exercise etc) but the crossings are a lot shorter. They are also planning a new service from Poole to Santander but are unable to carry pets on that route at the moment.

GeniB

Hi Jace…You have had a lot of good advice already so you should have no problem bringing your dog to portugal

We did the trip from the Netherlands 3 yrs ago with our large Golden Retriever stopping every two hrs for breaks over 3 days…We stayed at the Grand Hotel in Poitiers (Futurama) and the Novotel at Valladolid….both dog friendly hotels as recommended on the internet….the latter was in fact fantastic by any standards..giving our dog a 'gift' package on arrival of a toy and a treat…Agree you must make sure your dog has a valid and up to date passport and is chipped …otherwise.no problems at all travelling back and forth in Europe…Friends have said however they didn't like the sea crossing as its was too long..and the 'outside ' area for the dogs toilet put them off

jace65

Hi,

We drove over via the eurotunnel and stayed at the formula1 in Le Mans (basic room with a sink and toilets and showers just outside, but the room was cheap and more than adequate) and they charge 3 euros per night for 1 animal, although we had the dog and the cat but they still only charged 3 euros. Our next stop was in Irun just over the Spanish border in the Ibis Irun. Again a charge for the animals, and the room was more expensive but had the normal hotel amenities.

We stopped regularly for the dog, so we had a fairly leisurely 3 day drive in total from West Sussex. Both animals were fine when we arrived.

We found these 2 hotels were the cheapest that accepted pets.

Good luck with the move.