Pippi Calzaslargas

I am desperately looking for someone going by car from anywhere in Spain to anywhere in the UK in the beginning of October. Or later. Any time really. My boyfriend is moving to Liverpool and so is our chihuahua We struggle to find a reasonable option to bring her along, as we have no car, train won't accept dogs and she could only fly in the cargo hold :/
If you are driving to the UK and have a spare seat and some space for a tiny chihuahua please let me know! My bf will share fuel costs with you, provide some good company for the trip and he can drive too, so you can get yourself a good long siesta And you would be a part in bringing a happy family together: me, my boyfriend and our dog would be eternally grateful!

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

pwwm

Dont forget to make sure paperwork is sorted for the dog, plus the frontline and drontal befre crossing nto UK, good luck on finding someone

Dick Dasterdly

Frontline not compulsory now, only Drontal or similar and valid Rabies jab.

bxpuser24710519

Also the boyfriend needs a valid licence and the car needs to have the relevant insurance cover.

Where did you get the info re trains not taking dogs ? I know that Brittany Ferries did not allow foot passengers with a dog in the past don't know about current rules.

lynnxa

renfe accepts dogs http://www.renfe.com/EN/viajeros/info/animales.html

bxpuser24710519

Yes Lynnxa I had read that some time ago but had to wonder what happened if I booked a trip say to Granada, booked hotel etc and got to train and some other passengers objected ?

lynnxa

very good question

also, thinking about it - if you can't take a dog on the ferry as a foot passenger - can you take a dog on a train in France & through the chunnel?

I suspect not

pwwm

Thanks for that, thought it was, knew rabies jab is, but not a blood test. Ta

grahunt

You could try Chris at http://t.co/P2WTBlp9 (Alstrays) He often drives back to the UK with cats and dogs.

Pocaloca

A friend of mine flew to the UK last year with her chihuahua in a cabin bag! I will ask her which airline it was.

EDIT - it was KLM, Alicante to Manchester. Lufthansa also allow pets in the cabin.

Grebo

I think the weight limit varies with the airline, but I heard your dog can travel in the cabin if it's under 10kg & they allow one per flight.

Suzi

searcher48

What area are you going from? There is a very active facebook group with loads of info for Costa Blanca area. I often see this subject discussed. Do a search for pet transport. sell your stuff

Jerseygirl

I didn't think pets were allowed in the cabin when travelling to the UK unless they were assistance dogs. It has nothing to do with the airline...it is DEFRA who makes the rules about transporting dogs to the UK.

Looking at the list of DEFRA approved airlines...only KLM Cargo are approved to transport pets to the UK.

Pippi Calzaslargas

Thank you all for the interest and the advice
I will shortly describe all the options (or lack of options), in case someone will have the same problem. The rules for pet travel to the UK changed at the beginning of the year. There is no quarantine anymore, as long as your pet has a passport, a chip and has the vaccination up to date. There is only an obligatory parasite treatment a couple days before entering the country. It should be easier then? Nah...
Eurostar, the only train going through the channel does not accept pets other than assistance dogs (convincing them that my chihuahua is such could be amusing but fruitless ).
Most ferries won't accept a pet unless we travel by car. If I had a car I wouldn't need a ferry, would I?
It is correct that DEFRA does not allow entry of any animal to the UK in the cabin of the plane. I am not entirely sure about registering my spoiled pooch as cargo I have checked the prices nonetheless and got frightened: the quote price for Thomson and Jet2 was around £500. For a dog the size of a rat (for inland Europe flights it's some €40).

Great thanks everyone, especially grahunt and searcher 48, I will definitely check out your suggestions!