# On the ferry with 2 cats and a dog??!!!!



## Tudor fan (Nov 11, 2016)

We're planning our departure to Spain (costa Blanca) we're travelling from Portsmouth to either Bilbao or Santander but want to pick a ferry where cats and dog can stay in your cabin rather than kennels/car -can you imagine the smell in your car??!!!! So, my question is, has anyone ever travelled with 2 cats and a dog in the same cabin in a ferry? And if so is it okay or a giant headache???


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## Rabbitcat (Aug 31, 2014)

Am watching this with great interest as we are all booked and paid for same for May, no dog but two cats. We have even longer trip as we are starting in Ireland with ferry Dublin Holyhead, then drive to Pompey !!!!


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Hello

Moved here almost three years ago now 😱😱

We travelled Portsmouth to Santander on the Ferry. There is only one boat that has pet friendly cabins and they get booked A LONG WAY In advance. 

THere is a dog walking deck and the cabin is the same as the normal ones but with a Lino floor 

For us no problems at all. But make sure you book well, ahead


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## Tudor fan (Nov 11, 2016)

Many thanks, my dog will be fine as long as she's close, but my 2 cats are a bit energetic and I think they might do their nut a day in the cabin! Best just take the dogs on lots of walks round the dog walking bit! Maybe animal tranquillisers?? Is that a done thing??? I don't want them to be stressed, maybe I should see if a vet could prescribe me something to make them a bit sleepy for a day??? Has anyone ever done that??


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Tudor fan said:


> Many thanks, my dog will be fine as long as she's close, but my 2 cats are a bit energetic and I think they might do their nut a day in the cabin! Best just take the dogs on lots of walks round the dog walking bit! Maybe animal tranquillisers?? Is that a done thing??? I don't want them to be stressed, maybe I should see if a vet could prescribe me something to make them a bit sleepy for a day??? Has anyone ever done that??


My two cats had dog crates which secured them rather than a small cat carrier. During the night the slept on the bottom bunk😂 I gave them a herbal relaxer. I'm in the UK at the moment I have some at home when I go back in a few weeks I'll let you know the name it rally calmed my two Down 🐈🐈🐈🐈🐈


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## Tudor fan (Nov 11, 2016)

Thank you! Obvs don't wanna drug my pets up but is like to get some sleep myself before driving to quesada and I want them to be comfortable!


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

A note on tranquillisers, we travelled with three small dogs via Plymouth/Santander to Costa del Sol last summer in both directions. We tried herbal and 'natural' stuff for the little Yorkie and they had no effect whatsoever - she made the journey down a real trial.

For the way back the Spanish vet gave us some good strong chemical drugs which did a proper job on her and she was comatose for the best part of three days - better for her and better for us.

I would do it again. She's none the worse and being badly stressed for an extended time doesn't do a dog any good at all - far worse than the drug effects.

Really enjoyed the ferry - great camaraderie amongst the dog owners on the 'poop' deck. 

Mind you, could have done a week's Caribbean cruise for the same money.


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## Tudor fan (Nov 11, 2016)

I get sea sick in the bath so I could do with some pills myself!


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

We drove a camper van via the tunnel to avoid upsetting the cat


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

Megsmum said:


> Hello
> 
> Moved here almost three years ago now 😱😱
> 
> ...


Well, well ahead. Just planning a trip back the UK next June and all dog cabins already booked.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

peedee said:


> Well, well ahead. Just planning a trip back the UK next June and all dog cabins already booked.


I know it's incredible how soon they are booked.


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## Tudor fan (Nov 11, 2016)

Simon22 said:


> We drove a camper van via the tunnel to avoid upsetting the cat



Lol, the things we do for our pets!!!


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## Allie-P (Feb 11, 2013)

Megsmum said:


> Hello
> 
> Moved here almost three years ago now 😱😱
> 
> ...



We have been living here for nearly four years. I have one small chihuahua. I tried to book a pet cabin to return to UK for a visit, last year. There were none available !!!

This year, I managed to book a crossing with pet cabin, in July.....for June 2017 !!!!!

So well ahead means- * Very *well ahead......

They say that you are allowed only one pet in this pet cabin. This doesn't affect us & I don't know how true it is - as we haven't travelled with Brittany, before.

The very best of luck x


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

Sorry to hear that you only have one small chihuahua, but if you wear the right clothes no one will notice.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

We always use the tunnel. The dogs don't even know they are going from one country to another.


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

And that would be the Portsmouth to Santander tunnel ?


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

We are now planning to drive up through France to the Tunnel next year as we can't at the moment, book a pet friendly cabin. AFAIK it's only the long routes to Spain that have the pet cabins, the short crossings to France say to leave your pet in the car and you MAY be permitted to visit a couple of times during the crossing. We're not happy with that, certainly on the 8 hour crossing to Cherborg. Not sure how much of the car would be left on arrival.

Ibis budget do pet rooms at a very reasonable cost and are perfectly OK. We stayed in one in Bilbao as we had an early ferry and didn't fancy driving through the night. So we'll take our time and enjoy the drive up and down.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

We have used the Dover/Calais crossing where the dog stays in the car a few times with Fraggle (RIP) and it was fine. He loved the car anyway and it's only 1 & 1/2 hours in total. 

An added bonus is that they let cars with dogs on first so you can get in the restaurant first. We were just finishing our meal as the ferry was leaving port.

Be very sure that your pet passport is filled in correctly. We had problems once in Calais where the (Spanish) vet hadn't filled it in correctly. We were sent to a vet in Calais to get it done properly - to find a queue of many other Brits all there for the same reason.

Not so bad in Calais where if you miss a ferry there is another one along in an hour but in Santander this summer all three of our pet passports had been filled in incorrectly by our British vet and we had to do the same. Next ferry in a weeks time so it's a good thing we turned up three hours early as is our custom.

The problems were crossings out (X1) and not stamped AND/OR initialled (X2).

We had to contact our vet in the UK (good thing they were open) and get them to send faxes/email of the relevant papers so the the vet in Santander could make the correct entries.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

peedee said:


> We are now planning to drive up through France to the Tunnel next year as we can't at the moment, book a pet friendly cabin. AFAIK it's only the long routes to Spain that have the pet cabins, the short crossings to France say to leave your pet in the car and you MAY be permitted to visit a couple of times during the crossing. We're not happy with that, certainly on the 8 hour crossing to Cherborg. Not sure how much of the car would be left on arrival.
> 
> *Ibis budget do pet rooms at a very reasonable cost and are perfectly OK.* We stayed in one in Bilbao as we had an early ferry and didn't fancy driving through the night. So we'll take our time and enjoy the drive up and down.


So do Première Classe throughout France and there are a Première Classe and Ibis in Boulogne sur Mer, both ideal for the tunnel.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

A friend recently relocated from Madrid to Scotland and was told by Brittany Ferries that his cat would have to stay in the vehicle. He didn't want to put her through that. 

He used Welcome to Premier Pet Travel - the international pet travel specialist Malaga, Costa del Sol and their service was excellent. €375 door-to-door. They collect and deliver all over Spain, France and the UK and post photos en route on their Facebook page.


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