How to Conquer Train Travel with Your Dog through Europe
When you’re traveling the world with your dog, you can’t be in a hurry. Embracing the scenic route everywhere you go is actually your best option. Going at a slow pace will allow you to see more of the world, that you might miss if traveling the traditional routes of fast planes. With Sheila’s European Pet Passport, we traveled from Belgium through France into the UK, and then through Scotland, Northern Ireland and Dublin and back, all through taking trains and ferries.
When traveling to and from Ireland and Northern Ireland as a foot passenger (no car), I recommend taking the Stena Line Ferry. They are dog friendly, and also generally relaxed about everything. If you are sneaky, you can even get away with taking your small dog with you in the cabin, since there is no formal “dog check in process.”
Pet Passport Note: While legally, due to Brexit, it’s required for your pet to have an echinococcus tapeworm treatment between 1-5 days prior to entry to Ireland, my pet’s passport was never examined coming to and from Ireland, so technically I guess I could have gotten away with it. The same treatment is also required prior to entry to the UK, Northern Ireland, Norway, and Malta.
Dogs are allowed on all Transport for London buses and trains. They are also permitted on all fast-paced trains through the UK (other than Eurostar), which makes using the Eurail Global Pass an effective way to travel all throughout Europe and the UK. I purchased my Eurail global pass on Black Friday and have utilized it tremendously. I will have used 10 travel days within just over 2 months, and it has taken me all over the world- the scenic route. Highly recommend.
When considering traveling to the rest of Europe with a dog without a car, I recommend booking a pet cabin with DSDF Ferries. The ferry runs from Newcastle to Amsterdam each night at the same time. It’s an overnight ferry, too, with relatively comfy bunk beds, so you can even get a good night’s sleep in before continuing onward with your journey.
Other ways to leave or enter the UK with your pup without getting on the plane is through the Eurotunnel (super pricy though) or through multiple ferry options that connect at Dover (south England).
The biggest difference between the Dover Ferry option and DFDS is having a car. Unless you are long-term renting a car, or somehow manage to get in a car with a friend (rental car places wont let you return the car in a different country), your best bet will be to take the DFDS option and get a good night’s sleep on the overnight ferry. To learn more about my initial journey into England using the Eurotunnel, read my blog, Moving to Europe with Your Dog in 2023.
