TOASTY THE TEACHER

Toasty's teachings are many, but for now, this corner of the internet has two goals:

1. Share tips on traveling internationally with an animal. Her mom relied on blogs to help with their move and subsequent travels and would like to pay that back with sharing how Toasty flew in-cabin to Europe and arrived in the UK. (This is below, click here to skip to section).

2. Lessons on life and love from a care-experienced and looked after and accommodated soul. (If you are from outside the UK, "care-experience" and "looked after and accommodated" means social services have been in her life and that Toasty has experience living with a parent who has not always been her parent). *COMING SOON!*

Travel from the US to the UK and EU*

*If you want your non-Emotional Support Animal (ESA), under 8kg or 17lbs, to be in-cabin, you must first travel to the EU, then the UK.

Toasty being contemplative (over a stick), and snapped in a brief moment where she is happy being held, by Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh, where she moved from the US in 2021

Review the health requirements and timeline at least 3 months before trip! Make sure you speak with a USDA accredited vet in this same time-frame.

This is really important, you must plan at least 3 months in advance. Here is a google doc with the requirements and timelines for health clearance to the UK and Europe, and here is the USDA website that links to current guidance. I would check with the USDA website for the most up-to-date guidance - and that is why I am not typing it out here. Please make sure your vet is USDA-accredited (you can check here) as their expertise and experience will smooth the process.

Book a flight to either France or the Netherlands. We've flown Air France and KLM for this journey.

Why to France or the Netherlands?

If you are flying on a private jet, you may fly with your pet in-cabin to the UK.
If you are flying commercial, you cannot fly with your pet in-cabin to the UK.
Only Cunard line ships are permitted to take dogs to the UK.
The Eurorail/Eurostar does not allow dogs. Rude.
Le Shuttle / Eurotunnel, which requires a car, does allow dogs. It runs from Calais to Folkestone.
Ferry lines–DFDS and P&O–from Calais to Dover allow dogs.
Ferry line DFDS from Amsterdam to Newcastle allows dogs.

3. a

If you arrive in France:

Option 1: Hire a taxi to pick you up in Paris and drive you through Le Shuttle/Eurotunnel to Folkestone, UK. This is the company Toasty used. They were excellent. But if you google ‘Folkestone Taxi’ you will see many options.

Option 2 (and not what we've done): Take the train to Calais and take a DFDS or P&O ferry to Dover. I cannot speak to the experience on the ferries. SNCF (trains in France) allow dogs if in carrier or muzzled.

Once in the UK, you can take your dog on the trains. You might have to lie about having a dog with rental car companies, not that I condone this...

3. b

If you arrive in the Netherlands:

Take the DFDS ferry from Amsterdam (really Ijmuiden) to Newcastle. When you book you need to specify you will be traveling with a pet as there are only specific cabins you will be able to book. It is an overnight ferry and honestly more like a cruise ship!

Give yourself plenty of time to get from Amsterdam to the port to be safe. Toasty and I have done this. We could not find the bus that takes you from the Amsterdam train station to the ferry terminal so I gave up and took a taxi. (I called DFDS and left plenty of time, but the people on the phone were in Newcastle and couldn't help).

Once you're in the UK (or the EU, if that was your final destination and you didn't need step 3a or 3b):

Dogs are allowed on trains! Just not the Eurostar/Eurorail. In most places in the EU they require dogs be muzzled or in carriers while on public transit, but dogs are generally allowed. In the UK, dogs are allowed on trains and public transit and do not need to be muzzled or in carriers - at least in our 3 years of experience there!

It has also been our experience that dogs are allowed in many restaurants, shops, on many beaches, and even historical attractions! It really is the dog's life.

Travel from UK to EU:

This is much more straightforward! Be sure to speak to your UK vet at least 2 months out of planned departure to make sure they can schedule you for an Animal Health Certificate.

UK pet passports are no longer valid with Brexit. That means if you are taking your fur baby to an EU country your vet will need to complete an Animal Health Certificate. This must be done no more than 10 days prior to travel (but might need to be booked in advance per vet's availability as not all vets can issue this.)

The Health Certificate is valid for 4 months and only needs to be issued for the country of your entry into the EU. Traveling between EU countries is not a problem. If you are taking ferries, for instance from Croatia to Italy, or Italy to Greece, they will ask to see the health certificate but it is OK if it was issued for France (or whichever country was your entry point to the EU).

Intra-EU Travel:

No border checks! The exception has been for ferry crossings.

There is not much to say, other than a reminder that Eurostar/Eurorail does not allow dogs. Most other transportation is dog-friendly, provided dogs are muzzled or in a carrier.

International ferry crossings will ask to see your pet's health certificate. As long as it was issued within 4 months you will be OK.

Be aware you may need to book ahead of time to ensure your pet can travel with you. On some ferries, there are a limited number of cabins that allow dogs. On other ferries, you do not need a cabin, you just need to be willing and prepared to stay out on the deck for the crossing (which can take over 24 hours!).

Travel from EU to UK*

*If not just a layover en-route to the UK from elsewhere. This matters because...

Your dog will need a tapeworm treatment at least 24 hours, but no more than 5 days, before entry into the UK.

Before re-entering the UK with your pet, even if they are from the UK, they are required to have a tapeworm treatment. There are many vets in Calais that offer this. I am not sure about Amsterdam but I am certain you can find one! (I had been staying in Calais prior to Toasty and I taking the ferry from Amsterdam to Newcastle, so we went to a vet in Calais for the tapeworm treatment... illogical choice but at the time I didn't have a car and wasn't sure about being a foot passenger on the Calais to Dover ferries and then the long train ride back to Edinburgh from Dover. So we journeyed from Calais to Amsterdam via train then to Newcastle via ferry, finally to Edinburgh via train).

Some of Toasty's Travels Include...

Petit Chien

Toasty in France

Hola!

Toasty enjoying her visit to Spain

FAILTE!

Toasty in DC upon learning we are moving to Scotland

Ukusan (Yummy)

Toasty eating ice cream in Croatia

Your Heart's Eye