Travelling to France with a cat or dog

IT can be a stressful experience travelling to France with your pet so make sure you take a few precautionary steps in advance to ensure you arrive safely.

Besides having to go through the PETS passport scheme you need to plan and make preparations for travelling with your pet well in advance of starting the journey.

The DEFRA website has an extensive section that offers simple advice on the steps you need to take.

For example, your pet has to be fit and healthy enough to travel and you should check that your carrier will transport your pet.

If you are crossing the Channel by ferry then read the conditions of carriage, for example, some ferries may charge a fee and access to your pet may be restricted during travel, and know exactly how long the journey is going to take.

When driving make sure your pet has water available at all times, no spill water bowls can be found at pet shops, and that there is plenty of fresh air circulating around.

The DEFRA site covers in great depth the problems that can occur with heat stroke and the dangers of leaving your pet in a car during the summer.

It only takes a matter of minutes for an animal to begin suffering from the heat as the temperature in a car can easily be double that outside.

If you are travelling to France by air then the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website provides a great deal of information on transporting your cat or dog.

Thinking and planning ahead will help to make things run a little smoother when travelling to France with your pets, but if you have any helpful tips please feel free to leave a comment below.