Why this page matters more for dogs
Cats almost always fit the cabin. Dogs often don't — and if your dog is also a Bulldog, Pug or Boxer, most airlines won't take it in the hold either. Sea and rail routes aren't the fallback; for these dogs they're the plan.
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (UK ↔ France)
The gold standard: your dog never leaves your car for the 35-minute crossing. No crates, no kennels, no handling — just the pet check-in building at Folkestone or Calais where the microchip and paperwork (including the UK tapeworm window on the way in) are verified. Book the pet slot with your vehicle ticket.
Ferries with pet cabins
Brittany Ferries (UK–France/Spain), DFDS (Channel and North Sea), Stena Line (Irish Sea, North Sea) and Irish Ferries all offer either pet-friendly cabins, onboard kennels, or stay-in-car arrangements depending on route and crossing length. For the long UK–Spain crossings a pet cabin turns a stressful cargo question into a two-night mini-cruise with your dog on a bed next to you.
The transatlantic option: Cunard Queen Mary 2
The only scheduled way to cross the Atlantic with a dog and no aircraft: QM2's Southampton–New York crossings carry a small number of dogs in dedicated kennels with a full-time kennel master, twice-daily visits, and famously long waiting lists. Book many months — sometimes a year — ahead.
Mediterranean & Baltic ferries
Greek island ferries, Italy–Greece routes and Baltic crossings (Finland–Sweden–Estonia) are broadly dog-tolerant with designated pet areas or kennels; policies vary by operator and season, and muzzle rules apply on some Mediterranean lines.
Route-planning rule of thumb
If your dog is over 8 kg or on any airline's embargo list, price the surface route first: Eurotunnel or ferry legs plus driving often beat cargo on cost, and always beat it on stress.