Brittany Ferries carries dogs, cats and ferrets between England, France and Spain, but where your pet spends the crossing depends on the ship. There are three options: it stays in your car, it goes in an onboard kennel (dogs only, on six ships), or it shares a pet-friendly cabin with you (on seven ships). Dogs must be muzzled and on a lead whenever they are outside the car, kennel or cabin. You cannot book a pet as a foot passenger, cyclist or motorcyclist, and pet places sell out early in summer.
This guide is built from Brittany Ferries' own pet travel pages, including where your pet can stay on board, checking in and boarding and taking your pet abroad, read in November 2026.
Pet options by ship
| Ship | Pet-friendly cabins | Kennels | Stay in car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armorique | Yes | No | Yes |
| Barfleur | No | No | Yes |
| Galicia | Yes | Yes | No |
| Guillaume de Normandie | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mont St Michel | No | No | Yes |
| Pont-Aven | Yes | Spain sailings | France sailings |
| Saint-Malo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Salamanca | Yes | Yes | No |
| Santona | Yes | Yes | No |
On Pont-Aven, pets can stay in a pet-friendly cabin or in your vehicle on sailings to and from France. On sailings to and from Spain, pets must stay in a pet-friendly cabin, or dogs can use a kennel. Cats must stay in a pet-friendly cabin on all Pont-Aven sailings to and from Spain.
Who can book a pet
Brittany Ferries only takes pets travelling with a vehicle. It does not accept pet bookings on the day of departure, for unaccompanied pets, for passengers travelling on foot, by bicycle or by motorcycle, or for rabbits. Pets other than dogs, cats and ferrets, such as turtles or parrots, may need an EU health or CITES certificate, so contact Brittany Ferries before booking one.
Kennels
Kennels are for dogs only, in two sizes, on six ships: Galicia, Salamanca, Santona, Pont-Aven, Saint-Malo and Guillaume de Normandie. Cats are not allowed in kennels on any ship. As a guide, Brittany Ferries suggests small kennels for breeds like a Toy Poodle, King Charles Spaniel or Jack Russell Terrier, and large kennels for a German Shepherd, Labrador, Dalmatian, Boxer, Pointer or Setter. If you book the wrong size for your dog, carriage cannot be guaranteed, so measure the dog standing and lying down.
Small kennels measure 80 cm high, 95 cm wide and 110 cm deep on Galicia, Guillaume de Normandie, Saint-Malo, Santona and Salamanca. On Pont-Aven they are much smaller: 54 cm high, 54.5 cm wide and 80 cm deep.
Large kennels are 80 x 120 x 110 cm on Galicia, Salamanca and Santona, 80 x 95 x 210 cm on Guillaume de Normandie and Saint-Malo, and 100 x 100 x 90 cm on Pont-Aven.
Galicia, Santona, Salamanca, Saint-Malo and Guillaume de Normandie each have 10 small and 2 large kennels on deck 7, with an exercise area just outside. Pont-Aven has 42 small and 24 large kennels on deck 10, reached by stairs from the pet exercise area on deck 9 through a caged door opened with a swipe card issued at check-in. Kennels are open at all times except during cleaning, 30 minutes twice a day. There is a water tap and a dog waste bin with bags nearby, but no bedding, so bring your own, plus bowls, food and toys.
Pet-friendly cabins
Pet-friendly cabins are on seven ships in Brittany Ferries' fleet table: Armorique, Galicia, Salamanca, Pont-Aven, Santona, Saint-Malo and Guillaume de Normandie. A 2-berth pet-friendly cabin holds 1 large dog or 2 small dogs or cats; a 4-berth cabin holds up to 2 large dogs or 3 small dogs or cats. Brittany Ferries counts a small dog as under 10 kg and a large dog as over 10 kg, and warns that space gets tight with 2 or 3 pets. Cabins are en-suite and air-conditioned, with bunk beds and laminate floors. Bring your pet's own bedding.
The numbers are small. Galicia, Santona and Salamanca each have 22 pet-friendly cabins on deck 7; Saint-Malo has 28 on deck 7, including Commodore and Club class; Guillaume de Normandie has 21 on deck 7; Pont-Aven has 28 on deck 6; Armorique has 19 on deck 9. Every ship with pet cabins has a pet exercise area.
Pets that stay in your car
If your pet stays in the vehicle, it cannot go into cabins, the exercise area or any public area of the ship, except registered assistance dogs. Open the car windows enough for ventilation without letting the pet escape; Brittany Ferries suggests window grilles. Leave food, water, absorbent bedding and familiar toys, and make sure the animal can stand, turn and lie down. The garage decks may feel warm when you park, but Brittany Ferries says the temperature is regulated and checked once at sea.
You cannot go to the car deck on your own during the crossing. Visits are arranged at the information desk, escorted by crew, limited to one person per vehicle for up to 15 minutes, and the pet stays inside the car. There are no pet visits to the garage decks on overnight sailings, and the captain can refuse visits in bad weather.
The muzzle rule and fines
Dogs must wear a muzzle and be on a lead at all times outside the car, kennel or pet-friendly cabin. That includes the walk between the car and the kennel or cabin, the walk to the exercise area, and time in the exercise area. Brittany Ferries applies fines if you fail to muzzle your dog, and if you take a pet into a cabin that is not pet-friendly. Muzzle-train your dog before the trip if it is not used to one.
Check-in and boarding
Check in at least 90 minutes before departure, and exercise your pet before you board. At check-in, staff put a pet sticker on your windscreen, which stays until you leave the arrival port. Your pet's microchip is scanned and its documents are checked when departing from and arriving at ports in the UK, France and Spain. At the French ports you may need to take your pet into the terminal for scanning, so allow extra time. Crew explain how to move your pet from the car to the kennel or cabin when you board.
Free document pre-check
Once you have booked, Brittany Ferries offers a free online pet travel pre-check from 96 hours before departure. You log in with your Brittany Ferries account, answer questions about the pet's documents, vaccinations and microchip, and get an instant answer on whether the paperwork is valid. Use it; a document problem found at the port can mean your pet cannot sail.
Documents for UK owners
Brittany Ferries says you must have an animal health certificate (AHC) from your vet to take a pet into the EU, and that a pet passport used instead may be refused. You need a new AHC for every trip, and the rule applies to assistance dogs too. The microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination, and both must be recorded correctly. To come back into the UK, your dog must have tapeworm treatment from a vet more than 24 hours and less than 120 hours before your scheduled arrival, recorded on the AHC. The UK government's taking your pet abroad page has the full rules.
Booking the tapeworm treatment on your return
Brittany Ferries warns that many French and Spanish vets are closed on Sundays and Mondays, and that local bank holidays change opening times, so book the vet appointment as soon as you arrive. Check the date and signature on the AHC before you leave the surgery. Brittany Ferries publishes a list of vets near its ports. If any part of the documentation or microchip check fails on the way back, it will only carry the pet if you have already arranged quarantine in the UK at your own expense.
Price
Brittany Ferries advertises pet travel from GBP 36 to France and GBP 50 to Spain. Kennel and cabin prices depend on the sailing, so check the fare when you book. Because pet places are limited, book early, especially for summer. Brittany Ferries lets you check the availability of pet-friendly cabins and kennels on each sailing before you book, which is worth doing first, since the ship you choose decides where your pet can stay. If you have a question about documents, its pet travel experts answer email at pettravelexpert@brittanyferries.com.
Choosing a sailing for your dog
Brittany Ferries suggests travelling overnight or early in the morning if your dog overheats easily, such as pugs, bulldogs and thick-coated breeds, and avoiding hot days. Very young, old or unwell dogs are more at risk, so ask your vet whether the dog is fit to travel. If your dog must stay in the car, a short daytime crossing to France is easier than a long sailing to Spain, where pets must use a kennel or cabin on Pont-Aven anyway.
Visiting your dog in a kennel
On Pont-Aven, Galicia and Salamanca you have direct access to your dog's kennel whenever you like during the sailing, apart from the two daily cleaning slots. That makes those ships a good choice for a long crossing to Spain, since you can take the dog to the exercise area, top up water and sit with it. On other ships, ask at the information desk about visits; they are at the crew's discretion and depend on the weather.
What to pack for your pet
Brittany Ferries lists the essentials: a muzzle for dogs, absorbent bedding for the car, kennel or cabin, nappy sacks and tissues for accidents, a few favourite toys, and water in a spill-safe container that can clip to a crate or sit on the floor. For pets in a kennel or car, fill the water container with fresh water and make sure the animal can reach it for the whole sailing. Do not feed or water your pet heavily just before sailing, and give it time to exercise and toilet first. Put a tag on the collar with your phone number, including the international dialling code.
Arriving in France or Spain
Once you drive off, find somewhere safe to pull over and get the dog out of the car, so it can stretch, relieve itself and settle before the next stretch of driving. If you are staying in the countryside, check local hunting seasons, and check which beaches allow dogs, since some French beaches do not.
Coming from the US through Britain
Some American families move to Britain first and then drive on to France or Spain, or the reverse. A dog arriving in Great Britain from the US must meet the British entry rules, which the government explains on its bringing your pet to Great Britain page, and it usually arrives by air through an approved route rather than in the cabin. Our guide to moving a pet to the UK covers that leg. Once the dog is legally in Britain, the ferry to the continent follows the AHC rules above.
Other ways to cross with a dog
The Eurostar does not take pets on London trains, as our Eurostar guide explains, so a dog crossing the Channel goes by ferry, by the vehicle shuttle through the tunnel, or by air. DFDS runs shorter crossings from Dover and Newhaven and carries foot passengers with pets on some routes, which Brittany Ferries does not. Our ferry guide covers US ferries too.
Moving to France or Spain with a pet
If the ferry is part of a move rather than a holiday, start the paperwork early. Our guides to pet transport to France and pet transport to Spain cover the documents and timelines, and our road trip guide helps with the long drive at either end.