If you’re looking for a pet friendly ferry in 2024 from the UK to EU, Brittany Ferries has options. We’ve spoken to many people who regularly use the Brittany Ferries pet friendly cabins from Portsmouth, England (UK) to Santander, Spain. They load up their motor homes or cars, then set sail with their furry friend from Portsmouth. Upon arrival in Santander, fully rested from their pet friendly cabin, they drive onwards with their cat or dog to their final destination in Spain, France or Portugal. However, you don’t have to opt for a Brittany Ferries pet friendly cabin, as your pet can also travel in your vehicle or an onboard kennel. The cost of Brittany Ferries pet friendly cabins and kennels vary, and they aren’t available on every ship or route. Check out reviews for Brittany Ferries to hear what other pet travellers think, or read the full Brittany Ferries pet travel policy 2024.
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Pet Friendly Brittany Ferries Routes to France and Spain
It’s all the ‘P’s‘ if you’re sailing from the UK with your pet to France or Spain, as the UK ports for Brittany Ferries are Portsmouth, Plymouth and Poole! The Routes available are:
| Portsmouth to/from France | St Maio Caen Cherbourg |
| Portsmouth to/from Spain | Santander |
| Plymouth to/from France | Roscoff |
| Plymouth to/from Spain | Santander |
| Poole to/from France | Cherbourg |
There’s no pet friendly ferry between the UK and Portugal at the moment, so if that’s where you heading, check out our complete guide to relocatIng a cat or dog to Portugal.
Brittany Ferries Pet Travel Options – Pet Friendly Cabins, Kennels or Remain in Car
Whether or not you can opt for a pet friendly cabin, an on-board kennel, or for your cat, dog or ferret to remain in your car depends on the ship used for your crossing.
| SHIP NAME | PET FRIENDLY CABINS | ON-BOARD KENNELS | REMAIN IN VEHICLE | AVAILABLE CROSSINGS |
| Armorique | ? | Plymouth & Roscoff Portsmouth & St Malo (Ireland – Cork to Roscoff) | ||
| Barfleur | ? | Poole & Cherbourg | ||
| Bretagne | ? | ? | Portsmouth & St Malo | |
| Galicia | ? | ? | Portsmouth & Santander Portsmouth & Cherbourg | |
| Mont St Michel | ? | Portsmouth & Caen | ||
| Normandie | ? | ? | Portsmouth & Caen | |
| Pont-Aven | ? | ? | ?* | Plymouth & Roscoff Plymouth & Santander (Ireland – Cork to Roscoff) |
| Salamanca | ? | ? | Portsmouth to Spain |
* Pets travelling on the Pont-Aven; pets may stay in either a pet-friendly cabin or in your vehicle when on crossings to and from France. When sailing to or from Spain, pets must stay in a pet-friendly cabin, or dogs can stay in a kennel. Cats must stay in a pet-friendly cabin on all sailings to/from Spain.
Brittany Ferries Pet Friendly Cabins
Pet friendly cabins are currently available on four of Brittany Ferries ships:
- Galicia
- Normandie
- Pont-Avon
- Salamanca
The cabins are designed to comfortably accommodate a single pet. If you wish to take more than one pet, please get in touch with Brittany Ferries. Pets are not allowed in any of the public areas of any ship. All pet-friendly cabins have the following features:
- En-suite
- Air-conditioned
- Bunk-style beds
- Laminate flooring
Bedding for your pet is not supplied so remember to take your own!
All ships with pet-friendly cabins have a pet exercise area on board. Remember that your pet must be muzzled and on a lead when outside your cabin. This also means during the journeys between your vehicle and your cabin, the cabin and the exercise area and whilst in the exercise area.
Cost of Brittany Ferries Pet Friendly Cabin
The cost of a pet friendly cabin with Brittany Ferries varies, depending on the route, cabin size and time of year. The cabins cost from £40 per crossing, in addition to the tickets purchased for you and your cat or dog.
Brittany Ferries Pet in Vehicle
If you would rather keep your cat or dog in your vehicle for the duration of the crossing, rather than a pet friendly cabin with Brittany Ferries to Spain or France, then they must remain in your vehicle. You will also have to ensure that you open your car windows to provide ventilation during sailing, and leave water for your pet. The garage decks may be warm when you first park, but once the ship has set sail, the temperature is carefully regulated and inspected regularly. It’s worth taking along some window grilles so that your pet has a flow of fresh air, while being unable to escape.
A maximum of five pets are allowed per vehicle, but it’s important to make sure each pet has sufficient space within the vehicle for safety and comfort. Multiple pets will create extra heat in the vehicle and this should be taken into account before making your journey. During times of high temperatures please reconsider transporting cats or dogs that have difficulty in maintaining a normal body temperature in hot weather, such as snub nose dogs.
Please also keep the following in mind before booking:
- Access to the garage decks during the crossing is forbidden, except when with a crew member. There are no pet visits to the garage decks on overnight sailings.
- If you are travelling on Normandie Express, you will not be allowed to visit your pet during your sailing.
- To visit your pet during your sailing, you will need a ticket. To obtain a ticket, present your passport or driving licence at the information desk – your ID will be held securely during your visit.
- Visits are limited to one person per vehicle for a maximum of 15 minutes. For exact visit times, please ask at the information desk. Pets must stay inside the vehicle as the purpose of these visits is to check on their well-being only.
- All visits are subject to operational and weather conditions. The captain reserves the right to change or refuse visits at any time.
Cost of Brittany Ferries Pet in Vehicle
From £25 per pet one way, you can take your cat or dog on any of the routes to France.
Pets in Kennel
Kennels are available in two different sizes, small and large. Be aware that Brittany Ferries doesn’t allow cats to occupy kennels on any crossing.
The small Brittany Ferries kennel is suitable for the following dog breeds as a guide:
- Basset Hound
- Beagle
- Toy Poodle
- King Charles Spaniel
- Jack Russell Terrier
For the large kennel, the large kennel is considered suitable for a:
- German Shepherd
- Labrador
- Dalmatian
- Boxer
- Pointer
- Setter
The kennels can be booked on four of Brittany Ferries’ ships:
- Bretagne (24 small & 12 large kennels)
- Galicia (10 small & 2 large kennels)
- Pont-Aven (42 small & 24 large kennels)
- Salamanca (10 small & 2 large kennels)
A water tap is provided nearby the Brittany Ferries on board kennels, and there’s a dog waste bin with bags available.
Bedding is not supplied so you must remember to take your own. You should also take your own water bowls, food, toys etc. Our pet travel checklist will keep you on track!
Pets in kennels are not allowed in any of the public areas of the ship and must be muzzled and on a lead at all times outside of the kennel. This includes during the journeys between your vehicle and the kennel, the kennel and the exercise area and whilst in the exercise area.
The kennels are accessible at all times. Access is gained through a metal caged door (via a security swipe card keypad, card issued at check-in).
Cost of Brittany Ferries Kennel
To Spain, the price is from £79 return for kennel accommodation.
Brittany Ferries policy for foot passengers, bicycles, motorcycles with pets
Brittany Ferries doesn’t permit foot passengers to travel with dogs, cats, or any other animal on any of their crossings. Passengers with bicycles or motorcycles also can’t take a pet.
If you don’t have a vehicle for the journey, you’ll be pleased to know that DFDS has some foot passenger options available.
Pet Friendly Holidays
In addition to permitting dogs to travel onboard their ships in pet friendly cabins, within your vehicle or in a kennel, Brittany Ferries also offers pet friendly holidays to France and Spain. The options available for your holiday headquarters include apartments, cottages, camp sites and hotels. To book a ferry crossing and accommodation package, visit the Brittany Ferries website to view the choices available for your required dates.
Remember to leave a review if you travel with Brittany Ferries with your pet!
