Taking your pet from the UK to France involves several costs beyond just the crossing fare — and most owners find the "how much will this actually cost me?" question surprisingly hard to answer. This guide breaks down every expense honestly: what professional door-to-door transport starts from on real routes, what you'll pay your own vet regardless of how you travel, and what the DIY alternative genuinely adds up to.
What Determines the Price of Pet Transport to France
Professional pet transport isn't priced from a mystery menu — our quotes are built from a handful of concrete components:
- Distance: the biggest factor by far. Collection address to delivery address, calculated on the real driving route — a Kent-to-Calais hop and an Edinburgh-to-Paris run are very different journeys.
- The Channel crossing: every UK-France journey includes the Eurotunnel crossing component — vehicle passage plus the pet supplement and Pet Reception checks.
- Motorway tolls: French autoroutes are tolled, and the real toll cost for your route is included in the quote — not added later.
- Vehicle choice: the standard climate-controlled vehicle is included; executive or minibus upgrades cost more.
- City-centre collection or delivery: central London and central Paris addresses carry a congestion charge component.
- Long-haul rest stops: very long journeys include properly scheduled rest breaks, which are factored into the price rather than skipped.
One thing we never charge: a fee per pet. The price is for the journey, whether one cat or two dogs are travelling together from the same household.
Starting Prices on Popular UK-France Routes
These are genuine "starting from" figures — your exact price depends on your specific addresses, and the instant quote calculator gives you the real number in under a minute:
- Folkestone to Calais — from £195. The shortest crossing we run.
- Dover to Calais — from £205.
- Ashford to Calais — from £225.
- London to Calais — from £340.
- Folkestone to Paris CDG — from £565.
- London to Paris CDG — from £690.
- London to Paris (door-to-door) — from £715.
- Birmingham to Paris — from £935.
- Manchester to Paris — from £1,080.
- Edinburgh to Paris — from £1,555.
Every figure above includes the Eurotunnel crossing, motorway tolls, and door-to-door collection and delivery — there is no "plus fees" small print waiting at checkout.
Costs You'll Pay Whichever Way You Travel
Some costs belong to the pet, not the transport method — you'll pay these whether you drive yourself, fly, or book professional transport:
- ISO microchip — a one-off cost at your vet, required before the rabies vaccination.
- Rabies vaccination — must be at least 21 days old on the day of travel; priced by your own practice.
- Animal Health Certificate (AHC) — issued by an Official Veterinarian within 10 days of departure. OV fees vary considerably between practices, so it genuinely pays to phone two or three — the difference can be significant for identical paperwork.
- Tapeworm treatment — for dogs returning to the UK, administered by a vet 1-5 days before re-entry.
We verify all of this documentation before departure as part of the service, but the vet appointments themselves are yours to arrange — we can point you to an OV near you if you don't have one.
DIY Drive vs Professional Transport: What You're Actually Comparing
Driving yourself looks cheaper on paper, and sometimes genuinely is — if you already own a suitable car and your time is free. The honest comparison list for a DIY London-to-Paris run:
- Eurotunnel vehicle fare (varies sharply by date and how far ahead you book)
- Eurotunnel pet supplement, per pet
- Fuel for roughly 285 miles each way, plus French motorway tolls
- Your full day of driving — and the return leg to get the car home
- Sole responsibility for the AHC timing and border paperwork, with no second check
Professional transport replaces all of that with a single all-in price — and for owners who don't drive, are flying separately, or are relocating without their car, the comparison usually isn't close. For a deeper cost breakdown of the crossing itself, see our Eurotunnel pet travel cost guide.
How to Keep the Cost Down
- Book ahead: pet capacity per Eurotunnel crossing is limited, and summer slots fill weeks in advance. Early booking means better crossing times, not surge pricing from us — but last-minute DIY Eurotunnel fares can sting.
- Be flexible on dates: if your move date has any give in it, mid-week travel outside school holidays is calmer and easier to schedule.
- Compare OV fees: the same Animal Health Certificate can cost noticeably different amounts at different practices.
- One booking for multiple pets: since we price per journey, two pets from the same household travelling together don't double the bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to take a dog from London to Paris?
Professional door-to-door transport starts from £715 for the full London-to-Paris journey, including the Eurotunnel crossing and French motorway tolls. Your exact price depends on your specific collection and delivery addresses — the online calculator gives a guaranteed figure in under a minute.
Do you charge per pet?
No. Pricing is per journey — a bonded pair of cats or two family dogs travelling together from the same address are covered by the same booking.
Are there hidden fees on top of the quoted price?
No. The quote includes the crossing, tolls, and door-to-door service. The only costs outside it are your own vet's fees for the microchip, rabies vaccination, and AHC — which you'd pay with any travel method.
Is it cheaper to drive my pet to France myself?
Sometimes — if you already own a suitable vehicle, book the Eurotunnel early, and are comfortable managing all the paperwork and the long drive yourself. Once you price in the crossing, pet supplement, fuel, tolls and two days of driving, the gap is usually smaller than expected.
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