Kojak’s Travel List – Dog Travelling in Europe

We got our first family dog a beautiful Siberian Husky we named Kojak in November 2020. I knew that he would change our lives and the way we travel and explore. We have been away without him and been lucky enough to have had excellent care for him whilst we were away. But we would like Kojak to also come away and enjoy travelling with us.

One thing that we consider when looking to go away is – will we spend lots of time with Kojak?

Our first trip abroad with Kojak and we have took him out every day finding dog friendly places to visit and eat. This time in France we have not left him at all, however we would leave him if we wanted to eat out at a restaurant, go food shopping or for a couple of hours max to do an activity he could not do. My rule would be at least one night before we would leave him somewhere new on his own – this is to make him know he is safe, secure and knows we will come back in a strange place.

I was worried as this was the first time abroad with a dog but I need not have worried the Le Shuttle was great and had excellent processes in place. The time in the train was quick and Kojak wasn’t fazed one bit.  

There will be times that Kojak will not come away with us but knowing it’s an option is great as he is a wonderful part of our family.

My travel checklist for Kojak:

• Insurance
• Check vaccinations are all up to date
• Animal Health Certificate
• Return journey – appointment at the vets for tapeworm treatment administered 1-5 days before travel back to the UK. Treatment must be administered by a vet not less than 24 hours (1 day) and no more than 120 hours (5 days) before the dog’s scheduled arrival time in the UK. Treatment date and time must be recorded by the vet in the pet’s documentation.
• Food – what can we take and what we can’t
• Water
• Teddies and Toys
• Dog leads
• Check the rules around dogs for the European country you are travelling in.

Kojak’s Travel Bag

Kojak has a travel bag that we can pick up at any moment and go with him, with many hotels dog friendly they can enjoy a mini break too.

• Puppy Pads – these are excellent if your dog becomes unwell or if you want to use as a door mat for muddy paws.
• Hair Brush
• Spare Leads
• Treats
• Small teddy
• Towel
• Collapsible Drinking Bowl
• Food Bowl
• Poo Bags
• Bottle of water

Please note this is my travel list for a dog travelling into Europe using Le Shuttle and you will need to ensure that you have fully checked what is required for your pet to travel.

Animal Health Certificates (AHC) replaced Pet Passports and to be honest they are a pain and you have to get one each time you travel. I advise you speak with your vet to find out if they do them or if you need to get one from another vet. My vet does not do the AHC but provided me with somewhere that could Animal Health Certificates Online I filled in the form paid and then took Kojak to collect it on the agreed date.

The certificate can be used to enter the EU & NI for up to 10 days from the date of issue.

Once inside the EU a pet can travel within the boundaries of the territory for up to four months.

Once the pet exits the EU a new Animal Health Certificate is required to re-enter the EU as the AHC is single use.

Useful Links:

Le Shuttle – Euro Tunnel

Euro Tunnel – Travelling with your pet

Taking your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tamsin | my_jones_life (@my_jones_life)