Okey dokey, my partner and i have a wild idea to take the dogs to a large sighthound festival in Germany next summer or the one after. How difficult do you reckon it would be to come from Ireland-UK UK-Germany and back? Do you think it migh even be worth flying out as dogs can fly easily into Germany and driving back plus ferry) only if it's possible to rent a car at the start and leave it back at the end with the same branch. It may not be.

Has anyone done this?

Maybe it's more hassle than it's worth but we were thinking to make it a few week holiday exploring if possible.

Most hire cars will not let you take dogs in them and to be honest a one way international hire would probably be ridiculously expensive. I'd just drive, make the journey part of your holiday :-)

I took my silkens to Germany last year for a club show and will certainly go back, the journey was great, the dogs coped really well. I travelled Harwich to Hook of Holland on the stena line ferry. There are lovely onboard kennels, big enough for greyhounds, and you can visit any time you like or even sit in there with them. Depends where in Germany you're going but from Hook to Dog City in Bremen where our show is held is only 4 hours :)

The German vet who gave the dogs their worming pills (that I took with me), checked them and stamped their passports only charged 10 euros per dog.

When you're next at an Irish show, look up Jean, Paul and Kelly Lawless -Revloch, Belgian Shepherd breeders. They live in Eire and they go abroad with their dogs more than anyone else I know, and always drive. They are bound to have some tips for you.

If it was me I'd drive as much as possible (as you can then stop whenever you want) so would take the channel tunnel and go into France,  into Belgium, Holland and then enter Germany. Done it a few times. We managed to get all the way channel tunnel-France-Belgium-Holland-Germany-Denmark and into Sweden all in one day. The longest part was driving in Germany for ten hours before reaching Denmark.

Chaumsong, where is Harwich please? That sounds great and really do-able! 4 hours plus a drive through Germany would be a lovely bit of the holiday.

Goldmali, stupid question but does the channel tunnel go from UK into Germany or just into France? No direct experiece of it :)

Also how many hours is the Harwich-Hook of Holland crossing?

I've just done it up and we would go Dublin-Holyhead (ferry), then drive from Holyhead to Harwich (approx 5 hour drive), ferry from Harwich to Hook of Holland, and then drive from Hook of H to where the show is which is a 7 hour drive but maybe stopping for a few days here and there.

Wow! that is not so bad at all is it? 12 hours driving (it's always mroe though) and the rest relaxing on the boat!

Channel Tunnel goes to France, it's just a 35 minutes crossing. The Harwich to Hook Of Holland ferry takes 8 hours, then you need to add a couple of hours on top for getting on and off the ferry.

I have travelled from north of Uk to Germany a number of times, depending on where in Germany you intend to visit would dictate my route choice.

Harwich,on south east cost, to hook of holland approx 8 hr crossing .  Lovely ship and super kennels or leave dogs in car, is great for Northern parts of Germany or tunnel to arrive in Calais is better for southern ares in Germany.

If you plan to sail into Holyhead I estimate it will take you approx 7hrs to reach either Harwich or Folkestone for tunnel as it takes me 5 hrs from Manchester area and it takes me two hours to reach Holyhead.

To get an idea of routes and times the AA route master online is useful

k

> Also how many hours is the Harwich-Hook of Holland crossing?

The crossing is 6 and a half hours, but you have to board at east 45 mins beforehand, say an hour really before, and then 10mins only to get off. All in it's less than 8 hours, my dogs have no problem not peeing for that long but you can close the door to the kennel room and let them out the kennels, mine wouldn't do anything there but I guess if they were desperate they would.

edited to say you may think the crossing is longer, but that's only because the arrival time is local time so +1 hour :-)

I'm travelling that way in 3 weeks time to bring back a new puppy. Puppy is not house trained yet so I'll put papers down on the kennel room floor and let him out the cage often, he'll need time out to play and eat too in the hope he sleeps most of the 8 hour drive home when we disembark :)

I always drive across via the Channel Tunnel. It means the dogs stay in the car with you, very easy, and a short break for the driver.

Have fun :)

Harwich is on the Essex coast, approx. equidistant from Colchester (Essex) and Ipswich (Suffolk).

Hmmm great info in this thread - thank you everyone! food for thought!

Sounds like since we are going to Southern Germany (Donaueschingen) that travelling Dublin-Holyhead, then driving from Holyhead to wherever the tunnel is - going through that to France - and driving France-Germany may be best?

> Sounds like since we are going to Southern Germany (Donaueschingen) that travelling Dublin-Holyhead, then driving from Holyhead to wherever the tunnel is - going through that to France - and driving France-Germany may be best?

Cost wise from Dover the DFDS ferry is cheaper than the tunnel, if you got Dover to Dunkerque it is also 35 - 40 minutes closer to the Belgium border and Germany than the tunnel in Calais.  It is less than 3 hours crossing.

I´ve used the tunnel a few times (not with pets) and love it because you don´t leave your vehicle at all.  The professional pet transporters I have used also use the tunnel for the same reason (meaning that their animals are never left unattended at any time).  However if you prefer to get a breath of "fresh" air then the ferry offers that.  It´s probably all a matter of personal preference.

Yes for Southern Germany would arrive via Holyhead then use either tunnel or Dover ferry .. Either way the journey south through England is much the same. When I have costed ferry V tunnel costs have not been that much different but it will depend on times etc. have used both but prefer the tunnel TBH

Myself and a friend drove from the tunnel across France (toll roads) to southern Germany last year, on a hunt for stud dogs LOL! A long way but easy driving. The harder bit for us was up through Germany through the mountains to Brussels. It happened to be December when there was loads of snow on the ground and it slowed us down rather a lot.

The tunnel is quicker and you don't have to leave your dogs so that would work for me I think! Now to save and convince my partner he wants to come to germany for a dog show... ;)