Hi everyone, I want to travel to Belgium next year with my little dog and I understand about the pet passport etc, however I am wondering about the actual travel.  Do the dogs have to stay in a kennel on board or do they stay in the car?  Also, is where the cars are kept for the crossing dark when the doors are closed or is there light in there?

Sounds daft i suppose but need to know what I would be subjecting her to if I took her LOL
Thanks

Whereabouts do you live? Can you not take your car across through the tunnel - you stay in the car with the dog and the crossing is only 35 minutes or so.

When we went over to Ireland on the Sea Cat many many years ago, our dog at the time, had to stay in the car, which he was perfectly fine with .

I use the Harwich to Hook crossing as it's only 6.5 hours on the ferry for the dogs and they're so dog friendly too. There are 2 kennel rooms, a room for small dogs and cats and a room for large dogs. The doors are locked with an electronic keypad and you're given the number when you check in. You can have free access to the kennel room and now there is an exercise area on the deck too.

The kennels are new and in good condition and obviously cleaned regularly too. I take my own bedding but they have a supply of clean blankets, also there is a sink and hand/dish washing.

You can leave your dog in the car, it's still £15 but you don't have access to the car deck so I wouldn't personally do that.

This is the small kennel room, I wanted to put my new puppy in a large kennel and the staff didn't mind but did advise me that he may fit between the bars, and sure enough he could so I used a double small kennel instead.

This is the outside exercise area, partitioned off so you can let dogs off lead, though I should warn you that a small dog could fit under the partition and fall over board!

Which port do you wish to leave from? A cross channel ferry is not too long a journey from Dover- about 90 minutes- but the tunnel is only around half an hour. Journey times will be much longer from other destinations.

Found some more pics of the Harwich-Hook kennels.

This is a large kennel

This is a single small kennel

A Double small kennel.

Another view of the small kennel room, showing the piles of bedding available.

Another view of the deck exercise area, with a chair to sit out there.

I use the tunnel, your with your dog all the way & to them its no different to being in the car with you at any time.

> I use the tunnel

It just depends where you are coming from/going to - it can be a long old trip driving down to Dover and then, maybe, up to Holland and beyond :)

For Belgium, Dover to Calais using the Tunnel looks to be by far the best route.  However, I have no idea what ferries are available if you are travelling from somewhere where Dover is not an option.