After putting my dogs in kennels this year while I jetted off leaving them all alone and missing them loads, I am thinking of taking them with me next year, maybe to northern france. Has anyone had experience of taking their dogs abroad? I was wondering how difficult it is to get doggie passports and bring them back into the country. Also, can anyone recommend any particular places to stay - thinking of hiring a cottage. Thanks for any info.

Contact you vet well in advance to start sorting out pet passports. they cost you ++ money in vacc etc. (£200 ish total). Basically, your dog needs a clean bill of health - fully vaccinated, wormed, treated for fleas and ticks and given a rabies vaccination. the rabies vaccination needs to be validated by a blood test which must be sent off and approved before you travel. the dog must also be microchipped. the passport is a form signed by a vet officer (your 'gp' vet may not be one). your vet will be able to advise you on ensuring that the paper work is in order, as the main trouble is ensuring the dog can return. you must also contact the company you want to travel with to find out how your dogs will be transported, and also discuss with your vet how good travellers your dogs are! Its a long process, but if you are organised and your vet is on the ball it should be fine :-0. Search the defra website- they have available the official guidelines for passports: PETS is its acronym (?!). lost the actual address though:-(

as for accommodation, we stayed in gites as a family for years - on a whole they were great places run by families - some in amazing locations (one was the old gamekeepers cottage in the grounds of the chateau!) there are brouchures available - again though, i would contact the owners to see if they allow pets!

hope this is of some help
Liz x

Hi Sarah - for info on the passports do a search for "pet passport" and look up the DEFRA website. Also talk to your vet as they should be clued up.

How many dogs do you have? France is excellent for dog holidays and many of the UK cottage websites will cover France [try www.cottages4you.co.uk]. Also www.cheznous.com. I also searched extensively on French websites but the lists I saved are too long and probably not that useful.

We have been once - in June for 2 weeks to the Loire Valley near Tours and I recommend that for sightseeing with dogs although it was a long drive. I am in SW London so door to door it took 10 hours including stops for the dog and general faffing.
We took Eurotunnel so we could stay with the dog but it is EXPENSIVE unless you fill up the car with rugrats or other humans. Dogs are extra. You get a discount with Chez Nous.

As soon as you get there go to the local Tourist Board and get brochures on restaurants and other sites to find out if "Chiens Admis" - they are in most places but it helps if you can plan your day sometimes. I used to ring ahead and ask - it was hot and there is usually nowhere to leave dogs if they are not allowed in and I don't do the dog in car thing. The ideal cottage is one where the bloke next door will look after the dog for a few hours.

If 10 hours is too far Normandy and Brittany are fun though Brittany is about as far as the Loire unless you get a ferry. Normandy beaches in June 2004 will be overrun with old comrades.

Coming back was fine - we found a local vet who knew what to do with the papers. Dog had a fox tapeworm jab [Droncit] which stings and Frontline. In the visitor's book in the Pet Passport check-in at Calais there were many comments from people who are unhappy about the system e.g "their dog was high on drugs" etc which must have come from people who travel very frequently. Otherwise I thought it was great that we didn't have to stick him in quarantine for 6 months.

Hope that helps
Cissy