It had always been my dream to take Gatsby to France, and in December 2024 we did it. This is what actually happened, written up so you know what to expect — particularly if, like Gatsby, your dog is nervous.
Rules change. Check the current requirements before you travel. This is our experience, not official guidance.
Newgrange Vets near Bingham looked after Gatsby throughout, and I would recommend them for this specifically — the timings are fiddly and it helps to have a practice that has done it before.
Gatsby is a nervous dog and we were taking him into a new environment with a lot of people and a lot of other dogs. So we used a Muzzle Movement muzzle, made to fit him.
We did the muzzle training well before we left, using Trixie paste to make putting his nose in worth doing. By the time we travelled the muzzle was ordinary rather than an event. How to train it.
Having never travelled Eurotunnel before, I did not know what to expect. You drive up to the automated barriers and the system recognises your number plate. It also knows you have a pet, so it prints an instruction to go to Pet Reception.
There is a large car park and Pet Reception is clearly marked, to the left of the main building. You honestly cannot miss it.
There was not much of a queue and we were called over quickly. Gatsby was not reactive at all. They gave us a scanner to scan his microchip ourselves, which we did, and then said he could go while we finished checking in.
She also said that if he were really nervous, next time we could stay outside and they would come out to us. They just need to see the dog, so you can keep a distance. They were brilliant.
We had a slight panic because we were on day 10 after the AHC was issued, but it was fine.
To return to the UK you have to find a vet who will watch you administer a tapeworm treatment. We were staying near Mâcon and used Bonnefoy Jean-Michel, who was wonderful. Take the AHC with you — the vet records the treatment on it, and that record is the evidence you need.
Calais Eurotunnel Pet Reception is more stressful than Folkestone. It is a Portakabin and it is cramped. We put the muzzle on Gatsby and sat in the corner, and that was the right call.
Here is the thing to know: do not check in first. Take the first exit before the check-in area and go to Pet Reception first. If you check in first, it just tells you to exit and go back round.
It was more stressful on the Calais side. With the muzzle, we both felt safe.