Why most UK bound dog owners route via Paris and not direct flights
If you are moving a dog into the UK from outside Europe, Paris is almost always the smartest entry point.
The reason is regulatory. The UK does not allow dogs to fly into Great Britain in the cabin or with passengers as checked baggage. Dogs entering the UK by air must travel as manifest cargo on an approved route, which is expensive, restrictive and limited to a handful of carriers and routes. The alternative most relocators land on is to fly into Paris in the cabin or as excess baggage (depending on size and airline), then take a pet taxi by road into the UK via the Eurotunnel.
Charles de Gaulle is the highest-traffic option, but Orly works the same way. Both airports connect directly to the A1 and A26 motorway run up to Calais. From there it is the Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, the only approved rail route for pets entering Great Britain, into Folkestone in around 35 minutes. Door-to-door from CDG to central London typically lands at 5 to 6 hours including borders. From Orly, add roughly an hour for the longer drive out of Paris.
This route is the backbone of our business and the reason “Paris to London with a dog” is one of our most-booked search terms.
What the journey actually looks like
Owners booking the route for the first time tend to picture far more chaos than the reality. The journey is structured and the variables are mostly within our control.
- Drive to the Calais Eurotunnel terminal. Around 3 hours 30 minutes from CDG, around 4 hours 30 minutes from Orly in normal traffic. We build in one comfort stop for water and a short walk.
- Pet Reception at Calais. This is where the dog’s paperwork is checked. Microchip read, rabies vaccination verified, Great Britain pet travel document presented, and the praziquantel-based tapeworm treatment record confirmed. Plan 30 to 45 minutes here with a dog. Your driver stays with you for the whole check.
- Eurotunnel crossing. 35 minutes. You stay in the vehicle with your dog. Engines off during the crossing. Most dogs sleep through it.
- Folkestone arrival into Great Britain. Customs is normally a wave-through for pre-cleared pet transport.
- Drive into London. 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, longer for north or west London depending on traffic.
The whole thing can be done in a single travel day. Many of our customers fly in early morning and are at their final UK address by mid-evening.
The paperwork: what every dog owner must have ready
Plan paperwork on a 21-day clock minimum. The rabies vaccination wait time is 21 days from the first jab before the dog can travel. Skipping or rushing this stage is the most common reason DIY relocations get rejected at the border.
Mandatory for every dog entering Great Britain:
- ISO-compliant microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination
- Rabies vaccination with the 21-day wait elapsed
- An accepted Great Britain pet travel document. For non-EU pets this is usually an Animal Health Certificate issued in the country of origin or in France before crossing
- Praziquantel-based tapeworm treatment administered by a registered vet between 24 and 120 hours before UK arrival
- Entry via an approved route (Eurotunnel Le Shuttle Calais to Folkestone, or one of the listed approved ferries)
We do not act as your vet. We do guide you on timing, paperwork specifics for your country of origin, and the practicalities of the vet appointment for the tapeworm treatment in or near Paris.
2026 changes to international pet travel you need to know
Two regulatory shifts affect the Paris to London with-a-dog route in 2026.
First, the UK-EU agreement on lifelong pet passports.
In May 2025 the UK and EU agreed in principle to recognise lifelong pet passports for British pets travelling into the EU. This streamlines the EU-bound leg for repeat travellers. UK-bound paperwork (including tapeworm treatment for dogs) remains unchanged for now.
Second, tightened French border checks.
Pet documentation checks at French borders were tightened in 2025 in response to wider biosecurity concerns. The headline impact is that under-prepared dog owners are being turned around more frequently than before. Working with a DEFRA-approved transporter with experience at Pet Reception is more important now than it was 18 months ago, simply because the margin for error is smaller.
If you are reading this from outside the EU, the change you need to plan for is the entry health certificate at the EU border. Speak to your origin country vet about the EU veterinary health certificate that will allow your dog to enter France. Once in France, the UK-bound paperwork for the Paris to London leg is what we have outlined above.
CDG vs Orly travelling with a pet: which is easier?
Both work. There is no meaningful difference in the UK-bound paperwork or process. The choice is normally driven by your inbound flight options.
CDG handles more long-haul carriers and tends to have more flexible cargo and excess baggage arrangements for dogs travelling internationally. Orly tends to be quieter, with shorter walks from arrivals to vehicle pickup. For nervous dogs the Orly experience is sometimes calmer at the airport end, but you trade that against the longer drive to Calais.
A practical tip: if you are flying in with a large dog as manifest cargo, ask your airline whether they release at the cargo terminal rather than passenger arrivals. Cargo release adds an hour to the pickup but is far less stressful for the dog. We can collect from either point at CDG and Orly.
What it costs to move your pet abroad
Paris to London pet taxi pricing for a single dog with one or two passengers depends on:
- Collection point (central Paris vs CDG vs Orly vs further afield in Île-de-France)
- Final UK delivery postcode (central London is shortest, north of Birmingham adds 2 to 3 hours)
- Vehicle size needed (estate for one dog and one passenger, MPV for multi-pet or multi-passenger)
- Eurotunnel crossing fee (varies by day and time)
We send written quotes within 24 hours of your enquiry. If you need a same-day estimate, message Mira directly on WhatsApp and you will get a ballpark much faster.
Why the DEFRA Type 2 licence matters for owners
Pet Moves Abroad holds DEFRA Type 2 authorisation, the highest road transport licence for animal travel in the UK. Every driver also holds an EU Certificate of Competence. This is not standard across the pet taxi market. Many smaller operators run on Type 1 licences or no formal road transport authorisation at all, which legally caps their journey duration at 8 hours.
For Paris to London this rarely matters on paper. For Paris to Edinburgh or Paris to Cornwall, it is the difference between a legal journey and one that is technically not authorised. If you are moving a dog from Paris to anywhere beyond London, ask your transporter for proof of Type 2 authorisation. We publish ours on our About page.
Talk to us about your pet travel plans!
Simply fill out our quote form and we will reply back as soon as posible.