This page is about a ferry crossing, not a domestic city — readers here are almost always planning a longer sea journey to Spain or Normandy with a dog, often specifically to avoid transiting France by road or Eurotunnel. That’s a genuine reason people choose this route over Dover, not a minor detail: fewer border crossings, one long sea leg instead of a multi-hour drive, and for some owners a specific welfare preference for a calmer, more contained journey over a long day on French motorways.
Santander or Bilbao — the route-specific detail
Brittany Ferries operates two long crossings from Portsmouth: to Santander and to Bilbao, both in northern Spain. We’ve cross-checked the following against Brittany Ferries’ current route information and several independent travel sources; these are the kind of operational specifics (cabin counts, exact timings) that can shift between seasons, so treat them as accurate as of research and worth a final check before you book.
Portsmouth-Santander. The outbound crossing takes around 33½ hours (two nights aboard); the return runs 28½ to 31 hours (one night). The ship operating this route has 22 pet-friendly cabins and 12 kennels (10 small, 2 large) on deck 7.
Portsmouth-Bilbao. Crossings run 29½ to 36 hours, with the same cabin/kennel split. One detail worth flagging clearly since it’s easy to miss: cats are only permitted in pet-friendly cabins, not kennels — if you’re travelling with a cat, a cabin isn’t optional the way it might be for a dog.
Both routes: £50 per direction for pet travel, muzzles required during transfers and exercise-area visits, and by default only a single pet per cabin. Foot passengers cannot bring pets on either route — you need a vehicle booking. This is a genuinely easy detail to miss if you’re used to shorter crossings where that restriction doesn’t apply.
How this compares to Dover and the Eurotunnel
If you’ve read our Dover/Folkestone pet transport guide, you’ll notice this is a completely different kind of journey — a 35-minute Eurotunnel crossing versus well over a full day at sea. Neither is better; they suit different situations. Dover suits a straightforward trip into northern France with your dog staying in the car the whole way. Portsmouth suits owners heading further south, wanting to skip the French road network entirely, or simply preferring a longer, calmer sea crossing with a proper cabin over a short hop and a long subsequent drive.
Pet transport operators covering Portsmouth
Animals at Home Meon, based in Waterlooville PO7 8LA, covers Portsmouth and the surrounding Hampshire postcodes — Cosham, Portchester, Havant, Hayling Island and the wider Meon area — with pet taxi and animal ambulance services, run locally by Helen since 2010.
Google Maps · Website
Beyond this, our search didn’t turn up a further genuinely Portsmouth-based independent specialising in this specific long-distance ferry route. One name that comes up repeatedly in searches for “Portsmouth pet transport” is C Four Paws — worth naming honestly: this traces back to Rotherham (Calagran), and is a national operator with a Portsmouth landing page rather than a local Hampshire business. It’s included below among the national names, correctly labelled, not listed as local.
National operators covering Portsmouth
The same recurring UK-Europe specialist names cover this crossing too — C Four Paws (correctly labelled national, as above), Pet Taxi UK, ExecPets, and others. None of that makes them the wrong choice, particularly for a long-distance international route like this one, but they’re covering Portsmouth from elsewhere rather than being based here.
Checking a DEFRA licence for this route
Type 2 (long journey, over 8 hours) authorisations are published as open data by the Animal and Plant Health Agency and updated monthly. Type 1 (up to 8 hours) isn’t published anywhere public.
Given this route’s genuinely long, international nature — a 33-hour crossing is a long journey by any definition — expect a higher proportion of Type 2 registrations here than on the shorter domestic city pages, similar to the pattern on our Dover/Folkestone page. We checked Animals at Home Meon against the current register and it doesn’t currently appear under that name. That doesn’t mean they’re unlicensed — much of their work is shorter, local Hampshire journeys that would sit under Type 1, which simply isn’t published anywhere public. Ask any operator directly for their current authorisation reference, and specifically confirm Type 2 status if you’re booking them for this particular long crossing.
What to have ready before you travel
Beyond the route-specific detail above, our pet transport hub covers the general questions worth asking any operator and red flags to watch for. If you’re planning to bring a puppy into the UK rather than travelling with a dog you already own, our guide to puppy couriers covers what’s different about that specific journey.
For dogs that find long journeys stressful, some owners find a natural calming supplement helps take the edge off — worth having a look around Calmshops. It’s not a substitute for proper preparation, just something that can help alongside it, and it’s worth remembering this is a genuinely long crossing, so preparing your dog for a full day or two aboard matters more here than on a short hop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions dog owners may have about this topic.
Can foot passengers bring pets on the Portsmouth-Santander or Portsmouth-Bilbao ferries?
No — on both routes, only passengers travelling with a vehicle can bring a pet. This is different from some shorter crossings, so it’s worth checking before you plan a foot-passenger trip.
Can cats travel in kennels on these routes?
No — cats are only permitted in pet-friendly cabins on Brittany Ferries’ Spain routes, not in the kennels. Dogs can use either.
How much does it cost to bring a dog on the Portsmouth-Santander or Bilbao ferry?
Brittany Ferries charges £50 per pet, per direction, in addition to your vehicle and cabin fare.
Why would I choose this route over Dover and the Eurotunnel?
Mainly to avoid a long road journey through France — this crossing gets you to northern Spain directly by sea, which some owners prefer for welfare reasons or simply to cut out hours of driving, at the cost of a much longer time aboard.
Is there a local Portsmouth-based pet transport operator?
Yes — Animals at Home Meon, based in Waterlooville, covers Portsmouth and the surrounding Hampshire area. Beyond this, most operators covering this specific long-distance route are national UK-Europe specialists rather than local Hampshire businesses.
Written by Georgiana & Figo. Have a question about pet transport? Have a look around Calmshops or drop us a line — we answer everything.
