Dog travelling from U.K. To SJDLT

Check with the airlines that fly to the two airports you mention.

I dont think Ryanair fly animals period, dont know about Jet2 or Easyjet but you may find it very expensive.

I've heard/read that BA are to start flying to either Almeria or Murcia, maybe both from next year, 2018.

Have you looked into getting a pet friendly cabin and driving down on the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander or Bilbao ?,  it's roughly 9 hrs from the ports to here.

Hi

Yes, we have considered driving but neither of us have driven abroad before and although we are happy to do so once we are there, I am a little concerned about driving that distance to start off.

If this is the best option for our dog though then we will do this but I thought I would see if anyone had any experience of flying their pets over first.

Thanks for your reply.

Jen

Hi again, just done a quick looksee and both Ryanair and Easyjet dont fly pets ie dogs unless they are what they call "assistance dogs" ie guide dogs.

They were the only two major airlines that fly to Almeria and/or Murcia.

If youre quick you may snag a pet friendly cabin, we didnt book early enough, some people book them up to 12 mths in advance !!, there are other onboard options like pet carriers where you can stay with youre pets and can exercise them, didnt come across this option so cant recommend it one way or the other.

If you do decide to drive you shouldnt have any problems at all.

Spanish motorways, Autovias are mainly newish, well sign posted and sometimes look almost deserted lol. M25 they definitely are not.

We brought down partners Honda hybrid via Portsmouth and Bilbao and stopped overnite in Madrid. If youre more inclined to stay in a pet friendly hotel there are plenty to choose from, these have been highlighted in previous posts.

Thank you so much.

I will definitely look into this.  It actually sounds a much nicer way of travelling.

Thomas cook also fly into Almeria and Murcia dont know if they fly animals though!

We have a dog and travel to San Juan 2-3 times a year. We looked into flying but it is expensive and restricted to certain airports as well as only being available with the non-budget airlines. You would also need recommended crates suitable for airline travel. https://www.skyscanner.net/news/airline-pet-fees has good info.

We looked at the Plymouth - Santander ferry route but also quite expensive and the pet friendly cabins are very limited and never seem to be available. You then still have all of Spain to travel across.

Another option is to use a pet transport service that will transport your pet in specialised vans from UK to spain, again not cheap but does allow you to fly. Try Paws Pet Transport Ltd (Facebook best to contact them). There are others as well that provide a similar service.

Our solution is to use Eurotunnel and drive taking 2 overnight stops, using French and Spanish autoroutes (partial toll, payable by cards at automated toll booths). Both French and Spanish autoroutes are very quiet compared to UK motorways and have regular areas that are good for breaks and dog exercising.There are websites that enable you to find non toll driving routes but obviously this can mean longer journey times. 

We also use Booking,com to find and book pet friendly hotels or B&B's, the number of stops is up to yourselves and how long you are happy to drive each day. It is about 1350 miles from Eurotunnel to San Juan, there are many different routes that you can try out.

Remember also to make sure you have in you car the French and Spanish requirements (e.g. warning traingles, .hi-vis jackets) the AA or Halfords websites can tell you what you need to have with you. 

If you do come without your own car also check whether hire car companies allow pets, not all do.

Finally make sure that you follow the pet passport rules in particular for return to the UK, we use a vet in Aguilas to complete the return requirements.

Good luck

Hi

Thank you very much for this information.  

I will have a look into the various options.  We are coming over in 1st April so I guess I should start planning sooner rather than later to make sure everything is in order.

Thanks again.

Jen

Hello,

We have been travelling to and from Almeria and England with our dogs for the last five years.  I have researched flights before and none of the airlines coming into Almeria allow pets unless they are guide dogs etc.  We did use one ferry once that had kennels on board, but to be honest it was the worst experience of our life.  Too many dogs and the exercise deck for them was so small and covered in urine and sick, it was awful.

The best option we use is the ferry from Portsmouth to Caine France,  It is only about 5 and half hours crossing and the dogs stay in your vehicle.  If you give them a good walk before hand they usually sleep all the way, well mine did.  The only thing to be aware of is that you have to purchase a mussle for the dog.  Never had to use them but once we were asked did we have any for the boys.

Most hotels on route through France to Almeria are pet friendly so we normally plan our journey and stop over every 10 to 12 hours.  Booking.com is really good for finding you cheap, pet friendly hotels. Also if you are looking for a good vet to sort out your dogs passport on the way home there is an excellent one in Aguadulce I can recommend if you need it

Hi

Thank you for this information.

I have been looking at the ferries to Santander and Bilbao but from what you said it doesn't sound a very nice experience.

I will look into the route you have recommended instead and yes, if you could recommend the vet that would be very helpful.

Thanks again.