A good pet transport quote is a fixed, itemised price for a named route, with the paperwork checks, tolls and crossing costs spelled out. A bad one is a single number that hides what is left out. If you give a transporter your collection and drop-off addresses, your travel date and your pet's species, you should get a price you can compare line by line. Our published fixed prices start at £210 for Ashford to Calais and £715 for London to Paris, and the rest of this guide shows you how to read any quote, ours included.
TL;DR
- Ask for a fixed price tied to a route and mileage, and check it names tolls, the Eurotunnel crossing, waiting time and document checks.
- Distance is the biggest driver. Our published prices run from £210 (Ashford to Calais) to £2,635 (London to Rome).
- Vet paperwork, such as an Animal Health Certificate, is usually a separate cost from transport. Confirm who books and pays for it.
- Compare quotes by listing what each includes, not by the headline figure alone.
- A private vehicle with you on board avoids multiple handovers. A courier who carries your pet without you works differently and is priced differently.
Table of Contents
- What a pet transport quote should include
- What information you need to give for an accurate quote
- What changes the price of transporting a pet
- What "fixed quote" really means
- How paperwork affects your quote
- Licensing: what to ask a transporter to prove
- How to compare pet transport quotes like for like
- Our view on pet transport quotes
- Our fixed-mileage quotes
- Red flags in a pet transport quote
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
What a pet transport quote should include
A quote is only useful if you can tell what you are buying. Before you say yes, look for these items in writing.
- The route. Exact collection and delivery points, or the terminal if the journey ends at one. "London to Paris" can mean door to door, or it can mean to an airport.
- The vehicle and who rides in it. Is it a dedicated vehicle, or a shared one with other animals? Can you travel with your pet?
- The crossing. Eurotunnel or ferry, and whether the ticket is inside the price or paid separately.
- Tolls and fuel. Motorway tolls on French and Belgian roads add up. A fixed quote should say they are covered.
- Waiting time and stops. What happens if a vet appointment, a border check or traffic runs over?
- Document checks. Does the transporter check your pet's microchip, rabies vaccination and health certificate before you leave, or just assume they are fine?
- Licensing and insurance. Commercial insurance and the correct animal transport authorisation.
- Payment and cancellation terms. When the deposit is due, what the balance covers and what happens if you postpone.
The Hong Kong Consumer Council reviewed pet relocation providers and recommended that a detailed quotation list all items and costs, who is responsible for each, the payment method and clear terms and conditions. That is a sensible checklist wherever you live, and it works as well for a drive from London to Lille as for an overseas flight.
What information you need to give for an accurate quote
Quotes get vague when the transporter has to guess. The more precisely you describe the job, the closer the first price is to the final one. Have these ready:
- Collection and destination addresses, with postcodes. Door to door pricing depends on real mileage.
- Travel date, or a date range. Peak holiday weekends and short-notice requests can affect availability and sometimes price.
- Species, number and approximate size. Dogs, cats and ferrets travel differently. Two dogs need more space than one cat.
- Passengers. How many people are travelling with the pet, and how much luggage.
- Documents you already hold. Microchip number, rabies vaccination date, any existing health certificate or pet passport.
- Direction of travel. Moving into Great Britain has different entry rules from leaving it, and for dogs includes a tapeworm treatment.
- Special needs. Anxiety, medication, mobility problems or a need for frequent comfort stops.
Send the same details to every provider you ask. Otherwise you are comparing quotes for different jobs.
What changes the price of transporting a pet
Distance and route
Mileage is the main driver for road transport. Our own published prices, read from our route pages in October 2026, show the pattern clearly:
| Route | Published price |
|---|---|
| Ashford to Calais | from £210 |
| London to Calais | from £340 |
| London to Lille | from £465 |
| London to Brussels | from £575 |
| London to Jersey | from £602 |
| London to Paris | from £715 |
| London to Amsterdam | from £765 |
| London to Geneva | from £1,330 |
| London to Zurich | from £1,410 |
| London to Milan | from £1,885 |
| London to Barcelona | from £2,110 |
| London to Madrid | from £2,460 |
| London to Rome | from £2,635 |
Prices on the return direction can differ slightly. Paris to London is from £715, and Paris CDG to London is from £690, while Orly to London is from £755. Leeds to Paris is from £1,055, which shows what a longer UK leg adds. You can see the full list on our routes page.
Door to door versus a hand-off
A service where your pet is collected, handled by several people and delivered later may look cheaper on paper. Each handover is a point where an animal can be stressed, and each one has to be paid for somewhere in the chain. A private vehicle with you on board is a single continuous journey.
The crossing
For trips between Britain and mainland Europe, the Channel crossing is a real cost. Eurotunnel LeShuttle lets you stay with your pet in the vehicle, and one 2026 guide reports a pet fee of £22 per animal each way on top of the vehicle fare. Check the current fee on the operator's own booking page before you rely on that figure. Some transporters fold the ticket into the quote; others, like us, quote the journey and ask you to pay for the Eurotunnel ticket separately, so always ask which model you are looking at.
Paperwork and vet costs
Transport price and vet price are different bills. One published owner guide puts an Animal Health Certificate at roughly £100 to £300 per pet, per trip, depending on the practice, and says the certificate must be issued within 10 days of travel. Treat these as ballpark figures and ask your own vet for a price. A transporter's quote should state clearly that vet costs are not included, or that they are.
Number of pets and size
More animals and larger carriers mean more space, and sometimes a different vehicle layout. Say upfront if you have more than one pet.
Timing
An urgent move, a weekend crossing or a school holiday departure can limit choice. If your dates are flexible, say so, and ask whether a different day would change the price.
What "fixed quote" really means
A fixed quote is a price agreed before you travel for a defined journey. It should not move because of fuel, tolls or a quiet or busy day on the roads. What it cannot do is cover a change to the job. These are the circumstances that can legitimately alter it:
- You change the pick-up or drop-off address.
- You add a passenger, another pet or significant extra luggage.
- A document problem forces a delay, a re-route or an extra stop.
- You ask for a different date, or cancel inside the notice period.
- The border or tunnel operator imposes a delay that leads to extra waiting time, if the terms say so.
A trustworthy provider tells you these conditions at the start. If a quote says fixed but the terms say "subject to change without notice", you have an estimate, not a fixed price.
Our pricing is based on mileage. You pay for the journey, and you pay for the Eurotunnel ticket at the terminal. Motorway tolls are included in our price.
How paperwork affects your quote
Pet travel rules decide whether your pet can cross at all, so they should be part of the quote conversation.
For dogs, cats and ferrets between Great Britain and the EU, the typical checklist is a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination, and an Animal Health Certificate or a valid EU pet passport, depending on the direction and your pet's status. Dogs coming back into Great Britain also need a tapeworm treatment within a set window before arrival. Rules are set by governments and change, so check the official GOV.UK pet travel guidance for your date of travel rather than relying on a blog, including this one.
What this means for a quote:
- A transporter who checks documents before departure saves you from being turned back at the terminal.
- If your pet needs a vet appointment close to departure, ask whether the quote allows for flexibility on the day.
- A document error is the most common reason a fixed price stops being fixed, so find out what the terms say about it.
We verify the microchip, rabies record, AHC or EU passport and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment before departure. That check is part of our service, not an optional add-on.
Licensing: what to ask a transporter to prove
In Great Britain, transporting animals commercially by road over longer journeys needs a transporter authorisation from the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Type 2 covers long journeys. DEFRA publishes a list, and the Authorised Transporters list for May 2026 shows Type 2 authorisations as valid at the date of the list. Ask any transporter for their authorisation number and check it against the current official list.
Also ask about commercial insurance, and, if the driver carries passengers, private hire licensing. Our drivers are DEFRA Type 2 approved, with commercial insurance and private hire licensing.
How to compare pet transport quotes like for like
Headline prices are misleading because providers include different things. The same Hong Kong consumer body noted that people should not judge a proposal by standard fees alone, because providers include different items. Build a simple comparison table yourself:
| Question | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Does my pet travel with me? | ||
| Is the vehicle private? | ||
| Are tolls included? | ||
| Is the Eurotunnel or ferry ticket included? | ||
| Are document checks included? | ||
| What is the waiting time allowance? | ||
| What are the cancellation terms? | ||
| Is the transporter authorised and insured? |
Once each box is filled, differences of a few hundred pounds usually explain themselves. A low quote that leaves out the crossing and tolls can end up above a higher quote that includes them.
Be careful with quotes from marketplaces where you list a job and providers bid. They can produce low prices, but you then need to check each bidder's licence, insurance and terms yourself, and a bid can be a rough figure rather than a fixed one.
Our view on pet transport quotes
People usually come to us after a quote that left them with questions: what happens at the terminal, who is holding my dog at the changeover, and what exactly did I pay for? We think a quote should answer those before you ask.
Our starting point is that your pet should not leave your side. A dedicated vehicle, a driver who has the right authorisation, and you travelling with your cat, dog or ferret mean there is one journey and no handover. That is why we price by mileage and keep the structure simple: the journey, the Eurotunnel ticket, tolls included.
The second thing we insist on is the document check. Most trips that go wrong do so because of paperwork, not because of the road. Checking the microchip, rabies record, health certificate or passport and tapeworm treatment before the day is cheaper for everyone than finding a problem at the terminal.
Our advice is to ask every provider the same eight questions in the table above. If a quote cannot answer them, it is not yet a quote.
— Alexandru
Our fixed-mileage quotes
If you are moving between London and Europe with a dog, cat or ferret, we offer door to door transport in a private vehicle with you on board, driven by a DEFRA Type 2 approved chauffeur. Our price depends on the mileage of your route, with tolls included. The Eurotunnel ticket is paid separately at the terminal. Extras include airport meet and greet and luggage assistance.
Popular routes include London to Paris from £715, London to Brussels from £575, London to Amsterdam from £765 and London to Lille from £465. For return journeys, see Paris to London and Amsterdam to London. Not on the list? Start from our routes page or the Pet Taxi London homepage and ask for a quote for your addresses. We also have a live chat for questions.
If you are planning Brussels in particular, our London to Brussels guide walks through the journey.
Red flags in a pet transport quote
- No route detail. A price with no addresses or terminals is a guess.
- No mention of licensing. Ask for the authorisation number.
- "Plus extras" without a list. Tolls, crossing and waiting time should each be named.
- Pressure to pay in full immediately, with no written terms.
- No mention of paperwork. A provider that does not ask about microchip, rabies and certificate has not thought about the border.
- A price far below every other quote. Work out what has been left out before you celebrate.
Frequently asked questions
How much does pet transport cost from the UK to Europe?
It depends mostly on distance. Our published prices start at £210 for Ashford to Calais and £715 for London to Paris, and reach £2,635 for London to Rome. The Eurotunnel ticket and any vet fees are separate costs to budget for.
Is a pet transport quote the final price?
Only if it is a fixed quote for a defined journey. Changes to addresses, passengers, pets, dates or a document problem can alter the final bill. Ask the provider to list in writing which circumstances can change the price.
What should I send to get a pet transport quote?
Send your collection and delivery addresses, travel date, the species, number and size of your pets, how many people are travelling, and which documents you already have. The more exact the details, the more reliable the price.
Do quotes include vet certificates and the Eurotunnel ticket?
Often not. Vet certificates are paid to your vet, and a published guide puts an Animal Health Certificate at around £100 to £300 per pet. With us, you pay the Eurotunnel ticket at the terminal and tolls are included in the price.
Can I travel with my pet?
With some services you can and with others you cannot. With our service you ride alongside your dog, cat or ferret in a dedicated vehicle for the whole journey.
Sources
- Quotations for Pet Relocation Services Lack Specificity, Consumer Council Hong Kong
- Authorised Transporters May 2026, DEFRA
- Eurotunnel With a Dog: The Complete 2026 Guide
- New EU Pet Travel Rules: What UK Pet Owners Need to Know