Eurocamp or similar with Dog

[mickyc79]

Has anyone any experience of taking a dog with them abroad to Eurocamp or similar? Normally we have a family member dog sitt when we go family holidays, but unfortunately this year, we are out of options and will need to take the dog with us if we want to go a holiday. He will not settle in kennels.

Looking for nicer weather than UK and outside pool etc for my 10yr old daughter, so started looking at northern France (dont want to have to drive too far, we're in Scotland).

Some of the parks state they are dog friendly and the accommodation looks OK, air con etc. I was just wondering if anyone has done similar, thinking either drive and tunnel, or drive and ferry with not too far to go once in france, having never driven abroad i'm a bit apprehensive.

When the parks say they are dog friendly, how friendly is this? Could you for example have your dog next to you at the pool, obviously on a lead and not IN the pool. Also, eating out and evening entertainment, could the dog come with us? I wouldnt want to drive the whole way there for him to be stuck in the lodge the whole time. Thanks for any advice. I'd also welcome other suggestions for a sunny holiday outside the UK with a dog and 10yr old child if anyone has done this.

[RayDonovan]

We've done it every year for the past 8, in fact, we've only ever been away without the dog once in 12 years..

Eurocamps are fine, dogs generally ok anywhere apart from the pool - certainly restaurants are ok (and much more accommodating than in the UK)
P&O ferries now have dog specific areas on board which is about an extra £12 per person.

Just need the pet passport and correct jabs, there's a vets in Dover that specialize in the passport and we've used them with zero bother

[mickyc79]

RayDonovan said:

We've done it every year for the past 8, in fact, we've only ever been away without the dog once in 12 years..

Eurocamps are fine, dogs generally ok anywhere apart from the pool - certainly restaurants are ok (and much more accommodating than in the UK)
P&O ferries now have dog specific areas on board which is about an extra £12 per person.

Just need the pet passport and correct jabs, there's a vets in Dover that specialize in the passport and we've used them with zero bother

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.
I've read the pet passport has been superseded with an animal health certificate...could we use our own vet for this or do you need one at the port? Are there any eurocamps in France you could recommend? Currently looking at Riva Bella just outside Caen...how is the driving from Calais to this area?

[RayDonovan]

mickyc79 said:

RayDonovan said:

We've done it every year for the past 8, in fact, we've only ever been away without the dog once in 12 years..

Eurocamps are fine, dogs generally ok anywhere apart from the pool - certainly restaurants are ok (and much more accommodating than in the UK)
P&O ferries now have dog specific areas on board which is about an extra £12 per person.

Just need the pet passport and correct jabs, there's a vets in Dover that specialize in the passport and we've used them with zero bother

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated.
I've read the pet passport has been superseded with an animal health certificate...could we use our own vet for this or do you need one at the port? Are there any eurocamps in France you could recommend? Currently looking at Riva Bella just outside Caen...how is the driving from Calais to this area?

Sorry yes, AHC is now the pet passport (thanks Brexit). Local vets tend to be more expensive but worth checking

No help on sites, we've normally done south of France or Bordeaux area

[Jordie Barretts sock]

If you're looking at just outside of Caen, then surely drive to Portsmouth and cross rather than Dover and the subsequent five hours plus the other side?

Your dog will need a rabies jab at least 21 days before departure. You can do that now. You need tour vet to issue an AHC no more than 10 days before you sail and you will need to arrange a French vet to administer tape worm treatment within 72 hours of landing back in the UK.

We are taking our two dogs to France in July on Portsmouth to Caen. Going overnight and leaving them in the car. Figure that overnight is less disruption to the natural sleep cycle for them.

[mickyc79]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

If you're looking at just outside of Caen, then surely drive to Portsmouth and cross rather than Dover and the subsequent five hours plus the other side?

Your dog will need a rabies jab at least 21 days before departure. You can do that now. You need tour vet to issue an AHC no more than 10 days before you sail and you will need to arrange a French vet to administer tape worm treatment within 72 hours of landing back in the UK.

We are taking our two dogs to France in July on Portsmouth to Caen. Going overnight and leaving them in the car. Figure that overnight is less disruption to the natural sleep cycle for them.

Thanks for the info. I did look at Portsmouth to Caen, but for my dates, pricing was around £6-700, and its 6 hrs on the boat and dog needs to stay in vehicle...how does that work for toilet business? Was thinking Dover to calais 1-2hrs and about £160 was worth the extra time driving where we can stop at our leisure for toilet stops for the dog?

[mickyc79]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

If you're looking at just outside of Caen, then surely drive to Portsmouth and cross rather than Dover and the subsequent five hours plus the other side?

Your dog will need a rabies jab at least 21 days before departure. You can do that now. You need tour vet to issue an AHC no more than 10 days before you sail and you will need to arrange a French vet to administer tape worm treatment within 72 hours of landing back in the UK.

We are taking our two dogs to France in July on Portsmouth to Caen. Going overnight and leaving them in the car. Figure that overnight is less disruption to the natural sleep cycle for them.

Thanks for the info. I did look at Portsmouth to Caen, but for my dates, pricing was around £6-700, and its 6 hrs on the boat and dog needs to stay in vehicle...how does that work for toilet business? Was thinking Dover to calais 1-2hrs and about £160 was worth the extra time driving where we can stop at our leisure for toilet stops for the dog?

[mickyc79]

Change of plan on Riva Bella, just been reading trip advisor reviews and apparantly there is a migrant camp directly outside the site, with just a small chain link fence dividing them...I will look elsewhere.

Any other views on possible recommendations for a eurocamp/or similar a few hours from Calais? I would consider Belgium, Holland and be glad to hear experiences.

[andy118run]

mickyc79 said:

Any other views on possible recommendations for a eurocamp/or similar a few hours from Calais? I would consider Belgium, Holland and be glad to hear experiences.

(no expert on this topic) but I'm currently looking at booking a holiday park in Europe for August (most likely Netherlands). Not so keen on Eurocamp personally. Center Parcs is a possibility. However, very much like the look of Landal Parks -

https://www.holidayparkguru.co.uk/10-best-landal-g...
https://www.landal.com/parks#filter:eyJzIjoiMSJ9

I'm not travelling with a dog but have certainly seen dog friendly stuff on the Landal site.

FWIW my current short list is based on reviews/research -
Landal Miggelenberg (large park/plenty to do/waterpark etc)
Landal Amerongse Berg (very small park but seems pleasant)
Both the above are central Netherlands so very driveable from Calais/Dunkirk

A bit further north is Orveltermarke and also Aelderholt which look good to me.
I've only driven abroad once in my 30 plus years driving but driving in Holland was actually a real pleasure and you soon get used to it.

[Claret m]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

If you're looking at just outside of Caen, then surely drive to Portsmouth and cross rather than Dover and the subsequent five hours plus the other side?

Your dog will need a rabies jab at least 21 days before departure. You can do that now. You need tour vet to issue an AHC no more than 10 days before you sail and you will need to arrange a French vet to administer tape worm treatment within 72 hours of landing back in the UK.

We are taking our two dogs to France in July on Portsmouth to Caen. Going overnight and leaving them in the car. Figure that overnight is less disruption to the natural sleep cycle for them.

The French vet visit is more flexible now, you now have within five days before arriving in the UK.

[mickyc79]

andy118run said:

(no expert on this topic) but I'm currently looking at booking a holiday park in Europe for August (most likely Netherlands). Not so keen on Eurocamp personally. Center Parcs is a possibility. However, very much like the look of Landal Parks -

https://www.holidayparkguru.co.uk/10-best-landal-g...
https://www.landal.com/parks#filter:eyJzIjoiMSJ9

I'm not travelling with a dog but have certainly seen dog friendly stuff on the Landal site.

FWIW my current short list is based on reviews/research -
Landal Miggelenberg (large park/plenty to do/waterpark etc)
Landal Amerongse Berg (very small park but seems pleasant)
Both the above are central Netherlands so very driveable from Calais/Dunkirk

A bit further north is Orveltermarke and also Aelderholt which look good to me.
I've only driven abroad once in my 30 plus years driving but driving in Holland was actually a real pleasure and you soon get used to it.

Thanks, i'm looking at EuroParcs in NL now, seen a few good options...i'll check out the Landal ones too. Most seem to be about 2 hrs from Hook or 3-4hrs from Calais, so not so bad.

This one looks like it might be up there...https://www.europarcs.com/holiday-parks/the-netherlands/gelderland/marina-strandbad?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjww_iwBhApEiwAuG6ccIbv1fyBw6wlx8PDRMAmRJ-7DIEv5vBWhs5X63haBAEgKWCO1UVPTRoCIIoQAvD_BwE

[blue_haddock]

mickyc79 said:

Change of plan on Riva Bella, just been reading trip advisor reviews and apparantly there is a migrant camp directly outside the site, with just a small chain link fence dividing them...I will look elsewhere.

Any other views on possible recommendations for a eurocamp/or similar a few hours from Calais? I would consider Belgium, Holland and be glad to hear experiences.

If you are looking at that kind of area you could do either La Vallee at houlgate which is a lovely quiet site with plenty of space around the caravans or Le Cote De Nacre which is now a sandaya site in a village called St Aubin Sur Mer.

We've been to both and really enjoyed them, i'd happily go back to either.

[blue_haddock]

mickyc79 said:

Thanks, i'm looking at EuroParcs in NL now, seen a few good options...i'll check out the Landal ones too. Most seem to be about 2 hrs from Hook or 3-4hrs from Calais, so not so bad.

This one looks like it might be up there...https://www.europarcs.com/holiday-parks/the-netherlands/gelderland/marina-strandbad?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjww_iwBhApEiwAuG6ccIbv1fyBw6wlx8PDRMAmRJ-7DIEv5vBWhs5X63haBAEgKWCO1UVPTRoCIIoQAvD_BwE

Duinrell in holland is a fantastic site complete with free onsite theme park and also for extra fee a brilliant water park

[mickyc79]

blue_haddock said:

If you are looking at that kind of area you could do either La Vallee at houlgate which is a lovely quiet site with plenty of space around the caravans or Le Cote De Nacre which is now a sandaya site in a village called St Aubin Sur Mer.

We've been to both and really enjoyed them, i'd happily go back to either.

Great thanks , i will have a look. Loads of options in NL that i'd never heard of! I see these are both in France. La Vallee looks promising, not too clear on dogs though, so will need to check it out.

Edited by mickyc79 on Tuesday 16th April 14:54

[mickyc79]

blue_haddock said:

Duinrell in holland is a fantastic site complete with free onsite theme park and also for extra fee a brilliant water park

I had originally looked at that, but the site isn't dog friendly(according to Eurocamps website).

[blue_haddock]

mickyc79 said:

blue_haddock said:

Duinrell in holland is a fantastic site complete with free onsite theme park and also for extra fee a brilliant water park

I had originally looked at that, but the site isn't dog friendly(according to Eurocamps website).

We've been numerous times and i've always seen dogs around the site but possibly not allowed in the theme park section.

[mickyc79]

blue_haddock said:

We've been numerous times and i've always seen dogs around the site but possibly not allowed in the theme park section.

That's a strange one...Duinrell website itself has dog friendly "Dungalows", but Eurocamp search filter for dog friendly camps doesn't bring it up. maybe theres different operators for this camp, some Eurocamp, some Duinrell direct? I'll look into it again as this was the first place that caught my eye.

[blue_haddock]

mickyc79 said:

blue_haddock said:

If you are looking at that kind of area you could do either La Vallee at houlgate which is a lovely quiet site with plenty of space around the caravans or Le Cote De Nacre which is now a sandaya site in a village called St Aubin Sur Mer.

We've been to both and really enjoyed them, i'd happily go back to either.

Great thanks , i will have a look. Loads of options in NL that i'd never heard of! I see these are both in France. La Vallee looks promising, not too clear on dogs though, so will need to check it out.

Edited by mickyc79 on Tuesday 16th April 14:54

Its 5 years since we went to La Vallee for the 75th D-Day event so i cant remember but it was maybe 10 miutes walk from a massive open beach and a couple of parks.

[mickyc79]

blue_haddock said:

Its 5 years since we went to La Vallee for the 75th D-Day event so i cant remember but it was maybe 10 miutes walk from a massive open beach and a couple of parks.

Thanks for the tip, La Vallee do take dogs, but not during July and August, so that rules that out i'm afraid.

[mickyc79]

Thanks for the advice so far, think we're going to book the Europarcs Marina Strandbad in NL and give it a try. Options for getting there are either Drive from Scotland to Harwich, with a stop over at a hotel overnight and get ferry to Hook, then 2 hr drive, or drive to Dover and get ferry to Calais and 4hr drive. Ferry to Hook is 6 hrs and ferry to Calais is 1.5hrs, so might prefer the shorter ferry and longer drive.