Dogs are welcome at the château, and for good reason: a great many of our guests arrive with one. A dog who has spent a night in a ship’s kennel needs exactly what our grounds offer — space, grass and a long walk before the next leg of the journey. Here is what you need to know, in the order you will need it.
The paperwork. From Great Britain, your dog travels on an Animal Health Certificate issued by an official vet no more than ten days before you leave, on top of its microchip and rabies vaccination. To go home, a vet in France must give a tapeworm treatment between one and five days before you re-enter Britain and record it on the certificate — we can give you the name of a vet in Valognes who does this for our guests. From Ireland, none of that applies: an EU pet passport is all your dog needs (see arriving from Ireland).
The ship. Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries both carry pets. Depending on the vessel, that means an on-board kennel you can visit at set times, or a pet-friendly cabin where the dog stays with you — these are few and sell out first, so book your pet at the same moment as your crossing. Check-in with a pet is earlier than usual; Irish Ferries ask for two hours (more in our boarding guide).
At the château. Dogs are welcome in the bed-and-breakfast rooms for €15 per night and in the cottages for €30 per stay. We ask that they are kept on a lead in the grounds — there are donkeys, and a pool. Dogs do not come into the breakfast room (the very smallest excepted), but there is plenty of space to leave yours comfortably outside while you eat. The Cotentin is generous with dogs: many beaches allow them outside the summer season — check the signs — and the bocage lanes around the château are made for a morning walk.
Where to sleep
Rooms from one night, cottages from three (the Farmhouse from four). Tell us about the dog when you book, and we will point you to the easiest route out to the garden. Back to the ferry stopover guide.
Practical
- Great Britain: Animal Health Certificate ? 10 days before travel · microchip + rabies
- Return to GB: tapeworm treatment by a vet 24–120 h before, recorded on the AHC
- Ireland: EU pet passport only
- At the château: rooms €15/night · cottages €30/stay · on a lead in the grounds