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-   -   Frankfurt to UK (https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/frankfurt-to-uk-1479915/)

belinda1 Oct 8th, 2017 07:09 AM

Frankfurt to UK
 
I'm flying into Frankfurt with a Newfoundland dog and need to get to the UK preferably to the NE of the
UK. Manchester cannot take a dog crate of his size so I will have to go by train or ferry. I will need some sort of transport from the airport as well as I know with hire cars you pay a premium to take it out of the country. I'm hoping to just pick up the car in the UK. Anyone have any ideas...

Michael Oct 8th, 2017 07:30 AM

The Frankfurt airport has a train station, and according to Google, has a train that goes to Brussels. From there it suggest a bus to London, but you would have to check and see if your dog could come along on the bus.

You can also try this site for itineraries and cost:

https://www.trainline.eu/search/fran...17-10-26-08:00

janisj Oct 8th, 2017 07:48 AM

>>From there it suggest a bus to London<<

a <i>bus</i> to London? The Eurostar runs that touts -- a bus would be silly.

I would first check here https://www.eurostar.com/us-en/trave...ggage-services and maybe contact them by e-mail or phone to assure that a large dog crate would be allowed. I assume it would be but who knows.

There are ferries to NE England but you would first have quite a bit if schlepping to get to the seaport.

W/ the eurostar, You could rent a car near Kings Cross/St Pancras but they might not have a large enough vehicle, or take the train north to wherever you are trying to get and rent a van there. If you are delivering the dog to someone oop North . . ;) . maybe they could pick you up at the nearest major station.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/statio...e_animals.aspx

janisj Oct 8th, 2017 07:49 AM

jeeze louise -- where is preview when you need it :)

>>The Eurostar runs that ROUTE -<<

PalenQ Oct 8th, 2017 07:53 AM

https://www.seat61.com/dogs-by-train.htm

Yes as janis says you can do by train- book tickets far in advance for nice discounts - www.eurostar.com - then London to ? www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Frankfurt to Brussels best for Eurostar - www.banh.de/en for schedules and booking your own tickets (but can always get on trains without pre-booking - for lots on trains check www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

sofarsogood Oct 8th, 2017 08:00 AM

not via Eurostar as they don't do dogs, but if you can get to Amsterdam there is a ferry to Newcastle

https://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/good-to-know/pet-travel

or P&O to Hull

http://www.poferries.com/en/hull-zee...aking-your-pet

PalenQ Oct 8th, 2017 12:21 PM

Lots of direct trains Frankfurt Airport to Amsterdam though think that ferry leaves from Ijmuiden - a short train/bus transfer from Amsterdam.

belinda1 Oct 20th, 2017 11:53 AM

Thanks for all your help, however I have another dilemma. I just found out from the ferry companies that our dog is too big to go in their kennels so he has to travel in a car on the ferry. The car companies charge an enormous fee to take a car out of the country even though I would be returning it. Does anyone have any other ideas to get me across the channel. I need to get to the North East of the U.K. However I'm willing to drive up from the south. Our flight will land in Frankfurt and I'm on my own from there...

PalenQ Oct 20th, 2017 12:00 PM

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment

Cowboy1968 Oct 20th, 2017 08:08 PM

Sorry if this question is stupid, but:
If you can fly from where you are now to Frankfurt with your dog, why can't you take any of Lufthansa's nonstop daily flights from Frankfurt to Manchester - with your dog in his crate in cargo bay?

Nonconformist Oct 21st, 2017 12:03 AM

Cowboy1968 - she says in the OP that Manchester airport don't accept dog crates as big as he needs.

Is it possible to fly to another UK airport and continue your journey by hre car there?

Do you have family or friends in the UK who would be willing to get the ferry across in their car to pick you and your dog up in Amsterdam/Zeebrugge?

Or maybe a pet relocation service could help? It probably wouldn't be cheap, but you don't mention having a strict budget...

belinda1 Oct 21st, 2017 02:00 AM

Your right, it's the size of the dog crate, that's why I can't go into anywhere except LHR. I can fly into LHR however the price is $2400 each way and he can be in holding for about 8 hours once we land. Lufthansa will fly him for $400 into Frankfurt, each way huge difference and should only be about 2 hours in holding. I am also hoping to do this twice a year as I go to the UK for 2 month at a time so yes price is important. I have contacted pet travel companies and their prices are outrageous. I just didn't know if there was another way to get there that I hadn't thought of... Thanks anyway.

pariswat Oct 21st, 2017 03:09 AM

I don't get the fee from car rentals. . ' rent a car A big one like a van or even a delivery truck go to Lille and go onto the train with the car.
Then you come back empty.
I don't think people damage less rental trucks when moving stuff in crates than you would living your dog in a crate.

sofarsogood Oct 21st, 2017 04:51 AM

try a ride sharing service such as bla bla car

https://www.blablacar.co.uk/

someone might be crossing the Channel

Cowboy1968 Oct 21st, 2017 09:31 AM

If LHR can handle the big crate, you could fly Frankfurt-London with Lufthansa again. And hit the road or rail from there to Manchester.
But you still have the issue of a potentially long time in holding in LHR, right?

Anyway, I was just confused that an airport could not "handle" a larger crate as you get all kind of oversized baggage like surf boards on planes.
At least LH's pet/animal travel website does not say anything about restrictions at points of destination. After all, even a larger crate is still just a small piece of cargo, compared with all the other stuff that gets put in and out of planes.

You probably know this LH service already, but anyway..
https://lufthansa-cargo.com/products-livetd

Nonconformist Oct 21st, 2017 01:53 PM

So you intend on repeating this trip multiple times? I was assuming you were permanently relocating. It's going to be expensive and/or unwieldy, whatever option you pick, but if you don't have alternative care arangements for your dog while you're in the UK it looks as if you will have to live with one of those.

Could you fly Frankfurt-Edinburgh and pick up a hire car there to travel down to northern England?


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