Taking Your Dog on Trains and Coaches

For a dog of any real size, the train is the kindest way to travel a long distance. There is no crate and no hold. Your dog lies at your feet, you can see how it is doing, and at the other end you both walk off into the middle of a town. In much of Europe a big dog can ride a high speed train for the price of a sandwich. The catch is that the rules change completely from one country to the next, and in North America they are far tighter. This guide goes through the main railways one at a time, then deals with the two things that surprise people most: the muzzle, and the fact that long distance coaches almost never take dogs at all. The rules here were read on each operator's own website in the autumn of 2026.

Britain

Britain has the simplest and most generous rule of all. Across the national network, National Rail's rule is that you may bring up to two animals with you at no extra charge. A dog travels on a lead or in a carrier, whichever suits you both. There is no muzzle requirement, no size limit and no ticket to buy, which makes a British train one of the easiest ways in the world to travel with a large dog.

The limits are sensible ones. Animals are not allowed on seats, and they are not allowed in restaurant cars. Dogs are welcome on the sleeper trains, but you will pay an extra charge for a deep clean of the cabin. Individual train companies can refuse a dog that is causing a nuisance, so a dog that is calm on a lead and happy to lie down in a busy carriage is what the rule assumes. If yours is not used to trains, a short local trip first is time well spent.

The Channel

The one train British owners most want to take is the one they cannot. Eurostar does not allow pets on any train to or from London, and only guide and assistance dogs are carried. The same company welcomes dogs on its routes between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, where a dog under 6 kg in a carrier rides free and a larger dog pays a flat 30 euros and must be leashed and muzzled.

So to reach the continent with a dog you cross the Channel another way, by car through the tunnel or on a ferry, and pick up the trains on the far side. Some ferries will take a foot passenger with a dog, which is how people travelling without a car manage it, usually by way of the Netherlands. Our guide to ferries and the Channel Tunnel explains which routes allow it and where the dog travels during the crossing.

France

On French high speed and intercity trains, SNCF charges a fixed fare for a pet, starting from 10 euros for each train you take. A small pet travels in a closed bag or carrier no bigger than 45 by 30 by 25 cm, on your lap or at your feet. A larger dog travels at your feet, on a lead and muzzled for the whole journey. Each passenger may bring up to two animals, and you book the pet's ticket at the same time as your own.

France also runs night trains, and dogs may use them with some limits. The fare is 19 euros, and pets are allowed in the seated carriages but not in the couchettes, so a night journey with a dog means sitting up. On the low cost OUIGO trains the pet fare is a flat 10 euros whatever the animal weighs. One thing to watch in summer is engineering work, because animals are not carried on the replacement buses.

Germany

Deutsche Bahn carries small dogs free if they fit in a carrier, which it describes as animals up to the size of a house cat. A larger dog needs its own ticket at half the adult fare. Any dog not in a carrier must be on a lead and wear a muzzle, and dogs are not allowed in the restaurant car. You add the dog as a traveller when you book online, though you cannot reserve it a place, so on a busy train you may need to look for a carriage with room on the floor.

Germany's trains run into many neighbouring countries, and the rules follow the destination. Deutsche Bahn does not carry pets on services to or from Britain, Ireland or Norway, and does not take large dogs on its trains into Italy. On services to Denmark a dog may travel in second class only. If your journey crosses a border, check the rule for the whole route and not just for the country you start in.

Italy

Italy is one of the best countries in Europe for a dog on a train. On Trenitalia, small pets in a carrier of up to 70 by 30 by 50 cm travel free, and each passenger may bring a dog of any size for 5 euros, or 1 euro on a Saturday. The dog must be on a lead and wearing a muzzle. For the price of a coffee you can take a Labrador from Milan to Naples on a high speed train, which is hard to match anywhere.

There are two things to know before you go. The service is not offered in the premium and quiet carriages or in private compartments, so choose your seat accordingly. And you are required to carry the dog's registration certificate and health booklet, which for a visitor means its pet passport or health certificate. Our guide to dog passports, health certificates and microchips explains which document your dog will have.

Spain

Spain used to be the hard one, because for years Renfe took only pets of 10 kg or less in a carrier. That is still the basic rule, at 10 euros on the cheaper tickets. But Renfe now also carries dogs of up to 40 kg without a carrier on its high speed, long distance and regional trains, for a supplement of 40 euros on the long distance services. On the high speed trains the dog rides in the window seat next to you, which is a rare privilege.

There are conditions. Only two large dogs are carried on each train, one per person, and puppies under a year old, females in heat and breeds classed in Spain as potentially dangerous are not accepted. The dog wears a muzzle in the station and while boarding, and may take it off for the journey as long as it stays on a short lead. You must book at least 24 hours ahead, and the ticket cannot be changed, so be sure of your dates.

Switzerland and Austria

In Switzerland, SBB charges a dog of any size half the second class fare, or you can buy a day pass for dogs at 25 francs, which is usually the better deal on a long journey and covers as many trains as you like that day. A small dog, up to 30 cm at the shoulder, travels free in a carrier. Dogs sit on the floor under your seat, out of the way of other passengers.

In Austria, ÖBB's rule is that small animals travel free in a closed container, and a dog needs no container if it is on a leash and muzzled, in which case it needs a ticket. It may sit only on the floor, under its owner's supervision. Have the muzzle on before you board, since it is a condition of travelling without a container.

The United States and Canada

North American trains are a different story. Amtrak takes dogs and cats only, in a carrier, with a limit of 20 lb for pet and carrier together. That rules out any dog much bigger than a small terrier. Trips with a pet are limited to seven hours in total, with one pet per passenger, in coach class, and there is no pet travel on the Auto Train or on the services into Canada. The fee varies by route and is shown when you book, and the pet must stay inside its closed carrier in the station as well as on the train.

In Canada, VIA Rail allows small cats and dogs on board only on its corridor trains between Québec City and Windsor, with pet and carrier together weighing no more than 10 kg, for $50 in each direction. On some long distance and regional routes, cats and dogs can travel in the baggage car instead, which has to be reserved at least 48 hours ahead. If your dog is a Labrador, in other words, the train is not an option in North America, and you are back to the car, which we cover in our guide to driving with your dog.

The Muzzle

Across France, Germany, Italy, Austria and on the continental Eurostar routes, the written rule is that a dog outside a carrier wears a muzzle. In practice you will see many dogs travelling without one and conductors who do not mind. But the rule is there, and a conductor is entitled to enforce it, so carry a muzzle on every continental train journey and be ready to put it on when asked.

A dog that has never worn a muzzle will fight it, and a crowded train is the wrong place to find that out. Spend the weeks before your trip getting your dog used to wearing one. A basket muzzle that lets the dog pant and drink is the kind to buy. Introduce it at home with treats, a few minutes at a time, and it becomes just another piece of kit, like the lead. Our guide to training your dog to travel explains how.

Coaches and Buses

Long distance coaches are the one form of transport where the answer is almost always no. FlixBus, which covers most of Europe and a good part of the United States, says it cannot carry any pets, with service dogs the only exception. Greyhound's rule is the same: no pets on buses, except service animals. In Britain, National Express carries trained assistance dogs only. Local buses, trams and metros are another matter and are usually far more relaxed, but they are run city by city, so check the local operator before you rely on them.

Making the Journey Easy

A little planning makes a train journey with a dog a pleasure. Travel outside the rush hour if you can, because a crowded carriage is hard on a dog and on the people around it. Give your dog a long walk before you board, and go easy on food beforehand. Bring a mat or blanket so that it has a place of its own on the floor, a water bowl, and something to chew.

Trains do not stop for toilet breaks, so on a long trip plan it in stages. A change of trains with twenty minutes to spare is a gift, and many larger stations have a patch of grass close by. In summer, check that the carriage is air conditioned, and keep your dog out of the sun by the window. If your dog has never been on a train, do a short local trip first. The noise of the platform, the gap at the door and the movement underfoot are all new, and it is far better to discover that your dog hates them on a twenty minute ride than at the start of a six hour one.

A Closing Thought

Europe's railways are one of the great pleasures of travelling with a dog, and in Britain and Italy especially they could hardly make it easier. Know the rule for the country you are in, carry a muzzle and the dog's papers, book the dog's ticket with your own, and you will find that a train gets you both there in better shape than any other way of making the journey.