Public Transport

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I’d be very interested in anyones experience or knowledge of the rules for taking dogs on buses or trains in Europe
 
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Western Europe. Are they allowed? Is there a size limit, do they need muzzles, do they need tickets? Rules vary in the UK, so I presume they vary in France, Netherlands etc

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You'll need to specify which country(ies) as some of the nine 'Western European' countries have their own regs.
 
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I’ll ask again, if anybody has experience or information on taking dogs on buses or trains in Europe. This a general request for information rather than a specific request about a specific location
 
When I operated Coaches & Buses,(I retired and sold up in 2013), in England, it was up to the driver (as on a very crowded bus, it could cause sever problems) except guide dogs which HAD to be let on if humanly possible,
but if there was already one on the bus, these could also be refused if the driver thought there might be conflict.

As we were still a member of the EU at the time, I think this was an EU Directive.
 
Here's a couple for trains.
Google the same for other countries and buses. See here:
https://help.raileurope.co.uk/artic...e permitted on high,for free without a ticket.
For dogs there are no emissions certs required to enter cities. ;)

France​

The SNCF is France’s national rail service. Pets can travel on SNCF for a small fee: €7 for pets up to six kilograms and 50% of the 2nd class fare for pets over 6 kilograms on all TGV, Intercités, and TER trains. Pet-specific fares apply on all other SNCF trains. Their pet policy lists other limits such as number of dogs and carrier sizes.

You can book SNCF train tickets for your pet at Trainline, which offers the same routes and pricing as SNCF at any given moment, and offers the necessary pet tickets for the relevant trains, holding your hand through the process. You can also book directly with OUI.sncf, whose website does (usually) work but can be annoying if you have a foreign credit card. If you use the SNCF’s site from outside of France, be sure not to get redirected to Broken Link Removed, which is the SNCF’s scheme for charging a lot more to foreigners.

Germany​

Germans love dogs and their national rail service, so it’s no surprise that travelling with your dog on German trains is relatively worry-free.

Deutsche Bahn allows dogs of less than 10 kg. on their trains for free as long as they are in a carrier and not bothering others. Larger dogs must be on a leash at all times and muzzled, and will need a half-price ticket that can be purchased directly at train stations.

Since the Deutsche Bahn does not issue E-tickets in their apps or website for pets, we recommend purchasing your own ticket ahead of time on Trainline or Bahn.de (the former gives better results for complex routes), and then purchasing your pet ticket once in the train station.

If you’re crossing an international border on a DB train, you’ll need to buy a child’s second-class ticket for your furry friend.

Italy​

Italy’s Broken Link Removed. Generally speaking, small dogs can travel for free in a carrier. Large dogs are charged half of the economy ticket price (regardless of the class travelled in) and must be muzzled and on a leash.

Tickets for dogs are not available on the confusing and poorly translated Broken Link Removed site, nor are they available on (our recommendation for Italy) Trainline. They must instead be purchased in a train station or travel agency in Italy. It’s possible to purchase your ticket online first for yourself and then the pet ticket on arrival in the train station.

Netherlands​

Small pets of less than 10 kg. can travel in carriers on the Netherlands’ domestic NS and Arriva trains at no cost.

Larger-than-10 kg. pets are charged a day ticket price of €3.10 and these can be purchased in the station from ticket counters or ticket machines. We recommend having exact change for more out-of-the-way stations, as they may not have staff and their ticket machines are notoriously unaccepting of foreign bank and credit cards.

Spain

Pets on the AVE (including Renfe-SNCF)​

Pets are permitted on high-speed AVE trains in Spain, provided they do not disturb other passengers and obtain a ticket. Certified guide dogs may travel on any train for free without a ticket.
  • Small domestic pets, defined as dogs, cats, ferrets & birds (not poultry) no heavier than 10 kg can be carried in a suitable carrier not exceeding 60cm x 35cm x 35 cm.
  • Larger dogs are not permitted on any Spanish trains.
  • In sleeping accommodation, the transport of animals is only permitted if you book sole occupancy of couchettes/sleepers compartment.
  • Only one pet will be allowed per passenger
  • Guide dogs for the blind are permitted to travel free of charge.
 
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emjaiuk Let me start by saying that we travelled with a cat so didn’t use the transport with him but my understanding from friends in Spain, and we lived there for a while, was that dogs were allowed on busses dependant upon the discretion of the driver.

Also if it was a small dog we would see them carried in the likes of big open top bags so I presumed that meant if it was a small dog and able to fit inside the bag the driver was more likely to allow it.

We have only once seen a large dog, Labrador size, on a bus but that was also in northern Spain rather than on the Costas. You couldn’t miss it because it took up so much room and smelled quite strongly. We use busses and trains a lot but have not seen that many dogs.

What we have seen lots of are small dogs in baskets on the front or rear of bikes, or even a pulled trailer, by campers. Our friends do the same too with their Daschund

I have also seen big dogs on busses mussled but cannot recall which country that was in now.

Hope this helps, I’m sure some members who live there will be able to clarify the actual rules. I used to wonder what happened if the bus driver allowed you on for the outward journey but a different driver did not for the return ☹️
 
I have regularly travelled on Spanish trains with a 12kg spaniel. Never had any problems. To be honest it's very rare you see a conductor or anyone as most are all automated ticket machines.
 

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