One hour changed the whole journey
While planning a journey from Helgoland to Esbjerg, I found that the ferry leaves an hour later on two nights a week. That small change would have broken the onward journey and left me stranded overnight.
Car-free Europe with a big dog
Plan a trip that works for you and your best friend.
Dog-friendly route planning across Europe by train, ferry and bus, researched for your dates, your dog and the parts a timetable leaves out.
Mia is 30 kg and far too big for a carrier.
Check a route for free
Where do you want to go?
See what looks possible, which dog rules apply and what you should confirm before you spend money.
Why a timetable is not enough
A route can look fine but still not get you where you need to go.
Dog rules are only part of the problem. I check whether each service runs on your date, whether the connections line up, what the stations and transfers involve, how your dog travels on every leg and what happens if something fails.
The research behind your route
Every leg checked against the operator’s own rules.
- 12
- European countries researched
- 95
- Transport operators tracked
- 73
- Policies checked against primary sources
Train, bus, ferry, metro and replacement transport. I check the actual operators behind the journey, not country-level assumptions. Policy register last reviewed 7 September 2026.
Meet Cat & Mia
Tested by a 30 kg dog.
Hi, I’m Cat, and this is Mia. We explore Europe with a big dog, mostly by train, ferry and foot.
The obvious route does not always work. There is usually another one, and Mia and I are having the best time finding it.
Mia is too big for a carrier and not particularly interested in theoretical possibilities. If a route only works on paper, it does not work for us.
The Dog Friendly Route turns what we learn into practical route checks, country guides and personally researched journeys for other people traveling without a car.
Built for big dogs. Small dogs too.
Personal route planning
A destination, an idea, or both.
You might know exactly where you want to go. You might only know that you want a quiet week by the sea or a city break without a car. Tell me what would make the trip work for you and your dog, and I’ll research the route I would actually book.
- One best-fit route plus one or two useful alternatives
- Current operator rules checked at the source
- Practical booking steps, transfers and a fallback
- Your complete plan delivered by email
Dog friendly country guides
Still deciding where to go?
Explore the train, ferry and bus rules for traveling with a dog in different European countries. Each guide includes the main operators, common restrictions and the details you should check before booking.
Browse all country guidesReady to start?
From days of stressed searching to routes that work for you and your dog.
Start with a free check to see whether you can get there at all. If the journey turns out to be complicated, and with a big dog it usually is, let me do the research.