Germany · Verbund rules
Can my dog travel on VBN buses and trains in Bremen and Bremerhaven?
Checked · Official source ↗
Yes — if you meet every condition.
What this means for you: Bremen takes dogs on a lead with a child ticket. The Deutschlandticket doesn’t cover the dog here. Muzzle only if it’s the aggressive kind — but the operator’s own advice is “find out before the trip”, which is what this page is for.
The rule, line by line
What VBN buses and trains actually say.
- Who gets on
- Any dog on a lead. Bremen’s own line: “Dogs must be leashed. Find out before the trip whether your dog needs a ticket and a muzzle.”
- Who doesn’t
- A dog off the lead; an aggressive dog without a muzzle.
- How much
- A dog outside a carrier needs a child ticket. Small animals in a carrier ride free.
- Where they ride
- On the lead, floor.
- Never, whatever the size
- Nothing by breed in the tariff.
- Where this applies
- Bremen, Bremerhaven and the surrounding districts — bus, tram, U-/S-Bahn and regional trains under the Verbund tariff. The cities inside the Verbund are below. Double-check who actually runs your service.
- Assistance dogs
- Guide dogs and assistance dogs ride free and are exempt from the muzzle rule. In Germany the harness or vest is the proof; carry the card too.
State dog law applies on top
Breed rules come from the Land, not the transport operator, and they override the tariff.
- Bremen: Keeping Pit Bulls, AmStaffs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers and Bull Terriers is banned. Passing through or staying a day or less: tell the local police before you arrive. Every dog on a lead on public transport. What counts as a dangerous dog
- Lower Saxony: No breed list. A dog officially found dangerous goes on a lead and muzzle. What counts as a dangerous dog
- Germany (federal): Pit Bulls, AmStaffs, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Bull Terriers and their crosses may only come into Germany with an owner who lives abroad, for four weeks at most. The federal rule
The cities inside the Verbund
Dogs on public transport in Bremen
One tariff, one rule for every operator in it. 1 of the 1 networks below take a big dog on a lead; where an operator adds its own term — a muzzle, a fee, a ban on the call-taxi — it’s in the row.
Where a big dog rides — on a lead, under the Verbund rule
There is one network where the idea is the same: lead, off the seats, and you clean up. Muzzles and fares vary, so read the row.
Child ticket for a dog outside a carrier; lead; muzzle for an aggressive dog.
Checked 14 September 2026. Local rules change more often than the area rule — recheck the week you travel.
Your next step
Before you book.
- Read every condition, not just the yes.Lead, muzzle, fare, where the dog sits — each one is a reason a driver can turn you away.
- Check who’s actually running your service.Subcontracted and rail-replacement services can run under a different rule.
- Screenshot the rule.The operator’s own page on your phone settles most arguments at the door.