Germany · dog tickets explained
Can you travel with your dog using the Deutschlandticket?
Yes—but your dog may need an extra ticket. The answer can change between transport networks, between operators and even during the same regional-train journey.
Checked against official operator guidance · September 2026
The answer is not a simple yes or no. You can use your Deutschlandticket on covered local and regional transport across Germany while travelling with your dog. But your dog may need another ticket. The rule depends on the local transport network or train company.
In some transport networks your dog travels free. In others, a large dog needs a child ticket or another local ticket. Some areas sell an extra monthly pass that can include a dog.
On a long regional journey, the rule can change along the way—even in the same train—while your own Deutschlandticket remains valid.
How the ticket works
One ticket for you. Different local rules for your dog.
The Deutschlandticket costs €63 per month in 2026 and covers local and regional public transport throughout Germany. It does not include a dog everywhere in Germany. The local ticket system or transport company decides whether your dog travels free or needs a ticket. You may see the German words Landestarif for a state ticket system and Verkehrsverbund for a local transport network.
The Deutschlandticket covers regional trains, S-Bahn, U-Bahn, trams and buses that are part of the scheme. It generally does not cover ICE, IC or EC long-distance trains. Deutsche Bahn’s current Deutschlandticket rules
State by state
What ticket does your dog need?
The table is alphabetical by federal state or by a transport area that crosses state borders. Here is what the ticket wording means:
- Free
- You do not need another ticket for your dog inside the named area.
- Child fare
- Buy the child ticket that the local network asks for.
- Reduced or dog fare
- Buy the network’s cheaper ticket or its ticket made for dogs.
- Local option
- You can buy a local monthly extra that includes your dog. It only works in that local area.
One dog per Deutschlandticket travels free on KVV buses and trains.
One dog travels free with a Deutschlandticket inside the VVS area.
A dog outside a suitable carrier normally needs the locally specified ticket.
The first dog travels free with a valid Deutschlandticket; additional dogs need a child fare.
Buy the child single ticket for the tariff level of the journey.
One dog travels free with a Deutschlandticket inside the VBB area.
A large dog outside a carrier needs the applicable child fare.
Leashed dogs travel free under the ordinary HVV tariff.
Dogs accepted under RMV conditions travel free; check on-demand services separately.
Buy a child single/day ticket, or use the local monthly D-Ticket Plus companion option.
A large dog needs its own child-rate ticket where the Niedersachsentarif applies.
A dog needs an additional reduced-fare ticket on Schwerin buses and trams.
Dogs travel free under the local tariff rules.
Dogs travel free within the VRR area and across NRW under the published rule.
The standard Deutschlandticket does not include a dog; VVO offers a local Plus companion add-on.
A large dog needs a child ticket and must be leashed and muzzled.
These rules only work in the named area. If your dog travels free in one network, that does not mean the dog travels free after you leave it. Buses and trams can also have different rules from regional trains in the same state.
Why the rules change
Why isn’t there one rule for the whole country?
The Deutschlandticket gives you one ticket for local and regional transport across Germany. It did not replace the local ticket rules for dogs. Your ticket works across the country. Your dog’s ticket often does not.
Local transport networks, state ticket systems and train companies can all set rules for dogs. Most passengers do not notice when they move from one local area into another. With a large dog, the change can decide whether you need to buy another ticket.
Longer journeys
What happens when you travel into another transport area?
Your Deutschlandticket may cover you from beginning to end. Your dog might need a ticket, then travel free, then need a ticket again as the local rules change.
This does not always mean buying a new ticket each time you enter another area. One dog ticket may cover more than one part of the journey. The important point is that your Deutschlandticket alone does not tell you what your dog needs. Check the whole route before travelling.
Other things to know
Long-distance trains, carriers and muzzles
Does the Deutschlandticket work on ICE and IC trains?
Generally, no. If you use a Deutsche Bahn long-distance train, you normally need a passenger ticket for yourself and the correct DB dog ticket for a large dog. Check every train in your journey. Do not assume that every result in a journey planner is covered by the Deutschlandticket.
What about small dogs in carriers?
Deutsche Bahn allows small dogs up to about the size of a domestic cat to travel free in a suitable closed carrier. Local networks set their own rules, but many treat a small animal in a carrier as hand luggage and a larger dog on the floor differently.
Does my dog need a muzzle?
On Deutsche Bahn trains, dogs outside a carrier must be on a lead and wear a muzzle. Local rules vary. If you travel through several areas with a large dog, bring a muzzle that fits your dog well.
Before you travel
One ticket for you does not mean one rule for your dog.
- Check that every service accepts the Deutschlandticket.
- Find the local transport areas your route passes through.
- Note where your dog travels free and where you need another ticket.
- Check whether one dog ticket covers more than one part of the journey.
- Check the lead and muzzle rules for the services you will use.
You do not need to remember the names of all Germany’s transport networks. You only need to check the route you are taking.
Want to check your actual route?
See what looks possible before you spend money.
Tell us where you are travelling from, where you want to go and how big your dog is. See which dog rules apply and what you should confirm.
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Plan my route with Cat · €39Official sources
Check the rule at the source.
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