Travelling in Germany with a dog by train and public transport

Is Germany easy to travel around without a car and with a big dog?

Yes. The rules are more fragmented than they first appear, but the underlying transport network makes Germany one of the more practical countries in Europe for car-free travel with a large dog. You can cover long distances by train, reach small towns and rural areas on regional services, and use extensive local transport once you arrive.

The trick is not asking only “are dogs allowed on trains in Germany?” — they generally are. The more useful question is “what does my dog need for this particular journey?”, because in Germany the answer can change somewhere between your starting station and your destination.

Taking a large dog on Deutsche Bahn trains

Large dogs can travel on Deutsche Bahn trains, including ICE and IC services. If your dog cannot travel as hand luggage in a suitable carrier, you normally need to buy a dog ticket. Deutsche Bahn charges half the applicable fare for a large dog, on eligible long-distance fares and on the normal regional fare.

When booking through Deutsche Bahn, add Hund as the traveller type. Your dog does not get a seat reservation and should sit or lie in front of, underneath or beside your seat.

Dogs travelling outside a carrier must be on a lead and wear a muzzle. Guide and qualifying assistance dogs have different rules and travel free. For a big dog I would treat the muzzle as part of the standard train kit in Germany, even when part of the journey falls under a local rule that does not require one.

What about regional trains?

This is where a simple answer starts falling apart. If the normal Deutsche Bahn regional fare applies, a dog larger than a domestic cat needs its own ticket. But Germany also has regional tariffs and transport associations called Verkehrsverbünde, and their rules can be different.

In some areas one dog travels free with you. In others you need a child-rate ticket, a dog ticket or another local fare. And the rule can change during the journey — you do not necessarily have to change trains for that to happen. The important question is which tariff applies to your dog on each part of the trip.

Does the Deutschlandticket include your dog?

Not nationally. This is probably the most important thing to understand if you plan to travel around Germany by regional train.

The Deutschlandticket covers you on eligible local and regional public transport across Germany. It does not create one national ticket rule for your dog. Instead, the dog rules of the relevant regional tariff, Verkehrsverbund or transport company still apply.

That produces some surprisingly different results. In Berlin and Brandenburg, for example, one dog can travel free with a Deutschlandticket under VBB rules, and dogs travel free under the relevant rules in several other transport areas. Elsewhere, a large dog still needs an additional ticket. So you can travel across Germany with the same Deutschlandticket while the fare rules for the dog beside you change along the way.

For local and regional fares, check the route — not just the city

Some German networks carry a large dog free; others ask for a child fare, a dog ticket or a local add-on. Both “dogs travel free” and “dogs need a child ticket” can be true here — they are simply not useful nationwide rules.

If you are staying in one city, check its transport network. If you are travelling farther, trace the whole route: your own ticket may stay valid while Mia’s fare changes somewhere between the starting station and the beach.

Taking your dog on buses, trams and U-Bahn trains

Do not assume the Deutsche Bahn rule applies just because you are still in Germany. Local buses, trams, U-Bahn systems and S-Bahn services may operate under the rules of the local Verkehrsverbund. That can change:

• whether your dog needs a ticket;
• what kind of ticket you need;
• whether a muzzle is required;
• whether particular dogs are restricted;
• and, occasionally, whether the service is practical with a large dog at all.

Watch out for replacement buses

A rail journey that looks perfectly workable with a dog can become much less straightforward when part of the train service is replaced by a bus. This is called Schienenersatzverkehr, usually shortened to SEV.

Replacement transport is one of the things I specifically look for before travelling with a big dog. Space is tighter, boarding can be less comfortable, and the conditions may not be identical to the train you expected to take. If a route involves engineering works, check what is actually operating on your travel date rather than relying only on the normal timetable.

Long-distance buses are a different story

Do not treat long-distance coaches as an alternative to Deutsche Bahn without checking the pet policy first. Germany’s rail system is considerably more useful for travelling with a large dog than its long-distance coach network: ordinary pets are not accepted on some major coach services, with exceptions generally made for qualifying assistance dogs.

For car-free travel with a big dog, trains are usually the more useful backbone.

Taking a dog on German harbour and island ferries

Hamburg’s harbour ferries belong to the HVV network, where dogs travel free on a lead, though listed breeds are excluded. On the Baltic coast, the Warnemünde–Hohe Düne crossing (FRS Weiße Flotte) charges a €1.40 dog fare per crossing — the dog needs its own ticket even in a carrier, and a Deutschland-Ticket does not cover it, while guide and assistance dogs travel free.

Heading to Denmark, Scandlines welcomes leashed dogs in all non-carpeted areas on Puttgarden–Rødby and Rostock–Gedser, or the dog can stay in the car for the short crossing. Bring the EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination, and note that Denmark’s banned breeds cannot make the crossing. Other coast and island ferries are run by independent operators, so their pet rules need their own check.

Can I take my dog from Germany into another country by train?

Often, yes — but check the actual international service rather than applying the German rule automatically. Dog policies can change at the border or depend on the train operator and service. Deutsche Bahn sells tickets for large dogs on many international journeys, but individual services and destination countries can have their own conditions.

If your journey crosses a border, check whether the dog is accepted on the specific train, what ticket the dog needs, whether a muzzle is required, whether reservations or advance booking are needed, and the rules for entering the destination country with your dog. The train being bookable for you does not automatically mean the journey works for your dog.

What I carry for train travel with a big dog in Germany

For a large dog travelling outside a carrier, I would have:

• a lead;
• a well-fitting muzzle;
• your dog’s required travel documents;
• the dog ticket or local ticket where one is required;
• water, particularly on longer journeys;
• and enough transfer time for a toilet break when the itinerary allows it.