Spain · City bus rules
Can my dog travel on Bilbobus buses in Bilbao?
Checked · Official source ↗
No. Your dog has to fit in a closed carrier.
What this means for you: Bilbao’s buses are carrier only, and the metro still is too: its current conditions say carrier or in your arms. A change to admit bigger dogs — muzzled, 50 cm lead, off-peak, lifts only — was announced in June 2026 and takes effect only when Metro Bilbao approves the new Article 18. Until then Euskotren, which takes a dog that’s no danger or nuisance, and the Cercanías are the options.
The rule, line by line
What Bilbobus buses actually say.
- Who gets on
- Small domestic animals in a carrier on Bilbobus; on Bizkaibus, pets up to 8 kg in a closed carrier.
- Who doesn’t
- Any dog outside a carrier, on both bus networks. Bizkaibus refuses anything over 8 kg.
- How much
- Free in a carrier.
- Where they ride
- In the carrier.
- Never, whatever the size
- Dogs of 8 kg or more.
- Where this applies
- Bilbao city (Bilbobus) and Bizkaia (Bizkaibus) — the city bus network. The metro, tram and train operators in the city are below. Double-check who actually runs your service.
- Assistance dogs
- Guide and assistance dogs ride free everywhere with their identification, and the carrier rules don’t apply to them.
The rest of the city — metro, tram, train
Dogs on the Metro, Bizkaibus, Euskotren and the Cercanías
The bus is one rule; each metro, tram and train operator in the city is another. 2 of the 4 networks below take a big dog — muzzled, on a short lead, and usually outside rush hours.
Where a big dog rides — muzzled, on a short lead
There are two networks where the idea is the same: lead, off the seats, and you clean up. Muzzles and fares vary, so read the row.
Pets may accompany you when they’re neither dangerous nor a nuisance. Not on Euskotren’s buses or replacement buses.
One pet per passenger, no weight limit, free — dogs on a lead and muzzled; local restrictions can apply.
Where it’s carrier only
Two networks. A dog that fits in a closed bag or basket on your lap rides. A dog on a lead doesn’t, however calm.
Current conditions (2024): a dog on a lead in your arms, or inside a carrier; cats always in a carrier; microchip required. A rule for dogs over 8 kg — muzzle, 50 cm non-extending lead, off-peak, lifts only, not in the first or last car — was announced on 19 June 2026 and applies once Article 18 is approved.
Announced, not yet in force. Check Metro Bilbao’s conditions before you count on it.
Dogs and cats up to 8 kg in a closed cage or carrier (art. 16 of the conditions of use).
Checked 14 September 2026. Local rules change more often than the area rule — recheck the week you travel.
Your next step
So what do you do instead?
Three alternatives, in the order I’d try them.
- Choose a location that’s serviced by a train.Ideally a station in the town itself, not a railhead half an hour out. Look at the walk from platform to front door before you book — a dot on the map isn’t the same as an easy last connection with a big dog.
- Walk it.Under about 3 km on a proper path, walking usually beats the alternatives — and it’s the one option nobody can refuse you.
- Book a taxi, an Uber, or a private car service.Check they take dogs, and book before you go. Turning up at a rank with a 30 kg dog and no arrangement is where these trips actually fall apart.