Dogs are welcome on Deutsche Bahn trains, and the rule is simple. A small dog or other small pet, up to the size of a house cat, rides free in a suitable carrier under your seat or in the luggage rack. A larger dog needs its own ticket at half the adult fare, and on the train it must be on a lead and wearing a muzzle. Guide and assistance dogs ride free and do not need a muzzle. The one trap for visitors is the Deutschland-Ticket, which does not cover a dog that needs a ticket.
This guide is built from Deutsche Bahn's own pages: its dogs and other pets page, its FAQ on taking a pet on a trip, and its FAQ on taking a dog on a train abroad, all read in November 2026. Those pages are in German; quotes below are our translations.
Deutsche Bahn dog rules at a glance
| Situation | Ticket | On board |
|---|---|---|
| Small pet up to the size of a house cat, in a carrier | Free | Carrier under the seat or in the luggage rack |
| Larger dog, no carrier | Half the adult fare | On a lead and muzzled |
| Guide or assistance dog | Free | No muzzle required |
| Deutschland-Ticket holder with a larger dog | Separate dog ticket for the local tariff area | Regional rules apply |
| Cross-border trip with a large dog | 50 percent of the adult fare | On a lead and muzzled |
| Trips to or from Great Britain, Ireland or Norway | No pets, except guide and assistance dogs | |
Small dogs and pets ride free
Deutsche Bahn says you do not need a ticket for small dogs and other small pets, up to the size of a house cat, if they travel in a suitable carrier. The carrier has to fit under your seat or in the overhead luggage rack, which in practice means a soft bag or small hard carrier rather than a large crate.
The size test is "up to the size of a house cat", not a weight in kilograms. A small terrier or toy breed that fits comfortably in a carrier under the seat qualifies. A dog that needs a crate too big for the rack does not, and pays the dog fare instead.
Larger dogs pay half fare
A dog that cannot travel as hand luggage in a carrier needs its own ticket. Deutsche Bahn charges half the fare, and its FAQ says this applies to flexible fares, standard fares on local transport, and saver fares on long-distance trains. So a larger dog on a saver-fare ICE trip pays half your saver fare, not half the full flexible price, which keeps the cost reasonable if you book early.
On local transport you can also use discounted special offers such as the Quer-durchs-Land-Ticket and the Lander-Tickets, which are day tickets for regional trains. Check each offer's terms for how a dog is counted before you buy.
The muzzle and lead rule
Deutsche Bahn's pages repeat one rule several times: dogs not travelling in a transport box must be kept on a lead and wear a muzzle on the train. This applies to every dog outside a carrier, whatever its size or temperament. Treat it as a firm requirement, not a suggestion.
If your dog has never worn a muzzle, start training a few weeks before the trip. A basket muzzle that lets the dog pant and drink is far better on a long ICE ride than a tight fabric one.
Guide and assistance dogs
Guide dogs and marked assistance dogs always travel free of charge and do not have to wear a muzzle on the train. The same exemption from the muzzle applies to dogs travelling with holders of a severe disability ID card bearing the symbol "B". For cross-border trips, Deutsche Bahn adds that guide and assistance dogs need no specific reservation.
How to book a dog ticket
When you search for a connection on the Deutsche Bahn website, open "Travellers" and add the traveller type "dog". The dog is then included in the price automatically, at the half fare. You can also buy dog tickets at DB travel centres and ticket machines. Deutsche Bahn says seat reservations are generally not possible for dogs, so the dog travels at your feet and does not get a seat of its own, even with a ticket.
The Deutschland-Ticket does not cover dogs
Germany's Deutschland-Ticket is a monthly pass for regional trains and local transport, and many visitors buy it. Deutsche Bahn's Deutschland-Ticket FAQ is clear that the pass does not include dogs that need a ticket, and that you cannot buy a Deutschland-Ticket for a dog. Instead, you need a valid dog ticket for the line or tariff area you travel through. On top of that, the rules of each regional ticketing system, transport association and transport company apply, so the right dog ticket on a Munich S-Bahn can differ from the one in Hamburg. Check the tariff area before you travel.
For a small pet in a carrier, Deutsche Bahn's general rule is that it rides free, but because local transport associations can set their own terms, it is still worth checking the local rules if you rely on the Deutschland-Ticket for a whole trip.
Taking a dog on a train across the border
Deutsche Bahn sells many international journeys, and its rules for dogs abroad differ slightly from the domestic ones:
Small dogs. Dogs and small pets that fit in a transport box or a suitable hand luggage container ride free. To Austria, Italy and Switzerland, small dogs in a container up to 70 x 30 x 50 cm ride free.
Large dogs. On cross-border trips, a large dog's ticket costs 50 percent of the adult flexible or saver fare on long-distance trains, or 50 percent of the adult standard fare on local trains.
Countries with no pets. Pets, except guide and assistance dogs, are not allowed on journeys to or from Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Norway.
Denmark. One dog is allowed in second class. Only guide and assistance dogs are permitted in first class.
Deutsche Bahn adds that special conditions may apply within other countries, on night trains, and for global fares, and suggests checking with a DB Travel Centre before you go.
Night trains
Because night trains can have their own conditions, check before booking a sleeper or couchette with a dog. Many night trains that run through Germany are operated by other railways, and their pet rules, such as whether a dog can share a compartment, are set by that operator. The safest booking is a private compartment, if the operator allows dogs in it.
Travelling to the UK or Ireland with a dog
Since pets cannot ride trains to or from Britain or Ireland, a dog heading from Germany to the UK needs another route. The Eurostar from Brussels or Paris to London is also closed to pets, as our Eurostar guide explains. The usual options are driving to a Channel port and taking a ferry that carries dogs, or using the vehicle shuttle through the Channel Tunnel.
Documents for travelling with a dog in Germany
Germany follows the EU pet movement rules. A dog crossing into Germany from another EU country normally travels on an EU pet passport showing a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination, and the European Commission sets out the details on its movement of pets page. A dog arriving from the US travels on a USDA-endorsed EU health certificate, not a passport. Our guide to moving a pet to Germany covers the timeline, and our pet passport guide explains why US owners cannot get an EU passport at home.
Arriving by air and continuing by train
Many dogs reach Germany through Frankfurt or Munich airports, both of which have rail stations. If your dog arrives in the cabin, you can walk it to the train once you clear the airport. If it arrives as checked baggage or cargo, give yourself time for collection and a long walk before a train ride. Our guide to Lufthansa's pet rules covers the flight side for the most common route from the US.
What counts as a suitable carrier
Deutsche Bahn does not publish exact carrier dimensions for domestic trips; its test is that the carrier fits under the seat or in the luggage rack and that the animal is no bigger than a house cat. For trips to Austria, Italy and Switzerland it does give a maximum, 70 x 30 x 50 cm, which is a useful guide for domestic travel too. Choose a carrier that closes fully, has a firm base so it does not sag on your lap, and has ventilation on more than one side. A carrier that the animal already sleeps in at home makes the trip far calmer.
Cats and other small pets
The free carrier rule covers small pets in general, not just dogs, so a cat in a carrier rides free on Deutsche Bahn. Rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals fall under the same "up to the size of a house cat" test. A dog is the only animal that can travel outside a carrier, on a lead and muzzled; every other pet stays in its carrier for the whole trip.
What a typical trip costs
Say you book a saver-fare ICE ticket from Frankfurt to Berlin and travel with a Labrador. The dog's ticket is half your saver fare, so the earlier you book your own seat, the cheaper the dog becomes too. On a regional day trip using a Lander-Ticket, check how that ticket counts a dog, since day tickets often have their own rules. On a Deutschland-Ticket, budget for a separate local dog ticket each time you travel in a new tariff area.
City trains, trams and buses
S-Bahn, U-Bahn, tram and bus services in German cities belong to local transport associations, and those associations set their own dog fares. Deutsche Bahn's Deutschland-Ticket FAQ says the rules of the regional ticketing systems, transport associations and transport companies apply to the carriage of dogs. So if you land in Munich and take the S-Bahn into town with a large dog, buy the dog ticket the Munich association requires, not a Deutsche Bahn dog fare.
Choosing quieter trains
ICE trains on Friday afternoons, Sunday evenings and around public holidays are packed, and a large dog in a full coach is uncomfortable for everyone. If your dates are flexible, pick mid-week, mid-morning departures. Since dogs cannot have a seat reservation, a quieter train is also the only way to be fairly sure of space at your feet.
Tips for a smooth ICE trip with a dog
Walk the dog before boarding, since ICE stops are short. Book a seat at the end of a coach or with legroom, so a larger dog can lie down out of the aisle. Bring water and a collapsible bowl. Keep the muzzle on, even if the dog is calm; it is the rule, and other passengers expect it. Carry your dog's ticket and documents together, and on a cross-border trip carry the pet passport or health certificate in case of a police check.
How Deutsche Bahn compares with other railways
Deutsche Bahn is one of the easier railways in Europe for dogs. Its carrier rule is broad, and the half-fare dog ticket is predictable. Other operators set different limits: SNCF in France uses a fixed pet fare per train and a smaller carrier, and Trenitalia in Italy charges a small flat dog ticket. If you are planning a multi-country rail trip, check each operator's rules for the leg it runs.
Moving to Germany with a dog
If the train ride is the last leg of a move, the harder part is getting the dog into Germany legally: the microchip, the rabies vaccination, the waiting period and the health certificate all have to be in the right order before the flight. Our moving abroad with a dog guide puts those steps on a timeline, so the train trip at the end is the easy bit. Once the dog is in the country, Germany's railways make it simple to travel with it, as long as you have a muzzle and the right ticket.