You cannot take a pet dog on a Eurostar train to or from London. Eurostar bars pets on every London service, on trains between Brussels or the Netherlands and Lille, and on its seasonal Sun and Snow routes. Guide and assistance dogs are the only exception. On Eurostar's other routes, between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, dogs are welcome: small pets under 6 kg ride free in a carrier, and larger dogs pay a flat EUR 30 dog fare and must be leashed and muzzled.
This guide is built from Eurostar's own travelling with pets page, read in November 2026. If your plan is London to Paris with a dog, skip to the section on alternatives, because the train is not an option and the realistic choices are a ferry, the vehicle shuttle through the Channel Tunnel, or a flight.
Eurostar pet rules at a glance
| Question | London routes | Continental routes (Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands) |
|---|---|---|
| Pet dogs and cats allowed? | No | Yes, except Brussels or Netherlands to Lille |
| Small pet under 6 kg in a carrier | Not allowed | Free, carrier max 45 x 30 x 25 cm |
| Larger dog | Not allowed | EUR 30 single dog fare from the Train Manager |
| Leash and muzzle | Not applicable | Required for dogs outside a carrier |
| Guide and assistance dogs or cats | Allowed, contact Eurostar 24 hours ahead | Allowed, free |
| Dangerous dogs, wild animals, birds | Not allowed | Not allowed |
Why Eurostar does not take dogs to London
Eurostar's page states the ban plainly and gives no reason, so be wary of articles that claim to know one. What matters in practice is that the ban covers both directions, so a dog cannot ride from Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam into London any more than it can ride out. It also covers the whole train, not a particular class, so upgrading to Plus or Premier does not change anything. Petitions asking Eurostar to change the rule have circulated for years, and searches for them are common, but as of November 2026 the official page still lists London routes as closed to pets.
Guide and assistance animals on London trains
Guide dogs and assistance dogs and cats can travel on every Eurostar route, London included, and they travel free. Eurostar asks you to contact it at least 24 hours before your journey so it can prepare. The animal still has to meet the pet entry rules of the country it is entering, which for Great Britain and the EU means a microchip, a rabies vaccination and the right health paperwork. Eurostar points to a separate guide and assistance animals page for the documents it expects, so read that page before you book rather than assuming a vest or ID card is enough.
Small pets on continental routes
On trains between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands, small domestic animals weighing less than 6 kg travel free of charge, as long as they stay in a carrier no larger than 45 x 30 x 25 cm. That covers most cats and toy dog breeds. The carrier sits on your lap or at your feet. You do not need to book anything for a small pet, but you do need the carrier to fit those measurements, so check a soft bag before you leave home rather than at the platform.
One point of confusion: SNCF Connect, which sells Eurostar tickets from France, describes Eurostar's carrier rule with different figures. Where the two disagree, go by Eurostar's own page, since Eurostar's staff enforce it on board.
Larger dogs and the EUR 30 dog fare
A dog that does not fit in a carrier can still ride on continental routes, but it needs a ticket at Eurostar's dog fare, a single price of EUR 30. Eurostar says to buy it from the Train Manager. On board, the dog must sit on your lap or on the floor of the coach, and it must be both leashed and muzzled for the whole journey. Dogs do not get a seat of their own.
The muzzle rule catches a lot of travellers out. If your dog has never worn one, practise at home for a few weeks before the trip, starting with short sessions and treats, so the first time it wears a muzzle is not on a crowded train. A basket muzzle that lets the dog pant and drink is the comfortable choice for a long ride.
Which continental routes are covered
Eurostar now runs the former Thalys network as well as its London trains, so the continental side includes routes such as Paris to Brussels, Paris to Amsterdam, Brussels to Amsterdam, and Paris or Brussels to Cologne. Pets are welcome on those routes. The exceptions are trains between Brussels or the Netherlands and Lille, which are closed to pets even though they never touch London, and the seasonal Sun and Snow trains to the south of France and the Alps.
Sitting near other passengers
Eurostar asks you to check that the people around you are happy to sit near your pet. If someone is nervous or allergic, the Train Manager will find you another seat. In practice that means boarding a little early, settling the dog quickly at your feet, and being ready to move if asked. A tired dog that has been walked before boarding is far easier to manage than one that has been in a car all morning.
Animals Eurostar will not carry at all
Dangerous dogs, wild animals and birds, including parrots and canaries, are not allowed on any Eurostar train. Eurostar does not publish a breed list on its pet page, so if you travel with a breed that is restricted in France, Belgium, Germany or the Netherlands, check that country's rules as well, because national dangerous dog laws apply on the train and at the destination.
Paperwork for crossing borders with a dog
Eurostar's pet page talks about tickets and behaviour, not documents, but border rules still apply to you. Within the EU, a dog normally travels on an EU pet passport showing a microchip and a valid rabies vaccination; the European Commission sets out the rules on its movement of pets page. A dog arriving in Europe from the US needs an EU health certificate endorsed by USDA before it leaves; our pet passport guide explains how the US version works and why you cannot get an EU passport at home.
How to get from London to Paris with a dog
Because the train is closed to pets, a dog crossing between Britain and France goes one of three ways.
By car through the Channel Tunnel. Eurotunnel's vehicle shuttle between Folkestone and Calais carries dogs that stay in the car with you. It checks pet documents at a dedicated pet reception. We could not read its official pet page while researching this guide because the site was down for maintenance, so check its current fee and check-in rules directly before booking.
By ferry. Several ferry lines carry dogs between England and France, some with kennels and pet-friendly cabins. Brittany Ferries sails to Normandy, Brittany and Spain with kennels and pet cabins on several ships, and DFDS runs the short Dover to Calais and Dunkirk crossings plus Newhaven to Dieppe. Foot passengers with dogs have far fewer options than drivers, which our ferry guide explains.
By air or with a pet shipper. Many airlines will not fly pets into the UK in the cabin, and arrivals usually go as cargo through an approved route. Our guide to moving a pet to the UK covers the options.
Documents for dogs entering or leaving Great Britain
If you live in Great Britain and take your dog to France by ferry or tunnel, the UK government says you need an animal health certificate from an official vet, issued no more than 10 days before you arrive in the EU, plus a microchip and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel. Coming back, dogs need tapeworm treatment from a vet between 24 hours and 5 days before arriving in Great Britain. The government's taking your pet abroad page and bringing your pet to Great Britain page have the current detail.
Travelling onward by train in Europe
Once you are on the continent, most national rail operators take dogs, usually with a muzzle and lead rule and a small fare for larger dogs. In France, SNCF charges a fixed pet fare per train. In Germany, Deutsche Bahn charges half fare for a large dog and lets a small pet in a carrier ride free. Each operator sets its own carrier size, so a bag that passes on one train can fail on the next.
Tips for a smooth continental Eurostar trip with a dog
Walk the dog well before you reach the station, since there is nowhere to relieve it on board and stops are short. Bring water and a collapsible bowl. Keep the EUR 30 ready for a larger dog and find the Train Manager early rather than waiting to be found. Carry the pet passport or health certificate even on an internal EU journey, because the trip may cross a border and police checks do happen. Finally, avoid the busiest Friday evening and Sunday trains if you can, since a crowded coach makes it harder to keep a large dog out of the aisle.
Emotional support animals
Eurostar's pages talk about guide dogs and assistance dogs and cats. They do not describe a separate category for emotional support animals, and an emotional support dog is not treated as an assistance animal just because the owner has a letter. If your dog is an emotional support animal rather than a trained assistance dog, plan on it being treated as a pet, which means no London trains. If you are unsure which category your dog falls into, contact Eurostar before you buy a ticket rather than at the platform.
Cats, rabbits and other small pets
The free carrier rule on continental routes applies to small domestic animals, not only dogs, so a cat under 6 kg in a carrier no bigger than 45 x 30 x 25 cm rides free between Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. Birds are the clear exception, since Eurostar excludes parrots, canaries and other birds entirely. For any other unusual pet, ask Eurostar first, and check the import rules of the country you are entering, which can be stricter for rabbits, rodents and reptiles than for dogs and cats.
Booking and fares when you travel with a dog
For a small pet in a carrier there is nothing extra to book on continental routes. For a larger dog, you book your own seat as normal and then buy the EUR 30 dog fare from the Train Manager on board, as Eurostar's page directs. Because the dog has no seat, choose a seat where there is room at your feet, such as an aisle seat with space to tuck the dog in, rather than a window seat facing a table. If you are travelling with two larger dogs, ask Eurostar before booking whether it will accept them on the same journey, since the page does not give a per-passenger limit.
How this compares with other European trains
Eurostar's continental rules are similar to most European operators: a free ride for a small pet in a carrier, a muzzle and lead for bigger dogs, and a modest fare. Where it differs is the flat EUR 30 dog fare, which is higher than some national operators charge for a short trip but simpler than fares that scale with the ticket price. Trenitalia, for example, charges a small flat dog ticket on Italian trains, while Deutsche Bahn charges half the adult fare. The London ban, though, is unusual, and it is the single biggest thing that shapes pet travel between Britain and the rest of Europe.
If you are moving to Europe with a dog
Rail is a good way to cover the last leg of a move once your dog has landed in Europe, but the flight and the paperwork are the hard part. Our guides to pet transport to France and moving abroad with a dog walk through the vet visits, endorsement and airline choices in order.