Dogs can travel on almost every SNCF train in France. A small pet rides in a closed bag or carrier no bigger than 45 x 30 x 25 cm, on your lap or at your feet. A bigger dog rides at your feet on a lead and wearing a muzzle. On TGV INOUI and Intercites trains either way costs a fixed pet fare starting from EUR 10 per train, on OUIGO it is EUR 10 regardless of weight, and each passenger can bring up to two animals. Guide and assistance dogs ride free.
This guide is built from SNCF Connect's help page on bringing your pet on the train, which SNCF last updated on 13 November 2026. Rules differ between high-speed, night and regional trains, so the sections below go train type by train type.
SNCF pet rules at a glance
| Train | Small pet in a carrier | Dog on a lead | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| TGV INOUI, Intercites | Closed carrier max 45 x 30 x 25 cm, lap or feet | Lead and muzzle, at your feet | Fixed fare from EUR 10 per train |
| OUIGO | Add at booking | Add at booking | EUR 10, any weight |
| Intercites night trains | Seated areas only | Seated areas only | EUR 19, or free in a private compartment |
| TER regional trains | Set by each region | Set by each region | Varies, free for carried pets in Pays de la Loire |
| Guide and assistance dogs | Ride free, no ticket, at your feet | Free | |
TGV INOUI and Intercites
On SNCF's main high-speed and long-distance trains there are two ways for an animal to travel. A small pet, such as a cat or a small dog, goes in a closed bag or carrier no larger than 45 x 30 x 25 cm and stays on your lap or at your feet. A dog too big for that goes on a lead, wears a muzzle for the whole journey, and stays at your feet. Either way you pay a fixed fare, which SNCF says starts from EUR 10, for each train you take. A trip with one change therefore means two pet fares, not one.
Book the pet's ticket at the same time as your own, and carry your pet's identification documents. SNCF reminds owners that the animal remains their responsibility for the whole journey.
OUIGO low-cost trains
OUIGO, SNCF's low-cost high-speed brand, charges EUR 10 for a pet, regardless of the animal's weight. You add the pet ticket while you book, using the search form. Add the pet while booking rather than hoping to sort it out at the station. Passengers holding a disability card rated 80 percent or more can travel free with a guide dog.
Intercites night trains
Night trains have their own rule. Pets are allowed in the seated areas for a fixed fare of EUR 19, but they are not allowed in couchette cars, except guide and assistance dogs. If you book a private compartment, your pet travels free. For an overnight trip with a dog, the private compartment is often the most comfortable choice for everyone, since a muzzled dog in a seated coach all night is hard work.
One more catch: with the exception of guide and assistance dogs, animals are not allowed on the replacement buses SNCF runs during engineering works on Intercites lines. If a night or day Intercites journey shows a bus section, plan another route.
TER regional trains
Regional TER trains are run region by region, and each region sets its own pet terms. SNCF Connect gives two examples. In the Pays de la Loire region, small pets in a carrier ride free and need no ticket. For journeys with a TER connection in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, Pays de la Loire or Nouvelle-Aquitaine, you book the pet ticket separately on the website or app, or at a ticket machine. For anywhere else, SNCF says to check the TER map, click your region, and follow its guidance.
How to book a pet ticket on SNCF Connect
You book the animal as part of your own booking:
1. Enter your journey in the search bar on the SNCF Connect site or app.
2. Complete your passenger profile, then open the section for adding a pet.
3. Choose "Small pet in a carrier" or "Dog on a lead and muzzled".
You can add up to two pets per passenger. SNCF Connect does not sell a pet ticket on its own, so the person travelling with the animal needs their own ticket in the same booking. A pet ticket can cover just the outbound or just the return.
Adding or cancelling a pet after you book
If you have already booked, you can add or remove a pet at an SNCF ticket counter, by phone on 3635, or on the SNCF Connect site and app under "Tickets". Online, this works only for TGV INOUI, TGV Lyria and Intercites journeys, excluding couchette seats on night trains. You can also buy the pet ticket from the train manager on board for EUR 20, as long as you do it before the ticket check. After the check, the fare is a fixed EUR 35, so the cheapest move is always to book the pet with your own ticket.
Where your dog sits
Pets do not get an assigned seat. They stay on your lap or at your feet throughout the journey. For a medium or large dog, pick a seat with room at your feet and away from the doors, and walk the dog before boarding, since TGV stops are short and there is nowhere for a dog to relieve itself on board.
Guide and assistance dogs
Guide dogs and assistance dogs travel free of charge and without a ticket, at your feet. If your dog normally works without a muzzle, it can stay unmuzzled on board. This free travel applies to trained guide and assistance dogs; a pet dog brought for comfort pays the normal pet fare.
International trains from France
SNCF Connect also sells international journeys, and each one follows its operator's pet rules:
Eurostar to the UK. Pets are not allowed on Eurostar trains to the UK, except guide dogs. Our Eurostar guide covers the continental routes where dogs are allowed and the ways to reach Britain with a dog.
TGV INOUI to Spain. Pets under 10 kg in a carrier are allowed for an extra charge, and guide dogs ride free.
TGV France to Italy. Small pets in a carrier take the "domestic animal in a carrier" fare, and dogs on a lead with a muzzle take the "dog on a lead" fare.
SBB in Switzerland and Deutsche Bahn in Germany. Both let small pets in a carrier ride free and require larger dogs to be leashed and muzzled with their own ticket. See our Deutsche Bahn guide for the German rules.
Documents for travelling with a dog in France
SNCF asks you to travel with all the identification documents your pet needs, and it points owners to the French government's service-public.fr site for the general rules on travelling with animals. For international trips, the documents depend on the destination: typically a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport, as the European Commission explains on its pet movement page. A dog that has just arrived from the US travels on its endorsed EU health certificate, which the USDA's France export page explains. Our guide to moving a pet to France covers the timeline.
Dangerous dog rules in France
France restricts certain dog types under its own law, and those rules follow you onto the train. Owners of restricted dogs face extra requirements, and some types cannot be brought into France at all. If your dog is a mastiff or pit bull type, check the French rules before you book, and be ready to show the paperwork the law requires. A muzzle will be required on board anyway for any dog outside a carrier.
Is the train the best way to move a dog across France?
For a dog that is calm in crowds and comfortable in a muzzle, the TGV is quick and cheap: a few hours and a pet fare from EUR 10, against a long drive. For a large or anxious dog, or a move with several animals, a car or a ground transporter is usually easier, because SNCF limits you to two animals and gives them no space of their own. If you are moving to France, our moving abroad with a dog guide helps you plan the whole route, not just the train.
Cats and other small pets
The carrier rule is not just for dogs. SNCF's "small pet in a carrier" option covers cats and other small domestic animals, as long as they stay inside a closed bag or carrier within 45 x 30 x 25 cm, on your lap or at your feet, and the same fixed pet fare applies on TGV INOUI and Intercites. A cat that is nervous on trains is usually calmer in a carrier with a cover over part of it, so it can hide. Bring a puppy pad in the bottom of the carrier on long trips.
What a typical trip costs
Take a Paris to Marseille TGV INOUI trip with a medium dog. You pay your own fare, plus one pet fare starting from EUR 10 for the single train. If the same trip needs a change, for example Paris to Lyon and then a TER onward, you pay a pet fare for the TGV and whatever the TER region charges for the second train. A night train to the Alps or the Pyrenees in a seated coach adds EUR 19 for the dog, while a private compartment carries the dog free. The pricing is low compared with the cost of driving, but it adds up on a multi-train route, so check each leg.
TGV Lyria to Switzerland
For trains to Switzerland, SNCF Connect sends you to TGV Lyria's own pet information rather than repeating it. Swiss rules on the SBB side let a small pet up to 30 cm tall travel free in a bag or carrier under your seat, while larger dogs must be on a lead, muzzled and at your feet, with a travel pass needed for trains, trams and buses inside Swiss cities. Check Lyria's page for the cross-border fare before you book.
Arriving in France with a dog from abroad
Many dogs reach France by air at Paris Charles de Gaulle or by ferry at a Channel or Brittany port, then continue by train. If you are coming from Britain, the Eurostar is closed to pets, so most dogs arrive by car on a ferry such as Brittany Ferries, and owners then either drive on or switch to the train. The UK government's guidance on taking a pet abroad explains the animal health certificate British owners need. If you are flying in from the US, your dog travels on its USDA-endorsed EU health certificate, and our pet passport guide explains why that certificate, not an EU passport, is what you carry.
Continuing to Italy and beyond
From France you can take a dog on to Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Germany by train, but each country's operator sets its own carrier size and dog fare. Italy is generous with carriers, allowing up to 70 x 30 x 50 cm free on Trenitalia trains, while SNCF's limit is the smaller 45 x 30 x 25 cm. If you plan a multi-country trip, buy a carrier that fits the smallest limit on your route.
Practical tips for a TGV trip with a dog
Muzzle-train your dog for a few weeks before the trip if it has never worn one, using short sessions and treats. Bring water and a collapsible bowl, since buffet cars are not a place for a dog. Arrive early so you can settle the dog before the coach fills, and choose off-peak trains where you can. On a long TGV ride, a mat or blanket at your feet helps the dog lie down and stay out of the aisle.