Are you going to town this bridge? Travel by train with your dog

Tomorrow is August 15, a national holiday in our country and a date marked on the calendar for hundreds of towns and municipalities in the country, which also celebrate their patron saint festivities. Surely you want to take advantage of these days to go on a getaway and escape the harrowing heat of the city. A good place? The village! You can enjoy walks through the forest, bathing in the lake, festivals... and many, many meals from your grandmother.

Why go alone if you can go with your dog, your faithful companion? It's time for the little one to leave the asphalt for a few days and get to know that family oasis. Go ahead and do like many of us: enjoy an excursion with your dog these days... But how do you go to town? Although traveling with your dog by car is a great adventure, you can avoid the big traffic jams that will form on the road these days by traveling by train. A great opportunity to enjoy not only the destination, but also the trip itself!

If you travel on Renfe, the main railway operator in Spain, you should be aware of certain restrictions that will affect your pet if you travel throughout the national territory. For this reason, we update you on the regulations that Renfe follows for traveling with dogs, what sizes are allowed and when you will or will not have to pay for their ticket, among other conditions.

One dog per traveler

The first thing you should know before organizing a train trip with your dog is that a maximum of one animal is allowed per traveler. If this is your case, your furry companion should be placed in a discreet place, preferably at your feet, and in such a way that it interferes as little as possible with the rest of the clients. Remember that your pet must always be held by you.

Less than 10 kilos

According to Renfe regulations, if you travel by AVE, Long Distance, Avant and Conventional Media Distancia you can do so accompanied by your dog as long as it does not exceed 10 kilograms in weight. In addition, the furry dog must always go inside a cage, carrier or other type of closed support whose measurements are 60 x 35 x 35 centimeters. The device must also have a device to contain and remove waste.

With ticket and without occupying a place

In certain cases, you will be required to purchase a ticket for your dog when you want him to travel with you on the train, but he will not be able to occupy any of the seats in the car. These are the specific cases:

On Cercanías and Feve, without a ticket

On the Cercanías and Feve services, dogs can travel without a ticket and without taking up a seat, but always complying with certain conditions. Your furry friend must travel in a carrier or, failing that, be provided with a muzzle and be tied with a chain or non-extendable leash and with a length that does not exceed 1.5 meters. Always keep an eye on your furry friend so that he remains supported by you at all times.

Guide and assistance dogs, ahead

Guide and assistance dogs can travel free of charge accompanying their owners, as long as the animal is properly identified. Trainers and socialization agents also have the same access rights as previous users when they are accompanied by the dogs during training. Likewise, they must be properly identified.

General regulations for traveling by train

In addition to the more specific regulations, there is also a general one, with basic rules of coexistence, which you must follow whenever you travel by Renfe with your furry friend and which you must take into account before organizing your getaway:

• Renfe reserves the right to limit the transportation of pets.
• Dogs and other animals will be tolerated for transportation as long as the rest of the clients do not object or cause inconvenience to them.
• The animal must always be under the control of its owners in all phases of the trip.
• If the previous points are not met, the staff will look for the most favorable alternative to be able to continue the trip in another part of the train and if it is not possible, the customer will be offered the possibility of traveling on another train or a refund of the amount of their ticket. .
• Your dog must meet the basic hygienic-sanitary and safety conditions and have documentation in accordance with current legislation.
• You must always present the tickets in the indicated cases and the corresponding documentation for your dog, and keep them until the end of the trip.

Now you only have the mission of choosing a destination to spend this summer long weekend enjoying the company of your furry friend. But if you still have doubts, you can always consult all the regulations on how to travel with your dog by train on the Renfe website.