Whether you're going away for the weekend, going to work or taking a stroll around town, you may not be able to separate yourself from your pet by taking public transport, or you may simply need it. bring somewhere. However, the regulations are often strict and vary completely depending on the means of transport. Let's take stock so that your animals travel with complete peace of mind.
Category 1 and 2 dogs
For the comfort and safety of all, category 1 dogs do not have the right to use public transport of any kind, and also do not have the right to be in premises open to the public, outside of the public highway. It is dogs not registered in the herd book recognized by the ministry in charge of agricultureanimals which can be compared to the following breeds: Staffordshire terrier, also called American Staffordshire terrier, Mastiff and Tosa.
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Category 2 dogs (Staffordshire terrier, also called American Staffordshire terrier, Mastiff and Tosa) on the other hand have the right to take public transport provided they are muzzled.
In the train
Sncf (TGV, TER, Intercités)
SNCF tolerates the domestic animals in the TGV, TER and Intercités. If your pet does less than 6 kg :
- The ticket, in the three types of train, will cost you 7€.
- The animal will have to travel in a bag or basket with the following maximum dimensions: 45 cm x 30 cm x 25 cm.
On the other hand, if your pet weighs more than 6 kg :
- The latter must to be muzzled throughout the journey.
- The ticket will be equivalent to 50% of the full price of a second class ticket, even if you are traveling first.
You can book the train ticket for your dog, cat, ferret, parrot or even reptile and amphibian at the same time as yours in agency or online. The ticket will be exchangeable free of charge until the day before your departure, then with a 10% deduction during the validity period of the ticket. It will also be refundable with a 10% deduction in all cases, until the end of the validity of the ticket.
Each traveler can maximum travel with two dogs or two containers.
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Please note however, the transport of your animal will be carried out subject to the agreement of other passengers of the wagon. Otherwise, you may be asked to change places.
Note that assistance dogs travel for free and that it is no longer necessary to book a “free guide dog” ticket. » There is even no obligation to muzzle the animal as long as the owner is able to present documents proving his guide dog training.
iDTGV
Any animal of less than 6 kg travels for freeothers will cost you extra 35 euros whatever the journey.
Thalys
Two options are available to you depending on the size of your animal:
- Small animals must be transported in containers of maximum 55 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm, and travel free.
- For large animals you will need to purchase a ticket at the “dog” rate the price of which varies depending on the route. They must be carried on the owner's lap or kept on a leash and muzzled.
As with other trains, you may be asked to change seats if the presence of your animal bothers other passengers.
Thalys Snow and Sun However, they do not accept any animals. with the exception of guide dogs.
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Eurostar
Only assistance dogs are allowed to board the Eurostar. All other animals are prohibited.
By plane
Regulations vary greatly depending on the airline you choose. Ryanair and EasyJet simply do not accept animals with the exception of guide dogs.
Air France
There are three solutions for a pet to travel by plane with Air France:
- In the cabinif the animal does less than 8 kg, bag or transport case included. The dog or cat must be at least 15 weeks old, and you can only transport one animal per person and one animal per container. In Economy class, the crate must fit into the space under the seat in front of you.
- In the holdif the animal does between 8 and 75 kg. Be careful, however, because of the breathing difficulties that stress can cause them due to their morphology, snub-nosed animals (pugs, shih tsu, bulldogs, Persian cats, etc.) are not allowed to travel in the hold. You cannot transport more than 3 animals per person.
- By freightif the weight of the animal and its cage exceeds 75 kg or that it is a category 2 dog.
In all three cases, you will need to contact customer service when booking your ticket to verify that the aircraft type allows the transport of animals.
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By car
Taxi
Most taxi companies do not accept petsbut you can turn to an animal taxi. These transport your dog, cat or NAC even if you are not part of the trip, and are therefore equipped with cages that are disinfected after each transport.
Carpooling
Many carpoolers generally accept pets. All you have to do is find out about their profile and their ad, and why not contact them to find out for sure.
Car rental
It all depends on the company. Some accept the transport of your pets on the strict condition that the vehicle is returned in the same condition as you received it.
Bus, metro and tram
Ouibus
Ouibus does not accept animals either on the bus or in the hold, with the exception of guide dogs.
Metro, Bus and Tram
It all depends on the city and the metro in which you are traveling! Most of the time, small animals can be transported in a crate or in a basket, but large dogs are often prohibited. It may happen that they are accepted provided they are muzzled, but you will need to check this with the company by calling or consulting its website. Assistance dogs always travel free of charge.
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Generally, the rules are the same between the bus, metro and tram network of the same city.
On a boat
LPets are generally accepted on all ferries. However, it is relatively more complicated for cruises given that they generally go to foreign countries. Check with different companies, but there is little, if any, chance that they will accept your cat, dog or bird for health and safety reasons.
Abroad
Some countries are very strict when it comes to importing animals for hygiene and trafficking reasons. Here are some rules to follow when traveling abroad with your dog or cat.
In Belgium, Italy and Spainthe rules for traveling for pets on public transport are very similar to France: small animals can travel in a bag or crate, while larger animals generally pay more. In the United Kingdom, dogs travel free, whatever their size, by train, metro or bus. On the other hand, they are prohibited on intercity bus lines such as Megabus or National Express.
In all cases, take care to find out about the transport and importation arrangements for domestic animals in the country but also the city of destination.
