Dogs weighing up to 40 kilos will be able to travel with their owners on all Renfe trains, both on commercial services (AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed and Intercity) and on Public Service trains (Avant and Media Distancia), starting next July 21, a date that coincides with the celebration of World Dog Day.
Until now, this option was only offered on certain AVE trains and on several railway corridors: since 2022 on the Madrid-Zaragoza-Barcelona and Madrid-Málaga routes and, later, on the Madrid-Valencia, Madrid-Alicante and Madrid-Granada routes.
With this expansion, Renfe becomes the only operator that authorizes travel with dogs of up to 40 kg on its entire train network, with the aim of promoting more "inclusive mobility adapted to new ways of traveling," as stated in a press release, in which it emphasizes that it has consolidated itself "as one of the most advanced European railway companies for traveling with pets."
In addition to the possibility of traveling with larger dogs on any route, the new model also allows starting the journey from any intermediate stop, and not only from the service's origin station.
Each train will allow two dogs of up to 40 kg, which will be located in the 'pet friendly' car, with a price of 40 euros on AVE, Alvia, Intercity, Euromed and Avlo. Excluded from this modality are dogs under one year old if they belong to a potentially dangerous breed, as well as females in heat.
Requirements and safety rules
The animals will occupy the interior seat next to the window, beside their owners, who must keep them on a non-extendable 1.5-meter leash and with a muzzle on both in the station and during boarding and disembarking from the train.
The owner will have to carry all the official documentation in force: updated vaccination card or the European pet passport, as well as a cleaning kit that includes a training pad, wipes, bags, disinfectant spray and deodorizer.
At the access control to Commercial Services trains (AVE, Alvia, Avlo, Euromed, Intercity) and on Avant Public Service trains, travelers will be given a travel kit consisting of a seat cover and a mat for the dog, which the owner must place on the assigned seat and remove at the end of the journey.