Yes, you can take a dog on the train. On the Dutch, Belgian and French operators we checked, a small dog rides in a closed bag or basket on your lap or at your feet. A bigger dog travels on a leash with its own ticket, and on SNCF and Eurostar it wears a muzzle. Each operator sets its own fee and limits, so the table below gives them as we read them on 30 October 2026.
A carrier like the Homies dog carrier backpack keeps your hands free from door to platform. First check which size your dog is, because the operators' rules start with weight and bag size.
The short version: dog in a bag or dog on a leash
The bag changes the rules. The operators below split dogs into two groups.
| Dog in a bag or basket | Dog on a leash | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | On your lap or at your feet | At your feet, on a leash |
| Ticket | Free on NS, NMBS, NS International EuroCity and Eurostar (under 6 kg); 10 euros on SNCF | Its own ticket or supplement on each operator below |
| Muzzle | Not asked for in the rules we read | Asked for by SNCF, Eurostar and NS International EuroCity |
| Own seat | No | No: NS says pets may not take a seat of their own |
Dog on the train: rules per operator
Read the operator's own page before you book. Rules and fees change, and we checked each row on 30 October 2026.
| Operator | Small dog in a bag | Bigger dog | Fee as read |
|---|---|---|---|
| NS (Netherlands) | Free in a basket, bag or cage, or on your lap. NS says this includes dogs. | Needs its own ticket, on a leash in the train and at the station. | No amount on the pages we opened. NS sells a "Dagkaart Hond". |
| NS International, EuroCity | Free in a cage, bag or basket up to 55 x 30 x 30 cm (l x w x h), on your lap when it's busy. | Ticket needed. A dog outside a bag is leashed and muzzled. | 6 euros one way |
| Eurostar, Brussels and Paris | Under 6 kg, free in a carrier up to 45 x 30 x 25 cm. | Dog ticket. On your lap or on the floor, leashed and muzzled for the whole ride. | 30 euros single |
| NMBS/SNCB (Belgium) | Free in a basket or cage. No size is given. | On a leash with a "Huisdier Supplement". | 3 euros |
| SNCF, TGV INOUI and Intercités | Closed bag or basket up to 45 x 30 x 25 cm, on your lap or at your feet. | On a leash, muzzled all trip, at your feet. | 10 euros per animal |
| SNCF, TER | Regional rules. | Regional rules. | Flat fees that differ per region |
Sources, each opened on 30 October 2026: NS (conditions, article 5.3, valid from 1 January 2026, and the Dagkaart Hond page), NS International, Eurostar, Vlaanderen.be for NMBS and SNCF Voyageurs.
A few details sit outside the table. Eurostar's page says pets don't travel on its trains to London, to the ski destinations or to the south of France, and it names the Lille to Brussels and Lille to Netherlands legs as closed too. SNCF adds that dogs ride "à condition d'avoir l'accord des autres voyageurs", so a fellow passenger's objection counts.
SNCF says OUIGO welcomes animals, with its own offers and conditions on the OUIGO site. We haven't read that page, so check it before you book.
Eurostar and NS International don't agree on one number. NS International lists 55 x 30 x 30 cm for the Eurostar to Belgium and France, while Eurostar's own page says 45 x 30 x 25 cm. Go with the smaller one.
Browse the dog carrier backpacks once you know which limit applies to your route.
Buses, trams and metro in Belgium
Flanders' official pet page, read the same day, covers the city side. On De Lijn a dog rides free, on your lap or beside the seat, on a leash. In Brussels, MIVB says you don't buy a ticket for your dog, and larger dogs wear a muzzle.
Does a carrier backpack count as a bag?
We can't tell you yet. The limits above are 55 x 30 x 30 cm on NS International EuroCity and 45 x 30 x 25 cm on SNCF and Eurostar. NS and NMBS give no size at all.
We haven't published the outer measurements of the Homies carrier, so we won't claim it fits any of them. Measure yours instead. Put your dog in the carrier, seated the way it sits on a walk, then measure the outside with a tape: length, width and height.
Compare those three numbers with your route. SNCF also says "fermé", a closed bag or basket the animal can't leave alone, so if your carrier is open at the top, ask SNCF before you rely on it.
Over the limit? Then your dog travels as a dog on a leash, with its own ticket, and the carrier still earns its place. Your hands are free on the platform and in the city at both ends, and your dog has a calm place to sit between trains. For a tiny dog, see our guide to a carrier for a dog up to 5 kg.
Weight matters on its own. Eurostar draws its free-carrier line at 6 kg, while our carrier is tested up to 20 kg.
Not sure of the size? Find your dog's size.
How to keep your dog calm on the train
Practise the bag at home first. Our guide on how to get your dog used to the backpack goes step by step.
- Take a first, short ride off-peak, with a seat you can reach without squeezing down the aisle.
- Sit where your dog has a wall or your legs on one side.
- Offer water before you board and again at the other end.
- Keep your voice and hands calm.
- If your dog pants, shakes or won't settle, get off at the next stop and wait for the following train.
On a packed morning train, don't hunt for a seat. Stay near the doors, put the bag on your lap if you do sit, as NS International asks when it's busy, and let the carriage settle first.
If you also cycle to the station, see cycling with your dog in a backpack.
What to pack
Pack light and keep it within reach. The side pockets on our dog carrier backpacks hold a water bottle and a leash.
- Leash, ready on the platform
- A water bottle and a collapsible bowl
- Poo bags
- A small towel
- Your dog's identification papers, which SNCF asks you to carry
Train and dog questions
Is my dog free on the train in the Netherlands?
On NS, small pets, dogs included, ride free in a basket, bag or cage, or on your lap. A dog that isn't in a bag or on your lap needs its own ticket and stays on a leash in the train and at the station. On NS International EuroCity, a bigger pet's ticket costs 6 euros one way.
Does my dog need a muzzle on the train?
SNCF wants a leashed dog muzzled for the whole trip. Eurostar asks for a leash and muzzle for the whole ride, and NS International does the same for a dog outside a bag on EuroCity. NS's conditions mention a leash only, and the NMBS page we read doesn't mention a muzzle.
Can I take my dog on the Eurostar?
Yes on trains between Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany, but no to London, the ski destinations, the south of France and the Lille to Brussels and Lille to Netherlands legs. A dog under 6 kg rides free in a carrier up to 45 x 30 x 25 cm. A bigger dog needs a 30 euro ticket.
Where does my dog sit during the trip?
On NS, pets may not take a seat of their own. SNCF puts a bag on your lap or at your feet, and a leashed dog at your feet. Eurostar says lap or floor. Unsure a backpack is the right carrier? Compare the backpack, sling or shoulder bag options.
Ready for the first ride? See the Homies carrier in olive and black.
