Traveling with a dog can be exhausting. Deutsche Bahn now makes it easier to book tickets for larger four-legged friends. The right seat reservation can also make the journey a little more relaxed.
Deutsche Bahn customers can now buy tickets for dogs online, not just on paper. A spokesman for the German Press Agency confirmed a corresponding report by “Bild am Sonntag”.
ICE tickets for larger dogs that do not fit in a transport box could already be booked online, but they were only made available a few days later by post on paper, plus postage costs. There have also been tickets for dogs in the DB travel centers or at machines.
According to Deutsche Bahn, small dogs in boxes continue to travel free of charge, for larger dogs half the fare of a normal ticket is due.
The new online tickets are only available in the new “Next DB Navigator” train app or on next.bahn.de, not in the old “DB Navigator” app and not on bahn.de either, the spokesman said . The train transports around 100,000 dogs a year.
The railway spokesman also pointed out that dog owners on the train were asked to be considerate of other passengers and the train staff. “We recommend booking those trains that are shown as less busy in our online information media,” he said.
The European Consumer Center Germany (EVZ) advises train passengers with dogs to always have a muzzle and leash with them, because conductors could order their use. In addition, a reservation in a compartment is advisable, not in a large-capacity car: “It’s more relaxed for you and the dog,” says the EVZ website. (dpa)