Thought about traveling with your pet on an Amtrak train trip because you didn’t want to leave your dog or cat at home?
If you’re wondering if Amtrak lets you bring your pet on the train, the answer is Yes! Pets are welcome on nearly all Amtrak trains.
This article details the Amtrak pet policy for what you need to do and know to travel with your dog or cat on the train.
How to Travel With a Dog or Cat on Amtrak
Keep in mind only dogs and cats are allowed on Amtrak. If you really want to see America up-close, from rugged seashores to snow-capped mountains and ruby red canyons, simply bring your pet with you on Amtrak!
You must follow the Amtrak pet policy restrictions when you plan your train trip.
Recently, Amtrak revised and expanded their pet policy, so here’s all the updated information.
Amtrak’s Pet Policy comes with a list of rules and restrictions you must follow to bring your dog or cat on Amtrak. And yes, your pet stays with you the entire time you’re on the train.
And here’s the best thing: Amtrak can take you and your small pet almost anywhere. There’s plenty of fresh air, and some peace of mind knowing the coach car has been deep cleaned and sanitized.
READ NEXT: Amtrak Coach Seats Travel Tips and Advice
While many airlines ban brachycephalic pups (Shih Tzu, Boston Terriers, Pekingese, pugs etc,) from flying with you, there’s no rule against these breeds traveling on Amtrak, as long as they fit the size rules.
Once again, you just need to know and follow Amtrak’s Pet Policy as you would for any small breed.
Unlike air travel, on Amtrak there’s no need to worry about your pet being cold or pressurization issues. You won’t have to lug a pet carrier miles across an airport’s terminal desert.
And not to stress over these concerns as you rocket through the sky, is PRICELESS.
What is the Amtrak Pet Policy?
Even though it might sound simple enough to put your dog in an approved carrier and board the train with you, there still are rules to follow to bring your dog on Amtrak.
These range from choosing your train, the length of the trip, making the reservation, having the proper paperwork. And your dog’s temperament. And there are a handful of Amtrak trains that don’t permit you to travel with your pet.
There’s even a pet release waiver you’ll have to sign when you check-in at the train station.
RELATED: How to Travel with Your Pet Aboard Queen Mary 2
Amtrak Pet Restrictions
Most important, only small pets of no more than 20 pounds are permitted. This includes the weight of the pet carrier, too.
You can use either hard or soft-sided carriers. So technically, your pet needs to be less than 20 pounds plus the light-weight carrier.
If this works for you and your dog or cat, then here is the list of restrictions of what you can and cannot do with your pet on Amtrak.
- Train travel duration can be no more than a total of seven travel hours. This includes same-day transfer time if you’ve booked multiple segment trains.
- Only one pet per human is permitted.
- Pets are allowed only in Coach Class. Only on weekends in Acela Business Class.
- Dogs and cats are not allowed in Amtrak Sleeper cars, non-Acela Business Class, any Business Class or First Class or in food service cars.
- Pets cannot be booked with multi-ride tickets like a rail pass, on travel on dedicated Thruway Connection Services or with an unaccompanied minor.
- New: Your dog or cat cannot travel on Amtrak into Canada aboard Adirondack, Maple Leaf and the west coast Amtrak Cascades.
- Pets are not allowed to travel with you on the Auto Train (no stops), Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, California’s San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor and Pacific Surfliner.
Dedicated Coach Cars for Pets
While almost all trains will allow you to bring your pet, there are a handful of Amtrak routes with a designated Coach car for pets.
These train routes include Amtrak Cascades, Carl Sandburg, Illinois Zephyr, Illini, Lincoln Service, Saluki, Pere Marquette, Wolverine, Blue Water, Hiawatha and Missouri River Runner.
What are the Approved Dog Carriers?
- You provide the pet carrier. It may be hard or soft sided but has to be leak-proof and well ventilated.
- Maximum combined weight of pet and the carrier is 20 pounds. Know the weight of the carrier before you buy it.
- Carrier size: At maximum, pet carrier size can be 19″ long x 14″ wide x 10.5″ high.
- Your pet must be able to sit and lie down comfortably, without touching the sides of the carrier.
- The pet carrier is considered one piece of carry-on baggage.
Before You Board the Train
One feature that makes train travel with your pet easy is the Amtrak check-in process. You need to arrive at the station only 30-minutes prior to departure. If you have luggage to check, arrive about 45-minutes early.
It’s also a good idea to take your dog to a nearby designated area for one last pee-pee before boarding the train. Many larger stations have a doggy relief station. Just ask an Amtrak employee, if you don’t see it.
- You will need to read and sign the Pet Release and Indemnification Agreement for each travel segment.
- Check in at staffed stations no later than 30 minutes before departure for time to complete the pet release paperwork.
- If boarding at unstaffed stations, the conductor will confirm pet eligibility and provide you with the document to sign.
Rules Onboard the Train with Your Pet
- Your pet should remain inside the carrier when in stations and onboard trains.
- Since your pet must remain with you at all times and you can’t leave them alone, either bring your own beverages and snacks. Maybe someone will go to the café car or dining car for you.
- Your pet carrier must be placed under your seat and not under the seat in front of you. Aboard Amtrak Cascades trains you may set your pet carrier on the floor in front of the seat next to you.
- In the event of a service disruption, Amtrak will try to find, but doesn’t guarantee, a pet-friendly hotel, if necessary.
How to Make a Train Reservation for You and Your Pet
Since Amtrak allows only five pets per train, not counting service animals, it’s important to book early. You may book your reservation over the phone (1-800-USA-RAIL) or at a staffed station. You can also choose to book your and your pet’s reservation online.
Just follow the steps on Amtrak.com homepage to start the booking process. Type in where you want to go, one-way or round-trip, the dates of travel and press “Find Trains.”
From there, choose your train and coach seat, continue and proceed to enter your personal information. Once that’s completed, you’ll have the option to “Customize Your Trip”:
What Does It Cost to Bring Your Pet on Amtrak?
Traveling with your dog on Amtrak is a lot less expensive that on an airplane. Airlines charge from $65 to over $100 to have your pet in the cabin with you. IF they let your pet in the cabin anymore.
As you can see, the pet charge to travel on Amtrak is a meager $26.00. If you happen to have Amtrak loyalty points, it’ll use up only 800 of your Amtrak Guest Reward points.
What Train Routes Allow Pets?
EAST
- Capital Limited
- Carolinian
- Cardinal
- Crescent
- Lake Shore Limited
- Piedmont
- Palmetto
- Silver Star
- Silver Meteor
WEST
- Amtrak Cascades (excluding Canada)
- California Zephyr
- Coast Starlight
- Southwest Chief
- Sunset Limited
- Texas Eagle
MIDWEST
- California Zephyr
- Capitol Limited
- Cardinal
- City of New Orleans
- Empire Builder
- Hiawatha
- Carl Sandburg
- Illinois Zephyr
- Illini
- Saluki
- Pere Marquette
- Wolverine
- Blue Water
- Lake Shore Limited
- Missouri River Runner
- Southwest Chief
- Texas Eagle
NORTHEAST
- Acela Express (Weekends and holidays)
- Adirondack (Excluding Canada)
- Downeaster
- Empire Service (Excluding Canada)
- Ethan Allen Express
- Maple Leaf (excluding Canada)
- Northeast Regional
- Vermonter (Washington – Springfield)
Five Reasons to “Pawsitively” Ride Amtrak With Your Pet
- Safety! Your pet is with you the entire journey, no ESA paperwork necessary. No fears that your best friend is down below anxious and shivering in a plane.
- High ride-enjoyability factor. With peace of mind that Fido is with you, sit back, and enjoy a drink and a snack.
- Compare cost: Air travel with a pet runs about $150. Amtrak pet fee is only $26. This is about what you’d pay for a veggie burger and a beer in Chicago. For the same price as a bean patty and a PBR you get to travel almost anywhere with your furry family member. Can’t beat that.
- Potty breaks! Yes, there are “relief” areas at many stations where the train has a scheduled “fresh air break.” Small dogs may not always need miles to roam, but a small bladder is a small bladder.
- Time to relax. Yes, rail travel takes longer. Where’s the rush?
How to Travel Across America on Amtrak with Your Pet
Remember Amtrak’s seven-hour restriction for continuous travel with a pet? If you want to go from say, Chicago to Los Angeles, you’re not entirely out of luck.
Even though the Amtrak pet policy only allows for a seven-hour maximum route, there is a workaround.
Here’s how to do it. You have to work smart and break the trip down into seven hours or less segments. And there needs to be a pet-friendly hotel near the train station.
Want to travel with your pet from Chicago to Los Angeles aboard the California Zephyr? It’s complicated so stay with me here. Remember, too, you’re traveling in Coach Class. No pets (except service animals) are allowed in sleepers.
For example, you and your dog could board the California Zephyr in Chicago at 2pm. Ride for about 3.5 hours until you cross the Mississippi River at Burlington, Iowa at 5:25pm.
You’ll spend the night at a nearby pet-friendly hotel. Be sure to request a late check out at the hotel because you’ll board another California Zephyr the next day at 5:25pm.
Ride for another 6.5 hours to Omaha, Nebraska, arriving at 10:55pm where you’ll overnight again. You will need two hotel nights because of the late-night departure. Plan on exploring Omaha for a day.
Re-board the next California Zephyr at 10:55pm (day 3) and ride overnight until 5am when your train arrives into Ft. Morgan, Colorado. And so on. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Yes, this sounds like a royal pain but if you want to travel cross-country on Amtrak with your small dog or cat, this is the only way to do it. You also must book each segment separately. This means a new ticket for each train ride. If you’re like me, it will take several phone calls to Amtrak to do all of this.
While the Amtrak pet policy isn’t conducive for a cross-country train trip, the main intention of this program is really for shorter distances. If you only have to spend one night in a hotel and take only one more train, that’s not bad at all.
Forget Flying and Bring Your Pet on Amtrak
Airlines have changed their rules for bringing your pet into the cabin. New rules ban Emotional Support Dogs in the cabins of almost all airlines.
Rather than have to stow your four-legged family member in cargo, bring your pet on the train with you. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and you’ll both love the ride.
And now you know how to travel with your pet on Amtrak!
Feeling Inspired? More Amtrak to Read!
- Complete Guide to Plan Your Amtrak Trip
- Aboard Amtrak California Zephyr Across America
- How to Take Amtrak to Your Cruise Port
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Jamie lives and works in Jacksonville, Florida. While her day job keeps her busy managing digital customer experience strategies for global brands, her passion is writing and finding new, eco-friendly ways to see the world. You can find her chatting about marketing, eco-tourism, and adventurous travels on Twitter @jamieckennedy.
a alonso says
I just wanted to make a comment. I have a small dog who is WONDERFUL. She doesnt bark, shes doesnt bother anyone, doesnt break anything. When I travel by car with her, you would forget she is even there because shes just an angel. And I know many petowners who can say the same about THEIR pets. Yet so many restrictions are put on pets and pet owners. Lets talk about KIDS!!! Kids can go almost everywhere, restaurants, hotels, planes, trains, apartments will rent to people with kids. How many of us experience constantly these KIDS who are UNDISCIPLINED, LOUD, NOISY, HAVE TEMPER TANTRUMS, DESTROY THINGS IN STORES, HOTELS AND APARTMENTS, YET THEY ARE ALLOWED EVERYWHERE. NOT FAIR AT ALL!!! I will choose a pet anyday over one of these kids !!! (Of course, this does not apply or refer to the children that are well-behaved ! )
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Luc, Unlike in Europe, not every mode of transportation or store and no indoor restaurants are dog-friendly. And unfortunately, our only train line is Amtrak. Whether or not you could “fudge” the height of the carrier isn’t something I’d advise to do. If it’s only an inch or so you might get away with it but I have been told that the station agents are pretty strict on the requirements.
As I mentioned in my article (thank you so much for reading it!!), pets in carriers are not allowed to be taken out of the carrier, except for longer station stops where they can be walked etc. And you are limited to only 7 hours a day aboard the train with your pet so at some point in your travels, you would probably have a very late night or early morning arrival or departure.
That said, if your dogs can’t comfortable fit in the required carrier size, Amtrak will probably not allow you to travel with your dogs. I’d hate to see you lose your money on the tickets (a credit voucher probably wouldn’t do you any good in your situation).
Another idea…since most Amtrak reservation agents aren’t familiar with traveling with dogs on the trains, you might want to call Amtrak and ask for the phone numbers for the stations from where you may depart. If you can get a phone number for any of those stations, the agent on site might be able to provide some help as to any leniency that could be given.
Also, keep in mind as you travel here, dogs are not allowed in the sleeping compartments unless they are a true service dog. If your country provides a service animal certification program, then you would be able to bypass the carrier requirement. This is something that I am investigating so I can travel with my 16lb. terrier mix.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help…I totally understand your situation. In my opinion, there are too people here that would totally abuse the system and bring their untrained, obnoxious dogs on Amtrak if rules weren’t enforced.
I hope you can figure out what to do besides renting a car. Also, many hotels are not dog-friendly as well. But see if you can contact the actual Amtrak station and see what they say.
Thank you for your question and I hope you have a wonderful visit.
Luc says
Hi! Great article! I am fling into the US from Europe with my two border terriers. They meet the weight restrictions, but are slightly too tall for the carrier requirements.
I am having a difficult time finding out which lines have a pet car. We are either flying into Chicago, New York or Miami. Any help, advice or guidance would be HUGELY appreciated!
Thank you so much in advance for any assistance!!
R Penn says
Ridiculous. Most dogs, close to 60%, weigh more than 20 pounds. And if you add the Carrier in I’m sure it’s closer to 70%. Amtrak doesn’t care.
This article led me to believe something different than what it actually was. It should be titled a vast majority of dogs cannot travel by Amtrak. One of my cats I had previously would not have been able to travel by Amtrak. What a joke.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Angie,
Thanks for reading the article. That is very close to the question I asked Amtrak so I could travel cross-country with my 16 lb. pup. What I was told is that I’d have to book separate segments, each no more than seven hours. And you have to notify Amtrak that you are traveling with your pet.
Your trip would include two different trains plus numerous overnight stay along the way. Plus, since most trains only run once a day, at some point I think there would be a middle-of-the-night getting off the train and back on it the next day or so. Also, you can’t bring the dog into a sleeper. In that case, I highly suggest booking your coach seat on the lower level. Fewer passengers, easy luggage storage and near the bathrooms. It’s do-able but a bit of careful planning is necessary. I hope you can work this into a trip. Good luck and happy travels!
Angie says
So I am planning a trip from flagstaff AZ to Omaha next with my 11 week old puppy and there is only 7 hour ride for animals what do I do after 7 hours I want to continue my trip with my fur baby
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Lisa, thank you for reading my article and sending your question. Great question. Yes, to the best of my knowledge and the way that the information is written on Amtrak.com, a true Service Dog, not an Emotional Support Dog, is allowed in a sleeper. You do need to speak with an Amtrak reservations person to confirm and that it is noted in your reservation. If you feel that the person is not knowledgable, politely ask for a supervisor. There are a lot of trainees at Amtrak and nearly everywhere now it seems, and not all are well-versed in every facet of their field. Have a good train ride and I hope this all works out for you. Thank you again for taking the time to write.
Lisa Ouerfelli says
I have a medical alert service dog. He is about 20 pounds, but due to my seizures I need to be in a sleeper where I will be able to lay down afterwards. Is there an exception for service dogs in sleeper cars?
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Jorge, thank you for reading my post. Unfortunately, Amtrak has a weight limit (20lbs including the carrier) for dogs or cats. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. The only way a larger dog is allowed is if it is a service animal, not an emotional support pet.
Thank you for taking the time to ask your question. I hope it works out for your travels between Vancouver and DC with your dogs.
Jorge da Silva says
We have two dogs – one is shy of 100 lbs and the other is about 50 lbs. They are like family. Will have to travel between DC and Vancouver, BC, Canada. Wondering if this is doable by train, and what are the requirements.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Mary,
I’m so sorry for your loss and the ensuing situation. I wish I could help you with traveling on Amtrak with your dog. Unfortunately, we’re not Europe where traveling with your pet in a sleeper compartment is common. From my standpoint, and also the owner of a little smaller dog (18lbs), I would love it if I could travel on Amtrak with my dog. Honestly, I don’t think it will be possible. I haven’t checked on their requirements for an official service dog, but I do know that to qualify, the dog has to be able to perform a specific task that assists the owner.
It might be worth a call to Amtrak and discuss your situation. Sorry I can’t be of more help. Good luck with your travels to Virginia. And thank you very much for reading my article…it’s very much appreciated.
Mary Riscavage says
I am on oxygen since my husband passed and the only thing I have is my small dog. He is not a barker, his weight is about 28 lbs. with out the carrier. I really need a sleeper because of the medication I get very tired and need to sleep. My trip would be a lot longer than 7 hours and to keep changing trains would be really hard for me. I really need to go from Tampa, Fl. or somewhere close to somewhere close to Williamsburg, Va. If you can help me please write back. Thank You.
Sherry Laskin says
Hi Kathy, Thank you for reading my article and sending your question. Unfortunately, I’m not a travel agent these day so your best bet, in my opinion, would be to call AMTRAK at 1-800-USA-RAIL and go over your itinerary with them. I don’t know if they can also arrange your hotels but it’s worth asking. They might refer you to AMTRAK Vacations. They specialize in AMTRAK and various itineraries. Someone at AMTRAK can also go over the dog requirements. Currently, the limit is 7 hours but if your dogs are certified service dogs, there might be exceptions.
Good luck with your trip planning. I hope you can put this all together…it sounds like a terrific trip! Thank you again.
Kathy beveridge says
I’m thinking of traveling from Osceola Iowa on the California zepher I am disabled and will have a companion with small pet as well. I understand no sleeping car will be available to us. Can you set up a fairly cheap hotel close by for both of the stops ill have to take. Also can a cheap rental car when I arrive at the stop in California. Can you set up my vacation artinery for all my stops hotels and train that will be a round trip you can send me a message and possibly a estimated cost for handicap person 2 small dogs hotels I need and rental car and roundtrip Amtrak tickets the trip possibly start sometime in September thank you kat
kathy mcCasey says
Can anyone tell me WHERE can I buy and WHAT brand pet carrier comes in the exact max size Amtrak requires?
19″ long x 14″ wide 10.5″ High?
I have searched for weeks, and cannot find any. If they are the correct length, they are too short and too narrow.
PLEASE help. Thank you.
Iris says
I was so happy to find a pet friendly transit until I read the ridiculous wieght capacity my cat on his own is 10-14 pounds. And honestly having a seven hour restriction what’s the point
Julia Olaso says
I agree with the comments above and can only reiterate….Why restrict people with this size stipulation of their pet and the maximum length of trip. And, why not have an board relief area for your dog. Why not allow dogs in a sleeper, thus giving privacy and a means to feed your pet while traveling. Pets are part of the family why treat them and their owners like second class citizens.
Richard says
Really inadequate. Would like to travel on Amtrak, but have no interntion of using a pet carrier, and my poodle is 48 lbs. When will Amtrak give up this silly nonsense and put on train cars built for famalies with pets – how smart do you have to be to design cabins with all hard surfaces that can be scrubed between trips? This is and will remain a deal breaker for Amtrak.