Can you travel on Amtrak with pets? Tips from a small dog owner.
Amtrak is the best way for Olivia Peloquin to travel from New York City to see family in Boston. It’s also the perfect mode of transportation for her dog, Betty. The 2-year-old Chihuahua-Jack Russell mix makes the round-trip journey four times a year in a stylish olive-green bag carrier.
“She’s a Velcro dog, she is always next to me, which I love,” said Peloquin, who grew up in the seaside town of Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Last year marked 10 years since Amtrak first allowed dogs and cats to travel in its train cars, letting passengers take their pets with them and not worry about finding a sitter. The rail network’s pet-friendly option also became more popular during the rise of remote work in recent years, as more people spent time away from home while logging on to their day jobs, said Amtrak Senior Public Relations Manager Marc Magliari.
There are a few restrictions on traveling with dogs and cats, but it’s a popular policy that seems to never attract complaints from other passengers, Magliari said.
“It’s comforting for people. If your pet travels well without needing to relieve itself, get yourself the right pet carrier, get a reservation and come aboard,” Magliari said.
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Betty is always a tad anxious to travel, Peloquin said, but she doesn’t bark onboard or disturb other passengers. Once in Massachusetts, the two can spend quality time outdoors, including with Peloquin’s sister’s two pups, on Gloucester’s Wingaersheek Beach.
“She’s a very spunky dog, she has a big personality,” Peloquin, 35, said. “If I’m walking her on a leash, she’ll typically do flips in the air, she loves to play fetch, she loves other people and other dogs.”
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Can my pet travel on Amtrak?
Amtrak only allows small dogs and cats onboard, and they must be in a carrier, Magliari said.
Other Amtrak pet rules include the following:
- Pets are only allowed on trips under seven hours.
- The combined weight of the dog or cat and their carrier must be 20 pounds or less.
- The animal needs to be older than eight weeks.
- Pet carriers can be hard- or soft-sided and must fit in the seat in front of you.
- One pet per customer is allowed.
- Each carrier can only contain one pet.
- The animal must stay in their carrier.
- You do not need to buy a separate seat for your pet, and pet fees vary depending on your Amtrak reservation.
Magliari said Amtrak first started allowing pets along its Midwestern routes in 2014, after the Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider asked the rail line if she could bring her dogs with her traveling between Chicago and Springfield.
“Once the experiment began, and it went very well, we just kept expanding it,” Magliari said.
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Tips for pet parents
If your dog or cat usually does not enjoy traveling, it’s best to leave them at home with a sitter, said Magliari.
Peloquin and Betty have tons of practice taking the subway in New York City, where Peloquin takes the dog on the 1-train from their apartment on the Upper West Side to her dog-friendly office at a design firm in Tribeca.
On trips to New England, Peloquin lets Betty use the bathroom immediately before they get on Amtrak in New York’s Penn Station, that way the dog can make it to Boston comfortably. If she doesn’t have an assigned seat, Peloquin said she tries to be polite and ask other passengers if it’s alright for her to sit next to them with Betty.
Traveling by train with your pet makes sense for a lot of people, Peloquin said, like folks who prefer not to drive or fly.
“Betty is like part of my family, and the train is my favorite way to travel between New York and Boston,” Peloquin said. “With Betty being such an important part of my life, I want her to be with me.”
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