Many of us have pets, but not everyone knows how to travel with them correctly. Today we tell you everything you need to know about traveling with animals on trains:
All companion animals are allowed on trains. According to the law, these include:
Dogs, cats, birds (mallards, pheasants, pigeons, parrots, finches, weavers and buntings, sparrowhawk and goshawk),
small rodents (squirrel, gray rat, guinea pig, house mouse, Djungarian and Syrian hamsters, gerbil, chinchilla, decorative rabbit),
small non-venomous amphibians (frog, clawed frog, axolotl),
aquarium fish and shellfish, small non-poisonous reptiles (chameleon, snake, red-eared turtle, lizard) and arthropods (except for animals belonging to species (breeds),
included in the Red Book of the Russian Federation).
Here are a few rules you need to know before taking your pet on the train.
1. Any pet requires a ticket. Tickets can only be purchased at Russian Railways ticket offices. Its cost for a regular Moscow-St. Petersburg train for a cat or small dog will be approximately 400 rubles. In general, the price depends on the class of service and travel distance.
On some trains, the cost of transporting animals is already included in your ticket, check this in advance with the support service.
To transport pets on long-distance trains in Russia, you do not need to prepare veterinary documents. But it’s worth finding out in advance whether animals can be transported in the class of carriage you have chosen.
2. Small pets, dogs (except large breeds and guide dogs) and birds must be transported in special cages or containers. Containers must be placed in areas designated for carry-on luggage. The size of cages and containers in the sum of three dimensions should not exceed 180 cm.
If your pet does not fit into a cage of the required size, then according to Russian Railways rules it will be considered a large animal. Large pets can be transported in a compartment carriage or an SV carriage. In this case, you must buy the entire compartment. It is prohibited to transport large animals in a reserved seat carriage.
In Sapsan and Lastochka there are special places for traveling with pets. These are seats 1-4 in carriages 3 and 13 and seats 65-66 in carriages 8 and 18.
Guide dogs can be carried free of charge on any trains traveling through Russia. Transportation documents are not issued in this case, but the guide dog must have a collar and muzzle and be at the feet of the passenger it is accompanying.
3. Take care of your pet’s hygiene in advance. Feed and walk your pet a couple of hours before your trip so that both your pet and the passengers around you feel comfortable. Carry everything your pet may need while traveling.
Have a great trip!
