For the last few years, Metro de Madrid have made it a little easier to travel around the city with your dog. However, the freedom comes with a few restrictions.
Here’s everything you need to now about travelling on Madrid Metro with your four-legged friend:
only one dog per person will be allowed
all dogs must wear a muzzle and a leash which is no longer than 50cm
dogs must be microchipped (as is a legal requirement)
dogs must travel in the last carriage of the train
dogs must not use the escalators, for safety reasons, but are allowed in the elevators and stairways
dogs will travel at no extra cost
the passenger will be responsible for the dog at all times
The rules will apply not only on the train, but in the stations too, until the passenger and dogs have exited. They also ask that passengers with dogs do not block exits or doors, and avoid extreme crowding for the dog’s sake as much as other passengers.
Dogs will not be allowed to travel during rush hours; Monday to Friday 7:30-9:30am, 2-4pm, 6-8pm. During the weekends, on public holidays and in July and August, there are no time limitations.
It’s wonderful to see that Metro de Madrid has listened to the requests of their passengers and that Madrid is now climbing the dog-friendly city ladder like so many other cities including Barcelona, Brussels, London, Lisbon and Berlin.
Before this date, small pets were allowed to travel, but only in “receptáculos idóneos” (suitable containers), a choice of wording which caused a lot of issues between pet-owners and Metro personnel as whether or not a carrier was deemed “suitable” appeared to be up to the discretion of the employee. Guide dogs were also allowed as long as they were wearing a harness or jacket which identified them as such.
With regards to the Cercanía trains, dogs are permitted to travel in any carriage, as long as they’re wearing a muzzle. There are no additional costs for dogs.
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