Large dog travel checklist

This is the checklist for a dog that does not fit in a cabin bag. Every step comes from an operator page we checked, with the date on the guide it links to. Tick as you go: your progress stays in this browser.

Before booking anything See the guide →

✓ Sources checked: 2026-08-27

Weigh the dog and the carrier separately, and write both figures down: every operator counts them differently.Decide the mode before the date. Over 10 kg, rail has the clearest published rules and flying means the hold.Check whether your dog is a snub-nosed breed or on the dangerous-breeds list: both close the only hold with published conditions, Iberia's.Check the microchip and the vaccination record are current before you pay for anything.

If you go by train See the guide →

✓ Sources checked: 2026-08-26

Renfe: buy the Dogs up to 40 kg extra up to 24 hours before departure. It is 40 EUR on AVE, Avlo and Long Distance.Renfe: pack a muzzle and a non-extensible leash, both required at the station.Renfe: the extra closes 24 hours before departure, and only one large dog per passenger and two per train fit.Iryo: check your station is on its published list of origin stations before planning anything.Iryo: book by phone, print and sign the declaration, and count on being at its station office 1.5 hours before departure.Iryo: budget the adult ticket on an Inicial Superior fare, not just the 40 EUR for the dog.

If you have to fly See the guide →

✓ Sources checked: 2026-08-26

Iberia is the only one of the three we track that publishes hold conditions: up to 45 kg with the carrier.Iberia: request prior authorization through its booking offices, it is not a box you tick online.Vueling carries no animals in the hold, so cross it off for a large dog.Air Europa carries dogs in the hold but publishes no conditions: ask in writing what applies before buying.Ask for the hold price in writing too: neither Iberia nor Air Europa publishes a hold fee on the pages we checked.

Where you sleep See the guide →

✓ Sources checked: 2026-08-26

Ask the weight cap in writing: it is the first thing that rules out a large dog, and it changes per property.Ask whether the dog can be left alone in the room, because with a large dog it is often a no.Ask the pet supplement and whether it is per night or per stay.Have a plan for the hours the dog cannot come with you: sitter marketplaces are in our directory.

The day of the trip See the guide →

✓ Sources checked: 2026-08-27

Carry the vaccination record or EU pet passport with you, not in the checked luggage.Arrive earlier than you think: with a large dog every check takes longer.Take water, a bowl and bags: do not count on the operator providing it.Save the operator's phone number before leaving home, in case anything changes at the gate or the platform.

Tell me when a rule changes

Large-dog rules are the ones that move most: fares, stations and hold conditions. Leave your email and we will write when we check a change, with the date.