Eurostar currently bans dogs from passenger coaches, only allowing them if they travel in a car via the Eurotunnel. This unfairly restricts pet owners who don’t drive, making it nearly impossible to travel between the UK and France with their dogs. We call on Eurostar to introduce a fair and pet-friendly policy, similar to other European train services.

Why This Matters:

1. Eurostar Is a Transportation Landmark – It Should Be Accessible to All
   
   The Channel Tunnel is one of the most remarkable achievements in modern transportation, connecting the UK and mainland Europe with speed and efficiency. It is a shame that this incredible infrastructure remains off-limits to some travelers simply because their best friend is a four-legged companion. No one should be forced to take an exhausting multi-step journey just because Eurostar refuses to adapt to common pet travel standards.

2. Paris Is a Key Gateway to Europe – Not Just the End Destination
   
   Many travelers using Eurostar are not just going to Paris—they are connecting to other major European cities via direct high-speed rail. Paris offers direct trains to:

   Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Zurich, Vienna, and more.
   By preventing dogs from traveling on Eurostar, Eurostar is not just limiting UK-France travel—it is cutting off pet-friendly train access to the rest of Europe for UK travelers.

3. Other Transportation Options Allow Dogs to All
   
   Every other form of public transport between the UK and France allows dogs:
   
   • Ferries permit dogs in pet-friendly areas and cabins.
   • UK and French domestic trains (including SNCF, LNER, and Thameslink) allow dogs.
   • London Underground and Paris Metro allow dogs on leads or in carriers.
   
   Eurostar is the only cross-border transport option that refuses to accommodate pet owners unless they have a car.

4. Travel Without Eurostar Is Extremely Difficult, Time Consuming, and Expensive

   Without Eurostar, the only option for non-drivers to travel from London to Paris is:
   
   • Take the London Underground to a train station.
   • Board two separate UK trains to a ferry port.
   • Take a ferry across the Channel.
   • Take a taxi to the ferry station.
   • Take three different trains in France to reach Paris.
   
   This journey takes about 2 days rather than 2 hours as it’d be with a direct train and every single step of this alternative journey allows dogs. Only Eurostar refuses.
   
   
5. Most European Train Operators Allow Dogs
   
   SNCF (France), Deutsche Bahn (Germany), Trenitalia (Italy), Renfe (Spain), and others all allow dogs on their high-speed trains with reasonable conditions.
   
   Eurostar is one of the only international train services that still bans dogs entirely from passenger coaches.

Our Demand:

We urge Eurostar to introduce a pet-friendly policy that allows dogs to travel with their owners in passenger coaches under reasonable conditions, such as:

• A pet ticket fee, similar to SNCF and other European rail operators.
• Advance booking for pet-friendly seats.
• Requirements for leads, carriers, or muzzles where appropriate.

In the UK, dogs travel for free on trains. There is no reason Eurostar cannot accommodate dogs with a reasonable ticket fee instead of banning them entirely.

Eurostar claims to be a modern and accessible form of travel, yet it excludes pet owners without cars. It’s time for change.