Dogs travel free on London's buses, the Tube, the Overground, the Elizabeth line, the DLR, trams and National Rail trains, and on the Uber Boat river buses. The conditions are a lead or a carrier, no dog on a seat, and on the Underground you must take the stairs or a lift, or carry the dog on any escalator you cannot avoid. Two services are stricter: the cable car, where a pet must be carried the whole way, and taxis, where only an assistance dog has a legal right to ride.
London is an easy city to get around with a dog. Nobody sells you a ticket for it, and dogs ride buses and trains every day. What catches visitors out is the detail: which rules belong to TfL and which to the train companies, what happens at a station with only escalators, and what to do when a taxi driver says no.
Getting a dog into Britain in the first place, with the microchip, the rabies vaccination and the tapeworm treatment, is covered in our guide to travelling to London with a pet. This page starts once you are here.
A dog on London transport at a glance (checked November 2026)
- Fare for the dog
- None on TfL services, National Rail (up to two dogs per passenger) or Uber Boat
- Lead
- Required on TfL services, on National Rail trains and stations, and on Uber Boat
- Seats
- Never, on TfL or National Rail
- Escalators
- Use stairs or a lift; if there is none, carry the dog. Staff can stop the escalator for a large dog when the station is quiet
- Cable car
- Pet dogs allowed but must be carried at all times
- Taxis
- Assistance dogs must be carried free. Pet dogs at the driver's discretion
- Assistance dogs
- Accepted on every service, including buffet cars on trains
What TfL's Conditions of Carriage actually say
TfL's rules for buses, the Tube, trams, the DLR, the London Overground and the Elizabeth line are set out in its Conditions of Carriage, the current edition dated 24 September 2026. They allow an assistance dog and "any other dog or inoffensive animal" on all of those services, though staff may turn away an animal that looks dangerous or that its owner cannot control.
The dog stays on a lead or in a carrier, and off the seats. Staff are not allowed to look after it for you, so you cannot leave a dog with the ticket office while you nip to the toilet. At the ticket barriers, take the wide gate, or pick the dog up and carry it through. An assistance dog user at a station with no wide gate should ask staff to open a gate.
The same document governs fares, refunds and behaviour, and our page on TfL's Conditions of Carriage and the byelaws explains it as a whole.
The escalator rule, station by station
The clause that matters most in practice is about escalators. At stations, TfL says you must use a staircase or a lift where one is provided. Only where there is no stair or lift and you have to use a moving escalator must you carry the animal. For a dog you cannot lift, staff will halt the escalator so it can walk, but only when it is safe, which TfL says generally means outside the rush hours and when the station is not busy.
The rule exists because paws, claws and fur can be caught in the moving steps. How much it affects you depends on the station. Where the only public route between the ticket hall and the platforms is a bank of escalators, you carry the dog or wait for staff. Some deep stations, such as Covent Garden and Hampstead, use lifts instead, which solves the problem. Every Elizabeth line and DLR station and every tram stop is step-free, and so are more than 60 Overground stations.
A big dog makes the step-free map your Tube map. Planning your route through stations with lifts avoids the escalator question altogether. TfL Journey Planner and the TfL Go app both offer step-free routes, and our guide to step-free transport in London explains how to read them. If a lift is out of order, our page on what to do when the lift is out of order applies to you as much as to a wheelchair user.
A dog that is small enough to carry is the easy case: pick it up for the escalator and put it down at the bottom. A large dog at a busy escalator-only station in the morning peak is the hard one. Staff will not stop an escalator for you at 08:30 at Oxford Circus, so the honest advice is to travel between about 10:00 and 16:00 or to take the bus. Our page on avoiding the rush hour gives the busy times line by line.
Buses, trams and the DLR: the easiest way to travel with a dog
With a dog, London's buses are often the better choice. There are no escalators, the doors are level with a low kerb, and there is a lot of room on most routes outside the peak. The same TfL conditions apply: lead, no seats, and a driver may turn away a dog that looks dangerous or is out of control.
Two practical points. The space beside the middle doors is the wheelchair space, and a wheelchair user has priority for it, so do not settle a large dog there. And the stairs to the top deck are steep and the bus moves while you climb; with a big or nervous dog, stay downstairs. Our guide to riding London's buses has the fares and the stops.
Every DLR station and tram stop can be reached without steps, by lift, ramp or level path. That makes the DLR the simplest railway in London for a large dog, and it reaches Greenwich, Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks.
National Rail trains: two dogs free, with conditions
Main-line operators such as Thameslink, Southeastern or Great Western Railway follow the National Rail Conditions of Travel. Condition 24 allows you to take up to two dogs or other small domestic animals free of charge, unless a train company has published special conditions for its own services.
The other rules are close to TfL's but not identical.
- Dogs must be kept on a lead throughout the journey, including on station property.
- Animals are not allowed on seats in any circumstances.
- Animals other than assistance dogs may not go into buffet or restaurant cars, including first-class areas with at-seat meals, unless the train company specifically allows it.
- Animals other than dogs must travel in a fully enclosed basket or carrier no larger than 85 by 60 by 60 centimetres.
- If the dog causes a nuisance to other passengers, staff can ask you to remove it from the train or the station.
- Sleeper cabins have their own conditions, and you must contact the train company before you book.
For a day trip with a dog, the first-class rule is the one to watch. Some long-distance first-class carriages serve meals at the seat, and a pet dog may not be allowed in them even with a first-class ticket. Our guide to buying UK train tickets explains the ticket types, and the last train home with a dog is the same train as without one: see the last train back to London.
On the river and in the air
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, the river bus that runs from Putney to Barking Riverside, says in its own answers to passengers' questions that dogs are allowed on board on a lead. That makes the river bus a pleasant way to take a dog from central London to Greenwich, and the piers and fares are set out in our page on the Uber Boat river bus.
The London Cable Car between the Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks is stricter. Its own Conditions of Carriage allow an assistance dog without charge, and any other dog free too, but the other dog "must be carried at all times". It must also be under control on a lead or in a container and must not sit on a seat. TfL advises checking with staff before you buy a ticket. A dog you cannot lift cannot ride the cable car.
The cable car is the one TfL service where a pet dog must be carried all the way. On the Tube you carry the dog only on an unavoidable escalator. In a cable car cabin you hold it from boarding to arrival, so a large dog cannot make the trip.
Taxis and minicabs: assistance dogs by law, pets by agreement
Black cab drivers (section 168) and minicab operators and drivers (section 170) have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to carry a disabled passenger's assistance dog, to let it stay with the passenger, and to make no extra charge for it. A driver who refuses, unless they hold a medical exemption certificate, commits a criminal offence. TfL's taxi fare rules also list no extra charge for an assistance dog.
No such duty covers a pet dog. The published taxi rules do not oblige a driver to take one, so in practice it is the driver's decision. Ask before you get in, mention the size of the dog when you book a minicab, and expect the occasional refusal. Fares and booking are explained on our page about black cabs, minicabs and Uber.
Assistance dogs everywhere, and the services that differ
A recognised assistance dog can travel on every service on this page, including the buffet car and the cable car without being carried. On the Tube, an assistance dog that has been trained to walk on moving escalators is exempt from the carrying rule. Staff at Tube, Overground and Elizabeth line stations will also help you to the train under TfL's turn-up-and-go assistance, which our page on visiting London with a disability explains.
The international train is the main exception for pet dogs. Eurostar's rules on animals differ from those of domestic trains, and the approved pet-travel routes are covered in the pets guide linked at the top of this page.
Muzzles, banned breeds and a dog out of control
Neither TfL nor National Rail requires an ordinary dog to wear a muzzle. The law is stricter for a handful of banned breeds. Since 1 February 2024 it has been a criminal offence to own an XL Bully dog in England and Wales without a Certificate of Exemption, and GOV.UK says an exempted dog must be muzzled and on a lead held by someone aged at least 16 in any public place.
For every other dog, the test on public transport is control. Drivers and station staff may turn away an animal that looks aggressive or that its owner is not controlling. A calm dog on a short lead is rarely questioned.
Where you are going with the dog
Transport is only half of a London trip with a dog. Most hotels that advertise themselves as pet friendly have a fee and a size limit, and our guide to pet-friendly hotels in London sets out what the chains publish. For walks, Richmond Park and Hampstead Heath are the big open spaces, and Richmond Park in particular has rules about dogs around its deer during the autumn rut and the spring birthing season.
Frequently asked questions
Do dogs have to pay on the London Underground?
No. Dogs travel free on the Tube and on all other TfL services, including buses, the Overground, the Elizabeth line, the DLR and trams. It needs a lead or a carrier and must stay off the seats. There is no ticket to buy for it.
Do you have to carry your dog on the escalator on the Tube?
Only if there is no staircase or lift. TfL's rule is to use the stairs or a lift where one is provided, and to carry the dog on a moving escalator only when there is no alternative. For a dog too heavy to lift, staff can halt the escalator, generally outside the rush hours.
Can I take my dog on a train from London?
Yes. Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel you can take up to two dogs free of charge on most trains. The dog must stay on a lead, must not go on a seat, and may not go into a buffet or restaurant car unless the train company allows it. Some companies publish extra conditions of their own.
Can I take my dog on the Thames river bus?
Yes. Uber Boat by Thames Clippers says dogs are allowed on board on a lead. Sightseeing cruise operators set their own rules, so check with them before you book.
Will a London black cab take my dog?
A black cab must take an assistance dog at no extra charge; refusing is a criminal offence under the Equality Act 2010. A pet dog is at the driver's discretion, so ask before you get in, and mention the dog when you book a minicab.
Sources
- Transport for London - Conditions of Carriage for bus, Tube, tram, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line services (24 September 2026) (checked November 2026)
- Transport for London - Conditions of Carriage for London Cable Car (21 October 2024) (checked November 2026)
- National Rail - Conditions of Travel, Condition 24: Taking an animal with you on your journey (checked November 2026)
- Uber Boat by Thames Clippers - Frequently asked questions (checked November 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk - Equality Act 2010, section 168 (checked November 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk - Equality Act 2010, section 170 (checked November 2026)
- Transport for London - Taxi fares (checked November 2026)
- GOV.UK - Ban on XL Bully dogs (checked November 2026)