Amtrak is making it easier than ever to travel with your furry friends, expanding its pet program to allow four-legged passengers on Acela trains during weekdays.
Dogs and cats up to 20 pounds will be allowed in all cars (except first class and café cars), but must remain in a carrier at all times, according to the company. Amtrak will offer eight pet spaces per departure — and one per customer — for the cost of $26 per pet or 800 Amtrak Guest Rewards points.
Previously, pets were only welcomed on Amtrak Acela trains on weekends.
"It is a testament to the strong bond that passengers have with their pets and we understand how this makes it increasingly difficult to leave them at home," Amtrak's vice president, Northeast Corridor service line, Caroline Decker, told Travel Leisure on Thursday. "By expanding our pet program to weekday Acela trains, passengers now have even more options and added convenience for their pets to travel with them."
Decker said more than 174,000 pets and their humans have traveled on the train line since Amtrak started welcoming furry passengers on the Northeast Corridor in October 2015.
Pets must ride in a hard or soft-sided carrier that is leak proof and well ventilated, Amtrak's website notes. Pets must also be able to sit up and lie down without touching the sides. Additionally, pet parents should sign a Pet Release and Indemnification Agreement for each segment of their trip.
A pet carrier counts as one piece of carry-on luggage.
Pets are not welcome on the Adirondack, Maple Leaf, and Amtrak Cascades lines in Canada; or on the Auto Train, Keystone Service, Pennsylvanian, San Joaquins, Capitol Corridor Pacific Surfliner, or Thruway Connecting Services.
In addition to bringing fido, Amtrak customers riding Acela trains can reserve their seats in advance and see how full the train is before booking. Those who are traveling pet-free can also bid to upgrade to Acela first class for a more comfortable ride.
Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
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