Railway Dog

Budapest Kelati train station has a small number of long distance trains to Romania daily, to several main cities, particularly Timisoara, Arad and Cluj Napoca. Some go on as far as Bucharest. Several are sleepers (some described by the man at seat 61, as well as one from Cluj Napoca to Budapest not mentioned there).

Venturing into Romania with a dog is an intrepid option, that requires consideration and risk assessment.

• There are many stray dogs in Romania, who don’t always take kindly to new dogs
• There is a dangerous dog disease prevalent in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and further East called canine brucellosis. It is transferred mainly dog to dog, chiefly by sperm and blood.
• To book a compulsory long distance train reservation into or within Romania, you have to go to a main rail station, you can’t simply do it online.
• You need to book a dog ticket, which involves going to a train station for that as well.
• It is very unclear whether dogs are allowed in sleeper carriages. No one seems to know outside of Romania. Trains there are slow and infrequent, so overnight sleepers are an attractive option. You can only book your dog into a sleeping compartment via a major Romanian train station to be sure it’s allowed on a particular train. You have to book an entire sleeping compartment even where dogs are allowed, wherever you are in Europe. If you try to book in Budapest they may hesitantly and without conviction offer sell you the reservation and dog ticket, and think you have to buy a first class ticket and not use your Interrail pass, if wishing to book a single/twin compartment to enable exclusive occupancy. (Read on for realities)
• Romania is outside of the Schengen area and feels culturally quite different, especially in the South.
• Trains can divide and head different ways or just leave carriages behind, as in central Europe too.
• A dog muzzle or box is officially required, and it is implied that rule is enforced.

However as with everywhere in Southern and Eastern Europe so far, a cute small dog gets let off the muzzle rule normally, and other rules can be bent a little. There are work arounds for the other issues too. However the stray dogs and filthy pavements, particularly in Bucharest, are a constant stress for both dog and companion.

Dog and sleeping travel realities and tips in Romania:

• Taking day trains, stopping at interesting intermediate stations and staying over, particularly any in the more mountainous areas, and gets some interesting and dog-sensitive traveling in. I discovered Baile Herculane this way.
• All sleeper trains also have a seating coach. Dogs can be booked onto that in any sleeper train into or within Romania. When it isn’t busy you can spread out a bit and get your sleeping bag out. No one seems to complain as long as your shoes or dog are not on a seat. Fingers crossed.
• Keep valuables tucked securely inside your clothes when sleeping on any non secured or shared carriage or compartment on a train, anywhere in Europe.
• Tethering your luggage to yourself is also something to consider, though tethers may be cut. I use the inexpensive looking luggage on the seat next to me technique.
• The international sleepers booked from Romania in a Romanian ticket office in person can let you book a sleeping compartment with a dog. As long as you book the whole compartment. The 1 bed (490 lei bed reservation fee) and 2 bed (2×220 lei) compartments even work with a second class train ticket. We travelled in this luxury from Cluj Napoca to Budapest.

If you look closely there seem to be bullet holes below the windows above that station exit in Timisaora. The 1989 revolution started in this city. Some say thousands of protesters against the regime were shot dead. It is fairly close to the Hungarian border so had more opportunity to illegally find out what was happening in the rest of the Soviet Block, giving them courage to rebel too. A few weeks later the totalitarian Ceaucescu regime fell, though communism continued for about 12 years more.

It’s quite a jump down off the train via these step wells onto low platforms, but we never photograph the entry and exit as they tend to be rushed, with all our baggage, and with other people hurrying too.