I am quite lucky that my dog Lillet is usually a very brave fellow train traveling comrade. As soon as we settle in our seating place she rolls herself into a donut shape next to my feet and sleeps. Oftentimes the train officers don’t even notice that there is a dog. We have made up to 4 hour long train rides this way.
But at other times, especially when the train is crowded and we have to stand or sit in the hallway it can feel very different. My dog is quite reactive and people walking a tiny bit too close to her or even stepping over her makes her panic.
Last time I traveled from Prague to Leipzig, the train was extremely packed and the journey became quite stressful for me and my dog. When we had to step over in Bad Schandau, I decided to skip the connecting train and spend some time there and decompress.
The spontaneous stop was totally worth it! We both not only regained our energy but also discovered what a whimsical place this little train station in Bad Schandau is (see my article).
When I have the option, I would always choose to buy a flex ticket to have the option to make spontaneous breaks in my train journey. This allows my dog to walk, sniff and pee and whatever she needs to decompress.