A new direct route between Stockholm and Hamburg launched this week, finally connecting Sweden to Germany with both day and night train options for pet owners with Snälltåget.
Is it a game changer or a missed opportunity?
I checked to find that out, so you don’t have to.
This is a 12-14h journey via Copenhagen (depending on the option).
☀️ Day train option → seated and in a shared pet wagon
🌙 Night train option → private compartment
They do not show the prices upfront, but I have calculated them.
The cost of a pet ticket equals a child ticket (0-15 years old), and you pay the same for a seat and for a private compartment.
124 SEK = ~12€
The cost of that travel journey typically is from:
~500-700 SEK (~46€-65€) for an adult seat
Private compartments range from:
~1500 SEK (130€) to ~6000 SEK = (550€) depending on season
*Interrail price is around 2000 SEK (185€) for a private compartment reservation on this route. But this is not the full ticket price.
Their pet policy:
• Dogs and cats allowed
• 1 pet per passenger
• Pets are not allowed elsewhere
• Pets must remain on the floor, no seats or beds
• No proper pet relief breaks, stops are operational only
• It is not possible to travel with pets to Austria
The most frustrating part for me, however, is their booking system.
I did try to book a ticket to see how good is their UX.
When booking a pet friendly option, you’re asked to select “I want to travel with a pet” in the first step, that is a great start. But that choice doesn’t seem to follow through in the order summary. The word “pet” disappears entirely.
At that point, the user is left interpreting the purchase based on price alone. Is this a seat? A private compartment?
There’s no clear confirmation.
It’s a subtle gap, but one that can create uncertainty at a critical moment in the booking flow. Especially when travelling with pets, users need reassurance that they’ve selected the right option.
A small improvement in visibility here could go a long way in building trust and reducing friction. The kind of detail that often separates a functional experience from a great one.
Also, pet spaces on night trains currently appear to be fully booked through the end of July, which is pretty surprising since this just started selling 2 days ago.
I was really excited about the news, but I was expecting something closer to VR standards in Finland, where pets are more thoughtfully integrated into the travel experience. Instead, this feels like a step forward in access but not yet in design thinking.
The pets on the floor rule, for a 12-14h travel journey without offering a blanket or the option of requesting it to owners, is shocking and clearly signals only one thing.
This isn’t pet friendly travel. It’s dogs and cats permitted travel.
And that distinction matters a lot 🧡
LinkedIn original post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/angels-bosch
