Photo by Ignacio Amenábar on Unsplash
Traveling with pets isn’t always a luxury; sometimes it’s a necessity, whether we’re taking our pup or cat to the vet or our bunny or guinea pig to a family reunion. Fortunately, we have several viable, affordable alternatives to traveling in a personal vehicle, including local public transportation, car rentals, and ride shares.
Before we take a look at several pet-friendly travel options, it’s important to note that, according to the American Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals generally must be allowed anywhere the public is allowed to go, including on transportation.
What is the difference between a service animal and a pet?
The American Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as any size or breed of dog “trained to perform a task directly related to a person’s disability.” A person with epilepsy, for example, may have a service dog who alerts them to an oncoming seizure.
A service dog doesn’t have to undergo specific training or wear a vest letting others know they’re a service animal, and they’re allowed anywhere the general public is permitted. Even if a shop or a restaurant, for instance, doesn’t permit pets, it must allow service animals.
Emotional support animals (ESA) have become increasingly popular in Pennsylvania, too. However, they are not considered service animals because they do not complete a task, like warning of an oncoming seizure for someone with epilepsy, so they do not have the same protections under the ADA.
Disclaimer: Before making plans, always confirm the pet policy is still valid. Links to each company are included for easy access.
Car Rental
Alamo Rent A Car
Alamo Rent A Car allows pets in its rental vehicles. However, unless you have a service animal, you must keep your pet in an appropriate carrier or crate. Before you return your rental car, make sure you have cleaned it and removed any pet hair. Failure to return the car in a clean state may result in being charged an additional fee for cleaning and/or detailing.
Avis Car Rental
Before you plan your trip with Avis Car Rental, confirm with the location from which you will be renting a vehicle that it is pet-friendly. Most, but not all, are pet-friendly. Make sure you clean your rental vehicle thoroughly before returning, or you may face a cleaning fee as high as $450. Avis suggests keeping a box of baking soda in the car to ensure the vehicle doesn’t smell like your pets.
Budget Car Rental
Bring your housebroken pets along for the ride in your vehicle from Budget Car Rental, one of the pet-friendly rental car companies in Pennsylvania. To avoid any cleaning or damage fees, clean your vehicle, ensuring there is no pet hair, before returning it.
Dollar Car Rental
The whole family can road trip with a rental from Dollar Car Rental. The pet-friendly rental car company in Pennsylvania doesn’t charge a pet fee nor do you need to let it know you’ll be traveling with your pets. However, to avoid potential service charges of up to $200, clean the car thoroughly before returning.
Dollar Car Rental recommends keeping your pet(s) crated or putting a blanket or car seat cover down to avoid any potential damage from accidents.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
While one of the pet-friendly car rental companies in Pennsylvania, Enterprise-Rent-A-Car requires that pets, unless they’re service animals, travel in a crate or a carrier. Before returning your rental vehicle, make sure you’ve vacuumed any pet hair and the interior is clean to avoid additional fees.
Hertz Car Rental
Don’t worry about letting Hertz Car Rental know you’ll be bringing pets along. The company policy welcomes pets without adding them to your reservation or letting the rental car company know. As with other pet-friendly car rental companies in Pennsylvania, avoid any additional charges by ensuring your rental vehicle is clean and free of pet hair before returning.
National Car Rental
As long as you keep your pets crated or in a carrier, National Car Rental allows them in their car rentals. Service animals do not have to be crated or in a carrier. Additional fees may be assessed if you fail to clean the vehicle, including ensuring it is free of pet hair, before returning.
Payless Car Rental
Embark on an epic adventure with your pets by renting a vehicle from Payless Car Rental. The pet-friendly car rental company only requires that vehicles be returned clean and odor-free. Dirty vehicles, including those with “excessive” pet hair and stains, may incur an additional cleaning fee upon return.
Thrifty Car Rental
Pets are permitted to travel in vehicles from Thirty Car Rental. After your adventure, clean the car to avoid any extra cleaning fees, which can be as high as $250.
Before you make a reservation with any of these pet-friendly rental car companies in Pennsylvania, check out the official website to confirm details on the pet policy, and always return the vehicle clean to avoid fees.
Local Transportation Services
Many of the counties in Pennsylvania offer public transportation that allows pets. However, even the pet-friendly transportation in Pennsylvania generally has rules you must follow. Here are a few of the pet-friendly local transportation services in Pennsylvania.
Centre Area Transportation Authority
Serving Centre Country, the Centre Area Transportation Authority allows pets wearing a muzzle or in a pet carrier. Pets must not be a risk to the safety of other riders and cannot be disruptive. All service animals are allowed on buses.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT)
Pittsburgh Regional Transit predominately offers public transportation services to Allegheny County and some areas in Beaver County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County. PRT allows pets on its buses and the T (light rail). However, pets must travel in an enclosed carrier and remain calm for the duration of the trip. As a pet parent, you’re responsible for ensuring your pet is safe and not disruptive. Your pet in their carrier must sit on your lap.
Rabbit Transit
Pets, including companion animals, are permitted on Rabbit Transit as long as they are in a carrier. Rabbit Transit serves Harrisburg City and nearly a dozen counties, including Adams, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Union, and York.
Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Bring your pet along on SEPTA as long as they’re in a standard carrier and remain calm (non-disruptive) when traveling. SEPTA offers public transportation services to nearly half a dozen counties, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia.
Rideshare
Ride sharing has become popular in Pennsylvania in recent years, offering a convenient way to travel on our own schedule. Arguably the most popular services in Pennsylvania, Uber and Lyft both offer pet-friendly rides.
Uber Pet
You must request an “Uber Pet,” which generally costs more than a traditional Uber, if you’re traveling with a companion animal.
If you have a service animal, you do not have to request an Uber Pet. Service animals are allowed in all Ubers for no additional charge.
Here’s how to use Uber Pet:
- Open the Uber app.
- Add the address to where you want to travel.
- Scroll down and look for pet.
- Click on pet to view the details, including how far the vehicle is from you, estimated arrival time, and cost.
- Hit confirm pet.
That’s it. Easy, right? Before you travel, though, keep a few things in mind. Uber’s rules state only one pet per ride. However, it is ultimately up to your driver as to whether you can bring an additional pet.
Like renting a car, it’s vital to keep the Uber clean to avoid additional fees. Your best bet is to ask the driver where she prefers your pet sit, if they’re not in a carrier or on your lap. If they’ll be on the seat or the floor, consider bringing a blanket, towel, or pet cover to prevent the fur/hair from getting on the upholstery.
Lyft Pet
Like Uber Pet, Lyft offers a separate program, Pet Ride, just for riders with pets. When you open the app, choose “pet ride” to schedule your ride. Pet Ride permits one pet and a maximum of four people, and you’ll pay an additional fee for traveling with your pet.
Lyft recommends having your pet in a carrier, on the floor by your feet, or on a towel or a blanket on the seat next to you.
Greyhound
While Greyhound offers an affordable way to travel, it is not pet-friendly. Only service animals are permitted on Greyhound buses. If you have a service animal, you can’t hold them in your lap. Rather, they must remain on the floor by your feet at all times. Greyhound doesn’t allow service animals on its seats or in the aisles.
If you’ve been on the hunt for “pet-friendly transportation near me,” you’ve got a few choices. In addition to Uber Pet and Lyft Pet, your town might have a pet-friendly bus or, if you heading out of town, you might want to reserve a seat for you and your small dog or cat on Amtrak.
Pet-friendly transportation in Pennsylvania is relatively easy to find. Always confirm that the company with which you want to travel – rental car, local bus, or ride share – still allows pets.
