France is a great place to visit with a dog and also without one too. It is a beautiful country with lots of things to see, some of which are dog friendly. The cuisine and wine are rather nice too, thus France is a great country for food lovers.
In my time in France with the Henry, I have found many places to be pet friendly. Restaurants, cafes and bars allow dogs inside and if not, they often have outside seating areas. Finding pet friendly accommodation is also pretty easy too, and there are options at most price points.
Best Places to Visit In France With a Dog
Some of the best towns and cities in France that I have visited with the dog.
Dieppe On The Normandy Coast
The town of Dieppe is on the Normandy coast. It is a beautiful place with distinctive white cliffs. The beach is somewhat dog friendly. They have designated areas for dog walking in peak season but from mid-September until June it’s a free for all. The clifftops near the harbour are an excellent place for evening walkies and a top location for watching the sunset.
Dieppe is a great place to dine out with our without your four-legged friend. Most menus are rich in seafood cooked the local way. Many eateries here specialise in fruit de mer platters, which are great for sharing.
The town also has many historical sites to visit, including a castle, many churches and an interesting tower. You can learn more about the history of the area at the local museums.
The weekly market is a fantastic place to visit and buy some local produce. This is on the best markets in the whole of France. Overall, the town is foodie heaven and a great place to visit with a pet.
Rouen a Historic City in the Normandy Region
Rouen is a big city in the Normandy Region of France and on the banks of the famous River Seine. It has many historical sights for visitors to see both inside or while on a dog walk. The cathedral is a fantastic sight both from the outside or when visiting the inside. During the summer months, there is a spectacular light show projected on the front of the building.
Other tourist attractions include galleries, museums and many feature local hero Joan of Arc. This is a fantastic place to visit to learn about the history of France. There are also many churches and an abbey to visit.
Dining out and visiting the bars of Rouen was simple with Henry. Most are pretty pet friendly. There are loads of options for cafes and restaurants to enjoy some local cuisine. Finding a pet friendly place to stay was simple using Booking.com.
Colmar A Fairytale Place To Visit
The first time you visit Colmar, you might think you have woken up in a fairytale. The place is absolutely gorgeous, with lots of colourful historic buildings. It’s also a great place to just spend time and let the beauty put you in a great mood.
There are historic buildings to visit, gorgeous countryside and parks for dog walking and overall a lovely town. Petite Venise is an iconic section of Colmar, however, it gets busy. Taking an early morning walk can prove fruitful with hardly anyone about and is great for photographing.
Finding pet friendly self catering accommodation was straightforward, and there were options. Many didn’t have extra charges for pets while we searched. Bars were all welcoming of dogs when we visited and Henry often got offered water.
Kaysersberg A Great Place For Wine Lovers
The small town of Kaysersberg in France is like Colmar in its beauty, however, it also has countless vineyards on its doorstep for a walk. There are lots of historical buildings to see and beautiful countryside to explore. Wine is the prime attraction of Kaysersberg and there are lots of opportunities to enjoy some. Henry also enjoyed visiting wine producers and watched us do some tasting.
Again, we visited bars and a restaurant without the dog being an issue. Many others we passed had canine customers relaxing while people dined out.
Paris
The capital of France is very popular with tourists and has some wonderful attractions to see. We have only passed through the city with Henry, our dog, and found it to be very pet friendly.
Public transportation and all cafes we visited allowed pets without issue. We found the people we met to be friendly because of the dog. Visiting the key sites in Paris and exploring parks with Henry is on the agenda for a future trip.
Travelling to France With a Dog From the UK
Getting to France with a dog is pretty straightforward if you are getting a ferry or channel tunnel with a car. However, if you are a foot passenger, your options are rather limited. The Newhaven to Dieppe ferry is your only option. It is a lovely crossing with three time options to choose from. From there, you can travel onwards by train, often via Paris.
How To Find Dog Friendly Hotels & Accommodation in France?
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Finding pet friendly hotels, apartments and hostels is pretty straightforward in France. You can use both Airbnb or Booking.com to find accommodation to suit your needs. Both have a pet allowed filter, making it very simple. Some places charge extra for those staying with dogs. You often have to message the property to find out the charges beforehand.
Using Public Transport in France
The rules on public transport are a bit confusing in France. We were prepared and had a pet carrier to put the dog in while on trains. However, many train conductors were fine without this. For longer trips we settled henry down in the carrier with his bed toys and water.
We didn’t get many buses, however those we did, the drivers just waved him on. Apparently, many forms of public transport charge half fair if not in a carrier.
Dining Out
I found that most restaurants, bars and cafes in France are somewhat pet friendly. They either let dogs inside or have covered outside seating areas. Those we visited often had dedicated water bowls or offered one while giving the dog a fuss.
Is France Dog Friendly?
I thoroughly enjoyed travelling in France with the dog and found it pretty simple and hassle free. Many others seemed to be out and about enjoying the places we visited with their dogs, too. France has many attractions, some of which are also pet friendly. The food, cider and wines were fantastic on our trips to France. Overall, it is a great country to visit with dogs.