Paris with a dog: everything you need to know

Transporting a dog in Paris. Can my dog ​​ride the Paris Metro?

In a city so big you can't even walk through it, getting around is probably the first thing you think about. And indeed, there are not infinitely many ways to get from A to B here. If you have a small dog up to six kilos that you can transport in a bag, it's easy. Because then you can use the metro if the box or bag is no longer than 45 cm. Everyone else doesn't. Larger dogs are allowed to travel on the RER (Regional Express), you have to buy a ticket for this, and your dog must also wear a muzzle. And of course you should keep in mind that there is a lot of crowding at the stations and in the corridors. Like the metro, the RER goes to the most important spots in the city as well as to the suburbs. Alternatively, you can of course use a taxi, dogs are usually taken with you.

Paris with a dog: What is the best way to travel to Paris with a dog?

It was clear to us that we would drive to Paris because we were planning to travel to Normandy afterwards. If you want to do the same, you have two options: Park & ​​Ride or parking in the city at the hotel. For Park & ​​Ride, make sure you can take the RER into town (see public transport rules above).

We decided against it and reserved a parking space near the hotel online with Parclick. Unfortunately, many hotels in the center do not have their own parking lot, including ours. The costs are usually around 25-30 euros a day, we paid 80 euros for three days. Booking was easy and could have been canceled up to the day of arrival. We didn't find driving in Paris easy, but possible.

If you travel by train, the Thalys, TGV or Deutsche Bahn are recommended. All dogs are allowed, but large dogs need a ticket (50% of the normal price) and must wear a muzzle. In the Eurostar, on the other hand, only assistance dogs are transported.

Paris with dogs: dog-friendly restaurants in Paris 

Les deux Colombes: Super cute restaurant hidden behind the Notre Dame. Very good food with vegetarian options, comparatively inexpensive and great service. Frieda was offered a bowl of water. 

Café Leone Pizzas et Pâtes: We discovered this pizzeria right next to Les deux Colombes. Good Italian pizza and friendly service. Frieda was also offered a bowl of water here. We were briefly asked if she is nice. 

Le Village Ronsard: Brasserie with the best yet affordable breakfast, centrally located in Saint Germain. Very friendly service. We were given a quiet space which we really appreciated. 

Tip: right next door is the La Maison d'Isabelle bakery, where you can get award-winning croissants. There are no seats here. However, these croissants are served at Brasserie Le Village Ronsard. No kidding, they were the best croissants of our lifes. 

Café Delmas: On Pl. de la Contrescarpe, just off Rue Mouffetard. Nice restaurant with a typical Parisian conservatory. 

Au Canon des Invalides: brasserie within sight of the Eiffel Tower. Good for a coffee break. 

Food Breizh: not a restaurant, but a very cool crêpe stand on the promenade (south side) of the Seine. Also open in winter. Outdoor seating.

Find a hotel or accommodation with your dog in Paris

It is often the case in life that you are well advised to read the fine print. When it comes to holidays with dogs in Paris, this applies to hotel bookings. Because it is clear that the dog filter is used on the booking sites. In fact, many hotels only allow small dogs under six or even three kilos. This is then hidden somewhere on the website or in the questions asked by guests. It actually happened to us that we booked a room (of course we stated in writing that we were traveling with a dog) and our booking was then canceled after the hotel asked how big our dog was. We finally found a hotel and were received very friendly, just like we experienced in the restaurant. Small conclusion: You will find a hotel for you and your dog, but you have to secure yourself twice.

Now for the location of the hotel. It was important to us to be able to explore the most beautiful places in Paris on foot with a dog. So we chose a hotel near the Seine and Notre Dame. Almost all of the city's sights were within walking distance, apart from Montmartre, where we've already been. We would do it again. Of course, if you don't mind taking the train, you can live outside of Paris and take the train in. If you want to camp, then the site at the Bois des Boulogne is recommended. Here you even have a large, dog-friendly park in front of you.

City trip with dog in Paris: Top 3 things to do with dog in Paris

But now enough with all the rules. Because even if there is a little something to consider, we had a great time in Paris with Frieda.

The best thing you can do with a dog in Paris: Walk the dog along the Seine

By far the most dog-friendly place in Paris is the Seine River. It is particularly beautiful on the north side from the Île Saint-Louis to the iconic Pont Alexandre III. A continuous footpath runs along this approximately four kilometer long route. Sometimes even with small parks. There are also promenades on the opposite side, but they do not run through. Every now and then you have to go up to street level. The advantage of the Seine promenade is obvious. It is car-free, full of green spaces and the view is fantastic. You see Paris from its most beautiful side.

With a dog to the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Even though it's a tourist hot spot, we wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower. You can't go up there with a dog, but we didn't want that at all. A few souvenir photos were enough for us. As described above, we walked along the Seine to the Pont Alexandre, from where you can already take the most beautiful pictures. Incidentally, the sidewalk here is very wide, so that you can get through easily despite the many tourists with dogs. Then we walked across the wide meadows of Invalidenplatz and turned right onto Rue Saint Dominique. Here's a little insider tip for photos. Well, maybe it's not an insider tip at all, but just a tip: The corner café Le Recruitement, from which you have an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. However, we took a coffee break a hundred meters further up the street, in the nice Café Au Canon des Invalides, where we and our dog were given a friendly welcome. From here it is also not far to the Eiffel Tower, but it is really quite crowded on the sidewalks. On the Champ de Mars, i.e. the meadows below the Eiffel Tower, you can recover well from it.

With the dog through the trendy Parisian districts in the morning 

We visited the districts of Le Marais, the incredibly beautiful island of Ile Saint-Louis, as well as Saint Germain and the Latin Quarter early in the morning and were able to take a relaxed stroll at this time. In these neighborhoods, the city oozes charm and you can see many sights such as Notre Dame, the Center Pompidou, the Panthéon, the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre. But I can only advise you to simply let the city and the many pretty alleys work their magic on you instead of walking from sight to sight.

You should also know that from ten o'clock it gets noticeably crowded everywhere. I have to admit that it's not always relaxing to walk through Paris with a dog. The city is comparatively noisy, we particularly noticed the noise of engines and the noise caused by deliveries to the numerous restaurants. In addition, Paris is one of the most traveled cities in the world, which sometimes results in extremely crowded sidewalks and crowds. So if you want to walk through the center of Paris with your dog, you should be prepared. However, dogs that are used to city noise should be able to cope well, especially if you make sure they take enough breaks and take a walk or two on the Seine.

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