Dog-friendly cottages to escape to in France
Pet passport? Check. Up-to-date jabs? Check. Microchip? Check. Then you’re all set for a holiday in France avec votre chien. To help get tails wagging, we’ve rounded up five of our favourite dog-friendly cottages, with walks from the door, tips on nearby dog-friendly bars and restaurants, and perhaps some spoiling treats for you and your pet.
Les Rabauds
Marina and Daniel have restored their pretty hamlet of three houses with immense sympathy and beauty. Two are for guests (and their dogs), with oodles of original features, lovely antiques and buckets of charm. Surrounded by fields, ancient woodland and with La Brenne Natural Park close by, this is a lovely spot for couples or families to ramble through peaceful countryside. Spend sunny days kayaking down the river Anglin, go foraging for wild mushrooms in the woodland in autumn, or simply sit back and enjoy the glorious isolation and peace. Take a swim in the heated shared pool, then fire up the barbecue and sip while the sun sets. You may catch a glimpse of a grazing deer – this is a nature lover’s idyll.
Owners Marina & Daniel: The three valleys of the rivers Gartempe, Anglin and Creuse are ideal for walking.
Kergudon Gîtes
On the outskirts of tiny Saint Cadou in the heart of the Parc Naturel d’Armorique is a retreat of four beautiful gîtes (two dog-friendly, €20 per dog per stay). Groups will delight in the comfortable three-storey 1640s Priory with a spacious sitting room, dining room seating eight and a fabulous kitchen. The Hayloft is a charming single-storey bolthole for two. Everyone has private outdoor space, logs are on the house, bikes are available, breakfasts and dinners can be requested and owls hoot you to sleep. Your hospitable, professional and unfailingly generous hosts have two dogs of their own and know how to spoil your best friend. You can shop and eat in nearby Sizun, cycle on the Velo Vert, swim off golden-sand beaches and fly fish at Lac du Drennec.
Owners Ben & David: We provide dog towels, water bowls, pick-up bags and sofa blankets, as well as a little welcome gift to help your pet feel completely at home.
Rediat Cor
£20 per dog per week or short break.
Perched on a hill at the foot of castle ramparts sits a beautifully converted house with stunning valley and woodland views. Your dog will delight in diving straight into them for endless walks. Inside all is warm and friendly with two sitting rooms and two cosy bedrooms with higgledy-piggledy beams and sensational oak staircases that you’ll need to descend at night to reach the bathroom. Spend your days pottering up and down the steep, cobblestoned and flower-brightened streets of the village, through the château gardens, or to Wednesday’s market and river swimming 4 km away. Enjoy a quiet drink on the small terrace, then amble off to a restaurant or bar (many dog-friendly), or whip up supper in the rustic-contemporary kitchen.
Owner Amy: A few of our favourite rambles with direct access from the village, including the stunning Château Woods, are left for you in the house.
Peyrenegre
This is a delightful spot for families, with a dog sitting service available, bikes, swings, sandpit, games, hot tub and a saltwater pool, heated April-October. Visit out of season and peacefulness prevails. Each of the three gîtes (one in the old barn) are comfortable and neat as a pin, with a living space downstairs, a terrace outside, and views over corn and sunflower fields. Shutters and thick walls keep you cool in summer, wood-burning stoves keep you toasty in winter, and sofas turn into beds for extra kids. It’s a relaxed sort of place with chickens, ducks and guinea pigs, horses and sheep, and cats and dogs – kids will love getting stuck in. Your hosts ensure you have everything, from laundry to babysitters, pool-towels to umbrellas, and a box of their own seasonal produce.
Owners Lucy & Andrew: If you prefer not to leave your four-legged family member at home, we welcome well behaved dogs and can offer a dog sitting service.
La Lys d’Avril
€5 per dog per day.
Just north of the Dordogne, in a hamlet a half-hour from Limoges, is a handsome 17th-century farmhouse in 15 wild acres, for kids and dogs who love to roam. The house and its converted barn share a round gravelled courtyard with tables and a large barbecue. A hammock swings between the trees, cows munch in the fields, and all you hear are the birds. You can rent the barn (sleeps five) or the house (sleeps seven) or take the lot – why not? A beautiful rusticity runs throughout, with exposed stone walls, sofas covered in natural linen, sisal rugs, wicker chairs and good lighting. Both have smart kitchens and bathrooms, and log burners for winter. Return to dine under the awning, slip into the pool, raise a glass to the stars.
Owners Monique & Eric: We’re a real family place with a fenced and heated saltwater pool, boules pitch and playground. Of course, your dog is more than welcome too.
Vive la France
This article is part of Vive la France, the home of inspiring itineraries and stories from travel writers and our team, to help you plan your next French adventure.
Written by
Carmen McCormack
Carmen is a freelance writer specialising in travel. She once lived in a bus in north Wales, skipped off to study in Barcelona, and now calls Bristol home. When she’s not tapping away on her laptop, she can be found reading (a lot), lake swimming (a little), and pottering on the allotment with husband and two kiddos. She’s currently dreaming about cold cerveza and torta in Mexico.
