Explore Paris with your dog: what you need to know

Find a dog-friendly place to stay

It’s the obvious first step, but an important one and another that’s becoming easier as Paris’ increasing dog-friendliness begins to influence tourism more and more. It’s not only apartments either, as you might imagine. Many boutique hotels accept dogs, although turning up with a pack of wolfhounds might raise an eyebrow. The usual pet travel restrictions apply. You’ll need rabies vaccinations and health care certificates on the way out, a tapeworm treatment before making your way back and you’ll also have to make sure you don’t take any prohibited meat-based foods into the EU. So really, the place to stay is the easy bit!

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Take the metro

Exploring Paris with your dog is easy thanks to the dog-friendly Metro, which connects the city’s major sights and stations, from Gare du Nord and the Champs Élysées to Notre Dame and Louvre. Small dogs can be brought on in carriers, while larger dogs must be muzzled and kept on a lead during their journey. 

If your dog isn’t muzzle trained, this might not be the best time to introduce them to it, so perhaps stick to walking for your weekend in Paris. 

Walk along the Seine  

There are few things as pleasant as a stroll along the Seine in Paris, and with the dog by your side it’s even more enjoyable. This river is now one of the cleanest in Europe’s capital cities thanks to a multi-million-Euro operation to make it safe for swimmers for the 2024 Olympics, and it’s evident in the often teal-hued waters. An excellent two-mile stretch to stroll is on the south side between the Eiffel Tower and the Pont des Artes, where you can then cross over to visit the grounds of the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries. 

Do a open-top bus and boat tour

If you don’t fancy spending your entire time on your feet, but you also don’t want to brave the Metro with your pet, try the tourist-friendly Big Bus Tour. Dogs on leads are welcome to join you on the top deck, where you’ll get views across the city as it trundles between major sights like the Arc du Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Grand Palais. Dogs are also allowed on the boats run by the same company, and your hop-on-hop-off ticket will cover both. 

Take a walk in the park

Paris is renowned for its handsome, manicured parks, but until 2019 only 16% of the city’s green spaces were open for dogs. Since then, more parks have opened their gates to our animals and now you can take them for a stroll in the likes of the Jardin du Luxembourg, Jardins du Trocadéro (where you’ll get great views of the Eiffel Tower through the trees) and the spectacular Bois de Boulogne, which has lakes, water fountains and woodland areas.

You can even now take them into a section of Jardin du Tuileries: on the northern and southern sides of this park you’ll find a raised, tree-lined section that offers views over the formal planted gardens below. 

Spoil the dog with Parisian treats  

Famous for its designer boutiques, Paris is a retail therapy heaven – and there’s no reason the dog can’t get in on that action. The city’s dog population has a host of boutiques for dogs to choose from, with the likes of Le Paris Canin and Two Tails in Batignolles serving the Parisian dog population well. Stock up on some treats and chews to keep your dog busy on your adventures. 

Take to the terraces

Plenty of restaurants, cafes and bars allow dogs in Paris, but if you’re not sure and you want to sit inside, you just need to ask: “puis-je amener mon chien?” But one of the joys of this city is its obsession with terraces – almost every bistro has one, often with that uniquely European set-up: a pair of chairs on the same side so you can look out and watch the world – and their dogs – go by. In the charming Batignolles neighbourhood, just a few minutes’ walk from the Saint Lazare train station, we loved Le Truffaut, whose weekly changing menu has a creative European bent, with dishes like peach gazpacho and melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked beef. Their wine list is equally exciting, with natural and biodynamic choices and even a few orange wines. 

Around the corner in the same neighbourhood, Café Dose Paris is a great coffee stop. Dogs are welcome on the terrace here, and at the Jules Joffrin branch in Montmartre near the Sacre Coeur. Other dog-loving restaurants include Les Chartrons, which has an excellent beer and wine list, and Le Grand Cerf, where dogs can join you inside and out. 

Do a day trip to Normandy

The French capital is well connected, so make the most of the extensive train network and take a day trip. There are myriad options, but Rouen – the capital of Normandy – is a favourite for its creaking, timber-framed buildings painted in different colours, and for its magnificent Gothic cathedral, which presents a spectacular light show after dark throughout spring and summer. Hop on the train from St Lazare station (dogs must be muzzled or in a carrier) and you’ll be there within 90 minutes, ready to explore its charming old town or hike up Côte Sainte-Catherine, a hill that is without doubt the best vantage point for admiring the city and the winding Seine. 

Stop in at old town pub Rollon for a glass of local cider or excellent French beer, see the striking sloped rooftop of St Joan of Arc’s Church – built on the site where she was burned at the stake – and don’t miss an opportunity to try the region’s famous pressed duck at dog-friendly Cafe Victor opposite the train station.

Browse all of our dog-friendly places to stay in Paris >

Written by
Lottie Gross

Lottie has spent four years finding the best dog-friendly places in the UK and around Europe with her dogs and putting them into books and articles for Bradt Guides, The Telegraph and The Times. Arty, her Manchester Terrier, is refined creature who prefers the finer things in life, while Lottie is a keen walker in any weather, much to her dog’s dismay.