Paris, France
Dog Friendly Paris
Where To Walk, Eat And Stay With Your Dog In Paris
Dogs are woven into daily life in Paris, curled under café tables and trotting the boulevards as a matter of course. You can walk the great woods at the edge of the city, take a morning around the hilltop lakes of the Buttes-Chaumont, then settle onto a Saint-Germain terrace where a small dog is as welcome as you are. The one rule to learn is that the manicured lawns are off limits, so keep to the paths. This is our working guide to the city with a dog: where to walk, where to eat and drink, and the certified hotels that genuinely welcome them.
Where to walk
Dog Friendly Parks, Trails and Walks in Paris
The great woods, hilltop parks and riverside gardens Parisians actually walk their dogs on, keeping off the lawns. Tap any one to open it in Google Maps.
Bois de Boulogne
Great western wood over in 16th, a dependable choice when the dog needs a proper walk outdoors.
Bois de Vincennes
Great eastern wood over in 12th, a dependable choice when the dog needs a proper walk outdoors.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont
Hilltop park & lakes, out in 19th, with room for a proper dog walk and a welcome for well-behaved dogs.
Parc Montsouris
Landscape park, 14th. Bring the lead and give the dog a good stretch in the Paris air.
Parc Andre-Citroen
Modern riverside park, 15th, and a favourite with Paris dog owners for an hour out on four legs.
Parc du Champ-de-Mars
Eiffel Tower park, 7th. Bring the lead and give the dog a good stretch in the Paris air.
Where to eat and drink
Dog Friendly Restaurants, Bars and Cafes in Paris
Not just tolerated under the table, genuinely welcome: a water bowl, a spot by the fire, and no eyebrow raised when you walk in with a dog.
Cafe de Flore
Brasserie in Saint-Germain, and reliably dog friendly, a go-to in Paris when you have the dog with you.
Les Deux Magots
A dog friendly brasserie in Saint-Germain where the dog is part of the plan, not left outside during a meal.
Cafe Charlot
A Le Marais cafe that keeps a proper welcome for dogs, worth a stop for a coffee in Paris.
La REcyclerie
Cafe in 18th where dogs are welcome as standard, an easy stop for a coffee while you explore Paris.
Holybelly 5
Cafe in Canal Saint-Martin, and reliably dog friendly, a go-to in Paris when you have the dog with you.
Angelina Paris
A Rue de Rivoli cafe that genuinely welcomes dogs, an easy spot for a coffee with the dog alongside.
Le Bone Appart
One of Paris's dependable dog friendly dog cafes, in Le Marais and glad to see a dog through the door.
Le Peloton Café
Cafe in Le Marais, and reliably dog friendly, a go-to in Paris when you have the dog with you.
Fragments
A dog friendly cafe in Le Marais where the dog is part of the plan, not left outside during a coffee.
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Where to stay
The Best Dog Friendly Hotels In Paris
Every hotel here has been inspected and ranked against the Dog Friendly Standard. No pay to play, no vague pet friendly badge, just the ones that earned their place, best first.
Dog Friendly Paris · Good To Know
Is Paris a good city to visit with a dog?
Paris is one of the great dog cities of Europe, where a small dog under a cafe table is simply part of the furniture. Dogs ride the Metro, sit on restaurant terraces and wander the parks, with two enormous woods bookending the city. The rules to learn are simple ones: the manicured lawns are off limits, a big dog needs a muzzle on the trains, and the grandest museums stay dog free.
Can I take my dog on public transport in Paris?
Yes. A small dog travels free on the Metro, RER and buses if carried in a bag or basket no bigger than about 45 centimetres. A larger dog is allowed on the Metro and RER on a lead and wearing a muzzle, though in practice the muzzle rule is what the ticket inspector falls back on, so carry one. Large dogs are not allowed on the buses, and assistance dogs travel freely everywhere.
Where can dogs go off the lead in Paris?
Central Paris is on-lead territory, with dogs banned from the lawns and flowerbeds, so off-lead time happens in the designated dog zones. The Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, the two great woods at either end of the city, each have designated areas where dogs can run, and several parks including the Buttes-Chaumont have marked canine zones. Everywhere else, keep the lead on and stay on the paths.
Where are the best parks for dogs in Paris?
The two woods are the headline acts: the Bois de Boulogne in the west and the Bois de Vincennes in the east give real mileage under the trees. Inside the city, the Buttes-Chaumont brings cliffs and lakes to the 19th, Parc Montsouris and Parc Andre-Citroen give handsome green space south and west, and the Champ-de-Mars delivers the Eiffel Tower photo with your dog in front of it.
Are dogs allowed in Paris restaurants, cafes and bars?
Widely, yes, and this is half the joy of the city. Terrace seating almost never raises an eyebrow at a dog, and a great many cafes and restaurants welcome calm dogs inside too, with the ones that do not marked by a chiens interdits sign or a polite non. Fast food chains keep dogs out, and it is always worth asking as you enter. A small dog dozing through lunch is a Parisian tradition.
What dog friendly things can I do in Paris?
Walk the banks of the Seine and the Canal Saint-Martin, browse the market streets of the Marais with your dog on a short lead, and take a long morning in one of the woods. Montmartre's lanes and the Champ-de-Mars give you the postcards, and cafe terraces fill the gaps between walks. The Louvre and the big museums admit assistance dogs only, so plan those for another day.
Are there dog friendly day trips near Paris?
The classic is the Forest of Fontainebleau, about an hour south, a vast protected forest of sandstone boulders and pine where leashed dogs are welcome on the trails. Closer in, the parks of Saint-Cloud and the towpaths of the Marne make easy half days. Trains make these trips very doable, with the same small-dog-in-a-bag and big-dog-muzzled rules applying on most services.
What are the rules for dogs in Paris?
Keep your dog on a lead in the city and out of the lawns, flowerbeds and children's play areas, and pick up after your dog everywhere, as fouling fines are enforced. Large dogs need a muzzle on the Metro and RER, and France places extra requirements on certain categorised guard-type breeds, so check before travelling with one. The park gates list each park's own rules, and the signs mean what they say.