The best dog-friendly campsites in France

If your dog is part of the family it’s only natural to want him or her on the family holiday too. As long as your dog is friendly and obedient, camping can be the perfect canine holiday. There’s plenty of time outdoors with new places to explore and new smells to sniff out. Without work, household chores and other commitments, you will likely have more time to spend with your four-legged friend and a new place means fresh dog walking opportunities too. There are tonnes of dog-friendly campsites which makes finding a place for a dog-friendly camping trip easier than the alternatives. And if you want to head abroad on your hols, France is the easiest option. It’s our nearest neighbour and the pet passport scheme means taking Fido to France is a relatively painless process. You don’t have to fly and both the Channel Tunnel and ferry ports are well set-up for travelling pets.

If you’re taking your dog camping for the first time, there are a few tips and tricks that are worth knowing. First and most-importantly you must find out the most up-to-date rules about taking your dog across the Channel. Check out the government’s own website for the pet travel advice. Next read up on the specific rules of the campsite you are going to. Many campsites allow dogs only on the basis that are kept on the lead at all times – if that’s the rule stick to it. If you are going to find it hard – choose a site where that rule does not apply. It’s also a great idea to take a favourite blanket, dog basket or toy with you so there’s a familiar smell of home. Take a towel to dry off damp paws before your pooch enters the tent and, of course, don’t forget the poo bags! For a full list of tips, take a look at our guide to Camping with your Dog .

Camping is such a dog-friendly holiday that it might seem natural (to us dog owners at least) that all campsites would allow dogs. Sadly, that’s not the case. There are all sorts of good reasons that campsites cannot allow dogs – often it’s to protect local wildlife or livestock. The very first (and most obvious) thing you should do when considering taking your dog to a campsite, French or otherwise, is check that dogs are allowed. Once you’ve narrowed your list of potential sites to places where dogs are welcome, you might want to consider what the available dog walking is like nearby. Can you head straight out in to the countryside or on to the beach? Are the places around the site dog-friendly too? It’ great having a beachside pitch – but if dogs are banned from the beach at the time you’re visiting, it may not be the best place to take your pet.

It’s also a good idea to consider the pitch size. Even the most sociable of dogs may be irked if his or her little territory on a campsite is constantly being invaded; we’d advise looking for places with spacious pitches. The most dog-friendly places of all sometimes have some facilities especially for four-legged visitors – a field or fenced-off area where dogs can run free. Find one of these and you may feel like you’ve struck gold! Taking the time to do your research before you go on holiday is well worth it when it comes to taking your dog camping in France – or elsewhere!

You’re barking up the wrong tree if you think that camping with your dog means ruffing it. Glamping is just as popular in France as it is in the UK – and many French glamping hotspots are dog friendly too. With all the pet paraphernalia that’s necessary to squeeze in the car (as well as your own kit), you might find yourself having to leave the tent behind anyway! Choose glamping and you’ll have less to pack, less to remember and less to squeeze back in to your car at the end of the holiday. You get the benefit of the outdoor life without the hassle of trying to pitch a tent. After a long journey in the car, the last thing you’ll want to do (especially when you’ve got a dog in tow) is get in a tangle with guy ropes.

There are loads of glamping options on French campsites from shepherd’s huts and cabins to bell tents, tipis and treehouses. A particularly common sight on French glamping sites are safari tents. Any of these could be a great place for glamping with your dog – but the safari tent, with its separated living spaces and often well-kitted out cooking and eating areas may just have the edge for people with pets.

If your dog doesn’t travel well, you might like to stay in the north of France where the journey time will be shorter. Otherwise, as long as there’s plenty of space to run around in and some tasty French treats to tuck in to – your dog won’t care where he or she is. He or she will just be happy to be at your side, exploring new places and tucking in to the occasional bit of stolen saucisson. Great news but that means the tricky choice of destination is all down to you. Perhaps, you have a favourite location in France that you’d like to return to or is there somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit? There are dog-friendly campsites right across France so there should be nothing stopping you from heading to the place that takes your fancy. And if you need some inspiration, there’s plenty of variety from the northern shores of Brittany to the sunny South of France, and from the dizzy heights of The Alps to the beautiful Pyrenees.