Bonsoir everyone! Question re: getting/bringing my car to France when I make the Texodus next year. I love to take my two dogs with me when I camp/travel, hence the reason I am predisposed to having a car. However, it hit me today: what if taking pets with you on vacay is not a thing in France.
As in: can’t take them into parcs for hikes, can’t bring them to gites, etc.
Any thoughts/advice here? That is literally the main reason I’d need a car. TIA.
Have you spent much time in France? Dogs are everywhere - except some of the natural parks where they are not allowed, on many beaches in summer months, and only on leads in many forests and wildlife ares during the nesting season for ground nesting birds, and from April to June when baby mammals.
(I guess this is for a new video of yours)
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Bringing an American car to France is opening up a whole new world of pain to get it registered, unless it’s a classic.
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We’ve taken our dogs to Gites across France for many years. However I will be the first to admit that finding gites that allow dogs really cuts down the choices available in any given area. We use Gites de France’s website which, probably like many others, allows you to search for Gites by criteria such as pets allowed.
Our very rough rule of thumb is that about 15-20% of the Gites we initially like the look of seem to accept dogs. Some charge - quite reasonably - for extra cleaning. One gite owner we looked at demanded a 300€ deposit just for pets(!). Some permit one pet, others more on request.
There are quite a number of gite owners on SF who can no doubt bring more informed perspectives than mine (which is entirely as a gite user) on the general acceptability of dogs etc.
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Please note - France bans entry of certain breeds of dog and has rules regarding others
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You must not have liked the look of my gite then🤣it is with Gites de France. I allow dogs without any charge…
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I can’t think (though I’m sure they exist) of anywhere you couldn’t take a dog.
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We managed a gite that accepted dogs which all went well until one set of guests let pouch swim in the pool.
A slashed pool liner was the result.
? That’s odd. Lots of places are ok with dogs, but equally lots aren’t. Food shops, cinemas, hospitals, historic houses etc, etc as well as list I gave above of all thr outdoor places that don’t welcome dogs.
But then in most places there are so many gîtes that doesn’t matter that much?
Having just watched a dog narrowly escape being hit by a passing car…
I think it cannot be overemphasised that (in public) dogs should be kept under control on a lead and muzzled (depending on dog category). There are some areas where dogs can freely roam, but not everywhere.
and… please carry small bags in which to collect any poo which might be deposited “in public” whether on grass, pavement or wherever.
Err on the side of caution and you won’t go far wrong.
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Yes, I know this. My dogs are A-okay to bring in!
Haven’t even looked yet! But I will once I get there and am planning my first getaway. TY!
Those are the same requirements/courtesies in my community - and most in the US. 
Ah, you haven’t met our dogs! 
. Finding a gite that accepts 2 dogs (a few limit it to one dog) is merely the first step. Ours out-Houdini himself in terms of escapology, so we also need a ‘jardin clos’ to pen them in, which further cuts down available Gites. And some owners definitions of what is a jardin clos appear somewhat ‘optimistic’. Finally, if we’ve found a gite accepting 2 (small) dogs, with a genuine jardin clos, it also needs to be sufficiently far away from neighbours so they’re not irritated by our dogs habits of barking at every passing bird/postie/cat/dog, indeed anything remotely living.We are constantly embarrassed by our dogs and have no wish to annoy those within earshot of them. Apart from that it’s easy to find a suitable gite!
The culprits… fortunately they are very sweet with humans, don’t damage anything apart from chews, and butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths etc
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As the owner of a gîte with garden we thought was ‘clos’ until a family with dachshunds arrived we now have an extra board to place across gate for smaller dogs.
We have a fondness for Gîte de France (although aren"t with them as so expensive) but look more widely for our own holidays. There is choice even with 2.
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For travelling around France and Spain, we use Booking.com’s ‘pets allowed’ filter.
Beaches are possibly the most common ‘No dogs’ places.
French restaurants are far more tolerant of dogs than most countries and my wife’s very French poodle has even been given her own chair in some very smart Parisian establishments. Though that might possibly be breed specific!
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We stay in hotels (and pay extra usually €20- €30 per dog) for our two dogs. Some places even offer water bowls and foam mats. No difficulties anywhere we have wanted to visit. Car is fitted out for their comfort and safety and they seem quite happy with the journey.
Pretty much, if our dogs cannot go with us, we don’t go. 
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Occasionally put Issa our previous dog (a Maltese) in a kennel - found one with TV that she seemed to like, but wouldn’t dream of putting Gigi in a kennel - far too intelligent and sensitive.
OTOH used to put Tigra, our cat in a catterie, but partly through circumstance - he became increasingly difficult to catch, and partly through pragmatic recognition of his preferences, we now leave him at home. Friends come into check his food and water, and he’s free to spend his days roaming the cliffs behind the house and his nights sleeping on our bed without being hassled by a jealous Gigi.
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Seems you live in a very intelligent female household Mark
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