Good areas for walking with dogs?

[hilary_374322063]

We are planning on taking our dogs to France next year & would like to know of any good walking areas where they would be welcome. I notice some of the French National Parks do not allow dogs. Any suggestions appreciated.

 

[ValA.]

I recommended the Gorges du Tarn area last year to someone taking their dog for a first French holiday. They stayed at a site in Riviere sur Tarn called Les Peupliers, again on my recommendation. She really enjoyed the area and the site, and found it all very dog-friendly almost everywhere in France.

 

[Queenie1]

We spent six weeks in France with our dogs earlier this year and we were welcomed with them everywhere and did some great walking. We stayed in the Morvan National Park, the Alps, the Gorges du Tarn, Limousin, Loire and Normandy. The Alps were a highlight, walking with them up into the mountains and into the most beautiful alpine valleys. Keep them on a lead though - there are mountain dogs protecting sheep up there who won't appreciate another dog on their territory and there are wolves in some areas and local dogs off the lead have come a cropper.

The Gorges du Tarn (as Val has recommended) also had fabulous walking although it was in the early thirties temperature wise so too hot for us to do too much with them. Beautiful up on the plains above the Gorges as well where it's high, flat and remote.

We were welcomed wherever we went with the dogs whether we were in towns or out in the countryside. The French tend to be very easy going with regard to dogs although I would warn you that their beaches are under the strict controls that ours are during May to September.

The only places we found ourselves excluded with the dogs (other than some beaches) were nature reserves - again, just as here in the UK.

There are tourist information offices in every town and, if you ask at the desk, they will be able to provide you with booklets of local walks of varying length and difficulty. These are often not on the shelves so you do need to ask for them. They obviously have maps similar to our OS maps too for you to make up your own walks. Their signposting of footpaths etc is generally good.

We had a great time and wouldn't hesitate going again with them.

 

[hilary_374322063]

We spent six weeks in France with our dogs earlier this year and we were welcomed with them everywhere and did some great walking. We stayed in the Morvan National Park, the Alps, the Gorges du Tarn, Limousin, Loire and Normandy. The Alps were a highlight, walking with them up into the mountains and into the most beautiful alpine valleys. Keep them on a lead though - there are mountain dogs protecting sheep up there who won't appreciate another dog on their territory and there are wolves in some areas and local dogs off the lead have come a cropper.

The Gorges du Tarn (as Val has recommended) also had fabulous walking although it was in the early thirties temperature wise so too hot for us to do too much with them. Beautiful up on the plains above the Gorges as well where it's high, flat and remote.

We were welcomed wherever we went with the dogs whether we were in towns or out in the countryside. The French tend to be very easy going with regard to dogs although I would warn you that their beaches are under the strict controls that ours are during May to September.

The only places we found ourselves excluded with the dogs (other than some beaches) were nature reserves - again, just as here in the UK.

There are tourist information offices in every town and, if you ask at the desk, they will be able to provide you with booklets of local walks of varying length and difficulty. These are often not on the shelves so you do need to ask for them. They obviously have maps similar to our OS maps too for you to make up your own walks. Their signposting of footpaths etc is generally good.

We had a great time and wouldn't hesitate going again with them.

Thanks for the replies, found them very helpful.