A trip with my dog to Paris, France

This March, I took a trip with my dog to Paris in France. This trip was a little different than most, so this article will be too.

We stayed with friends during this trip (thank you again for everything!), so unfortunately I can’t recommend you a place to stay with your dog in Paris. To make up for that, I will have both a vet and multiple dog-friendly restaurant recommendations for you.

If you’re wondering why I would have a vet recommendation in Paris for you, well, read on!

WHERE TO TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE VET IN PARIS

Let me start by saying: I hope you won’t have to take your dog to the vet while visiting Paris. But if you do, I can wholeheartedly recommend this veterinary clinic.

During our trip to Paris, my dog unfortunately hurt her paw and we had to take her to the vet right away. I will spare you the gory details, but this clinic really came through for us.

Even though it was a Saturday and we of course did not have an appointment, they were able to see us right away.

The doctor was very kind and thorough and fashioned my pupper with a very Paris-chique bandage. I can only recommend this clinic should you ever need a vet for your pet in Paris.

HOW TO GET AROUND IN PARIS WITH YOUR DOG

Given the unfortunate paw-tergate incident, we had to get a little creative during our trip to Paris. That’s why the first thing that we did was to buy a pram for our pupper.

We got super lucky and found one at a flea market on the Avenue Jean Moulin. Can you believe that we got it for just 10 euros? Truly a trip-saver.

After getting some wheels under the pup, we went off to take the Paris metro. Dogs are allowed if they are in carrier bags or muzzled, and we decided that a pram is basically a sort of carrier bag, so off we went.

Should you try to re-enact our adventure, please do be aware that a pram will NOT fit through the normal metro entry gates. You do need to choose a larger entry gate unless you want to play pram-tetris with the turnstile. And yes, I do speak from experience.

Personal anecdotes aside, I do highly recommend using public transport with your pup in Paris instead of driving around by car. Traffic is very intense and can feel chaotic if you aren’t used to it. Parking is also hard to find and paid in most places.

The metro meanwhile is both frequent and affordable and as mentioned, your dog is welcome if they are in a carrier or muzzled. Best of all: Dogs travel free of charge!

WHAT TO DO IN PARIS WITH YOUR DOG

Oh là là. So many options to choose from! We definitely took the “tourist route” with our dog in Paris, starting at the world famous Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel).

It is named after its designer Gustave Eiffel and was originally built for the 1889 Paris Exposition. Today, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage.

Understandably, dogs are not allowed in the tower itself, but seeing it from outside is definitely worthwhile. Even today, it is an impressive feat of engineering.

Did you know that the tower was originally used as a scientific laboratory? In this spirit, the names of 72 French scientists were inscribed on the four sides of the Eiffel tower. All of them are men, so maybe the list is due an upgrade.

From the Eiffel tower, we walked along the Seine river until the Pont Alexandre III bridge where we crossed over to marvel at the Grand and the Petit Palais. Thankfully, my dog took the idea of being in a pram in stride.

After sneaking a peak at the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, we continued down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées towards Place de la Concorde where the guillotine executions of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI took place during the French Revolution. It also features the so-called Luxor Obelisk, which was transported to Paris from Egypt in the 1830s.

Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the main part of the Tuileries Garden (Jardín des Tuileries), but we continued along there towards the final destination of our walking / pram tour of Paris: The Louvre museum.

There are so many highlights along this route that it is impossible to name all of them. You will have to go and see for yourself!

WHERE TO EAT WITH YOUR DOG IN PARIS

During our trip, we went to a couple of nice and affordable restaurants that were also dog-friendly.

In the heart of Paris, right at the Pont Neuf (a misnomer, as the “new bridge” is actually the oldest original bridge of Paris), I can recommend the vietnamese restaurant Ha Noi 1988.

We had delicious pho, rice and noodle dishes as well as ginger tea for a very good price in a perfect location. I did not take a picture of the food (sorry!) but you can see that my dog was very comfortable here.

If you are looking to come in the evening, do make a reservation ahead of time through their website. The restaurant is very popular and multiple potential guests were turned away as they were full.

If you happen to be looking for a good restaurant in the 14th Arrondissement (maybe after a visit to the Paris Catacombs?), look no further than the Tibetan restaurant Sonam.

The owner is super kind and has a dog as well, and the food was delicious. Both the noodles and the momo soup were excellent.

They also offer very funky imported drinks – if you are feeling adventurous, give one a go!

HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD YOU SPEND IN PARIS WITH YOUR DOG?

We spent around three days in Paris, including our visit to the park of Versailles. We had an absolutely fabulous time, but we could easily have spent another few days here.

The centre of Paris is very walkable and there are lots of green spaces to enjoy with your pup. To give you an idea, the walking tour described above took us around 3 hours with a stop at a café in between.

There are of course also some main sights that aren’t dog friendly but still totally worth seeing, such as the Paris Catacombs or the many different museums.

Overall, I think a week in Paris would be a good amount of time to enjoy the city without feeling stressed. We hope to come back some day and see more of it for sure!

BONUS TIP:

Paris is absolutely beautiful by night. I highly recommend you to visit the central parts both during the day and again after sunset for a completely different vibe. Most of the sights are lit up and it is absolutely worth seeing.

THE BOTTOM LINE

I was initially hesitant to take my pupper to Paris, but I needn’t have been. We found the city to be very dog friendly, easy to get around and totally worth a visit. If you’re thinking about taking a trip with your dog to Paris, go for it. You won’t regret it!