Visiting Brittany with a dog

The question is not whether Brittany accepts dogs, but where and when. The rule fits in one sentence: dog access to beaches falls under the mayor’s police powers, granted by article L.2212-3 of the French local authorities code, and is therefore decided municipality by municipality. There is no national rule, no Breton rule, not even a departmental one: what a sign says in Dinard means nothing two kilometres away.

Out of season, most bylaws no longer apply: it is the best time for a stay with a dog, and incidentally the time when the coast is at its most beautiful. The sand belongs to everyone in November. The rest of the year, choosing the wrong beach costs a first class fine, most often 38 euros.

The places that really suit

Two hundred and sixty seven places in our guide have a score out of ten for this criterion, which takes into account space, crowds and what local regulations say. They are mainly beaches and villages, the places where the question really arises. Here are the highest rated, one municipality per line.

Walking rather than swimming

The customs officers’ path, the GR 34, follows the coast from Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire for more than two thousand kilometres, making it the longest long distance trail in France. It can be walked with a dog on a lead all year round: the best answer to a summer when the beaches close, since you walk above them.

Two kinds of reserve are worth knowing about: dogs are banned, even on a lead, in the nature reserves where coastal birds nest, and the ban is permanent. It is signposted at the entrance, and there is a reason for it: a dog running on a dune makes a whole colony take flight.

Where to stay

Campsites are the most welcoming, often for a few euros a night, and many say so in their rating. Hotels vary: ask before booking, as “pets accepted” sometimes covers a single ground floor room.