Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Camargue and Languedoc

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Beaches

Set commune by commune, often by named beach access. At Beauduc in the southern Camargue dogs can run free on the sand, and at Piémanson they're allowed on a lead but not in the supervised bathing zone in summer. Le Grau-du-Roi, L'Espiguette included, bans dogs from its beaches with no season given. At La Grande-Motte a small section of the Plage du Grand Travers at beach access 60 is open to dogs. Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Palavas and Carnon aren't confirmed, so check locally.

Sète and the Thau lagoon

The best dog beaches in the region. The Plage du Vassal between accesses 73 and 74 at Sète, the Plage des Aresquiers between accesses 34 and 40 at Frontignan, and the beach by the tambourin ground on the Chemin de l'Escouladou at Mèze are open to dogs all year. Other Sète and Frontignan beaches take dogs on a lead from 1 October to 31 May only, and Jalabert at Sète (entrances 62 to 65) is closed for nesting birds.

Roman sights

At the Pont du Gard dogs on a lead can walk the outdoor site, but not the museum, cinema, Ludo, bistro or restaurant, and not the guided visit along the canal on top. In Arles the museums and monuments take guide dogs only, so the arena and theatre are outside views. The Nîmes arena publishes nothing either way, so assume no until you've asked.

Camargue reserves

Dogs aren't allowed on the trails at La Capelière, the Domaine de la Palissade or the Marais du Vigueirat, which has free shaded kennels so you can leave the dog while you walk. They're also out at the Salin-de-Giraud saltworks and the Manade Fernay. They're tolerated on a lead at the Musée de la Camargue trail, the Domaine de Méjanes (trail and little train), the Manade Blanc, the Manade La Grand Ponche and the Maison du Riz.

Dogs in the restaurant

Only Domaine de Verchant (dogs up to 15 kg) and Horizon Resort Massane put dogs in the restaurant in writing. L'Estelle en Camargue keeps them out of the dining rooms, and Le Prose keeps them away from the restaurant and the pool. Everywhere else the restaurant, bar and breakfast room aren't published, so ask by name.

Fees

EUR 10 a day at Le Mas de Peint, EUR 15 at Grand Hôtel du Midi (or EUR 60 a week), the Entraigues and La Belle Vie. EUR 17 at Le Castellas. EUR 20 at the Remparts, L'Arlatan, the Grand Hôtel Dieu, Oceania Le Métropole, La Bégude Saint-Pierre and Horizon Resort Massane. EUR 25 at Soko and La Villa Mazarin, EUR 30 at Jardins Secrets and Les Arnelles, EUR 35 at L'Imperator. La Villa Vicha is EUR 20 for the whole stay. At Uzès and Castillon-du-Gard, La Maison d'Uzès and Le Vieux Castillon quote different figures in different places, so confirm.

Trains

On TGV INOUI and Intercités a small dog travels in a closed bag up to 45 x 30 x 25 cm, or a bigger dog on a lead and muzzled at your feet, both from EUR 10 per train, two animals per traveller at most. Book the dog's ticket with your own. Nîmes, Montpellier, Arles and Sète are all on the main line. Regional TER rules vary.

Heat, sandflies and vets

Summer heat is serious on the plain and in the Roman towns, so walk at the coolest hours and never leave a dog in the car. Ask your vet about sandfly (leishmaniasis) protection for the south of France before you go. In Arles, Univet Arles Les Remparts (04 90 96 64 06), the Clinique vétérinaire de Trinquetaille (04 90 49 55 83) and the Clinique vétérinaire des Alyscamps (04 90 96 02 00) are all listed by the tourist office.

Best walks

The outdoor Pont du Gard site and the Gardon banks, with trails into the Gorges du Gardon from Collias. The Vallée de l'Eure path from Uzès down to the Fontaine d'Eure. The path round the outside of the Aigues-Mortes ramparts and the salt-marsh lanes south of town. The Rhône quays in Arles. The Digue à la Mer sea-wall path east of Saintes-Maries between the lagoons and the sea, and the free-running beach at Beauduc. The Quai de la Fontaine up to the Jardins de la Fontaine in Nîmes, and the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle and Promenade du Peyrou in Montpellier. On the coast, the Pinède du Boucanet at Le Grau-du-Roi, the dog section of the Plage du Grand Travers at La Grande-Motte, and the Bois des Aresquiers and Lac de Saint-Farriol by the Thau lagoon.

When to go

Spring and autumn. From 1 October to 31 May the Sète and Frontignan beaches open to dogs on a lead, the Roman towns are walkable at any hour, and the marshes are quieter. July and August are hot enough on the plain and in Nîmes and Arles that walks need to happen early and late, and the marshes bring mosquitoes at dusk in the warm months.