Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Marseille and Cassis

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Public transport

Dogs can't travel on the RTM metro, tram or bus network. Only small animals in a closed basket, bag or cage on your lap are carried, free of charge, plus guide and assistance dogs on a lead. A medium or large dog means walking, taxis or a hire car. The Frioul ferry publishes nothing about animals, so ring the Gare Maritime before planning an island day.

Calanques National Park

In the park core dogs must be on a lead and are banned from the beaches. The park can close specific natural zones to dog walking, and the full list isn't published in a form we could read, so treat it as lead on the paths, never on the sand or in the water. The Frioul islands are inside the park and the same applies there. The whole massif closes to walkers on high fire-risk days in summer, so check the daily access colour first.

Beaches

The city's general rule is no dogs on the beaches, in the parks or in the gardens. There are published exceptions, and the stretch at Vieille Chapelle appears to be one, but the exact beaches and dates haven't been confirmed, so don't promise the dog a swim. At Cassis, assume no dogs on the sand at Port-Miou, Port-Pin or En-Vau under the national park rule.

Parks and walks

The tourist office's own dog list is a good one. Parc Pastré in the 8e, lead required in the lower part and off-lead allowed past the open canal, with shade. The pine path along the Canal de Marseille by the Roy d'Espagne residence. The Canal de Saint-Julien promenade in the 12e. Parc de la Moline, which has a 3,000 square metre dog exercise area. And the Huveaune trail from the David statue to the Palais des Sports at Sainte-Marguerite.

Trains from Paris

On SNCF a small animal travels in a bag or basket on your lap or at your feet. A dog on a lead must be muzzled for the whole journey and travel at your feet. Both pay a flat fare from EUR 10 per train, maximum two animals per traveller. There's no weight threshold on domestic TGV INOUI, only the container rule.

Cassis

No Cassis hotel has made the list yet, because none of the ones checked publishes dog terms you could rely on. The Cassis tourist office says nothing about dogs on its beach page and the Calanques boat operators set their own rules, so ask before booking a boat trip. The national park rule keeps dogs off the sand at the calanques.

Heat and shade

The Frioul islands have almost no shade, so go morning or evening in summer. The tourist office's own advice is that a dog in the Calanques needs stamina and plenty of water carried, and the paths are rock and scrub with little cover.

Fees

EUR 20 per animal at La Résidence du Vieux Port, per night or per stay not stated. EUR 35 per night per pet at NH Collection. EUR 55 per stay at the InterContinental. Guide dogs stay free at NH Collection.

Best walks

The Corniche Kennedy seafront from the Vieux-Port towards the Prado, the loop of the Vieux-Port quays and up through Le Panier to the Place des Moulins, the MuCEM esplanade and Fort Saint-Jean, the Parc du Pharo above the harbour mouth, Parc Pastré and the Canal de Marseille pine path in the 8e, the Canal de Saint-Julien promenade and the Huveaune trail to Sainte-Marguerite, and the Calanques paths on a lead on days the massif is open.

When to go

Spring and autumn, roughly April to June and September to October, for the Calanques and the Corniche without the heat. July and August bring fire-risk closures of the whole massif on the worst days, no shade on Frioul and beaches that are closed to dogs in any case. Winter is quiet and the city's hotels stay open, and the Corniche and the parks are at their best for a dog then.