A holiday in Département Nord
When you travel to Calais
This year we went on a holiday with Ollie to the north of France in the Dunkerque and Calais area. Naturally we wanted to take him to the beach so he could have a swim in the sea, Ollie loves water. Before we went on our trip we looked on the internet to find out if Ollie was allowed to run free and this is what we found.
“The beach at Bray-Dunes and Leffrinckoucke are dog-friendly and dogs are allowed on all Bray-Dunes beaches outside the school holidays. During the holidays, pets are only allowed on the beach at Dune Marchand and Le Perroquet. In Hardelot, dogs are allowed on the beaches, outside the supervised area and in the areas to the north (mouth of the Becque) and south of the town (next to the harbour).”
Beforehand we were told you could take your dog to most beaches outside holiday season, albeit on a lead. You can imagine our disappointment that when we arrived none of it was true, at least not in Calais, Gravelines and Dunkerque (fair enough, we have yet to check the Bray-Dunes beach).
Why is that I hear you ask?
Because the French have a habit of changing the rules every once in a while and the information above in red was written in 2021. Everywhere we went there were signs to tell us dogs were not allowed (running free or on a lead).
Now, we were a bit rebellious and we tried it as you can see but our better judgement told us to move back to the boulevard after a few minutes as we saw police coming to the beach and we didn’t want to risk a fine.
Check before you leave
So before heading to the beach in the north of France, it’s best to check that it is accessible to your four-legged companions. You may want to send an e-mail in French to La Voix du Nord (the voice of the north) lavoixvousrepond@lavoixdunord.fr (use Google Translate or DeepL), in order to find out where to take your dog to the beach.
What are the rules in France?
Keep your dog on a lead – that’s the number 1 rule in France (except in designated areas), otherwise you risk an €11 fine (about £9.30). Carry a plastic bag to dispose of dog faeces, if you don’t, you risk a fine, the amount of which is set by each municipality. In most place in France, the fine for walking your dog without a poopie bag is €135 (about £114.50).
Worth taking the risk outside holiday season?
We took Ollie for a run around on the beach in Petite Fort Philippe in June. No one was around, no police in sight and Ollie had a blast!
P.S. Whenever we sat down at a restaurant’s terrace for a meal, Ollie was offered a bowl of water and the waiter was very kind to him. They love dogs in France. Except not at the beach.
This is me, Leendert. I am a bit old-fashioned and like things that have been, for example old English series on TV like All Creatures Great And Small, mechanical watches and clocks, bifocal glasses and old vinyl records. I don’t like modern things and regularly work on a vintage model railway. I am Eccentric, you can probably find me in the kitchen at parties. And I’m a Dog Lover now.
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