Getting Around La Rochelle with a Dog

La Rochelle is flat, compact and famously bike-friendly, the city that pioneered free public bicycles in the 1970s, so a dog and a slow walk will cover most of the centre, the Vieux Port, the market and the parks with ease. For longer hops, the Yélo network runs the city buses plus the sea-buses (bus de mer) that cross the harbour to the Minimes marina and the passenger ferries to the nearby islands. Small dogs in a carrier travel free on Yélo buses; larger dogs are admitted at the driver's discretion and should be leashed and muzzled. The sea-bus is an easy, scenic way to reach the Minimes with a dog. The SNCF station puts La Rochelle 2h30 from Paris by TGV: dogs under 6kg ride free in a carrier, larger dogs need a half-price ticket and a muzzle on regional services. The Île de Ré is ten minutes away across the bridge, and the island and its cycle paths are a superb dog day-trip.