The Ultimate Guide to Finding Dog-Friendly Accommodation
Travelling with your dog opens up a whole world of adventures. But let’s be honest – finding dog-friendly accommodation that genuinely welcomes dogs (rather than just tolerating them) can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The good news is that more and more places are recognising that pet parents refuse to leave their four-legged family members behind. There’s now a growing number of truly dog-friendly options that cater to both human and canine comfort.
Gone are the days when “pet-friendly” meant a grudging acceptance and a hefty cleaning fee. Today’s best dog-welcoming accommodations provide water bowls, treat jars, and sometimes even doggy room service menus.
The key to successful dog travel lies in thorough research and preparation, ensuring that both you and your pup will feel genuinely welcome rather than like you’re sneaking contraband into your room. Whether you’re planning a weekend getaway or an extended road trip, this is our ultimate guide to finding dog-friendly accommodation.
Is Your Dog Ready to Travel?
Before you start browsing accommodation websites and planning that epic road trip, take an honest assessment of your dog’s travel readiness and temperament in new environments.
Some dogs are natural adventurers who adapt quickly to new spaces and love car rides, while others might need gradual exposure to travel conditions before they’re ready for a holiday that’s actually enjoyable for everyone involved. Consider your pup’s comfort level with car journeys, their ability to settle in unfamiliar spaces, and how they typically react to new sights, sounds, and smells that come with travel destinations.
If your dog gets anxious in cars or struggles with new environments, it’s worth investing time in short practice trips and positive conditioning before committing to longer holidays where stress could ruin the experience for both of you. Remember, a dog who’s genuinely ready to travel will not only enjoy the adventure more but will also be a better guest at whatever accommodation you choose, making future bookings easier and more welcome.
Dog-Friendly Accommodation Options
Here’s a breakdown of the different options you have when it comes to choosing somewhere to stay on holiday with your dog.
Stay With Friends
Staying with friends who love dogs can provide the most relaxed and cost-effective accommodation option. This option works particularly well for dogs who are social and comfortable with people they’ve met before, plus it gives you built-in dog-sitters if you want to explore attractions that aren’t pet-friendly during your trip.
The key to successful friend-stays is clear communication beforehand about house rules, feeding schedules, and any potential issues like resource guarding or excessive barking that might affect household harmony.
Many dog-loving friends genuinely enjoy hosting furry visitors, especially if your dog gets along well with their pets or provides entertainment for children in the household. Just remember to bring your dog’s own bedding, toys, and food to maintain familiar routines, and always offer to help with any additional cleaning or contribute to household expenses.
Camping and Campervans
Camping and campervan adventures offer ultimate flexibility for dog travel, where your accommodation moves with you and your pup always has familiar sleeping arrangements. With immediate access to outdoor space for exercise and bathroom breaks, it’s an ideal option if you’re an outdoorsy traveller.
Most campsites welcome well-behaved dogs, and the outdoor lifestyle suits active breeds perfectly, providing endless opportunities for hiking, swimming, and exploring new environments together. Campervans are particularly brilliant for dog travel because they eliminate the stress of finding pet-friendly accommodation each night while ensuring your dog always has a consistent, secure space that smells like home.
The camping community tends to be very dog-friendly, and you’ll often find fellow travellers happy to share recommendations for dog-friendly trails, beaches, and local attractions. Just ensure your dog is comfortable sleeping in confined spaces and won’t bark excessively at night sounds that might disturb neighbouring campers.
Holiday Rentals
Holiday rentals often provide the most dog-friendly accommodation experience because you’re renting entire properties rather than just rooms, giving your dog space to spread out and feel at home while providing you with amenities like kitchens and washing machines that make longer stays more practical.
Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have extensive filtering options for pet-friendly properties, though it’s always worth messaging hosts directly to confirm their specific pet policies and any restrictions on size, breed, or number of dogs. Many holiday rental owners are dog parents themselves and genuinely welcome furry guests, sometimes providing extras like dog beds, toys, or information about local dog-friendly attractions and services.
From convenient dog-friendly cottages in Blackpool to large holiday homes with space for multiple dogs in the Lake District, more and more rental properties are becoming open to having pets as guests. Always read reviews from other pet owners and look for properties that explicitly mention dog amenities rather than just stating “pets allowed,” as this usually indicates hosts who truly understand and cater to travelling dogs.
Holiday Homes
Buying your own holiday home represents the ultimate investment in stress-free dog travel, creating a familiar destination where your dog can truly relax and where you never have to worry about pet policies, additional fees, or whether you’ll be genuinely welcome. This option works particularly well for people who like to return to the same area regularly, allowing your dog to build familiarity with local walking routes, beaches, and even make friends with neighbouring dogs who might also be regular visitors.
Owning a holiday property means you can dog-proof the space properly, install secure fencing if needed, and keep dog supplies permanently on-site so you’re not constantly packing and unpacking travel gear. The financial investment is significant, and when you’re looking at luxury lodges for sale in the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria, Cornwall or the Peak District, you might have to be smart about your budget. But for dedicated dog travellers, the long-term savings on accommodation costs, plus the peace of mind that comes with knowing your destination is completely dog-friendly, often justifies the expense.
Finding Dog-Friendly Accommodation
The best recommendations for genuinely dog-friendly accommodation often come from friends, family, and fellow dog owners who’ve actually stayed at properties with their pets and can provide honest feedback about the experience. Don’t just ask if a place accepts dogs – dig deeper to find out about things like garden access, nearby walking areas, how welcome dogs actually felt, and whether staff seemed genuinely happy to accommodate furry guests.
Specialised dog-friendly accommodation websites focus specifically on properties that actively cater to travelling dogs, often featuring detailed information about amenities, local dog services, and nearby attractions that welcome pets. Travel blogs written by dog owners (like this one!) provide invaluable real-world insights about accommodation experiences, including photos that show actual dog amenities and honest reviews about how pet-friendly places really are in practice.
Social media groups for dog travellers in specific regions can also be goldmines of current information, where fellow dog parents share recent experiences and warn about places that might have changed their pet policies or standards.
Plan Holidays with Your Dogs
The secret to successful dog-friendly holidays lies in treating accommodation as just the foundation of a trip that prioritises your dog’s needs and comfort alongside your own travel goals. Start planning with your dog’s requirements in mind – their exercise needs, feeding schedule, and temperament – then build your itinerary around accommodations and activities that genuinely welcome four-legged family members.
Remember that the best dog-friendly accommodation isn’t necessarily the most expensive; it’s the place where both you and your dog feel genuinely welcomed and can relax together.