Pet-friendly breaks - read about our experience booking & going on one!!

Over the summer, we have not booked any big holidays and instead decided to do short breaks in the UK that are pet-friendly.

Things we considered when booking the pet-friendly break….

1 they needed to be cheap – we are on a budget this year more than ever. Anyone with kids know how expensive they can be (it never seems to get any cheaper)

2 they needed to be family friendly – neither of us wanted a rowdy, boozy venue. We like it quiet and peaceful! Must be getting old 🙂

3 they needed to be pet-friendly (specifically dog-friendly). Some of the time when you say dog-friendly you only get offered the “bronze” type of accommodation that isn’t that nice. I wanted to find something nicer than that.

4 they needed to ideally be within 3 hours of where we live – if you are on a short break, you do not want to spend most of it in the car!

Where we looked to book

There are literally hundreds of websites now dedicated to pet-friendly holidays. The nicer ones were just out of our budget and some that were way out of our budget! (maybe one day!!) You can get some hotels that even organise a treat bag for your beloved pet!

So I joined a few Facebook groups. Even ones that didn’t have availability listed, I looked at their websites and contacted the owners just in case. There are some lovely little cottages, glamping and caravans available and some are very reasonable.

Where did we book

We went away to Somerset and stayed on a lovely caravan site, that is right on Berrow beach. We all (especially Luna) enjoyed it. It was quiet but had a lovely little cafe/bar on site. There were no noisy people and the whole site was very dog-friendly. This is the site we stayed on here

We have another break booked in for a couple of weeks time, this time a cottage in Wales. I will update you on that one when we have been.

Things to watch out for

A lot of the private sites ask for a bond or deposit of some kind; makes sense really as especially with a dog they can do damage very easily and they need a way to cover those costs. But you must bear this in mind when booking – it can be £100+ and not refundable until after they have inspected the accommodation after your stay.

As you are booking privately, it makes it difficult to check that the sites are legitimate. I made sure that the site had its own Facebook page and website and if possible paid by credit card (so you are covered by the card protection rules). On one of my bookings I paid by bank transfer but didn’t get confirmation of the booking back straight away. To say I had an uncomfortable day or so waiting to have it confirmed was an understatement!!

Check the rules for pets to make sure that your dog fits in. Some do not allow certain breeds. Many do not like you to leave pets alone unless crated etc. Luna is not a dangerous breed and we wouldn’t leave her alone anyway.

Taking a pet on holiday does mean that you cannot go for romantic meals or shop in shopping centres etc. We always managed to find places like Caffe Nero that allow you to bring dogs in, or we sat outside to eat.

Would I do it again

Definitely! We all enjoyed spending such good quality time with Luna – she loved having walks on the beach. She has little legs so was soooo tired but I would not have wanted to go without her. We are not in a position where we have anyone who could look after her for us and the kennels are just not an option!

I can’t wait for the next one 🙂

Here are a few pics of Weston Super Mare and Bath that we also visited whilst we were down there!