It’s never easy placing your furry friends in the kennels while you go for a break, especially when they give you those puppy dog eyes. As specialist providers of motorhome insurance, we bring you our top 5 dog-friendly holiday destinations, with plenty of dog-friendly activities and campsites, so take our lead and save a seat for man’s best friend.
1. Cornwall
The beautiful location of Cornwall is sure to take your canine to cloud 9 with over 65 dog-friendly beaches. The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Trengwainton Garden, Pinetum Gardens and Trebah Garden offer peaceful strolls for the seasoned pooch. Whereas the Minack Theatre, Tintagel Castle and Land’s End offer brisk walks with breathtaking coastal views.
If the great outdoors isn’t your thing, then there’s plenty of indoor activities that’ll be sure to take your fancy. The Bodmin and Wenford Railway offers a nostalgic 13-mile steam train ride with beautiful views and the nearby Bodmin Jail offers fantastic heritage tours and creamy Cornish tea and only a 30-minute drive from Tregurrian Club Campsite.
2. Snowdonia
It’s said to be the inspiration for JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and you can definitely see why. The park’s home to 9 mountain ranges, rare wildlife and 1497 miles of footpaths, so there’s plenty of walks, with the Cwm Idwal and Llyn Ogwen Circular walk perfect for dog walking. The most popular mountain is Snowdon and on clear days you can see fantastic views as far as Ireland. The Sygun Copper Mines offer an eerie and scintillating tour of the rich industrial past, and the nearby village of Bedgellert reveals the mythical legend of the noble hound, Gelert.
Llanberis Lake Railway is also a popular attraction and takes you past more attractions such as Cei Lleydan, The National Slate Museum and Quarry Hospital. Just outside of Snowdonia, Greenwood Forest Park is a great day out for the kids and Llandudno offers a fantastic Victorian seaside resort.
3. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
The rugged landscapes and free-flowing rivers of this national park are sure to get that tail wagging. This gem of Scotland has 21 mountains over 3000 ft with Ben Lui and Ben Lomond the more relaxed. The park offers a plethora of beautiful lochs that will be adored by your furry friends, so don’t forget a towel. The Sir Walter Scott Steamship offers fantastic boat tours along Loch Katrine charging £1.00 per dog. If you enjoy the informative boat tour, you’ll love the Inveraray Jail which showcases what life was like for prisoners in the 19th century. After a tiring day, it’s always nice to kick back with a beer, well now your dog can too! The Fyne Ales brewery tour is a fantastic day out and has dog beer for sale, so you can really share a pint with man’s best friend. Check out our Campsite Finder for a place to stay.
4. Yorkshire Dales
Take your Yorkshire Terrier on an ancestral heritage tour to the beautiful Yorkshire Countryside. Aysgarth Falls, Malham Cove, Hadrow Falls and Penhill are the more popular attractions and offer some spectacular scenery for you to enjoy on the abundance of trails available. There are also plenty of tourist attractions for you to enjoy too, The Himalayan Gardens and Sculpture Park are considered by most a botanical masterpiece and Bolton Abbey is a marvellous historic spectacle that’s very popular too. If you’re tired of walking, you can enjoy the breath-taking scenery from the famous film; The Railway Children on the Worth Valley Steam Railway. We’d recommend Upwood Holiday Park for a place to stay.
5. Cotswolds
With stunning panoramic landscapes, this is a pooch’s paradise and the perfect family getaway. Pups will love the vast walks of Croome Park and The Leckhampton Loop with plenty of sights to see on the way. The Broadway Tower and Tewkesbury Abbey are cultural must-see’s and if you’re feeling peckish, The Boathouse Café is a beautifully tranquil place to refuel. If you’re looking to enjoy the scenery from the indoors then The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is the perfect place to do it. The Cotswolds also has plenty of slow and tranquil locations for the seasoned pooch to enjoy, Cotswold Lavender, showcases a lavishly lilac sight and The Cotswold Wildlife Park is also a must-see with over 260 species across 160 acres of stunning gardens.
Do you have any dog-friendly holidays you go to? Let us know on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
