Feeling the pinch of the cost of living and working out how to cut back costs for 2023? In pressing times it’s easy to let the idea of a much-needed getaway go. However, if you heed our handy tips and be a little more imaginative about where – and when – you go away, a dog-friendly holiday in the UK doesn’t need to break the bank. Here are six ways to book a great value staycation with your dog.
1. Travel Outside of Peak Holiday Season
Bank Holiday weekends and school holidays are the busiest and most expensive times to travel – not to mention the traffic jams to get to your destination when everyone’s fighting for a getaway. So can you re-jig your holiday dates and be more imaginative about when you travel?
Outside of peak season you’ll find accommodation at a much better rate, along with much more availability and variety to choose from. Not only will you and the pooch also enjoy a stress-free journey to get there, when you arrive you’ll find much quieter natural playgrounds for those waggy-tailed walks and it’ll be much easier to bag a table at paw-friendly eateries.
2. Swap Popular Destinations for Somewhere Closer You’ve Never Been
When you think of going on a dog-friendly holiday in the UK, everyone makes a beeline for the most popular destinations, such as the Lake District, Cornwall and the New Forest. Yet in just three hours from London you can be on the stunning coastline of lesser-know Lincolnshire or – even closer to the Capital – deep in the countryside of Rutland or Bedfordshire. How about a romantic cottage with an inglenook fireplace in Bedfordshire, or a woodland retreat in Essex – both just 90 minutes from London?
Wherever you live in the UK, there’s a perfect pooch-friendly holiday destination closer to home than you think. And not only will you find better value accommodation in these less popular destinations, you’ll also save money and time getting there, and discover somewhere new on your doorstep. You can easily find nearby destinations using our clever ‘Maximum Driving Time’ search tool, which will only select properties as far away as you want to travel.
3. Book a Cottage Off The Beaten Track
While it’s bliss to pad straight from bed onto the sand, or dawdle directly out the door for a dog walk in the woods, you pay a premium for accommodation that’s close to the beach, the coast path or hiking trails – especially when you’ve got easy access to cosy country pubs and other facilities. So why not seek out a more remote cottage where you need to walk a little further to paws for a pint, reach the beach or get into the heart of the hills? Your dog will definitely enjoy the extra walkies time and you’ll more than appreciate the lower cost of your paw-friendly pad.
For example, you could bag a luxury cottage for two close to the beach in Blakeney for £1,704 for a week in May, or head 20 minutes inland to the small Norfolk town of Fakenham and stay in a contemporary hayloft for two during the same week in May for £605, making a whopping saving of over £1,000.
4. Book Your Holiday in a Better Value Destination
When you’re choosing which dog-friendly destination to head to this year, consider how much you’ll spend on holiday while you’re there. According to the consumer body Which?, one of the best value holiday destinations is North Wales, where Llandudno rates as the UK’s best budget seaside town, and the cost of living is slightly lower than in South Wales (numbeo).
Other beach locations where you’ll find your pound stretches further on holiday include the former fishing town of Filey and historical Scarborough on the Yorkshire coast, from where you’ve got the North York Moors National Park on the doorstep. Or further north try the serene Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland, close to the paw-friendly playground of Kielder Forest Park.
5. Choose a Destination Where There are Plenty of Free Things to Do
Holidays with the dog are all about getting outside, walking for miles and immersing yourself in the natural environment. So make sure you choose a destination where you’re going to spend most of your time striking out on coastal and forest trails, roaming the countryside or padding barefoot along the beach. Destinations such as the Lake District (pictured above), Anglesey and Norfolk, spring to mind.
While it can be a treat to paws in pooch-friendly pubs and restaurants, avoid the trappings of destinations rich with paid-for attractions that allow dogs to enter – not only will your hound have a better time in the freedom of the Great Outdoors, your pocket will feel the relief too.
6. Use Our Budget Filter to Find a Holiday That Fits Your Pocket
While we’re all tightening the purse strings to cover the rising cost of living, everyone has a different holiday budget. Once you’ve selected the dates and location of your holiday on our search tool, you can refine your search results to be specific to how much you’ve got to spend by using our ‘Budget’ filter.
And if you don’t have specific holiday dates, you can use our ‘Broad Date’ search tool to pick out the best value breaks in your date range. All this will help you bag the best dog-friendly accommodation to suit your budget.
Search Our Collection Of Cottages To Find The Best Value Dog-Friendly Retreat
Use our handy search tools to find the perfect pooch-friendly holiday cottage to suit your budget, and check out our related blog to find out how to save more money once you’re on holiday with your dog.
