Top UK dog-friendly travel trends for 2024
Find your dog-friendly holiday cottage
Date published: 6 Dec 2024
We’ve sniffed out the top trends for dog-friendly holidays in 2024 and 2025, based on our booking data. Happy howlidays!
1. Devon is the most dog-friendly destination of 2024
According to our bookings, a whole lot of you are heading to Devon for your doggy-cations. We reckon it’s the scenic walks, wide-open beaches and charming harbour towns that do it. Plus, you’ve got not one, but two national parks for long dog walks, Dartmoor and Exmoor. We’ve put together plenty of guides to our fave dog-friendly places in Devon – from the best dog-friendly pubs to nine dog-friendly walks.
But it’s not the only place pet parents headed this year. Take a look at our top 10 destinations for a dog-friendly holiday in 2024:
Train travel
All aboard – because lots of pet parents are heading off on holiday by train. It makes sense. You can rarely fly with your pup, so train travel’s having a renaissance. Plus, there’s more of an appetite for slowing down and a leisurely train journey’s the way to do it. You can still reach plenty of rural destinations, without getting stuck in the holiday traffic. Win, win.
3. Quietcations
More of us than ever are wanting to get back to nature and switch off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Well, you can filter our dog-friendly cottages by ‘secluded’ to find the paw-fect quiet retreat for you and your pooch. In 2024, our log cabins and shepherd’s huts in the middle of nowhere were a real hit. Plenty of them come with secure dog-friendly gardens, of course. If it’s something sleepy and secluded you’re after, take a look at our remote dog-friendly cottages.
4. Eating local
So it turns out taking your four-legged friend for some food was a top priority for pup parents in 2024. No, we don’t mean kibble and meaty cubes, we mean local specialties for us humans. And dogs are being welcomed with open arms – and sometimes a sausage or two – to pubs and restaurants all over the UK. So owners can try traditional Cornish pasties, Haggis and meat-stuffed pies, without having to leave their pups behind. We’ve done all the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best dog-friendly establishments around. Whether you’re looking for dog-friendly pubs in Norfolk and Dorset, or places to eat in the Lake District or Cornwall.
Holidaymakers are also making the most of foodie festivals, plenty of which allow dogs on leads to join in the fun. Our favourites include the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival at Holkham Hall, the Muncaster Sausage Festival in the Lake District and Newquay’s Cornwall Street Food Festival. But there are plenty of others to choose from.
5. Multi-generational
Dog owners aren’t just wanting to bring the immediate family on holiday. In 2024, we had more multi-generational breaks on our books. We’re talking parents, kids, pets and grandparents. Luckily, we’ve got dog-friendly homes that sleep up to 20, everywhere from Kent to Cumbria. So, why not make memories with the whole family? The more the merrier, we say!
Where are you looking to head on your next dog-friendly holiday? Wanting a cottage big enough for the whole family – humans and hounds? Or, are you looking to drop off the radar somewhere cosy and quiet? We’ve got a dog-friendly cottage for every occasion.
Meet the author
Annabel JacksonAnnabel loves exploring new parts of the UK with her family, including French bulldog, Albie. They’re regular visitors to North Wales and Norfolk, but have also made some paw-some memories in the Peak District, Cotswolds, Highlands and Cornwall.
