No dog likes to be left at home when its owners pack their cases and leave for a well-earned summer holiday. If you decide to take your pet with you, you need to keep that in mind whenchoosing your holiday accommodation: Where will my pet be welcome? Where will it be happy, even in unfamiliar surroundings? The experts at Fressnapf, the specialist pet store chain, give an overview:

Holiday homes and apartments As a dog owner, your best bet is to stay in a holiday home or apartment. Most people who travel with their pets choose this type of accommodation, which is often cheaper than staying in a hotel. Another advantage is that your pet can enjoy an untroubled trip. Ideal locations for dogs are a place in the countryside, or one with a garden or a large fenced plot of land. There are pet-friendly holiday homes on offer both in Germany and abroad. You can find useful information (in German) on the Fressnapf website at: http://www.fressnapf.de/service/urlaub-mit-haustier/.

Campsites
Camping is a dog-friendly activity: your mobile accommodation can quickly be turned into an environment in which your pet will feel comfortable. Campsites are located in the countryside, with attractive places for exercising dogs in the vicinity. According to the ADAC camping guide, you can expect your pet to be welcome at around 70% of European campsites during the peak holiday season. The ADAC guide (in German) is available in two volumes: one covering southern Europe and one covering Germany and northern Europe. They cost around € 17 and tell you which campsites welcome dogs. Please note: on some campsites dogs are allowed in camper vans and motor caravans, but not in tents.

Hotels and guesthouses
Travellers with dogs are often not welcome in hotels and guesthouses. Those that do welcome dogs are often the more expensive types of holiday accommodation and charge extra for pets. The surcharge can be as much as € 10 per day. Well-known European hotel guides, such as Michelin, use symbols to indicate whether a hotel or guesthouse welcomes dogs or not. A few hotels and guesthouses earn the rating ‘particularly pet-friendly’ - these are places that actually like people to bring dogs and where everything is designed fortheir wellbeing. The ‘Hotelführer für Zwei- und Vierbeiner’ by Maria Keck (price: around € 13) provides a very good overview for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France and Spain.

Holiday planner:
Find the accommodation you want quickly and easily
Unadulterated holiday fun for people and pets - brought to you by Fressnapf and its partner Novasol, the holiday home rental company. From the Fressnapf website you can choose your favourite holiday accommodation from 17,000 holiday homes in 16 European countries. And whether you want to go north or south, the homes on offer are all petfriendly - with no pet surcharges. You can book your accommodation directly online.

Click on the following link to go to the Fressnapf holiday planner:
http://www.fressnapf.de/service/urlaub-mit-haustier/.

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Pictures from this article:

Dogs in hotel Animal friendly holiday residences: when dogs are welcome in the holiday accommodation, the loveliest time of the year can begin for their little masters and mistresses. (Photos may only be reproduced with permission and in connection with editorial text. High-resolution photos can be requested from the Fressnapf press office.)