One in four (28 percent) dog owners in the UK won’t go on holiday without their four-legged friend, with a fifth (20 percent) flatly refusing to leave their pooch at home.
In fact, 59 per cent of the 2,000 dog owners polled by London North Eastern Railway (LNER), admit they will be staycationing this year, so they can take their beloved animal away too, while one in ten (11 per cent) will be taking their canine abroad with them.
Half of those questioned (52 per cent) say they would be overwhelmed with guilt if they had to leave their dog at home, with a further one in three (32 per cent) admitting they would spend most of the time daydreaming about them.
One in five (19 per cent) would pine for their pup, while a sixth (14 per cent) would be devastated waving goodbye to their dog.
According to the nation’s dog owners, the best place in the UK for a doggy-holiday is Cornwall (14 per cent) thanks to its 220 plus dog-friendly beaches.
Also featuring in the list are the Yorkshire Dales with its 380 official walking trails, the Scottish Highlands and its spectacular beaches, stunning walks across the Scottish Borders, the 30 miles of barely trodden beaches of the Northumberland coast and the country’s capital London, all of which feature on the LNER route.
Claire Ansley, Customer Experience and People Director for LNER, which commissioned the study said: “We’re delighted so many of our destinations are among the top spots chosen by dog owners. There are plenty of great places to explore. It comes as no surprise to us that travelling with pets is so popular.
Every day we see animals – not just dogs – join our services with their owners to be transported on a leisure trip to many of our destinations. Our stations and trains are pet friendly with water laid down for pets travelling and many of our colleagues love welcoming pets onboard.
And for those looking for inspiration and to plan ahead, LNER has extended its booking horizon right across the summer period and further ahead into Autumn making it easier for those wishing to enjoy a memory-making trip.”
The survey found four in ten (46 per cent) agree that having their pooch on holiday makes it better, with 38 percent admitting they would rather go on holiday with their pet, than their partner.
A third (35 per cent) would happily spend an extra £178 if it meant taking their dog away with them.
Two thirds (59 per cent) pooch parents’ factor in their pet when planning a break by hunting out dog friendly locations to visit, hotels that accept dogs (51 per cent), beaches for a long walk (48 per cent) and cafes (45 per cent) and restaurants (42 per cent) that come complete with doggie treats.
A third (38 per cent) look for places that have canine friendly travel options, with one in four (28 per cent) hunting out good walking and hiking trails.
44 per cent would refuse to stay at a hotel – even if they really wanted to – if it didn’t accept dogs.
Eight in ten (81 per cent) of dog owners have never been abroad with their pet admitting they don’t want to take them on a plane (50 per cent) and are not sure about the rules and regulations (44 per cent).
In contrast, one in three (34 per cent) don’t feel the need to go abroad when there are lots of dog friendly places in the UK.
Nine in ten (90 per cent) agree that the UK is one of the most dog-friendly countries in the world.
THE TOP 20 DOGGY-HOLIDAY SPOTS IN THE UK, ACCORDING TO DOG OWNERS
- Cornwall 14%
- Cumbria, Lake District 11%
- Peak District 9%
- Devon 8%
- Yorkshire Dales 7%
- South Wales 4%
- Dorset 4%
- London 3%
- Scottish Borders 3%
- Holkham, Norfolk 3%
- Snowdonia 3%
- Whitby 2%
- Somerset 2%
- North York Moors 2%
- St Ives 2%
- Cairngorms National Park, Scotland 2%
- Loch Ness 2%
- Berwick beaches, Northumberland 2%
- Powys, Wales 2%
- Anglesey 2%
