Would you love to go away but can’t bear to leave Fido home alone? Grab your pet’s passport as Helen Raine rounds up some dog-friendly breaks.
Leaving your pet behind is no longer the only option.Sicily
Book a holiday and you’re in the dog house; literally. Villa Mariuccia is set up for dogs, with two kennels and a pet-friendly attitude.
The location also lends itself to pet fun; you’ll be in an unpretentious agricultural town in the Sicani hills, close to the south coast beaches with plenty of space for walks.
The villa has a large pool, billiard room and table tennis: perfect for large families or groups.
And, of course, you can jump on the ferry, which is much less hassle when travelling with a pet.
Prices for Mariuccia start from €2,420 for a week for up to 10 people.
www.solosicily.com/sp64_petfriendly-villas-in-sicily/sc84_mariuccia.aspx
Southern France
Eurocamp is a brilliant place to bring pets, with space to run around on lush and leafy sites.
Try St Avit at Loisirs, where for a special offer of €276 you can get seven nights in a three-bedroom Esprit cabin with decking and air conditioning in June.
The surrounding countryside is quintessentially French and dotted with medieval villages. Fun activities such as quad biking, fishing and a colourful water spray park will keep the kids busy. The nearest airport is Bergerac.
www.eurocamp.co.uk
Andalucia, Spain
The Finca de Los Tigres is a large villa with a gorgeous pool, set in the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
The views are breathtaking, the options for walks are endless and since the entire site will be yours, your best friend can even swim in the pool.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom villa has underfloor solar heating in winter and air conditioning in the summer, and its rustic whitewash helps to keep the heat out too.
A riding centre where dogs can find new friends while you enjoy the horses is fewer than two kilometres away.
The nearest airports are Almeria, Murcia and Granada.
Prices start at €846 for a week in low season.
www.fincalostigres.com
The Paradies, Switzerland
At the Paradies, “a guest is a guest... no matter the size, age, number of legs or breed”, according to Erin Boyd of www.ChienBleuTravel.com.
Erin is a dog hotel doyenne and this is one of her favourite locations. Four-legged extras include a bowl, bed and treats.
Dogs are allowed to join you in all public spaces except restaurants, plus you can access Alpine meadows and lakes straight from the grounds.
For two-legged friends, there’s a spa, a Michelin-starred restaurant, log fires and breath-taking mountain air.
Boyd’s favourite canine activity in the area is the gondola in Scuol: “There’s something quite fun about riding in a gondola with your dogs... and yes, there are poop bins at the top.”
Rooms for humans and dogs start from around €238 (single), €385 (double) B&B and there’s a Chien Bleu exclusive offer that waives the €41 per night fee for dogs and gives you a room upgrade.
www.paradieshotel.ch
Travel details
You can take pets to Europe on Air Malta in the cabin (small pets only, container must fit under the seat in front of you) or as checked baggage.
Visit www.airmalta.com/information/customer-support/travelling-with-pets for details and costs.
Note that this does not apply to the UK.
You can also take pets aboard Virtu Ferries. Pets must be kept inside the car or in a cage inside the garage of the vessel.
They are not allowed in the passenger salons. For full details, call 9917 0532 / 2165 0393.
Within the EU, your pet will need a passport, microchip, rabies vaccination and subsequent blood test plus a treatment against tapeworm.
You need to begin this process several months before you are due to travel as 30 days must pass between the vaccination and blood test to confirm the absence of rabies, and then need to allow an additional three months after the blood test.
Visit www.vafd.gov.mt/pet-travel-scheme for details.