There was a time when a holiday meant stressful searching for a pet sitter, tearful farewells at the front door, and weeks of nagging worry as to whether your canine companion was coping. That time is fading; holidaying with your pet – typically your dog, although cats and other animals are becoming more common – is shifting from niche, inconvenient exception to one of the fastest-expanding areas in the travel sector.
The figures confirm this: According to a 2024 Allianz Partners USA poll, nearly half of American travelers aged between 34 and 54 said they would be taking their pets on holiday. In the UK alone, pet-friendly accommodation booking platform Paws & Stay has experienced a 125% increase in bookings in just one year (since 2023); a study by the University of Surrey has valued the dog-friendly travel market at almost Β£40 billion by 2030.
Whether itβs the first trip you will ever have with your dog, or you’re just curious about whether the rules have changed since you last managed to take your cat away on holiday, here’s all you need to know about traveling with animals in this new age.
Why So Many People Are Now Travelling With Their Pets
The roots of this trend go back to the pandemic. Lockdowns triggered a global surge in pet ownership, as millions of people working from home found both the time and the emotional need for animal companionship. In the UK alone, 38 percent of people acquired a new pet after 2020, with over three million households bringing one home in the first year of the pandemic.
As life returned to normal and travel resumed, these pet owners faced a new problem: they did not want to leave their animals behind β and increasingly, they did not have to. The cost of professional pet-sitting services has risen sharply alongside demand, with overnight care in many cities now costing upwards of Β£50 per night. For a two-week holiday, that quickly adds up to more than the cost of bringing the pet along in the first place.
Add to that a growing cultural shift in how people think about their pets β less as animals to be managed and more as genuine family members β and it becomes clear why the travel industry has had to adapt, and fast.
How Hotels and Accommodation Have Changed
The hospitality industry has embraced this change in a way that would have been unimaginable a decade ago. A pet-friendly accommodation is no longer simply a room with a door that is not subject to scrutiny β it has become a true selling point, offering dedicated facilities, services, and experiences designed for visiting animals and their owners.
The well-known example is the US and European hotel group Kimpton, which seems happy to accept almost any animal, provided the pet could potentially fit in the lift. Guests’ rooms feature personalised bowls and a full canine room service menu, along with recommendations for local dog-friendly attractions.
This trend has been met with especially creative forms of practice in the UK. Devonshire Hotels offers dogs a four-poster bed of their own, whilst near Bath in Somerset, the Homewood Hotel now provides an on-site canine crΓ¨che for guests eager to visit the hotel’s spa but who do not wish to leave their beloved pets alone in their room. Dog massage, agility circuits, and enclosed fields for exercise are becoming more and more readily available at top-end establishments.
For the self-catering holidaymaker, the most sought-after feature is far more practical: a well-fenced garden. Paws & Stay reports that 70% of all bookings in 2024 were for properties with a private enclosed outdoor space β a clear indication of exactly what a dog-owning holidaymaker desires most.
Beyond Hotels: Attractions, Cruises, and More
The welcome mat for pets is spreading well beyond overnight accommodation. Museums and major tourist attractions have begun opening their doors to well-behaved dogs, including London’s Tower Bridge and the Cotswold Wildlife Park. Outdoor markets, cafΓ© terraces, and even some shopping districts in Europe have become noticeably more dog-friendly in recent years.
Perhaps the most dramatic development in pet-friendly travel came with the announcement of the world’s first dedicated dog-friendly cruise. Cruise Tails, the company behind the initiative, set sail from Florida with capacity for 2,650 passengers and up to 250 dogs on board. For many pet owners, a cruise had simply been off the table entirely β no longer.
The wider cruise industry is also slowly adapting, with some lines introducing designated pet areas on deck and allowing small animals in cabins on certain routes.
Flying With Your Pet: What the Rules Actually Are
Air travel remains the most complicated and emotionally fraught part of pet-friendly travel, and the rules vary significantly depending on where you are flying from and to.
In the UK, all animals except registered assistance dogs are required to travel in the cargo hold. This is a hard rule with no exceptions for domestic or emotional support animals. In the United States and across much of Europe, smaller pets β typically those whose carrier fits under the seat in front of you β are generally permitted in the cabin. Larger animals must travel in the hold. In all cases, you will need to meet specific carrier requirements, provide a health certificate from a vet, and complete additional paperwork, particularly for international travel.
For those who find the hold option unacceptable, a small but growing sector of pet-friendly charter airlines has emerged. Bark Air, which operates private jet services between cities such as New York and London, is one of the most prominent examples. The company positions itself as providing a dignified travel experience for dogs β no cargo hold, no being squeezed under a seat, no separation from their owner. The catch is the price: tickets run to around $8,000 per person travelling with a dog, putting this option firmly in the luxury bracket for now.
Train Travel: The Underrated Option
For many European travellers, the train is by far the most straightforward and affordable way to bring a pet along. In the UK, dogs travel completely free on all rail services. Across continental Europe, most train operators allow pets with a discounted ticket, and some β including sleeper services running from London to Cornwall and Scotland β permit animals in private cabins overnight.
Rail travel removes many of the stresses associated with flying: no cargo holds, no carrier size restrictions for most operators, more space to move around, and the ability to interact with your pet throughout the journey. For destinations reachable overland, it is often worth serious consideration over flying.
Practical Tips for Travelling With Your Pet
No matter how many pet-friendly venues or transport providers exist, successful travel with your animal ultimately rests on the quality of your preparation. TV dog behaviourist Adem Fehmi, who has years of experience getting dogs comfortable in a wide range of unfamiliar locations, is pragmatic: do your homework and make individual preparations for your specific pet.
Overestimating pet-friendliness is a frequent mistake many owners make. “A dog-friendly hotel doesn’t necessarily mean your dog is free to roam like he does at home,” warns Fehmi. “Many are still specific about where your dog is permitted, whether he’s allowed on furniture or beds, and how he should behave in communal areas.” Establishing this information in advance and choosing accommodation that suits your dog’s specific needs is far less stressful than having a disagreement with the proprietor on arrival.
“Familiarity makes for ease” is the general principle Fehmi advises. Taking your dog’s familiar bed, favourite toys, and food and water bowls to any accommodation you book provides a sense of security that helps them settle into a new location more quickly. Keeping mealtimes consistent and continuing normal walking routines will also help greatly.
For cats or less confident pets, preparing them for travel needs to start much earlier β with carrier training through short sessions beginning weeks in advance, and ideally a vet check-up to confirm they are fit and fully up to date on all vaccinations and flea and worm treatments.
What to Look for When Booking Pet-Friendly Travel
Not all pet-friendly policies are equal. One hotel may technically accept pets but charge hefty nightly fees, offer only limited rooms, or provide no outdoor access at all. Others may have policies so vague they create uncertainty on arrival. Always ask specific questions before confirming a booking: Is there a fee to bring your pet? Are there size or breed restrictions? Are outdoor areas accessible and safe? Can your pet accompany you in restaurants and bars?
For more reliable feedback, dedicated pet-travel websites will serve you far better than general review platforms, which often omit pet-specific details entirely. Sites such as pawsandstay.com are built specifically around finding suitable accommodation for pet owners and offer peer reviews that reflect the actual experience of travelling with an animal.
The Bigger Picture: Why This Trend Is Here to Stay
This is not a fad spurred by one quirky year. What we are witnessing is an organic, fundamental shift in how people relate to their animals β and what they now expect from the travel industry. The continued rise in pet ownership, coupled with the increasing expense and difficulty of leaving animals at home, means demand for genuinely pet-inclusive travel experiences will only grow.
To the travel industry’s credit, it is answering this call. New pet-centric hotels are launching every year, travel opportunities for animals are expanding, and new attractions and experiences are emerging that allow pets to be part of the holiday itself. The gap between what consumers want and what the market offers is narrowing at an ever-increasing pace.
For anyone who has ever cut a holiday short out of worry about their companion animal β or who has never booked one at all because the thought of leaving their dog behind was simply too daunting β the world has suddenly got a whole lot bigger.
Conclusion
Pet-friendly travel is no longer a niche convenience β it is a mainstream reality that is only going to grow. From four-poster beds for dogs to chartered jets and dedicated cruises, the travel industry has fundamentally changed to welcome our animals alongside us. With the right preparation, the right questions asked before booking, and the right mindset, travelling with your pet can be just as enjoyable for them as it is for you. The open road β and the skies, the rails, and the seas β has never been more welcoming.
