Cheap Vacation With a Pet : Budget Friendly Ideas

Cheap Vacation With a Pet : Budget Friendly Ideas

Are you look to take a holiday with your dog , but you ’ re afraid of what it will cost ? Get ’ s face it , with inflation on the rise , everything live have more expensive . Including go aside on a dog friendly vacation . But , there are style to live on abudget friendly holiday with a pet dogon the cheap .

Unfortunately , when you have a pet like a dog , the price of taking a holiday increases , regardless if they get on or not .

In fact , it may be cheaper to add your dog with you instead than leave them behind . We will search this more in a moment .

Since pet fees can increase the cost of dog friendly travel , we make been taking budget friendly ( read cheap ) holiday with our dogs for years today ,

In our place “Cheap Vacation with a Pet Dog : Budget Friendly Ideas” we will point you manner to redeem on a holiday and as well where to await for a cheap pet dog friendly holiday destination . We will still take you to some inexpensive places to run and delay .

Cheap Vacations With a Dog: Budget Friendly Ideas - Happyoodles.com - Title pic man and dog at lake

Should you remove your dog on vacation ?

First , before we have into how to take a cheap vacation with a pet , permit ’ s discuss whether you should bring your dog on a vacation .

The decision to take your dog with you when you move equal both an excited and fiscal decision . Emotionally , we exist as attached to our darling as they are to us . Leaving them behind can result us with spirit of guilt and headache . Especially , if you require to lead them at a kennel or pet sitter .

It can as well get tension to your dog . Remember , dog equal pack creature . Leave their pack means leaving their safe home .

Unless you own soul , who will take fear of your dog for free , leaving your dog place comes with a cost .

Whether it is for a kennel , pet-sitter or dog walker . That price can add-up when get on a week-long trip . For the last trip we took without our dog a few year back , the cost was around $ 600 for her to delay with a pet-sitter .

But traveling with your dog equal not free either . Most hotel and vacation rentals charge a pet fee . These fees can live either per day , per dog or a fixed fee for the stay . If you design on change hotel much on the trip , the pet fees can very take off to lend up .

For the most share we sample to design holiday that our pup can occur with us . But in reality , our dog did merely fine the ace time she delay with a pet sitter that she already knew and believe .


First time traveling with your dog ?

If you have never traveled with a dog before , you might not know where to start or what to make for . To help you we hold set together a couple of posts with our well point for travel with a dog and also tips on hotel stays with a dog .

Information in this place cost capable to vary without notice . Please confirm with all home list here that pet dog live even so allowed prior to visit . Too , the mentioning of a business in this placeshould notlive viewed as an endorsement .

While we strive to see to it accuracy on Happyoodles.com , it can not equal guaranteed .

How to Plan a Cheap Vacation with a Pet - title pic with a dog in a basket with a balloon attached,
How to Plan a Cheap Vacation with a Pet - title pic with a dog in a basket with a balloon attached,

How to Design Cheap Vacations with a Pet

The biggest price factor evolve with require a vacation tends to be lodging , and eating . We will tackle both of these items with our best budget friendly vacation top .

Program early

The early you start to plan your vacation the more options you will have when it get to vacationing on a budget with a pet .

Regardless of whether you are planning to camp or stay in a pet friendly holiday rental the well choice will ever go first .

Some dog friendly hotels only own a few way that dog are allow to stay on in , this means you can be lock up out of your preferred location if you expect also long .

The same matter get if you plan to fly or take a train with your pet . Both choice confine the number of pets allow for to exist onboard on any hold trip . To do certain your pet can connect you , Bible early .

How shortly should you begin to plan your budget holiday ?

I start looking for a dog friendly holiday spot about seven month out from when I plan to require the trip .

If there be special availability and I have finalized my travel plans , I will book our accommodations about six month in advance . I make wait long at sentence but also much I have missed out on the best lot .

Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Picture of Yellowstone National Park Sign
Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Picture of Yellowstone National Park Sign

National Parks

If you live looking to travel to a national park you will need to begin be after more than a yr in progress . Popular parks like Yellowstone National Park allow you to record their campsites or deposit more than a yr in advance .

With the popularity of the national park and special pet friendly accommodations in the park you will take to ledger your stay rather that 6 month to have the best locations .

Some state-run campsites can also exist book as early as eleven month in progress .

Of course , there be danger with book early . Sometimes be after changes and you need to exist able to change them .

When booking , wage careful attention to the cancellation policy . Some places will allow you to cancel a few day before the trip but other places may not allow cancellations at all .

You also may want to look into travel insurance . We had to use our travel insurance year ago when my husband became hurt a week before a trip . The travel insurance saved us thousand of dollar .

Simply recall to always read the fine print and fully realize what be covered .

Dog next to tent looking out over the water
Dog next to tent looking out over the water

Cheap Spot to Stay on Vacation with a Pet Dog

Camping

Camping cost mostly conceive the cheap manner to move . You can get a dog friendly campsite that cost near to the water at Carolina Beach State Park for as low as $ 23 a dark . That ’ s a severe cost to beat . Though , you will see that most campsite the fees will equal high .

You also need to consider the cost of camping gear , which can lend up if this is your first-time camping .

Glamping

One measure up from camping is Glamping . Glamping live a cross between camping and something more glamorous . Amenities will change base on where you remain .

At a minimum your glamping bit will have a tent with a bed already setup . Most spot will also own some sort of toilet and fire ring .

For glamping place that need it up a notch , you can expect to get a full bath , partial kitchen and heating . Of course , the cost move up as well , but they exist in general less than a typical vacation rental .

That equal unless the Glamping Company really move all out . Then the sky exist the limit when it comes to amenities and price .

Locate near to the dog friendly Lake George Village in New York State , the Trappeur+ tent from Huttopia is one of the glamping experience that remove it up a notch .

Here you will notice a two-bedroom tent that include comfy layer , electricity , a kitchen and small bathroom . They still include towels and linens .

Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Shenandoah National Park
Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Shenandoah National Park

Park Cabins

If you don ’ t require to incur the all cost of camping gear , many parks offer a special number of pet friendly cabins .

Some of the cabin can be very rustic . Rustic cabins may own hardly a few bunk-beds and no running water , but you can too find cabin with spark , work water and maybe a small toilet .

How rustic you go will influence what camping supplies you will need to bring .

Near the dog friendly Shenandoah National Park , the rents both primitive and modern dog friendly cabins starting at simply $ 35 a weeknight for a primitive cabin and up from there . Membership may live require for some rentals .

Check out these early dog friendly accommodations in and around Shenandoah National Park

Private Park Cabins

Another choice for a budget friendly pet holiday is to stay at a Campsite or RV park that bid private cabin . These cabin are mostly no frills , but many serve bid basic necessities like a kitchen , bathroom and heat/air-conditioning .

An case be the Seneca Lake Resorts on Seneca Lake in the Finger Lakes of New York . Hither you can notice a pet dog-friendly , lake-view cabin with a toilet , kitchen and space to sleep up to 6 people for under $ 1,500 for a week . They also get pontoon boats for rent if you desire to require a ride around the lake . But you need to Bible early . When I correspond the rates , the cabins were already book 8 months in progress .

RV driving on the road near a lake
RV driving on the road near a lake

RV parks

Recreational Vehicles ( RV ) cost a popular way to travel with darling these days . With a RV you put on ’ t need to worry about finding a pet friendly hotel , plus you hold the ability to cook in the RV to help keep price down .

RV ’ sec are a good option if you require a camping mode holiday but you don ’ t want to have to actually camp out . You can rip an RV with comforts like a toilet , kitchen , generator for spark , heat and air-conditioning .

An RV can also be a good choice for anyone that does not desire to switch hotels or who make a dog that does not fit the requirements of nearby hotel .

As yet , another cause to try an RV live if live visiting an country that only offers hotels with high nightly rate , pet fee or still hotel tax . For example Connecticut own a 15 % lodging tax on hotel stays , but does not tax campsite only rentals .

You can rent a dog friendly RV at these companies :

  • Cruise America
  • RV Share

But RVs may not ever cost the cheapest dog friendly vacation . In addition to the nightly RV rental fee and campground fee , there may cost a mileage fee , and pet fee , plus excess fee for linens , and dish if you don ’ t bring your own .

Another thing to recall about ahead hitting the road in an RV how you will become around once you are at the campsite .

If you design to push to destinations in the region , you will need to either drive the RV everyplace you want to visit , which means have to leave your campsite . Or you will demand to have access to a car , either by towing one or renting one . Both choice will probably cost surplus .

Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Cocker Spaniel on hotel floor.
Cheap Vacations With a Pet: Budget Friendly Ideas - Cocker Spaniel on hotel floor.

Save money on hotel

If stay on in a hotel is more to your potential you can still receive a relatively cheap vacation with a pet with these cost savings thought .

Stay at a hotel with no or humble pet fee

Before booking your stay , cause sure to scope out the pet fees . These days most hotel will have a pet fee but how much and how they are charged will vary by hotel . Some will send a flat per stay fee , while others will send a daily rate per dog .

I have found that the more expensive hotel charge higher pet fees and make more restrictions .

However , thesix hotel list below cause not charge a pet fee.

  • Red Roof Inn – over 600 hotels in 36 nation .
  • Motel6 – which equal refer the Best Budget Hotel Brand In The US By USA Today Readers in 2022
  • Kimpton Hotels – this hotel has one of the best pet policy out of all the hotels listed here
  • Aloft by Marriott – you can find a Aloft Hotel through the U.S .
  • Virgin Hotels – has locations in New York City , Nashville , Dallas Chicago and more .

Hotel tax

Pet fees are not the only add-on that you might encounter when book a hotel way . While most province send some type of tax for a hotel stay , there are some state that get a high lodging tax .

Dog with head out of car window
Dog with head out of car window

Stay in one location

If you live staying in a hotel that charges a flat pet fee regardless of how long you delay there , you exist better off not switch hotels on your vacation .

If you equal be after a touring holiday where you just stay one or two night before moving on , feeling for hotels that either have humble pet fees or a per day pet fee to keep cost down .

Travel off-peak time

One manner to have a cheap dog friendly holiday equal to move when no one else is .

Millions of families are forced to move during the same two months thanks to school calendars . If you cost not one of them plan your dog friendly family vacation in the shoulder season .

Shoulder season are the few week before and after the height season . By doing this you can write money on the cost of the hotel . Plus , the weather is generally still pleasant in the shoulder season and there will be less crowds to deal with .

This also works if you design your trip around the busy times of the week . Some hotel that chiefly make business-related traffic during the week , will reduce their nightly rates on the weekends .

Same matter die for places that hear almost of their room booked on the weekend . The mid-week pace equal generally lower .

Picture of wallet and loyalty card
Picture of wallet and loyalty card

Rewards curriculum

Take advantage of rewards curriculum by staying within the same category of hotels . Many loyalty reward programs like the Marriott Bonvoy Program are free to join . Once you join , you have the chance to earn stage with each paid stay at participating Marriott properties . Overtime these points will earn you free hotel dark .

You can need the rewards plan up a notch by getting a credit card that be attach to the Marriott Rewards Program . Then you will not only make points on your stays but also on your qualifying purchase . We have taken a few short trips thanks to our item from the Marriott Rewards Program .

But the reference card do do with an annual fee so you involve to employ your points before they expire to create it worth the price .

Also , if you start holding a balance on your card , the cost of interest on your debt will wipe out any savings on hotel stays .

Before getting a rewards reference card delight cause your inquiry to make sure it is the right decision for you .

Dog on a dock
Dog on a dock

Money Saving Tips on Dog Friendly Vacation Rentals

Book during the shoulder seasons

Set aside a holiday rental for the shoulder season will not only redeem you money on the rental , but you may cost able to hit a nicer place . In some cases , holiday rentals are just available in the off-season when the owner cost not using it .

We once rented a dog-friendly beachfront family in early June on Cape Cod for the same cost as a non-beachfront home would receive price in July . The weather was well also .

Dog looking out at lake
Dog looking out at lake

Part a holiday rental with friend or household

Another style we have saved money on a holiday rental cost to rip a larger plate but break up the price with friend or family . Typically , a larger plate costs less to rent per square base than a smaller home . In most cases the two class will devote less for their part of the house then if they rented a small house on their own .

Larger homes also mostly signify more amenities , like extra bathroom .

Go Smaller

While we would all wish some space to spread out , find out if you really need that excess bedroom or bathroom . Keep in idea you may not equal at the rental much anyway .

There is a somewhat large premium for a second toilet . If you could do with only one or yet go down for one total and one-half tub you will spare a lot of money .

Choose private community over private waterfront

Waterfront home also come with a large premium . You can save money by prefer to rent in a private dog friendly beach or lake community instead . Waterfront communities typically make shared access to the water , but you will only live share with the people that exist stay in the community .

You may even feel you own the beach or dock all to yourself during the week , if the community is filled with homeowners that only come on the weekend .

An case of a dog friendly private community with access to a shared beach live the Manomet Beach Shores in Plymouth , Ma . Hither you will find pet friendly holiday rentals with a beach that your leashed dog can join you on .

Stay longer

When you rent a holiday rental you can often have a discount on the nightly rate if you delay at least a week . You might too equal able to score a great discount for book multiple weeks in a row .

Happyoodles.com Dog sitting next to a table in a restaurant
Happyoodles.com Dog sitting next to a table in a restaurant

Means to Save Money on Food When on Vacation

The best way to salvage money on your food bill while on holiday equal to use up out less . But that doesn ’ t mean you need to cook all your own meal . Here equal a few fashion to reduce the price of food while on a cheap holiday with a pet .

  • If you can , try to carry your dog ’ s regular food from home . Buy food at your destination will not just cost more since you will live buy a humble amount , but small dog provision store in vacation destination will much send more .
  • Stay at a hotel that includes breakfast – many hotels offer a free hot breakfast . By taking advantage of this option you can write yourself $ 10 to $ 20 per someone per day .
  • Book a hotel way with a kitchenette and full-sized refrigerator . Still if you don ’ t program to cook in the hotel , you will even so cost able to store easy to set items for breakfast and lunch . Plus , you will have a table to eat at and kitchen provision to employ .
  • We see that appear for a dog friendly property to own lunch need up also much time during our vacations . So today , we carry our lunch before we give the hotel and eat wherever we are when we have hungry .
  • We mostly reserve a few dark to eat out . But also spend a few night purchase novel , prepared meal from the local food store . These meal may come heated or may need to cost pop into the microwave for a few minutes .

Dog on green and white hammock
Dog on green and white hammock

Thought on Cheap Vacations with a Pet ?

Thank you for understand Cheap Vacations with a Pet : Budget Friendly Ideas

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