12 April 10, 2022The Sunday TimesTravel Dog special
JACEK SOPOTNICKI, MAURICIO ABREU, LES LADBURY/ALAMY; TOSHIRO SHIMADA/GETTY IMAGESTraditional
cheese, above,
is a treat on
a Portuguese
hike, as is the
pool at the
Pousada da
Serra Estrela,
above right.
Above far right,
the Château de
Vendeuvre in
NormandyFigues is one of them — a three-storey
riverside property built by a 14th-century
barrister and now a four-bedroom
holiday let with landscaped gardens
running to the water’s edge.
There are a couple of
restaurants in the village
and the walking is good,
with 30-odd easy hikes
between here and
Payzac, six miles west
in the Dordogne. Find
the routes on
visorando.com and
sentiers-en-france.eu.
Details Seven nights’
self-catering for up
to eight from £1,050
(sawdays.co.uk). Eurotunnel
returns from £228
(eurotunnel.com)DOGGY PADDLING
IN LAKE COMO
If the dog’s a swimmer he’ll love Lake
Como. Locals, none of whom appear to
own DryRobes, confirm that the water is
warmest in August, reaching 27C and
falling to a more pleasant 21C in
September. The wonderful Casa Olea inCremia on the lake’s western shore has
been the place to stay for the past 4,000
years: a neolithic necropolis and Roman
villa stood on the site, and the present
property — a minimalist blend of ancient
and ultra-modern with lake-view rooms,a
garden and a pool — is based around a
19th-century priest’s house. It’s an
11-hour drive from Calais to Lake Como,
so if you need a stopover the pet-friendly
Hotel Krone in Lucerne’s old town is
the place (room-only doubles from
£155, krone-luzern.ch).
Details Seven nights’ B&B in September
from £833pp (mrandmrssmith.com).
Eurotunnel returns from £228
(eurotunnel.com)DOG LIFE ON
THE LIFFEY
Dublin matches Paris
for dog-friendliness,
although you’ll see
few pooches carried
in handbags here.
Seaside cafés (try
Surge Coffee in
Clontarf), hipster
brunch joints (such
as Urbanity in
Smithfield) and plenty
of traditional boozers
make a grand old fuss of
them. As for exercise, it’s not just
about Phoenix Park; climb Killiney Hill,
run on the sands of Bull Island or take the
train to Howth for the seven-mile Bog of
Frogs cliff walk. Stay at the Pembroke
Townhouse in Ballsbridge, a dog-friendly
Georgian property 15 minutes’ walk from
Grafton Street and St Stephen’s Green.
Details One nights’ B&B from £110,
including the dog (petspyjamas.com).
Return Holyhead-Dublin ferry crossings
from £356 for a car and two passengers;
dogs go free (irishferries.com)Piodao, top, is
typical of the
mountain villages
in Portugal’s
Centro region.
A suite at the
Hotel Serra da
Estrela, above.
A parched pooch
eyes up a pint
of Guinness
in Ireland, rightDetails Seven nights’ B&B, including
luggage transfers in June, from £480pp
(thenaturaladventurecompany.com).
Return ferry crossings from Portsmouth
to Santander and back from Bilbao for
a car, two passengers and a dog in
June from £844 (brittany-ferries.co.uk)HIKE IN THE
DORDOGNE
On the border of Corrèze and the
Dordogne lies the village of Ségur-le-
Château: an exquisite
cluster of medieval
houses surrounding a
ruined castle on
the banks of the
Auvézère River. Lesmuzzles. The snag is that Eurostar permits
only guide and assistance dogs on board,
but that’s where Beatrice comes in. Her
itineraries — to France, Italy and
Switzerland — begin with a black cab ride
from London to Calais via Eurotunnel,
from where you take the train. The
eight-night Swiss trip includes a night in
Geneva at the Cornavin Hotel, two each
in Gstaad and Wengen and one in
Lausanne, and is bookended by two
nights at the Hôtel de la Porte Dorée
in Paris.
Details Eight nights’ B&B, including
Eurotunnel and rail travel, from
£1,600pp (pawsontrains.co.uk)
SPANISH PILGRIMAGE
Taking the dog on holiday is one
thing. Giving him the opportunity of
redemption for all his sins is a much
bigger deal, and it’s possible on this
eight-day pilgrimage to Santiago de
Compostela, following the last 60 miles
(the minimum required to earn your
Compostela) from Sarria along the
Camino Frances. Visit the Casa do
Peregrino (Rua Viga de Sarria 15) before
leaving town to collect the dog’s pilgrim
passport, which you should get stamped
at every overnight stop. It’s a fairly easy
walk, covering between nine and 15 miles
a day along lanes and well-trodden paths
through forests, farmland and villages.
Accommodation is in simple hotels and
guesthouses, where, after a long day in the
Galician rain, you’ll find your definition of
luxury has been reset. When you get to
Santiago, board the 817 bus for the short
ride to Cacheiras. It’s tricky to locate, so
use code greases.cautionary.tango on the
location finder what3words.com to
navigate to the office of the Asociación
Protectora de Animales do Camiño
(APACA), where your dog will receive their
own Compostela.
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