So the credit crunch has finally hit me where it really really hurts....holidays :(

OH is insisting that a holiday in Europe is off the cards unless the £ recovers, which lets be honest that's not going to happen in 3 months!!!  So we're thinking a holiday in (shock horror) Blighty is on the cards!!  Not going to book anything just yet as we need to know OH's job is safe first but have any of you good, knowledgable people holidayed in Wales & where did you go, what did you do etc etc?  Things e.g. accomodation will have to be dog friendly as I think Molly would disown us if we didn't take her with us!!

Any other suggestions welcome we've spent a week on Mull before & had a few short breaks in the Peak District & Lake District but never spent a full week.

Just to add - we have to go during the school holidays week (last week in May?) due to factory shutdown at JCB.

i used to live in a lovely place called criccieth in north wales. the lion hotel accepts dogs in their "seaview cottages" beach is about 3 mins walk away! really quaint and pretty

OK got to do my bit for tourism here........
The Channel Islands are fabulous, and if the weather is kind the beaches are too. Generally we are a degree or so warmer anyway.
It is a lot cheaper huh ;( for you on the mainland to come here than it is for us to get to you.
I would certainly recommend you check out the Guernsey tourism web pages.
Although I know they are filling rooms etc more quickly already due to the £ and $ rates.

Karen :)

ooooo gemma your coming to good ole wales! :-) :-)

I love criccieth! its really nice there :-)

anglesey is a good one gemma,theres lots of nice walks......and alsorts of things to do really, on the island, and off it.:-)

I'm a fan of the Mumbles in South Wales and also love the long walks across the Brecon Beacon's. Never been there with my dogs so can't offer any advice on hotels or accommodation which allow dogs, and larger ones at that.

Just wondered in relation to the mention of the Channel Islands. I love Jersey and used holiday there as a child, taking a dog there would be awesome.
What would be the best way to travel there, can't see BA allowing a Bernese to fly, i know they do ferry crossings, but they seem to take a good long time..

Channel isles do have 'dog friendly' places, the ferry isn't so bad, we have to use it back and forth when travelling with the dogs. There are usually some good deals to be had.   BUT...Jersey...do you really mean it :(. Those crapauds are not as quite like the donkeys you know....
LOL
Karen ;)

We have been to Wales quite a few times and always take the dogs as its fab for lovely walks. We stay at a place called Hillside Village in Aberdovey. Very dog friendly and the apartments are really spacious. The village is about a 2 minute walk from the shops in Aberdovey and there are lots of walks on the doorstep. Lots of places to explore too and we always have to drive into Tywyn to visit the honey ice cream factory mmmm!!!!
Whatever you decide I hope you have a lovely time.
jane

We have stayed here a few times and is fantastic, Jane the owner is very friendly nothing is too much trouble she even dog sits, local pub nearby that excepts dogs, large park, beaches, great we are going again this year.  Nothing better than fresh eggs for breakfast.

www.a1tourism.com/uk/cefny.html

Linda

We have stayed in cottages that take dogs (well they were big houses because they were family get togethers) in both Newport Pembs and on the Gower.  The walks are beautiful and sunny weather isn't always wanted when one has to leave a dog sitting in a car to eat out.  Newport was nice because we could walk to the shops and eating places.  The farmhouse we stayed in on the Gower was too near a main road and too far to walk to shops etc - something to keep in mind.  My daughter stayed in Cornwell once and to get anywhere meant walking along busy narrow lanes.  Not good.

> Nothing better than fresh eggs for breakfast.
>
>

Couldn't agree with you more, especially with thick soldiers to dunk in them!

Thanks for all your suggestions, hopefully we'll find out soon if OH is being made redundant or not soon them we can look to make some bookings! I'm liking the idea of a cosy cottage somewhere though! Thanks :)

tenby is fantastic ideal walkiing and the peolpe are great.i know because in welsh boyo

You are so right diggersdad and I am a Taffy too!!  :)

Ok here's a question for all you taffies out there!  :-)

Have found a lovely place in Pembrokeshire I would like to take the dogs to;  however, a mate has said that the area is 'wall to wall sheep'.   Now, don't get me wrong....my dogs have never chased or worried a sheep in their life, but as they are hunting dogs, it means that I do have to be extra vigilant when livestock are around and generally leash them or keep them on a 'heel close'.  I guess 'wall to wall sheep' would mean that it wouldn't be as relaxing a holiday as it could otherwise be.

Any thoughts/comments?

Cheers  

Personally I wouldn't let my dog off near sheep just in case.  It all depends on where you are and if the place you are staying in has got an enclosed garden.  There are sheep in Pembrokeshire but I have taken my dog there and we didn't see one!  Where are you thinking of staying? 

when i go to pembrokeshire ive never seen wall to wall sheep. ive seen wall to wall dogs and owners though.just because its wales dosnt mean its full of sheep, as one national survey pointed out. ther are more sheep in england than wales :-)

:)  :) at diggersdad!

Thanks everyone!

Ceejay - the place I am thinking of is called Four Acres and is on the Cleddau Estuary.  (It belongs to the people who have Little Dumpledale Farm http://www.littledumpledale.co.uk/node/20)

Diggersdad - point taken!  :-D

I've stayed in a lovely cosy cottage - real fire , thick walls , middle of countryside. Was wonderful!!

It was called Hollywood Cottage - it has a website but I can't do links i'm afraid. Owner was lovely too - helpful , friendly but left us to it.

Welcomed dogs too and garden was fully enclosed.

Meant to add  , it was in Wales. Close to lampeter from what i can remember.

Hi Sugar
Can you give me some more clues please?  PM if you prefer.  Did you book it through an agency and if so which one?
Cheers

I doubt there will be too many sheep there - and if they welcome pets it means that any sheep will be well shut into fields.  Now if you were going to stay up in the Prescelli mountains or near St David's where there is a lot of wild area then yes there will be more likelyhood of sheep roaming.  It sound a lovely spot.  Can't say that I have ever been there - we have always stayed on the coast.  There are a number of cottage sites - one I could only find by going through the Welsh tourist board. - I was looking for a particular house at the time that belonged to family of a friend.  It didn't come up on a normal search. 

Hi Gunner

We live in Pembrokeshire, not too far from where you are planning to stay.  You will find this side of Pembs quieter than the South and you should find some good walks for the dogs.  The estuary will provide some good walks without encountering many sheep, you will are unlikely to find any wild sheep here unless you venture into the Preseli hills.  Some of the beaches may have dog restrictions on them depending on when you visit. 

Hope that you enjoy your visit.

Gower Peninsular is fantastic for dogs. Plenty of dog friendly sandy beaches.
we stayed at Oxwich leisure Park. Very nice lady on site who is dog friendly. Even gave us a chalet that backed onto a nice grassy area with woodland behind just so they didn't have to go far last thing at night!
Anndee

Thanks Donnabl....that was just the sort of insider reassuring knowledge that I was after!  :-)

Off to book hols now!

Cheers

Thanks Anndee.

> Gower Peninsular is fantastic for dogs. Plenty of dog friendly sandy beaches.

Oxwich bay is beautiful and would love to go back myself with the dogs.. Lots of long clean stretches of sand and dunes to play in(or used to be).