Amtrak is the United State’s national railroad system. The service links 46 states and 3 Canadian provinces. So, do Amtrak trains allow dogs onboard? The answer is yes, but there are several conditions for travel. I’ll explain Amtrak’s pet policy and what’s required to take your dog on the train in this post. An Acela Express Train For many years Amtrak did not allow pets at all. Only specially trained service dogs (and briefly emotional support animals) could travel on board. In 2016 Amtrak began to allow small dogs on specific routes along the Northeast Corridor. The experiment was a hu ..read more

Unique Dog Friendly Accommodations If you are looking for some of the best dog friendly campgrounds and inns, I recommend visiting North Carolina. The state is home to more unique, dog friendly accommodations than I’ve seen anywhere else. Here are a few of the best inns, campgrounds (and cottages) in dog friendly North Carolina: Four Paws Kingdom’s Agility Park Best Campgrounds and Cottages Four Paws Kingdom is perhaps the best dog friendly campground in the whole USA. Located in Rutherfordton, North Carolina this unique dog friendly accommodation only allows guests over 18. The campground has ..read more

Dog Friendly Asheville Imagine a place so dog friendly that it claims the title of Dog City USA. A place with restaurants offering dog menus, stylish dog friendly hotels, bars where dogs can play off-leash, even a welcome center just for dogs! Larry and I spent several days sniffing around and can confirm that Asheville, NC is Dog City USA. Here are just a few of our favorite spots: Pack Square ParkDog City Welcome Center – Downtown Asheville We started our visit to Asheville at the Dog Door Behavior Center and Outfitters on Battle Square. The Dog Door is also home to the “Dog City Welcome Cen ..read more

According to GoRVing.com, 68% of RV owners travel with a pet. The ability to bring the dogs on adventures certainly factored into my decision to buy an RV. I’ve found most campgrounds allow at least one dog, and many have a fenced-in park where dogs can run around. Some Kampgrounds of America locations even offer campsites with their own private Paw Pen. We recently stayed at several of KOA’s dog pen campsites and found them very convenient. Here’s what we found: Thompson / Grand River Valley KOA Holiday – Paw Pen Pull Trough Site Our first stay at KOA’s dog pen campsites was at the beautiful ..read more

One of the most difficult things about staying at a hotel with your dog is figuring out where they can go potty. DogFriendlyTravel.com pack members Louie and Lawrence will go just about anywhere, but Madame Coco doesn’t like to pee while on a leash. She needs grass and a little privacy when nature calls. Fortunately, many California hotels are answering these needs by adding designated areas where dogs can take care of business. Here are our favorite California hotels with dog parks! A Poo With a View In a busy city like San Francisco, it’s sometimes hard to find a quiet, grassy area for your ..read more

Driving an RV is one of the most comfortable ways to travel with dogs. When your home is on wheels, it’s easy to bring your pup’s favorite toys and familiar bedding. But there are additional requirements for safe RV travel with dogs. It is important to protect your pet both inside your RV and while parked at a campsite. Here are some of the products I bring along to keep my dogs safe in our RV. For even more dog friendly travel recommendations, please visit my Amazon page. As an Amazon Influencer, I may receive a small commission for sales made through these links. There is no additional cost ..read more

It’s been a year since I last published a post. A year that saw big changes to dog friendly travel and the world. Changes that I couldn’t have anticipated when Louie and I flew home from California in March 2019. I haven’t been on a plane since and will probably never fly with Louie again due to Emotional Support Animal policy changes. So, stuck at home, I began to explore alternative dog friendly transportation modes. I also decided to expand the pack when I met Lawrence, the Brussels Griffon. Emotional Support Animal Changes In December 2020, the Department of Transportation made drastic cha ..read more

Airport hotels are notoriously bland. These properties generally belong to big international chains and lack any local flavor or design interest. The dog friendly TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York is an exception. The central focus of this airport hotel is Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Flight Center. Two recently constructed wings house 512 modern guestrooms. Inside the TWA Hotel The TWA Flight Center Building The TWA Flight Center opened to great fanfare in 1952. The building was the epitome of jet-age glamour. A time when people got dressed up to travel and looked forward to being wined and ..read more

Coco, the fluffy Frenchie, is quite the attention-getter! Whenever we walk down the street, people stop and ask about her unique appearance. They often assume she is a mixed breed because although shaped like a Frenchie, she has unusual, long hair. They are confused when I explain that both of her parents are purebred French Bulldogs. So what is a fluffy Frenchie or long-haired French Bulldog? Coco the Fluffy Frenchie Long hair in French bulldogs is the result of a rare autosomal recessive gene carried by the parents. In Coco’s case, both of her parents have standard length coats, but they are ..read more

One month ago, I traded the freedom of the open road for the confines of my house. It was an abrupt end to a fantastic trip down the coast of California. While I was disappointed to return home early, I knew it was the right thing to do in light of the spreading coronavirus. The surprising thing was how smooth the transition was. It got me thinking about the possible ways that travel prepared me for the pandemic. Here are some of the travel skills and lessons that I’ve called on while “sheltering in place.” Being Away from Loved Ones I generally travel solo and am used to being away from my fr ..read more