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Travelling with Your Dog | Advice and Tips

June 25, 2018

7 Top Tips to make travelling with your dog that little bit easier

At West Country Parks we understand that dogs are an important part of the family and many of our visitors like to bring their furry friends along on their holidays - so all of our Holiday Parks are dog-friendly and we welcome conscientious pet owners.

We also know that travelling with the family can sometimes be stressful so here are our top tips to make travelling with your dog that little bit easier for you all!
1. Pack some food for your pet
To prevent sickness, it is advised that you feed your pet no sooner than two hours before you travel. If your journey is long enough to cover a period of time that your pet would normally be fed, remember to take their regular food with you. If your dog is prone to car-sickness we suggest that you talk to your vet prior to travelling.
2. Exercise your pet before you leave
The more energy you can burn-off before you set-off, the more likely it is that your dog will be happy to rest for at least some of the journey!
3. Make sure that your pet is comfortable and secure before setting off
If not secured properly he/she could cause an unintentional distraction, endangering themselves and you whilst you are driving. Travelling down the M5 at 70 miles per hour is probably not the ideal time for Fido to clamber onto your lap!
4. Take plenty of water with you for rest stops
Your dog should always have access to water during your travels.
5. Take regular breaks
Much like young children, your pet should be allowed time to stretch, drink and go to the toilet throughout your journey. Always exercise your dog on a lead and make sure that they can’t escape when you get them out of the vehicle. And always have your poop-bags ready!
6. Never leave your dog alone in your vehicle on a warm or hot day
The RSPCA advises that this can cause ‘distress and suffering and lead to the death of your pet’. A car can become extremely hot even when it doesn’t feel that warm outside. When it’s 22 degrees outside, it can reach an unbearable 47 degrees in your car in less than an hour - cracking the window open will not make the slightest bit of difference.
7. Make sure you can access your pets essential items
Pack the essentials for your pet and make sure that they are easy to access throughout your journey. We would recommend a water bowl, food, medications, poop-bags, a spare name-tag and collar with leash, towel, dog bed/blanket, favourite toy and of course - treats! Items that are familiar to your pet will help to keep them distracted, calm and relaxed.
If your pet is new to car journeys we would also suggest that you take a few short drives with them before your trip to see how they react.

We hope these tips make any upcoming holidays a little easier for both you and your pet! To find out more about our dog-friendly Holiday Parks please contact us.

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By Kim Boyd December 9, 2024
We are delighted to share that Riverside Holiday Village has been named the Holiday Park of the Year at this year's Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards held at Batch Country House at Lympsham in Somerset. This award recognises holiday parks, sites and villages that provide exceptional guest experiences across static vans, touring pitches and more with a wide range of facilities and entertainment. Marketing Executive, Kim Boyd, was also named Unsung Hero . The Unsung Hero Award recognises an individual working for a tourism business who excels in their role and deserves to be applauded for their work and commitment to the industry. Awards Director Nell Barrington said “For many it has been a really challenging year but tonight was all about celebration and recognising those businesses who go above and beyond every day to ensure every visitor has a fantastic, truly memorable experience. It is great that they get recognition for all their efforts and my sincere congratulations go to them for everything they do to put Bristol, Bath, Somerset and beyond on the map.” Giles Adams from VisitSomerset continued “I am delighted that the core ethos and hard work of Somerset tourism businesses is continuously recognised. Our county is all about authenticity and giving value for money. The awards help to ensure that our consumers understand and value what we all represent by recognising and rewarding our quality offer.” Kathryn Davis from VisitWest told us “We are thrilled that so many of our businesses have been rewarded for all their incredible achievements this year with their success at the awards and look forward to seeing some of our winners hopefully progress into the national Visit England for Excellence finals next year. We have so many iconic destinations and world class experiences in the region, it is important to remember to celebrate this, and that tourism doesn’t just happen. It is thanks to the investment, creativity and hard work of these businesses that make our visitor economy so valuable, worth more than £2.5bn just to the West of England. While this sector is largely made up of many small businesses, together they are incredibly powerful and thoroughly deserve the recognition received this evening.” We would like to thank our visitors, supporters and all of our fantastic team for your support.
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 We are thrilled to share that our family orientated holiday park, Riverside Holiday Village, was crowned winner of the Customer Choice Food Award for Family Fun Destinations at the staycation specialist’s 18th annual Awards – a celebration of the holiday parks, lodge resorts and boating locations in the company’s UK portfolio that have achieved the highest scores in independent guest satisfaction surveys throughout the 2024 season. Commenting after the awards were announced during a ceremony at the Hilton Metropole, in Birmingham David Tattersall, Group Manager at Riverside Holiday Village said: “It’s fantastic to be recognised for the quality of our food and it’s a testament to everyone on the team who works so hard to make sure our guests have the best possible experience when they stay with us. We are very aware that they place an enormous amount of faith in us when they choose where to go on holiday, so it’s great to know we’re getting it right." Speaking after presenting the award in front of more than 600 operators, industry suppliers and members of the Hoseasons team, Gemma Brown, General Manager at Hoseasons, said: “The team at Riverside Holiday Village are shining examples of the dedication and commitment needed to delight our guests and encourage the kind of positive reviews we know others look for when deciding where to spend their staycation. We are grateful for their continuing partnership in this our 80th year and wish them all the best for another successful season in 2025.”
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