DogFriendly.com's 2006 Top 10 Cities to Visit with a Dog in the United States and Canada

DogFriendly.com has announced its fourth annual Top 10 Cities to Visit in the United States and Canada . In determining the Top 10 Cities to Visit, Dogfriendly.com's researchers used the following criteria:

- Is the city an appealing vacation spot and appealing for people traveling with dogs?
- Are there suitable pet-friendly hotels and lodging in the city?
- Can one get around the city easily? Does the public transportation system allow dogs? 
- If you can't go on the public transportation, can you get around fairly easily by car? 
- Are there attractions, such as boat and carriage rides, tours, tourist sites, and side trips that welcome your dog? 
- Where can you eat wtih your pooch, other than in your hotel room? Are there outdoor cafes that welcome pets, or local dog-friendly parks where you can bring a picnic lunch?
- Can your dog visit any of the local beaches or parks?  Are there any off-leash dog parks in town?
- Is the city supportive of the more than half  of the population who own pets and the over twenty million people annually who travel with them? Does the city regulate or over-regulate what you can do with your dog? Has the city helped create more dog-friendly areas or has the city limited and restricted access to people with dogs, including travelers? 

To find out which cities made the top ten this year, continue here...

NEW FOR 2006! DogFriendly.com's United States and Canada Dog Travel Guide's 3rd Edition now adds more city guides, an off-leash dog park guide, dog policies of the National Parks and a more detailed Highway Lodging Guide for people traveling with dogs. Also including in this latest, 720 page edition is a section of color photographs. ISBN 0971874255 Travel with more than one dog? Have you had trouble in the past finding hotels or are concerned that you won't be able to find places that allow more than one dog? Worry no more, this new book lists in its lodging directory and highway guides, over one thousand places that may allow 2, 3 or more dogs of all sizes. For more information, or to order, click here ...

Renting A Car With Your Dog

Have you wondered what the policies for some of the major rental car companies are when it comes to bringing your best friend with you? We called some of the major rental car companies to find out. Most do allow dogs - with some restrictions. Here is a summary of some of the companies standard policies. As usual, you need to check with them when renting to make sure that these apply in your situation and location.

Enterprise (800-261-7331), Budget (800-527-0700), and Avis (800-352-7900): These rental car companies allow dogs with no fee unless there is special clean up or damage required. The fees will vary depending on the damage. They also suggest you vacuum the car before returning it if there is a lot of hair. 

Hertz (800-654-3131), Alamo (800-GO-ALAMO): Dogs are allowed, there are no scheduled cleaning fees, but individual rental locations policies may vary.

Dollar (800-800-5252), National (800-CAR RENT) and Thrifty (800-THRIFTY) all want the dogs in a crate at all times they are in the vehicle, or they will charge a cleaning fee. It varies depending on how much clean up. There should be none if they are crated. The extra cleaning fee for Dollar is anywhere from $50 to $100. None of the other rental car companies would specify the potential fee.

Click here to continue reading Part 8

To be notified of future DogFriendly.com online newsletters, Sign Up Now for FREE!