Essential Tips for Visiting Bourton-on-the-Water with a Dog

Bourton is a genuinely dog-loving village, but it is also one of the most visited spots in the Cotswolds, so a little planning goes a long way. In summer and on weekends the riverside green fills with people, and a nervous dog is happier arriving early or out of season. Some attractions welcome dogs and some do not: the Cotswold Motoring Museum lets dogs wander round, but the Model Village allows only guide dogs, so plan around it. Out on the footpaths this is working farmland, so keep dogs on a lead near sheep and cattle and, by law, on a short two-metre lead from 1 March to 31 July on open access land to protect ground-nesting birds. Finally, visitors bringing a dog from the EU into Great Britain now need a Great Britain Animal Health Certificate rather than the EU Pet Passport, plus a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and, where required, tapeworm treatment. Arrange it with your vet well before you travel.