Beate, thanks again for the recommendations! We had such a lovely time on the IoW and are keen to go back as there was so much to see and do, and we didn't do half of what we wanted to!Beate wrote:What a fantastic choice. The Isle of Wight is wonderful and will not be so crowded in September. I know nothing about dog-friendly pubs but dogs are around everywhere so I wouldn't worry too much. We stayed in a hotel right next to the Shanklin Chine which is lovely and peaceful. There is so much to see! The Zoo is fantastic - say hi to Casper the white lion from us! There's another animal park (Amazon World), a donkey sanctuary and an owl & falconry centre at Appuldurcombe House. Robin Hill Park is worth a visit even if you are not a fan of adventure rides. You can see red squirrels there! The Needles are an absolute must - you take a chairlift down to the beach and a boat round the rocks. The multi-coloured sand is beautiful. That's just from memory. Osbourne House (Queen Victoria's residence) of course and Carisbrooke Castle! There's a Steam Railway as well.
Everywhere we went was dog friendly, even sites such as Carisbrooke Castle.
I'm now off to Dusseldorf this coming weekend so if any FMUKers have any tips for what's good there, all comments are gratefully received! :)