How to Travel With a Dog: Car Trips, Hotels, and Flying

A practical guide to traveling with dogs, covering car safety, road trip tips, finding dog-friendly hotels, and airline policies based on our LA to SF

How to Travel With a Dog: Car Trips, Hotels, and Flying

Taking a dog on a trip requires more planning than just tossing a bag in the trunk. Between Alice's sensitive skin and Dodo's puppy energy, our recent drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco tested my patience and my packing skills. Here is what actually works when you need to travel with your dogs.

Car Safety: Crates vs. Harnesses

When we first started taking Alice on longer drives years ago, I just let her sleep on the backseat. That changed after a minor fender bender made me realize how dangerous an unrestrained 60-pound dog can be in a crash. Now, both dogs are secured before I even put the car in drive.

For Alice, we use a crash-tested Sleepypod Clickit Sport harness. It threads directly through the seatbelt and keeps her anchored in the backseat. She can still sit up or lie down comfortably, but she cannot pace around or become a projectile if I have to brake suddenly.

Dodo is much smaller and still learning how to settle in the car. She rides in a Ruff Land performance kennel strapped down in the cargo area. The crate gives her a den-like space where she feels secure, and it prevents her from trying to climb into the front seat while I am driving. I line the bottom with a washable Primo Pad because puppy car sickness is a very real thing. Cleaning a foam bed at a gas station is not how I want to spend my trip.

Road Trip Tips and Our LA to SF Drive

Driving from LA to San Francisco takes about six hours if you do not stop. With a senior dog and a puppy, it took us closer to nine. You have to build in extra time for bathroom breaks, water stops, and just letting them stretch their legs.

I plan our stops around rest areas with actual grass rather than just pavement. Alice gets stiff if she sits in one position for too long, so a ten-minute walk every two hours makes a huge difference for her joints. Dodo usually needs to pee the second the car stops moving. During our drive up the I-5, we stopped at the Buttonwillow rest area, which has a surprisingly decent patch of grass away from the semi-trucks.

I keep a travel bag right behind the passenger seat for easy access. It holds a collapsible silicone bowl, a gallon jug of water, an extra roll of poop bags, and a roll of paper towels. I also pack a few of Alice's allergy-friendly treats. Since she is prone to skin flare-ups, I cannot just buy random treats at a gas station if I forget hers. I usually stick to her safe homemade dog treats instead. For Dodo, I prep a frozen Kong stuffed with plain yogurt and kibble to keep her occupied during the boring stretches of the drive.

Finding Dog-Friendly Hotels

Booking a hotel with dogs is always a bit of a gamble. A lot of places advertise themselves as pet-friendly but then hit you with a $150 non-refundable fee and a strict 20-pound weight limit. That obviously does not work for a chow shepherd like Alice.

I usually start my search on BringFido to filter out the places with restrictive weight limits. Kimpton hotels are generally my first choice because they do not charge pet fees and welcome any dog that fits through the door. When we stayed in San Francisco, we booked a room near the Presidio so we would have easy access to trails for our morning walks.

I always bring their own beds from home. Having a familiar-smelling place to sleep helps them settle down in a strange room. I also pack a portable white noise machine to drown out hallway sounds. Alice is very protective and will bark at every door slam or rolling suitcase she hears. The white noise creates a buffer so we can actually get some sleep. I also bring a dedicated sheet to throw over the hotel bed, just in case Dodo decides to jump up with muddy paws.

Airline Policies and Flying

Flying with a dog is an entirely different logistical challenge. Dodo is small enough to fly in the cabin right now, but Alice is way too big and would have to go in the cargo hold. Because of the risks involved with cargo travel, I only fly with the dogs if it is absolutely necessary.

If you are flying with a small dog in the cabin, you need an airline-approved carrier that fits under the seat in front of you. I use the Sherpa Original Deluxe carrier for Dodo. You have to pay a pet fee, which usually runs around $125 each way depending on the airline. You also need to call the airline right after booking your ticket to reserve their spot, since most flights cap the number of pets allowed in the cabin at around four to six.

Going through TSA with a dog means you have to take them out of the carrier and carry them through the metal detector while the bag goes through the x-ray machine. I always make sure Dodo is wearing a secure harness and leash before we even walk into the airport. I withhold food for about four hours before a flight to prevent motion sickness, and I map out the pet relief areas at the connecting airports ahead of time. Most airport relief areas are just a patch of fake grass in a small room, but it is better than having an accident at the gate.

Packing for Medical Needs

When you travel with a dog that has health issues, your packing list gets a lot longer. Alice requires daily Apoquel for her allergies, plus a medicated shampoo if she has a flare-up. I always pack her medication in my carry-on bag or the front seat of the car. I never put it in the trunk or a checked bag just in case our luggage gets lost or delayed.

I also bring a copy of their vaccination records, specifically their rabies certificates. Most hotels will not ask for them, but if there is an emergency and you need to visit a local vet, having those records on hand saves a lot of time. I keep digital copies on my phone and a physical copy in the glovebox.

Traveling with dogs means packing more gear and moving at a slower pace. It is definitely more work than traveling solo, but having Alice and Dodo with me makes the trip a lot more fun. You just have to plan ahead and accept that you will probably be making a few extra stops along the way.