Tips on Traveling Solo with Your Dog on a Cross-Country Road Trip

A behind-the-scenes look at how I travel with my dog on a solo cross-country road trip. Get tips on what to bring on the road, what to do when you need to use the restroom, where to stay, and more.
Dog Essentials (affiliate links):
Dog seat cover: amzn.to/3MI7vbA
Collapsible dog bowl: amzn.to/3Cfzn1M
Dog travel bag: amzn.to/3CiLKu2
Dog bed: amzn.to/3KmeLaU
Dog blanket: amzn.to/3vOxS9z
Dog raincoat: amzn.to/3HYYXJT
CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro
0:30 Preparing for the road trip
4:05 Start of the road trip
5:10 Rest area bathroom break
6:36 Pilot gas station
8:29 Rest area in New Mexico
10:33 Taking dog into hotel
11:37 Drury Inn Las Cruces
13:44 What to do when it's raining
15:14 La Quinta Inn Waco Downtown Baylor
17:38 Kuma using the dog bed
19:00 Busy Bee's gas station in Florida
For additional information, visit our blog: www.thetravelpockets.com
Music from Artlist: artlist.io/Crystal-104049
FOLLOW US
----------------------------
Instagram: / travelpockets
Facebook: / travelpockets
Twitter: / travelpockets
Pinterest: / travelpockets
#dogtraveltips #roadtripwithdog #TravelPockets

[@doke889]

Kuma gives the best side eye

[@travelpockets]

OMG YES!! The best.

[@ShirTuck]

Just did a coast to coast and back again. Would fill up and use facilities at a Love’s Travel Stops (clean clean clean and they have an app so you can easily find them everywhere). Stayed at LaQuinta, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Suites, or Moxey (they are amazing) depending upon what was available. Hope the info is useful to someone who is thinking about such a trip.

[@travelpockets]

Great tips! I've never stayed at Moxey before. I don't think I've come across one yet, but they look super cool.

[@k9luv3]

I've never found a Courtyard or Fairfield that takes pets. :( And Bucee's is the best gas stations ever! I think the largest one is in New Braunfels, Tx. Too bad they are only in Tx. mostly.

[@chrisbarber1187]

Personally I’d like to see dogs restrained using safety harness/seatbelt restraints,there’s other drivers who may cause and accident and the dogs would be thrown forward hitting the seats or ver the seats and through the windscreen.

[@aussiegsd_travel]

My GSD and I are doing the loop of Australia soon

[@k9luv3]

Good job! Thanks for making the video. I've traveled from Florida to San Diego 5 times with 5 to 3 dogs (depending on the year.) The first 3 years was with my mom and the last two alone because she passed away. I pulled a 5x8 utility trailer that carried everything so my dogs could have the entire back end of my 4Runner. They were great travelers! We stop a lot of it takes me 5 days. Straight shot on I-10. In 2019 I bought a van and boy did that change things. Everything I need is there. Except gas. :) I now travel with 3 dogs to N.M. mostly to visit my brother. Hotels are now charging higher rates for pets which stinks. Especially for each dog. :( The biggest concern for me was safety. I had a Rottie before and when she passed away all that was left were 2 little 10lb goof balls. Last year I rescued a pitty and now feel a little more safe. Heading back out in the fall if anyone wants to make a convoy. LOL!

[@travelpockets]

Wow, you traveled with 5 dogs at one point!? Now, that's impressive. Having a van would definitely be awesome since it's more spacious, but yeah, the gas prices are just insane right now.

[@LittleMissIssues]

I keep planning to and then putting off my deep desire to leave the cold rainy area where I live to go to Florida for 3 months in winter....I am in Oregon so it's a 3400 mile drive and I do have a little dog I rescued a couple years ago. I want to get a little trailer and take my motor scooter and take the scooter off the trailer and make ride videos wherever we stop for a night and maybe half a day to explore an area....I always think it would be great to have a convoy on the trip down there! I want to go so, so bad, but....I still haven't gone yet. 😫

[@k9luv3]

That sounds like an awesome plan! I wish I could escape the summers here in South Florida. The older I get (in my 60's now), the harder it is to put up with this high humidity. You need to do this! If you get down this way look me up. :)@@LittleMissIssues

[@jennifertorres4743]

Thank you so much for posting this! I am driving with my dog from California to Arizona and it helps so much to see how you navigate human and doggy potty breaks! Great video and it really helped me with my anxiety for this trip. Thanks Travel Pockets!

[@jennifertorres4743]

Could you make a video where you show how many hours you've been driving? That would be so cool to see. :)

[@travelpockets]

Hi Jennifer! I'm so happy to hear that this video helped you out. Safe travels!!

[@travelpockets]

This is the typical route I take from Cali to Florida when I'm on the road with my dog: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIumhHWkq76Whrc There's also a bunch of other road trip videos I've done with my dog too: kzbin.info/aero/PLTHuoa1x7qOS11QaZTwwPWKftPU3Z6wuU

[@TheCarolinaNomad]

Kuma can speak volumes without a sound. 🤣🤣

[@travelpockets]

HAHAHAHA that's such a good way to describe it!

[@ThinkingInProgress]

About to do a road trip from California to Maryland with my fiancé and our cat + dog. We’ll see how it goes!! Also love Kuma sleeping at 21:45 lol

[@travelpockets]

Hahaha Kuma was really relaxed on that bed in the back😂 Safe travels on your cross-country trip with your pets!

[@AceEclar]

How was your trip? I plan on doing the same route but MD -> CA lol. Any tips on where to stay/stop with a dog?

[@ThinkingInProgress]

@@AceEclar It wasn't that bad. Having a cat was the main issue since we didn't have a litter box. Dog wasn't as much of a problem but with dogs I've had in the past, make sure you have a bucket or some sort in case they get car sick and vomit in the car. Having a towel handy would be nice. MAKE SURE TO BOOK THE HOTELS IN ADVANCE. I've heard some horror stories of people not finding hotels to stay at since they don't book ahead. It'll save you the stress. Look at reviews and find hotels at BringFido. Make sure they accept dogs and check to make sure how much the fees are because they can add up and may change where you might want to stop that night.

[@gumby013]

My corgi also loves road trips. Nice to see how you handle the logistics of it. We are moving from North Dakota to Las Vegas next month, so it will be an extra-long trip for us.

[@travelpockets]

Yay! Your corgi is going to love the road trip!! That must be a beautiful scenic drive. I just looked up the route and I didn't realize how far north ND was! Have a safe trip💕

[@jennifersmith3671]

So helpful thank you

[@swiftyoverfifty]

What a beautiful springer!❤️

[@travelpockets]

Thank you so much!

[@ilauw]

Love this! Kuma is such a sweet dog ❤️🐾 My car recently died and I decided to replace it with a Tesla, mostly because of the Dog Cam feature and now I can take him out with me so much more ❤️🐾

[@travelpockets]

Thank you!! Kuma is the best😀 I didn't know Teslas had a Dog Cam feature!! That's so awesome. I'm going to have to look this up now.

[@ilauw]

@@travelpockets oops not Dog Cam, Dog Mode.

[@travelpockets]

@@ilauw Haha, well it's still a cool feature to have.

[@kathleenhsu6364]

@@travelpockets yeah they have a dog ac air mode that keeps the car cool

[@LKaempen]

21:44 Kuma belly in da sunshine 🥰 Planning a trip from Cali to southern Illinois this summer and wondering how "safe" it was to travel alone. Seems fine, if you're prepared.

[@travelpockets]

LOL I was smiling big time when I saw her belly up in the backseat. And yup, It's totally safe to do it alone! I enjoy road trips, so I actually look forward to them, haha. Have a safe trip!!

[@clairobics]

I have been known to use toilets with a long lead and greyhound on the other side of the cubicle door lol Considering in the UK a lot of owners take their dogs on holiday with them and there are hundreds of 'dog-friendly' holiday rentals there need to be a lot more green areas/dog areas/stops within service stations and along route and helpful stops for single dog owners.

[@travelpockets]

Totally agree. Hopefully in the near future, things will become easier for us single pup parents :)

[@micheller6589]

Do you think you'll ever get a crash tested harness for her? It's kind of like a dog car seat. I'm deciding between a sleepypod or kurgo! But I'm not sure which one. I do want to take my pup on a road trip so this vid was awesome!

[@travelpockets]

I'm so happy to hear that this video helped you out! I won't be getting a harness in the car for because she is a very chill dog. I don't have to worry about her moving around too much. But I know people use them for extra safety.

[@rafaelgomez1284]

Where was the safety harness the dogs should be tied on in the car while driving ?

[@Belugia]

So your dog is not leashed or seat bealt??? :) Great trip... a very long drive...where do you sleep on way

[@travelpockets]

No, I don't leash my dog in the car or put a seat belt on her because she doesn't move around much and the car seat cover protects her from falling forward. Some people who have more active dogs should definitely use a seat belt attachment to protect their dogs. I sleep at pet-friendly hotels along the way. I book them ahead of time.

[@ashledashnaw2575]

Only problem I have is that you unhooked her before you put her in the car and you even turned away, she could've taken off. No matter how well trained you think they are, they could still take off.

[@pernillejensen4300]

hi! So good videos. I'm planning on going on a road trip by myself too in october but im worried about the gas prizes. Can i ask how much you end up spending in total on the trip?

[@travelpockets]

Hi, thank you so much! I didn't keep track of gas prices for this trip, but it was before the gas prices went up. Before the inflation, it was about $200 total for a 5-day trip going the shortest route on I-10. I'm guessing with inflation, it'll probably be about $300 - $350 for gas depending on the type of car you drive and where you plan on visiting. Here is a detailed guide to the very first solo road trip I did a couple of years ago: www.thetravelpockets.com/new-blog/ultimate-guide-to-a-solo-cross-country-road-trip-with-your-dog

[@doodirty7028]

To get a better hotel rate, is it better to pre-book days ahead or just walk-in?

[@travelpockets]

It's always better to pre-book. Some hotels give a bigger discount for booking months in advance. I always book ahead and make sure they have a free cancellation policy. Most hotels will let you cancel 1-2 days prior to your stay if you need to. Just make sure to read their cancellation policy :)

[@doodirty7028]

@@travelpockets 👍❤

[@k9luv3]

Just throwing this out there... I always pre-book (since I know my route ahead of time) because I have dogs and can't take the chance of not finding a motel/hotel that does take them especially after driving all day.

[@luzbrillante4538]

You’re really beautiful! I love solo travel to be safe gorgeous 😊☺️🤩

[@wbarwegen]

How were you able to go shopping? Did you just happen to find Pet friendly stores?

[@travelpockets]

I generally don't go shopping when I'm with my dog on road trips, but if I were to, yes, I would find pet-friendly stores.

[@dslick6234]

You are absolutely gorgeous 😍 💖

[@travelpockets]

You're too kind. Thank you!

[@dslick6234]

@@travelpockets you're welcome 😍 Are you single?

[@cazl2875]

Most people in their comments are totally missing the point of what she is doing Wrong and that the dog is not in a harness and does not have a dog seat/safety belt attached to their harness and clipped into the cars seat belt/buckle. People have left comments about their road trips and the price of gas, but for God sake the poor dog if in an accident would turn into a flying brick. She hasn't at all taken into account the dogs welfare. This is a very misleading video.

[@dirtydishes2474]

Never hide dogs. My father is deathly allergic and this can cause them not to clean enough which could put my father in the hospital. Please tell them!