5 Travel Lovers Who Take Their Pets on Every Adventure

In days gone by, pet parents might have opted to stay home rather than travel, hesitant to pay a fortune to board their pet or nervous about the logistics of taking their pet with them. But times are changing: these days, many pets are going along for the ride.

The pet travel market has seen huge growth in the recent years, with global pet travel services expecting the market to reach $3.73 billion (£3 billion) by 2030. There’s a bunch of factors contributing to this growth: more pet parents and more people viewing pets as an integral part of the family they’re reluctant to leave behind. During the pandemic, 3.2 million British households and more than 23 million American households adopted pets. Now, 70 percent of pet parents say they take their dog with them on holidays and the travel industry has listened; over a third of UK properties listed on Booking.com are now classed as ‘pet-friendly’.

Unsure on whether your pet is suited to a life of wanderlust? Fair. Not every four-legged friend is up for a daily change in their environment, especially older pets or those with an anxious disposition. But, if you do have a pet who seems to like new things, then listen up. We spoke to five pet parents who have travelled the globe on planes, boats and automobiles – with their pets right beside them. Here’s their tips on how to make travelling with your pet as stress-free and fun as possible. 

Anna and Frank

Five years ago, Dr Anna Foster, a veterinarian in New York, decided she would take now five-year-old Francois (Frank for short) on adventures, rather than leave him behind with a cat sitter.

“I realised how adaptable he was, and how much my husband and I enjoyed sharing our experiences with him,” the 33-year-old says. “We also realised that it could be more enriching for him to travel with us.”

The threesome go to Hawaii twice a year, recently went to Mexico, and together have visited 20 American states together – that’s eight more states than the average American human. 

When Frank flies on a plane, he travels in an airline-approved carrier under the seat in front of Anna. 

“I check airline pet regulations and local regulations months prior to travel,” she says. “We call ahead to add him to our flights and pay a fee. I make sure he’s calm and comfortable by putting his favourite blue sweater on and having Churu snacks at all times.”

If it’s a long-haul flight, she’ll take him out for a walk, meal and toilet break in a private area before and after the flight, making sure to pack litter in a gallon-sized bag and take a travel litter box. He’s trained now to go to the bathroom when they set it up for him. 

When they drive in the car, Frank is either in his carrier or lounging on a preferred spot in the car. “I make frequent stops to let him explore safely on a lead,” Anna says. “He goes inside with me for any quick pit stops.”

Her best advice for cat parents is to “start small and build up,” taking your pet on short trips to see how they handle it, always associating travel with positive experiences.“

“Be prepared with the right gear – carriers, harnesses, and travel bowls – and know your pet’s limits,” she says. “Comfort and safety should always come first.”

Although Anna admits travelling with a cat requires planning, patience and understanding of your pet’s needs, she says Frank makes “every new adventure more meaningful.”

“Seeing him explore new environments with curiosity reminds me to slow down and appreciate the little things,” she says. “It’s also incredibly rewarding to know that we’ve built such a strong bond and trust in each other – it makes every destination feel like home.”

Gabe and Nash

Gabe Garcia adopted Nash in December 2021, and was keen to include her in his active lifestyle. Based in Nashville, the pair have explored their home city extensively and spent lots of time in New York City together. Their favourite trip was visiting Niagara Falls last autumn. 

Travelling with Nash has been a great way to meet other people. “She’s an incredible icebreaker – random people often approach us during our travels because of her,” Gabe says, also noting how having her along helps him maintain peace of mind not worrying about how Nash is back at home.

On their road trips, Gabe has carefully planned out what Nash will eat and when and where they will stop for breaks. 

“Nash has a sensitive stomach, so I always pack treats (Gabe owns a healthy dog treat company called PierrePark) which help prevent diarrhoea and maintain her regular bathroom habits during travel,” he says. “We take breaks every 2–3 hours for stretching and bathroom stops. I bring along her favourite blanket and toys for comfort, and maintain her routine as much as possible even when we’re away from home.”

If someone were to ask Gabe how they can make the same kinds of road trips with their pet, he’d tell them to start small, research pet-friendly accommodation in advance, and have a plan for activities and rest time for both you and your pet. 

Emily and Roger

During the pandemic, Emily Garland, 42, got her kitten, Roger. Living on a canal boat in England, Emily knew little Roger was always going to be a traveller. 

“I adopted him from another boater,” she says. “He was born on a boat and has never lived on land so he’s naturally grown used to it and doesn’t know any different.”

Each time they moor the boat, Roger loves exploring with Emily – especially if it involves a woodland. 

“Climbing trees and running around in leaves is his favourite activity,” she says. “I also prefer the rural bits as I don’t have to worry about him being too near main roads. He comes for walks with me, a bit like a dog. Boat cats get used to not having a home territory, so you become their territory and they’ll happily trot along following wherever you go. It’s the best.”

To keep tabs on Roger, Emily uses a Tractive tracker when he’s out exploring. 

“It’s been invaluable for the occasional time when he accidentally heads back to where the boat was last week,” she says. 

Considering herself “lucky” that Roger is content to be taken to new places all the time, Emily says that boat life with a cat will probably only work if your cat is excited to explore new places. 

“It’s such a joy to share his exploring,” she says of their wanders in the countryside. “Through going to find where he’s got to, I’ve ended up discovering areas and places I’d never have gone if I’d just been on my own so I think it’s a huge bonus. In the future I plan to travel a lot more of the waterway network with him tagging along for the journey.”

Ashley, Cahlua and Brennan

Travelling with pets started out as a necessity for Ashley Reely, a professional dog trainer in Missouri, but now her travels are leisurely and involve hiking, camping and dog sporting events. Right now, she travels with her six-year-old German Shepherd Cahlua and her 14-year-old cat Brennan. 

They’ve travelled across the US, but beaches are their favourite spots to stop off at – the dogs love the sea air she says. 

She makes sure to keep their routine very simple when they are on the road, making sure she has a familiar carrier, high value treats, and calming supplements for emergencies. 

“My best advice is to invest time in training your pet for travel and thoroughly researching your destination’s pet policies and local attitudes towards animals,” says the 29-year-old. “Also, it’s important to honour the roles of service and emotional support animals by not misrepresenting your pet’s status. Fake service animals are running rampant and are degrading safe opportunities for people who truly need the help of their service animals.”

Even though she’d prefer to have her pets with her on every trip, Ashley recognises that not all trips are pet-friendly. 

“I leave them home when it’s best for their comfort and safety,” she says. 

Lottie and Arty

As a travel writer, and author of Dog Days Out, Lottie Gross used to take her dog Milo adventuring around the UK for work. When Milo died in 2020, Lottie welcomed little Arty, a now four-year-old Manchester Terrier, into her family. 

“Just after that, I was offered a book deal to write a dog-friendly travel guidebook,” the 33-year-old says. “Arty and I spent seven months travelling around Britain for our first book and since then we’ve been all over the UK, Ireland and into Western Europe.”

As Arty is too large to go in the cabin of a plane, Lottie tends to drive everywhere.

“He travels in a crash-tested Mimsafe crate for maximum safety,” she says. “We take it slowly so he gets plenty of leg stretching and toilet breaks. I love to plan walk stops on my driving routes, so I’ll often detour via national parks or forests if I can.”

When they take a ferry, Lottie always has Arty with her, as he has a bit of separation anxiety. 

“It usually means paying extra for the Pet Lounge or booking a cabin,” she says. “There have been times I’ve been unable to keep him with me and so he’s stayed in the car, which he’s fine with for up to a couple of hours. I did once travel to Ireland and there were no pet cabins, so I had to book him into kennels on board the ship; at the advice of my vet he was sedated using trazodone, but this is not a great option and I wouldn’t do it again.”

When she travels, Lottie packs a longline so Arty has extra freedom on walks in new places, while she gets a peace of mine he won’t run off or be in any danger. 

“I also use a Pawfit GPS tracker just in case he gets lost,” she says. “I bring along long-lasting chews so he has something to do on long journeys by train or ferry, or while I’m dining in the pub. My settle mat from the Chic Pup Co has been a lifesaver, too - the moment it goes down he’s happy to lie down on it.”

For people interested in travelling in the car with their pets, Lottie suggests researching if places are actually “dog friendly” or are just “dogs tolerant.”

“Look for the places that really make an effort – hotels that offer welcome packs for the dogs, for example, or museums or excursions where their website says dogs are welcomed, not just allowed. The main reason I write dog-friendly travel books is because there’s a lot of misinformation online, and differing standards of dog-friendliness. If you do plenty of research in advance, you’ll know what to expect and have a much more relaxing holiday!”