From Road Trips to Mountain Trails: How to Travel Responsibly with Pets
Maitree Baral | TimesPets Bureau | Mar 26, 2026, 12:01 IST
From Road Trips to Mountain Trails: How to Travel Responsibly with Pets
Travelling with pets can be delightful but with the right preparations. Almost 62% of pet parents travel with their pets, including 62% of dog parents. However, fewer than 30% of pet parents seek veterinary advice before travelling.
Pets deserve care and attention, and even more so during travelling. Travelling without preparation can put your pet’s health, well-being and comfort at risk.
Whether you're planning a road trip to Coorg or a drive up to Kasol, here's how to travel responsibly, and joyfully, with your pet.
Before you begin packing your clothes and your pet’s bowls, be sure to schedule a vet visit. It is especially important if your pet is young, or old, or has a pre-existing condition. Your vet can recommend safety measures, SOS medicines and, sometimes, help you locate pet clinics near your travel destination.
Even the healthiest pets can require motion sickness medication and anxiety meds while travelling long hours.
Carry your pet's medical records, vaccination certificates, and your vet's contact number physical and digital copies both.
Plan the Journey Around Your Pet
Pets may not embrace the experience of travel with as much excitement as we do! A 6 hour drive can be stressful for them. Compounded with new surroundings, and the scent of other pets in pet-friendly resorts and hotels, it can lead to some behaviour alterations. They may also show physiological signs, such as a spike in temperature, diminished appetite or inappropriate elimination.
This is true for cats and dogs. Give them frequent breaks. If you have the liberty, stop, secure your pet on a leash and let them explore a little and see if they want to eat, drink or pee and poo. Feed them a light meal at least 2 hours before travel - preferably some wet food or kibbles topped with broth to maintain hydration.
Keep tasty broths and food toppers handy, since pets are less likely to drink water outside home.
Safety First: Restraints and Carriers
An unrestrained dog in a moving vehicle is a safety hazard for the pet and for every passenger. In the event of sudden braking or a collision, a loose dog or cat becomes a projectile, irrespective of their size and weight. Always use a well-ventilated, crash-tested pet carrier for cats and small dogs, or a harness and seatbelt clip for medium to large dogs. We highly recommend a seat barrier that secures your dog or pet’s crate in the back!
Letting your dog hang out of windows or sit on your lap while driving might look adorable but it's genuinely dangerous.
Not all destinations are created equal for pets. Confirm that your accommodation is genuinely pet-friendly and ask about pet fees, restricted areas, and outdoor spaces. You need to understand, pet-friendly doesn’t always mean pet proof. If necessary, carry your dog’s crate and cat’s large crate with you, in case the doors and windows aren’t pet proof!
Research local vets and emergency animal clinics at your destination before you leave home. For mountain destinations, be aware that altitude can affect pets, especially brachycephalic breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs who already struggle with breathing.
Ask your vet for special tick, flea and mosquito preventives before you travel. These chews or spot-ons take a while to work. Early application ensures your pet is safe by the time you reach the location.
Your pet's travel bag should be as thoughtfully packed as your own: sufficient supply of their regular food, collapsible food and water bowls, puppy pee pads, pooper scoopers, and fresh litter for our cat-friends.
You need to pack their regular medications plus any travel-specific ones prescribed by your vet, a pet first-aid kit with bandages, antiseptic, and tweezers for ticks, a familiar blanket or toy for comfort, and poop bags with a small grooming kit.
Wrapping it up
Travelling with your pet can be one of the most rewarding experiences of pet parenthood. That tail wagging at the sight of a new trail, the way they curl up exhausted and happy after a day of adventure it's worth every bit of preparation.
The key word is preparation. A little planning before the journey makes all the difference between a stressful trip and an unforgettable one for both of you. So talk to your vet, pack smartly, drive safely, and go make some memories together.
Dr. Abhishek Choudary, Veterinarian, Vetic Pet Clinic
Pets deserve care and attention, and even more so during travelling. Travelling without preparation can put your pet’s health, well-being and comfort at risk.
Whether you're planning a road trip to Coorg or a drive up to Kasol, here's how to travel responsibly, and joyfully, with your pet.
Always Start with a Vet Visit
Before you begin packing your clothes and your pet’s bowls, be sure to schedule a vet visit. It is especially important if your pet is young, or old, or has a pre-existing condition. Your vet can recommend safety measures, SOS medicines and, sometimes, help you locate pet clinics near your travel destination.
Even the healthiest pets can require motion sickness medication and anxiety meds while travelling long hours.
Carry your pet's medical records, vaccination certificates, and your vet's contact number physical and digital copies both.
Plan the Journey Around Your Pet
This is true for cats and dogs. Give them frequent breaks. If you have the liberty, stop, secure your pet on a leash and let them explore a little and see if they want to eat, drink or pee and poo. Feed them a light meal at least 2 hours before travel - preferably some wet food or kibbles topped with broth to maintain hydration.
Keep tasty broths and food toppers handy, since pets are less likely to drink water outside home.
Safety First: Restraints and Carriers
Letting your dog hang out of windows or sit on your lap while driving might look adorable but it's genuinely dangerous.
Know Before You Go: Destination Dos and Don'ts
Not all destinations are created equal for pets. Confirm that your accommodation is genuinely pet-friendly and ask about pet fees, restricted areas, and outdoor spaces. You need to understand, pet-friendly doesn’t always mean pet proof. If necessary, carry your dog’s crate and cat’s large crate with you, in case the doors and windows aren’t pet proof!
Research local vets and emergency animal clinics at your destination before you leave home. For mountain destinations, be aware that altitude can affect pets, especially brachycephalic breeds like Pugs and Bulldogs who already struggle with breathing.
Ask your vet for special tick, flea and mosquito preventives before you travel. These chews or spot-ons take a while to work. Early application ensures your pet is safe by the time you reach the location.
Pack Like a Pet Parent
Your pet's travel bag should be as thoughtfully packed as your own: sufficient supply of their regular food, collapsible food and water bowls, puppy pee pads, pooper scoopers, and fresh litter for our cat-friends.
You need to pack their regular medications plus any travel-specific ones prescribed by your vet, a pet first-aid kit with bandages, antiseptic, and tweezers for ticks, a familiar blanket or toy for comfort, and poop bags with a small grooming kit.
Wrapping it up
The key word is preparation. A little planning before the journey makes all the difference between a stressful trip and an unforgettable one for both of you. So talk to your vet, pack smartly, drive safely, and go make some memories together.
Dr. Abhishek Choudary, Veterinarian, Vetic Pet Clinic