Road Trip, Just You & the Dog: How to Prepare for Your Next Adventure

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How to Prepare for Your Next Adventure PinterestYour next big adventure is calling, and you and your favorite sidekick are ready to hit the road. Nearly two-thirds of pet owners travel with their furry companions in tow, according to PetsWeekly.com. Before you take off, make sure you, your pup and your car are up to the challenge.

Where to Go, What to Do?

A successful trip needs the perfect combination of spontaneity and planning. When trying to tip the balance to the latter, use this free mobile app from Stay.com. It helps you create a personalized guidebook for any city on your radar.

Combine maps, advice from experts and your friends’ experiences to find the best of any destination. Then, create an itinerary. If you’re trying to avoid data charges, download whatever you need and access it offline while on the go.

Car Care

When it comes to your car, take a few precautionary measures before you leave, so you and Spot don’t wind up stranded on the side of the road.

  • Check your coolant, and if you are heading somewhere cold, make sure you have the right balance of antifreeze and water.
  • Check the tread on your tires and inspect them for signs of excessive wear and tear. Poor tread and degraded rubber can lead to a blowout on the road, which in turn could lead to a dangerous accident. When picking out new tires, make sure you get some designed for the type of driving you’ll be doing. TireBuyer.com carries BF Goodrich tires in a variety of performance categories, making it easy to get the best fit for your journey.
  • Catch up on any scheduled maintenance (think oil change), so you don’t have to find a garage on the road.
  • Lighten your load and get rid of anything that’s not needed in the vehicle—it will boost your fuel economy.
  • Check your insurance policy, and if your carrier offers it, get extra medical coverage for your pet. That will help cover the vet bills in case of an accident.

Pets Welcome

You love your four-legged friend, but the world may not be as excited about his presence as you are. In fact, many hotels and even some hiking areas ban pets. To ensure that you will get a hearty welcome at your next destination, check out a site like TripsWithPets.com. It features a large database of pet-friendly hotels as well as tips on traveling with them.

Taming Hunger

Eating on the road can be a fabulous adventure or an expensive pain in the neck. Avoid costly trips to gas stations and rest stops by stocking up on treats and drinks at the grocery store before you go. That will save you money and make it easier to stay healthy.

Use the money you save to splurge on dining out in your destination city. MenuPages.com has menus and food prices for eight of the nation’s biggest cities. Otherwise use Yelp’s restaurant review app, which covers thousands of restaurants in hundreds of cities.

Make sure your pack travel bowls to make feeding your pet easy. This way your pets can enjoy clean water and fresh food at anytime anywhere on the trip.

Don’t forget to pack treats for your pup as well. A favorite snack can help to make an uncomfortable situation feel a bit more familiar for Fido.

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9 thoughts on “Road Trip, Just You & the Dog: How to Prepare for Your Next Adventure

  1. Esther

    Great Tips! I loved the advice about bringing some snacks to help save some money because anymore even short trips are costly. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  2. kathy j

    Great ideas! I never think about the car care tips so that is a big one! Glad you reminded me. I have a tendency to just go! Guess I been lucky car did not have issues but I do not want to push my luck so I will keep these in mind!

    Reply
  3. Joie

    Great travel tips. Our poor dog has gotten to old to travel and enjoy it. Hubby and I have been talking about getting an RV and then we could bring him with us again.

    Reply
  4. Brandy Nelson

    I found an AMAZING pet-friendly hotel on a media trip for Disney. It’s the Langham Huntington in Pasadena. This place is like a palace, and is simply gorgeous. They offer pet spa days and massages, gourmet, chef-prepared dog meals and treats, and a lot more. I was so sad that I didn’t have my Yorkie with me!

    Reply
  5. Sandy VanHoey

    Great tips you posted! My daughter has a pomeranian and she takes her on all their vacations as well. The dog loves the ride, sitting on her lap all the way (in the passenger seat of course)

    Reply

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