Go on a roadtrip with your dog

Want to go on a road trip with your dog and have some questions about the logistics? I interviewed two seasoned travelers who were happy to share their tips and, above all, a ton of super-woofy anecdotes. Let me introduce you to Cosmos and Caro . Caroline traveled the world alone for a long time, backpacking wherever her whims took her. Then, one day, she decided she wanted to bring a companion along on her adventures. Since then, her dog, a little Jack Russell, has gone everywhere with her, and they travel road-trip style together. So, I asked them lots of questions so I could tell you more about this type of vacation with a dog. 100% freedom, 100% fun, 100% Woof-tastic! Let's go on a road trip with a dog!

Why did I choose to travel with my dog? Because it makes sense to me! Cosmos isn't "just a dog," he's part of my life, he's my partner. I can't imagine going off on my own and leaving him in Geneva . He's already patient enough to wait for me at home while I'm working; he deserves his holidays too. For me, getting a dog means integrating him into my life in every way. I love Cosmos, and I would be miserable if he didn't come with me. How can I enjoy the beach if I know he's sad without me and, on top of that, doesn't understand why I left him? I definitely didn't get a dog with that in mind!

Plus, since I travel alone, it's so nice to have someone to share my adventures with. Whether it's the good times or the really tough ones, my dog ​​is always there for me. We share some truly intense moments. And now that he's had a taste of it, as soon as he sees me take the sleeping bag out of the closet, he runs behind the door and doesn't move until he's in the car. It's great that he enjoys it. Hooray for holidays with your dog!

I travel in road trip mode because I love the freedom it provides. Being able to stop wherever and whenever I want, taking as many detours as I like… The only constraint is finding a gas station every 900 km.

I have fitted out my car so that we can both sleep in it. As I have done quite a lot of van, camping and homestay trips in the past, I like this way of life. With Cosmos, I thought about his well-being and safety. Sleeping while camping in a tent with him is a bit complicated, because he has a very developed hunting instinct and as he is clever, he knows how to open zippers. So, unless I tied him all night to a rope attached to my wrist, I would have had to put him to sleep in a crate. Not top notch.

With locals, it's possible and we do it sometimes (like when I really have to take a shower) but the road trip is really a big love that we share, so we do as much as possible.

And above all, the unequaled advantages of the amenity car are that it costs much less than a van (to buy, in gas and tolls), that you sleep there all the same more safely than under tent depending on the location, that we are sheltered in the event of bad weather (we have already experienced a few heavy storms with hail) and that we are mobile. By reserving rooms at the inhabitant, one is a little blocked by time. Either it's great and we would have stayed longer, or it's not what we imagined and we would like to leave earlier. But as it's already paid for… With the amenity car, you can change plans 5 times in the same day if you want. Finally, a little bonus, you can treat yourself to crazy views when you wake up, which you wouldn't get at the hotel even if you paid a crazy amount.

Cosmos knows the procedure perfectly. We arrive somewhere, I take out our things, he goes to bed next to me, I inflate the mattress, spread some duvet and we go around the field, the beach, the campsite... in short, the place where we are. find. As soon as the sun goes down, he jumps into the trunk and waits for me to join him. Once the doors are closed, for Cosmos it's a little lick on my cheek, then the 4 paws in the air and he sleeps like a baby until morning. He loves this type of vacation.

Musher and Sophie: “Want to learn more about traveling with your dog in a campervan ? Check out the story of Raphaël, his wife, and their pack of dogs. They shared lots of great tips with us too. ”

Wow! Comfort level, Cosmos is really a princess. I take his basket because it's important that he has his smell for the night. It also has a big cushion that I always end up using myself since Monsieur prefers my super comfortable chair. And when we both want a cuddly moment, we jump into the hammock.

At night, Cosmos uses about 4/5ths of the car's mattress. I'm just exaggerating. He sails, he makes his life. In general, he falls asleep in the crook of my knees, and in the morning when he wakes up, he is next to my face, snuggled up under the duvet. I don't say anything and I leave that pleasure to him because that's also what vacations are all about.

💬 I'll take 10 seconds off for some very useful information, I promise! 
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Cosmos is two years old. Since we've been together, we've already explored every corner of Switzerland, a good part of France, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We live in Geneva, and I even wrote an article about spending a weekend in Geneva with a dog : I highly recommend it! Cosmos shares all his favorite tips and tricks in it.

All of these destinations are dog-friendly (and I think if you're polite with a well-behaved dog, you can go anywhere).

In Italy, some supermarkets allow dogs in shopping carts to prevent them from being tied up outside and risking theft or suffering from the heat. In Venice, every time I bought something to eat or drink, Cosmos received a piece of cheese or ham. Because of his adorable face and sociable nature, he charms everyone. And all over Italy, he gets his two minutes of fame before people realize there's also a human being on the other end of the leash. If you'd like to discover more about our adventures in Italy, you can read or reread the article " Discovering Florence and Italy with Your Dog ."

In France, we really like the sandy beaches reserved and equipped for dogs. In Cannes, we had a little delirium by taking a room on the promenade at the Mariott (a 5* palace). I booked it in private sale to get a fair price. It was the first time that Cosmos slept at the hotel, it was awesome. On the other hand, if like me you are not used to great luxury, know that they make your bed in the morning AND in the evening. For the record, Cosmos took advantage of the passage of the maid around 17:00 p.m. to go clown in the hallways. Barely out of the shower, I ran after him for a good 10 minutes in a tank top and panties, in front of dumbfounded customers and laughing security guards.

In Slovenia, we came across a special bakery for dogs. There too, we have always been very well received. In the bars, the waiters would spontaneously bring a bowl of water for him without my having to ask and even before I placed my order. Very, very, appreciable.

In Croatia, I ended up renaming Cosmos “Mr Cute”, because everyone was jumping on him and saying “So Cute”! Croatia remains THE country to go with your dog. Almost in every village, there is a “human” beach and a “human with his dog” beach right next to it. In Crikvenica in the North there is even a dog beach bar, where you can buy dog ​​beer (non-alcoholic), dog crisps and even dog pizza!! Obviously, we went there too (the ease of the roadtrip, once again). We even treated ourselves to the luxury of taking part in Dubrovnik's first beer festival.

In Bosnia , Cosmos was a local attraction. Everyone we met was amazed to see this little fellow, barely 30 cm tall, standing tall and proud, lost in the middle of nowhere, on holiday with his owner. I think that of all the countries we visited, it was in Bosnia that Cosmos received the warmest welcome. Whether at the campsite, in restaurants, or at nightclubs! It was so improbable for them that we were there, just the two of us, in this country that was still at war 25 years ago, that the people were incredibly kind.

Our favorite place, I think we can all agree with Cosmos, is Zadar, in Croatia . We found a fantastic campsite, about ten hectares in size, which allowed Cosmos to run around as much as he wanted in the mornings before the heat of the day. We parked the car right on the beach, so the view was magical and we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. We went back there on the way home from Bosnia. When I opened the gate and he recognized the place, Cosmos did a ten-minute sprint all around the campsite before jumping into my arms, he was so happy.

The best memory… To choose only one would be really difficult.

But it's clear that the evening in an open-air nightclub in the middle of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Cosmos falling asleep on the white fabric sofa in 2 minutes, is still memorable.

Or at the Mariott when, in the morning, we both went down, very proud of ourselves, to the breakfast room and he tasted absolutely everything I chose from the buffet (and I took all what was available). So my dog ​​ate pancakes, smoked salmon and homemade croissants, straight out of the kitchens of a palace. People's gaze was the bonus point!

Or, in Croatia, when we bought a bodyboard. Cosmos doesn't like to swim. He likes to have his paws in the water but not his belly. So, for the beach, he was crying on the edge when I went swimming. So we went to buy a board, and we had to gain his trust so that he agreed to ride it. But as soon as he found his interest in it, he was the one dragging the board to the edge of the water and barking for me to follow him. We had some crazy times in the waves thanks to that. This dog is really awesome!

More generally, the best times are when you sit down, whether it's a few minutes in the middle of a visit or after a long day. When Cosmos, tired and happy, comes to curl up in a ball on my lap, he buries his little muzzle between my stomach and his paws and he starts to snore. I know that in those moments, he is happy. That nothing in the world could please her more than being with me.

The worst memory (and the only one) was in the Pyrenees in 2017. Cosmos was just a year old. It was very hot that week, so I took an Airbnb room to cool down. Arrived on the spot, the house was not at the place indicated but at the bottom of the valley, without network. It was a shed at the end of the garden, with three doors from which all the locks had been removed. During the 30 minutes that I spent unloading the car and preparing the evening meal, the owner came to see me 4 times, shirtless, to see if I needed help.

We had arrived late in the evening and I didn't have the courage to take the road again. So I pulled all the furniture in the room in front of the doors to block them, slipped my knife under the pillow and took Cosmos with me on the sofa bed. He woke up 4 or 5 times that night, barking as hard as he could, his lips drawn in the direction of the door.

It's not a bad memory linked to Cosmos (who was brave or courageous) but to the place itself. That's what convinced me to fit out the car. Bad travel memories related to Cosmos, I have none, sincerely.

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If I have a message to convey, it's that we have to get started. Traveling with your dog, whether alone, as a couple or as a family, creates bonds with your animal like no other experience allows. This is the only time of the year when you can devote time to it over several days, days when you are relaxed and happy, which inevitably affects the dog's morale. These are unique, magical, emotionally strong moments. This also allows you to save on board (25€ per day multiplied by 10 days, there is enough to pay for some good restaurants).

In summary, do not ask yourself a thousand questions. Or yes. Ask yourself, find answers for the 10% that concern customs formalities, vaccines and your dog's health, and get started. The rest will come by itself! You will not regret it !

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I don't know what you think, but I absolutely loved Caro and Cosmos's closing remarks! They made me want to travel… If you want to follow their next adventures, head over to CaroandCosmos , their blog, or directly to their Facebook page . Caroline mentioned to me off the record that they're currently considering several destinations, such as

As for me, I go bivouacking in the mountains with my dog : road trip mode might be the next step…

Traveling with your dog is Wow Good. This interview proves to you once again that going on an adventure with your dog is possible in a thousand and one ways as long as you respect your animal, its desires, its abilities... it will follow you to the end of the world. Our hairy ones are unparalleled vacation companions! Take them with you.