Best Dog-Friendly Travel Accommodation Options

Last Updated on May 19, 2026 by Carolyn

What Dog-Friendly Travel Accommodation Options Exist?

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One of my favorite pastimes is competing with my dogs in agility. It’s great fun and building my and my dogs’ skills is an ever-evolving challenge. Most of our agility trials take place a minimum of a 2 to 2.5-hour drive from home. The drive doesn’t bother me for just one day but doing it daily for a 3-day trial gets old fast, and really puts a damper on the weekend. Getting up before 5 and driving 2.5 hours and then repeating that drive in the reverse 12 hours later only to rinse and repeat the next day, just isn’t what I call fun, nor does it build an alert, competitive mind!

Last year, I investigated what options a person traveling with dogs has for overnight accommodations, created the following list, and then explored the feasibility of each option.

• Hotels
• Airbnbs
• Tents
• Pop-Up Trailers
• Travel Trailers
• Motorhomes
• Vehicle

I thought I’d share this list with readers and explain how I determined the best option for my canine travel partners and me.

Hotels

Hotels are probably the first option most people think of, and they can be a good solution depending on where you travel and how many dogs are with you. Unfortunately, for dog owners, fewer and fewer hotels allow dogs, and those that do are limiting the number or size of dogs allowed and/or are charging pet fees per dog, which can really add up.

In the town where most of my agility trials take place, there is the grand sum of one hotel (which is actually closed for renovations this year). It’s about on par with a Super 8, and they charge fees per dog, so the room cost for 3 nights ends up close to $400 when approximately $100 in dog fees are added. Ouch, that’s a lot of money to spend on a place you use just to sleep! The next closest hotels are 30 minutes away.

If you are a dog owner and opt to stay in a hotel, here are some golden rules to keep in mind:

• Ask before reserving if the room is dog-friendly
• Also, ask when reserving if there is a restriction on the number of dogs per room and/or the size of dogs
• Ask if there are any breed restrictions
• Ask if there are additional fees for dogs, and specifically ask if it is per dog
• Don’t leave your dog alone in the room at any time
• Bring a sheet or blanket to put on the hotel furniture so you don’t create unnecessary work for the hotel
• Bring a crate for your dog so he/she has a famliar place to sleep.
• Bring poop bags ( preferably biodegradeable), pick up after your dog, and throw the poop in outside trash (preferably a dumpster)
• Wipe your dog’s feet before entering the hotel if they are muddy
• Try to get a ground-floor room so it’s easy to take your dog for potty walks

Airbnb/VRBO homestays

Airbnb and/or VRBO homestays can be a great place to stay with your dogs.

When I attended our national breed show in College Station a few years ago, I was able to book a room with a full private bathroom in a house with a fenced yard for my daughter and I and our 2 dogs, at less than the cost of a hotel. Our host wasn’t home much, so we essentially had a house to ourselves, and he even let us use his garage fridge to store our raw dog food.

I’m not so lucky with the local agility trials. There are dog-friendly homestays about 20 minutes away, but they are few and often booked up. We did stay at one local Airbnb for a night but it was just a room within a house in which a family lived. We felt awkward traipsing through their house with our dogs even though the family was very accommodating.

You should adhere to the same golden rules listed above when booking an Airbnb with your dogs.

Camping

Tent

Next on the list to try was a tent. I bought an SUV tent, which proved functional and eliminated the daily drive, but I found myself really holding my breath for good weather. Where we trial in the eastern plains of Colorado, it’s notorious for wild weather from high winds, torrential rains, and hailstorms. The first weekend I was planning to use it, it ended up being rainy, and I had to come home one day of the three anyhow, so for the night I stayed, I opted to sleep in the car (see below sleeping in a vehicle). Putting up the tent in the rain just to sleep for a few hours when I already had a bed set up in the car didn’t make sense to me. Happily, the next weekend we needed to use the tent, the weather cooperated, and it was a success.

The RV tent is designed to let you sleep off the ground in your vehicle, leaving a nice, spacious area for chairs, dog crates, and supplies in the tent. You can go from your bed to the tent without going outside. The SUV Tent I purchased is an Ozark trails 5 person SUV tent. They quickly sold out, but there are similar ones available here: SUV Tents I used my tent for one weekend last year, and it paid for itself in one weekend, $90.00 purchase cost vs $400 in hotel fees.

Keep in mind, you can never leave a dog alone in a tent unless it’s in a crate. You might come back to tears in your tent or even worse, a missing dog.

Despite the successful weekend using the RV tent, I knew I wouldn’t always be so lucky with the weather, so I continued my search for something more all-weather worthy.

Pop-up Trailers

Pop-up trailers offer many of the conveniences of bigger travel trailers such as cooking facilities, sleeping off the ground while remaining light enough to tow by many vehicles, and some even have a toilet in them. They are more sturdy than a tent and less prone to leak. They also can be found used fairly inexpensively.

The days of flimsy, leaky canvas and gloomy interiors are history, and many now are quite attractive.

I thought these might be a good option for me and investigated renting one to get a feel for them. I was unable to find an available rental near me and was just not convinced they were for me. The big drawback for me is dogs still can’t be left alone in a pop-up trailer due to the canvas sides, and I don’t like the idea of having to put it up and down once home to clean it out, and then do that all over again when preparing for my next trip. I imagine with some of the easy-up models available putting it up and down may not be that big of an issue.

Travel Trailers

I kept my eye out for a small travel trailer that my Subaru Outback could tow. After the COVID pandemic, finding a reasonably priced little trailer proved impossible. I considered expanding my options by switching to a slightly larger tow vehicle, but again that proved fruitless. I test drove a few vehicles, but none fit me, my dogs, and crates, as well as the Outback.

If you have a vehicle that can tow at least #3000 and have room to park one, travel trailers are really the way to go. There are so many available that you are sure to find one that suits your taste and budget.

If you don’t have room to park a trailer, renting one privately might be a better option than paying for storage. You can search Outdoorsy for a rental near you or perhaps rent one at your destination.

As Winter arrived, I pretty much gave up on my search. I would browse classifieds now and then for small campers, but anything reasonable would always be sold before I could get to see it. One evening after Christmas, I saw a Facebook ad for an old but cute fiberglass trailer that was just what I was looking for. I hesitated to respond that evening as it was getting late, but experience had taught me you have to act fast, so I messaged to see if I could come to look at it the next morning. It was located in Colorado Springs, which is about 2 hours from where I live.

The next morning, I looked for a reply, and there wasn’t one. I normally don’t pester, but I really wanted this trailer, so I messaged the seller again. She said I was 3rd in line to see it. My heart sank to my feet. I’d missed another one. How surprised I was when 1/2 an hour later I received a message that I could come see it? I explained that I would come immediately, but I lived 2 hours away and had to stop at the bank to get cash. The seller said that was OK, so I slipped my hitch into its receiver, went to the bank, and headed that way. The day was more than blustery; there were straight-line winds of over 70 miles an hour. I feared that if I did get the trailer, it might blow over.

Two and a half hours later, I was the proud owner of a new-to-me trailer, a 1979 13′ Land ‘N Sea El Macho. I headed home with trepidation. The winds had increased to gale force and were blowing tractor-trailers over, grass fires had erupted everywhere, causing several road closures, and here I was towing my little trailer through all of this chaos. Happily, it towed like a champ, and I got home without incident.

Motorhomes

It seems at the dog shows the vehicle of choice is a motorhome. They provide climate-controlled living space for you and your dog, and you don’t have to purchase a separate tow vehicle. I looked at these when looking for a travel trailer and would have purchased one if the right one had come along while I was looking.

The downside is the lousy gas mileage on these, and with gas prices soaring that’s something to be considered. I also don’t like that you have to move your whole setup if you need to go grocery shopping while camping or want to go visit somewhere local.

Vehicle

This is probably the least glamorous of all the options (unless you have a van which can be an awesome way to travel) but I have done it. It’s simple and cheap and while not ideal if you’re on a road trip and can’t find a place, to stay it works. And if you have something like a truck with a cap on the back there is no reason you can’t sleep in the back with your dogs.

I put a memory foam mattress down in the back of my Subaru Outback, and pile on blankets and sheets and it’s surprisingly comfortable albeit a little squishy with 2 people and 2 Australian Shepherds all in together. The addition of a solar lantern and backup power charger enables you to read at night.

If you’re on the road always be sure to pull off somewhere safe, that is lit preferably with people coming and going, and crack the window open a wee bit to let out moisture or else you might just think you’re in a rainforest when you wake up!

Making the Drive Safer

Precautionary Measures

One thing that makes traveling with dogs tough is heat and cold. If you want to stop at a restaurant for a break or even just to take a bathroom break, and have a dog in the car, you always have to consider the temperature. How hot or cold is it outside? Is my dog at risk if I leave it for a few minutes?

Some EV cars minimize this worry with their Pet Modes that keep the climate control running while you are taking a break, but be aware: They are not failsafe. I’ve heard of system failures resulting in dead dogs.

So what are your options? If temperatures are between about 32-60 Fahrenheit (0-16 celcius), I generally feel safe leaving my dogs in their crates in the cars for up to about an hour. I still take precautions: I open windows to allow for fresh air, I park in the shade if there is any, and put up my car sun shade.

I’ve also invested in a car temperature sensor that alerts me via bluetooth if my cars inside temperature exceeds 80 degrees. Again, not failsafe, but better than nothing.

If it is hot out and I need to stop for a people pee break, my dogs come with me. I’ll stop at a dog-friendly home improvement or pet supply store or even a dog friendly park with washrooms!

Curbside Pickups, Take-Out and Dog Friendly Restaurants

If I need groceries but have my dogs with me, I’ve learned to take advantage of curbside pickups. I place my order online and arrive to pick it up at a designated time. Many retailers don’t charge a fee for this service if you order a minimum dollar amount. I’ve also learned that at Walmart if you don’t order perishable goods, you can place an order online for less than the stated minimum pickup total, and rather than making a pickup appointment, they’ll let you know when it is ready. I find this super convenient.

For meals on the road take-out is a great option and if you plan ahead you can find a restaurant close to a nice park where you and Fido can both take a break from the car. Before you leave home order a dog-friendly printed guide book to take on your travels.

Which Accomodation Option is Best?

We’re all different and each of us has our own priorities when we travel with dogs. I wanted a safe place to put my dogs when traveling, as well as something simple to set up, so I opted for a small travel trailer. It was a simple fairly cheap solution to my travel needs. It also has air conditioning which is a big bonus when traveling to hot places.

In your opinion what is the best accommodation when traveling with dogs?