Over half the population in the United States and Canada own pets and each year over twenty million people bring a pet with them on vacation. It can be quite expensive to pay for boarding for your pets while you're out of town, so why not just bring them along for the ride?
Most of the major car rental companies are pet friendly. However, they all have their own pet policies, which can be basically summed up as "Don't let your pet destroy the vehicle or get it excessively dirty, or you will pay for the clean-up." If your dog is a heavy shedder we recommend that you cover the seats with an old sheet and even vacuum the car before you return it.
It seems like this should be common sense, but it is not a good ideal to bring puppies who are likely to chew on everything in sight or dogs who become destructive when they are nervous on road trips in a car hire because you will be charged for the damage.
While most dogs are ready to jump in the car and go along with you wherever you plan to go you should first consider if your road trip plans are dog friendly. Dogs make great hiking companions and there are several road trips through California that pass national parks and other amazing outdoor places that are perfect for man's best friend.
Several other cities across the United States make a good dog friendly road trip that might surprise you, such as Boston, Massachusetts by car hire. Boston has an abundance of parks where dogs are welcome, as well as the 2 mile Freedom Trail, ferry boat rides, or the Faneuil Hall Marketplace.
There are several important things to remember when driving with a dog in a car rental for the safety of both you and your pet. Dogs need to be properly secured, and no matter how much they love it they should not be allowed to stick their heads too far out of the window. For a more tips to make road travel with a dog safe and fun check out this list by tree.com.
