Packing List for Dog Travel

On our first trip with Hugo, we packed too little. We forgot his usual food, had to buy new at a gas station, and he had diarrhea for three days.

On our second trip, we packed too much. Two different leashes, three toys, four types of treats, a whole bag just for the dog. We never used half of it.

Now, after years of traveling with our Cavapoo, we have settled on a list that actually works. Not too little, not too much – just what we need.

Here’s everything we bring, and why.

What We Never Travel Without

Hugo's Regular Food – For the Whole Trip Plus Extra

This is number one. No compromise.

A dog that changes food in the middle of a trip can have stomach issues. Stress plus new environment plus new food is a perfect storm for diarrhea. We calculate how much Hugo eats per day, multiply by the number of days, and add two days' margin.

We portion it into ziplock bags – one per day. Easier to keep track, easier to pack, and we avoid dragging along a whole bag of food.

Water and Bowl

Hugo drinks more while traveling than at home. Stress, activity, new environments – everything makes him thirstier.

We have a collapsible fabric bowl that always stays in the car door pocket. It takes no space and weighs nothing. Plus a water bottle (a regular PET bottle works) that we refill at every stop.

Tip: Fill the bottle with water from home for the first few days if you are traveling far. Different water can affect sensitive stomachs.

Treats

More than you think you need.

Treats are not just a reward – they are tools. Treats in the car make the trip positive. Treats in new places create good associations. Treats when someone knocks on the hotel door prevent barking.

We bring two kinds: everyday treats (dry training treats) and "jackpot treats" (something extra tasty for special situations).

Poop Bags

We count on three bags per day. Then we double that.

Poop bags take no space. Being without one at a beach or in a park is embarrassing and disrespectful. We always have a roll in our jacket pocket, one in the car, one in the backpack.

Safety and Comfort

Hugo's Blanket

This is our secret ingredient for calm nights in new places.

We have a fleece blanket that is just for Hugo. It stays in his sleeping spot at home between trips. When we pack, we take it – it smells like home, it smells like safety, it smells like "this is safe".

On the first evening in a new place, we lay out the blanket right away. Hugo goes there, sniffs, lies down. The environment is new, but his spot is familiar.

Favorite Toy

Hugo has a worn stuffed animal – a gray rabbit without ears that he has had since he was a puppy. It goes everywhere.

The toy is not about play while traveling. It’s about comfort. Something familiar when everything else is new.

Transport Crate or Seatbelt Harness

Hugo travels in a belted crate in the back seat. We have tried different solutions over the years – harness, car seat, loose in the trunk – but the crate works best for him now.

Whatever you use: bring it. Some accommodations have rules about how the dog should be transported. And safety in the car is non-negotiable.

Health and Hygiene

Towel for Hugo

An old towel that can get as dirty as possible.

Wet paws, muddy fur, sand everywhere – the towel saves the car upholstery, cabin sofa, and hotel bed linens. We wipe Hugo down every time we come indoors from a walk.

Actually two towels: one for paws at the door, one for more extensive wiping.

Brush

Cavapoo fur tangles quickly. Especially after a bath, after rain, after a day in the woods.

A few minutes of brushing every evening on vacation keeps the fur in check and prevents those impossible tangles that require cutting.

Bonus: Hugo loves being brushed. It’s a calm moment for both of us.

Tick Prevention and Tick Tweezers

Ticks are everywhere in Sweden from March to November. A trip to the woods without tick protection is foolish.

Hugo has a Seresto collar that stays on for the whole season. But we still bring tweezers – sometimes the collar misses, and a tick discovered early does no harm.

Basic First Aid Kit

Nothing advanced. Just the essentials:

• Wound wash or saline solution
• Gauze and self-adhesive bandage
• Tweezers (for ticks and thorns)
• Vet wrap or similar to protect paws
• Veterinarian's phone number

We have never needed to use more than the tweezers. But the feeling of having it gives peace of mind.

Any Medications

Hugo has no daily medications now, but we always bring Cerenia (motion sickness medicine) just in case. The early years with vomiting have made us cautious.

If your dog has medications: pack more than you need, keep in the original packaging, and bring a prescription or veterinary certificate if you travel abroad.

Walks and Identification

Leashes – At Least Two

Hugo's everyday leash plus a spare.

Leashes break, get lost, are forgotten at rest stops. Being without a leash on vacation is a problem. An extra in the bag costs nothing and can save the day.

We also have a long leash (10 meters) for situations where Hugo can't be off-leash but needs to move more freely – enclosed yards without dog-friendly height fences, rest areas along the way.

Collar with ID Tag

Hugo's collar is always on. The tag has his name, my phone number, and the text "chipped".

Check that the phone number is current. We recently updated and realized that the old number was a subscription we canceled two years ago.

Harness

Hugo walks in a harness, not a collar. Better for his neck, better control for us.

Reflective Vest

Fall and winter trips, or just evening walks in unfamiliar places. A reflective vest for Hugo takes no space and makes him visible in the dark.

We have a simple reflective vest in orange. Looks silly, saves lives.

Documents

EU Passport

Even for trips in Sweden, the EU passport can be good to have. Some hotels want to see vaccination certificates. And if you spontaneously decide to head over to Norway or Denmark, everything is already in order.

We keep the passport in a plastic pocket along with other important papers.

Insurance Papers

Or at least the insurance number and phone number for the insurance company.

If Hugo gets injured on vacation, we want to know what is covered, where we can seek care, and how to file a claim. We have the information saved on our phone.

Veterinarian's Contact Information

Our home veterinarian. Plus: google veterinarians at the destination before you go. Have a phone number ready in case something happens.

Car Equipment Specifically

All of this stays permanently in the car during the travel period:

• Water bottle and collapsible bowl (door pocket)
• Roll of poop bags (glove compartment)
• Old towel (under the seat)
• Extra leash (side pocket in the trunk)
• Treats in a container (center console)

We never have to search. Everything has its place.

Things We’ve Stopped Bringing

Too many toys. Hugo hardly plays with toys on vacation. He is too busy exploring. One favorite is enough.

Own metal dog bowl. Takes up space, weighs a lot. A collapsible fabric bowl or even a plastic bowl from the kitchen works just as well.

Dog bed. The blanket is enough. Hugo sleeps on the bed anyway (yes, we know).

Shampoo. If Hugo gets really dirty, we rinse him off with water. Shampoo can wait until we get home.

Masses of different treats. One or two kinds are enough. Hugo doesn’t care about variety.

How We Pack

Hugo's Own Bag.

Everything dog-related in one bag. Not mixed with our clothes, not spread out in the car. A bag that we take inside the accommodation and place in the same spot every time.

This makes packing easy (grab the bag, done), unpacking easy (set the bag down, open), and we never forget anything because "it was in the other bag".

Easily Accessible During the Trip:

• Water and bowl in the door pocket
• Treats in the center console
• Poop bags in the jacket pocket
• Towel under the front seat

In the Trunk:

• Hugo's bag with food, blanket, toy, care items
• Extra leash and harness
• Documents in a plastic pocket

Find Dog-Friendly Accommodations

Once you have packed right, the next step is to find a good accommodation. We recommend checking our dog-friendly hotels in popular destinations like Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö.

Printable Checklist

Food and Water:

• Food (portioned for each day + 2 extra)
• Water bottle
• Collapsible bowl
• Treats (two kinds)
• Poop bags (many)

Safety:

• Blanket that smells like home
• Favorite toy
• Transport crate or harness for the car

Health:

• Towel (x2)
• Brush
• Tick prevention
• Tick tweezers
• First aid kit
• Medications (if applicable)
• Motion sickness medicine (if applicable)

Walk:

• Leash (x2)
• Collar with ID tag
• Harness
• Long leash (optional)
• Reflective vest

Documents:

• EU passport
• Insurance information
• Veterinarian's contact information

A well-packed bag doesn’t make the trip perfect. But a poorly packed bag can ruin it.

The first trips with Hugo were chaotic. Forgotten things, wrong things, too much stuff. Now packing takes ten minutes – we have the list, we have the routine, we have the bag that is always ready.

The best thing about a good packing list? You stop thinking about items and start thinking about the journey.

/Love & Hugo