Road Trips with Pets: The Best Dog-Friendly Routes in Australia
Australians love a road trip almost as much as we love our furry friends. They’re considered part of the family, and few want to leave them behind while on a holiday – but the two don’t always co-exist well. Between long stretches of road without a suitable place for pups to stretch their legs and destinations lacking in pet-friendly accommodation, even the best planned road trips can easily go south – fast.
From off-leash beach-hopping along NSW’s coastline to the pet-friendly wineries around WA’s Margaret River, some road trips are just better with pets. Thankfully, new research has revealed the best dog-friendly road trips in Australia for travelling with pets. From the routes with the best amenities, safety, temperatures and the most sites for dogs, these are the best road trips for dogs.
Most Pet-Friendly Accommodation, Parks and Beaches: Cape to Cape Route
Focusing on road trips that make it easy for pet owners to find places to eat, sleep, stretch, or just take a break with their furry friend, there was one clear standout. Stretching from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin in the Margaret River region, the Cape to Cape route was ranked the best scenic drive for dog-friendly roadside stops in Australia. From relaxed beachside towns that actually welcome pets to outdoor areas where dogs can roam, per 100km this drive has the highest number of pet-friendly accommodation options (30, more than double the second-highest-ranked), 158 pet-friendly parks and beaches, and 12 rest stops.
But if the East Coast is more your speed, the stunning Grand Pacific Drive, the ocean-lined coastal clifftop route from Sydney’s Royal National Park to the Shoalhaven region, was ranked number two, boasting the highest number of pet-friendly eateries per 100km, 56 compared to the Cape to Cape’s 20.
- Cape to Cape, WA (most pet-friendly accommodation, parks and beaches, and rest stops)
- Grand Pacific Drive, NSW (most pet-friendly eateries)
Safest for Pets: Legendary Pacific Coast Drive
Keeping our furry friends safe while on the road is a number one priority for most owners. So out of the best road trips around Australia, these are the routes where you’ll find plenty of vet clinics and lowest risk of snakes.
A 900-1000km touring route from Sydney to Brisbane, the Legendary Pacific Coast drive was ranked as the safest for pets. With such a high number of coastal towns between each main city you’re never far from civilisation, which results in an impressive number of vets along this stretch of road: nine per 100km. But it also recorded more than 337 snake sightings per 100km, the highest of all the routes ranked.
In second place was WA’s Cape to Cape, with five reported snake sightings but only three vets per 100km.
- Legendary Pacific Coast, NSW-QLD (most vet clinics)
- Cape to Cape, WA (fewest snake sightings)
- Great Barrier Reef Drive, QLD
Best Climate for Pets: Great Beach Drive
When you’re spending long days in the car, it’s essential to consider which routes will have the best climate for your pet, especially for breeds that struggle in hot cars or humid conditions. Unsurprisingly, many of Australia’s best road trips have comfortable temperatures. The Legendary Pacific Coast, Cape to Cape, Great Beach Drive – one of the world’s longest beach drives from Noosa to Hervey Bay – and in autumn and winter months, even the Red Centre Way – from Alice Springs to Uluru – received a perfect temperature comfort score of 100/100. This means average autumn and winter temperatures that fall within the ideal range for pets of 15-22°C.
- Great Beach Drive, QLD
- Legendary Pacific Coast, NSW-QLD
- Cape to Cape, WA
- Red Centre Way, NT
Best Sights: Grand Pacific Drive
Frequent road-trippers will know that while the amenities are important, they’re not what makes the long drives memorable. Rather, it’s the sights you can stop and visit along the way that make the journey worthwhile. Routes with dog-friendly scenic lookouts and walking trails are plentiful across Australia’s most iconic road-trip destinations, so it’s hard to narrow it down to just one winner. But we didn’t say it was impossible!
With over 328 scenic points of interest and pet-friendly trails per 100km, the Grand Pacific Drive on NSW’s South Coast was ranked the most photogenic pet-friendly road trip in Australia. And that’s hardly surprising, given the region’s dramatic sea cliffs, coastal lookouts and heritage landmarks. It was followed by the Great Ocean Road, the world-famous coastal drive stretching from Torquay to Allansford with rugged cliffs, surf beaches and rainforest detours, and the Cape to Cape’s white-sand beaches and dark coastal scrub, with 146 and 145 dog-friendly photo spots respectively per 100km.
- Grand Pacific Drive, NSW
- Great Ocean Road, VIC
- Cape to Cape, WA
Best Dog-Friendly Road Trip in Australia: Cape to Cape
Combining all categories, WA’s Cape to Cape route is Australia’s best pet-friendly road trip. Combining diverse and spectacular landscapes, pristine beaches, a rich cultural history and thriving food and wine scene, this Western Australian drive is an idyllic taste of the state at its very best.
