The Most Dog-Friendly Driving Routes Around the World
Our furry friends travel everywhere with us. From the school run to cross-country road trips and staycations, it feels like dogs are spending more time in the car than ever before.
But travelling with a dog on a long car journey, whether it’s in a vehicle you own or a car you lease, takes some careful planning. For our Canine Car Report, we spoke to Adam Spivey, Director and Master Trainer at Southend Dog Training, who recommends that when driving with older dogs, you should schedule in a break every couple of hours, while puppies need one closer to once an hour to avoid accidents.
With summer road-trips in full swing, we have taken a look at some of the most famous and popular driving routes in the UK and abroad, to find out which offer the most comfortable ride for our four-legged friends, based on the frequency of available dog-friendly pitstops.
The stops you make along the journey are important, but the car itself matters too. Autotrader's Drivers' Choice Awards 2026 named the Tesla Model Y the best car for dog owners, with the Kia Sportage and Volvo XC40 also impressing judges.
To find the routes with the most options for a canine passenger to stretch their legs, we mapped how many service stations, outdoor areas and dog parks are along popular road-trip routes that are 100 miles long or more, and how many dog stops are available on average per five miles.
The world's most dog-friendly driving routes
| Rank | Route | Country / Region | Distance (approx. miles) |
Service stations / stops |
Outdoor areas |
Dog parks | Dog stops per 5 miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
Overseas Highway (US-1) |
USA (Florida Keys) |
113 | 43 | 19 | 7 | 3 |
| #2 | Costa Brava (C-31) | Spain | 125 | 50 | 13 | 11 | 3 |
| #3 | Great Ocean Road | Australia | 151 | 45 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| #4 | Causeway Coastal Route |
Northern Ireland, UK |
120 | 23 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| #5 | Cotswolds Way (A44) | England, UK | 102 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 2 |
| #6 | Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1) |
USA | 656 | 121 | 47 | 30 | 2 |
| #7 | Pembrokeshire Coast Road |
Wales, UK | 186 | 37 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| #8 | Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) |
Germany | 286 | 36 | 29 | 6 | 1 |
| #9 | Great Alpine Road | Australia | 188 | 24 | 18 | 3 | 1 |
| #10 | Panorama Route (R532/R36) |
South Africa | 100 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
#1 Overseas Highway (US-1), USA
The Overseas Highway, running 113 miles from Key Largo to Key West across 42 bridges, takes first place. With 43 service stations, 19 outdoor areas and seven dog parks, the route has 3 dog stops per five miles, despite covering some of the longest open water stretches of any route on the list.
#2 Costa Brava (C-31), Spain
In second place is Catalonia's Costa Brava, a coastal route running through cliffside curves north from Barcelona towards the French border. With 11 dog parks along its 125 miles, more than any other route in the top 10, drivers have plenty of opportunity to let dogs properly stretch their legs. The route's 50 service stations take it to 3 dog stops per five miles.
#3 Great Ocean Road, Australia
Australia's Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most famous drives, sitting on many travellers' bucket lists. The 151-mile journey runs past the Twelve Apostles limestone stacks in Victoria, and for drivers travelling with dogs in tow, there are plenty of stops to let them enjoy the sea air. With 45 service stations, eight outdoor areas and two designated dog parks along the way, it achieves two dog stops per five miles.
#4 Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland
Running past the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge through the Glens of Antrim, the 120-mile Causeway Coastal Route takes fourth place. The route is home to 23 service stations, 17 outdoor areas and two dog parks, scoring two dog stops per five miles.
#5 Cotswolds Way (A44), England
Driving the A44 through the Cotswolds can be a more leisurely journey than most. Slow-moving traffic through honey-stone villages means there's no shortage of dog-friendly stops to break up the trip: 17 outdoor spaces, 12 service stations and four dog parks across 102 miles of winding road, for two dog stops per five miles.
#6 Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy 1), USA
At 656 miles, California's Pacific Coast Highway is certainly more of a road trip than a day out. For drivers taking their four-legged friend along, the route offers drivers two dog stops per five miles across 121 service stations, 47 outdoor areas and 30 dog parks, almost 200 stops in total, more than any other in the study. If you're covering a long distance like this with your dog, be sure your vehicle is suited to it, with many dogs preferring a more spacious car with good air conditioning.
#7 Pembrokeshire Coast Road, Wales
Wales's Pembrokeshire Coast Road runs through the UK's only coastal national park, with much of its appeal to dog owners down to its beaches. Across 186 miles, the route offers 37 service stations, six outdoor areas and five dog parks, landing at one dog stop per five miles.
#8 Romantic Road (Romantische Straße), Germany
Linking Würzburg and Füssen past Neuschwanstein Castle, the Romantic Road is a journey built for stopping. Germany’s oldest and most famous scenic route offers medieval towns and dramatic mountain landscapes. Its 36 service stations, 29 outdoor areas and six dog parks across 286 miles give it one dog stop per five miles.
#9 Great Alpine Road, Australia
Australia's second entry climbs through the Victorian Alps past Mount Hotham, across diverse landscapes. The 188-mile route offers 24 service stations, 18 outdoor areas and three dog parks, scoring 1 dog stop per five miles.
#10 Panorama Route (R532/R36), South Africa
At 100 miles, South Africa's Panorama Route is the shortest in the study, but it makes up for that in scenery. Its 17 outdoor areas take in views over the Blyde River Canyon and God's Window, and its six service stations round out the route, giving it 1 dog stop per five miles.
Tom Roberts, Autotrader's car leasing expert, says,
Long journeys can put more demand on a car than the daily commute, and that's especially true when there's a dog with you. Boot space, interiors that can be easily cleaned and reliable air conditioning can make a big difference between a stressful trip and a relaxed one, for both drivers and their pets.
If you're looking for your next car, whether it's for the daily commute or doggy road trips, we have something for everyone with our car leasing deals.
For more dog travel information, our Canine Car Report reveals which dog breeds make the best road trip companions, and how to remove any doggy hairs and stains from your car post-trip.
Methodology
We analysed Google Maps data to count the number of outdoor spaces, dog parks and service stations along 45 popular driving routes in the UK and abroad, are 100 miles long or more, then divided this by each route's length in miles to find how many dog-friendly stops are available across each route. The number of dog-friendly stops per mile was multiplied by five and rounded up to the nearest whole number.
Data collected July 2026.