Farah has logged enough miles to have firm opinions on how to travel. She is, for the record, a terrible packer with excellent taste, which means everything below has been road-tested by a dog who arrives somewhere new and behaves as though she booked it herself. Here is what makes the cut.
In the car
Farah travels on the back seat, and the back seat is hers. The WOOF Bed in Black Velvet (£74) goes across it, so she arrives somewhere unfamiliar already standing on her own territory. Largest size, velvet, designed in Brighton, holds up to a week of sandy paws without complaint.
Smaller dogs who like to arrive in style can make the case for the Lara Striped Car Seat (£120), which is a car seat, a carry bag and a hotel bed pretending to be one piece of luggage. Farah is too big for it and not at all bitter about this.
Something to chew on
A long drive needs a distraction that is not the upholstery. The Baguette (£30) has talked many a dog down on the M5 in August. Squeaky, French, faintly absurd, and considerably more interesting than whatever they were about to start gnawing instead.
The one that keeps them cool
Heat is the summer problem nobody packs for. The Love Lick Mat (£22) is the answer. Spread it, freeze it overnight, and it comes out as a slow, cooling project that keeps a hot dog occupied and soothed at the same time. Dishwasher-proof, close to indestructible, weighs nothing. It does more than a bowl and takes up less of the boot.
The lead for everywhere else
One lead covers the lot. The Multiway Lead in Wine & Olive (£75) is waterproof Biothane that wipes clean after a beach run, goes hands-free across the body for wandering through some country village with a coffee in hand, then clips securely to a table leg the moment you sit down outside the pub. Length adjusts, situations vary, it keeps up.
The post-adventure essential
Beaches, rivers, the unspeakable thing on the tideline they are thrilled to have found. Everyday Wash for Dirty Dogs (£10) is travel-sized, lives permanently in the weekend bag, and gets the smell off before the holiday let notices. Sugarcane enzymes, aloe vera, gentle enough for daily use. For the dog who is very pleased with themselves and should not be.
Where to take them: five stays worth the drive
The right base makes the trip. Five UK hotels that do dog guests properly rather than grudgingly, chosen for beach access, good food and enough room to switch off for a couple of days.
Scarlet, Cornwall. An adults-only eco-spa above Mawgan Porth, with dog-friendly rooms and cliff walks straight from the door. Clifftop hot tubs for you, miles of north-coast sand for them.
Homewood, Bath. A design-led country-house hotel and spa just outside Bath, with outdoor pools and garden dining. The easy choice within striking distance of London.
The Gallivant, Camber Sands. Beach-house calm beside one of the best dog-walking beaches in the country, and a Friday-night drive from town. A Michelin Key hotel that genuinely welcomes dogs.
The Tawny, Staffordshire. Treehouses and lakeside cabins spread across a woodland estate, with walks straight from your stay. The pick for a slower, greener escape.
Watergate Bay, Cornwall. Set on a two-mile dog-friendly beach on the north coast, with sea-view dining and coastal walks that leave dogs asleep well before dinner.
Save these for the next long weekend.
The edit, packed
Somewhere along the way, Farah started packing more than the humans. No notes. Everything she recommends sits in one place, and orders over £60 ship free, which a lead, a lick mat and something to chew on will manage between them.