MuttmatesPlan a road trip with your dog
Tell us where you and the dog are headed, how long you want to drive each day and how often you want a break. We cut the trip into easy days, find a dog park or beach for every break, a dog-friendly place to sleep each night, and the weather for every stop.
Drive the whole trip in one go
Stopped for the night, or partway? Pick the stop you are at and the links carry on from there. Google Maps takes the trip's main stops (nine is its limit); each day's own link above carries every break stop. Apple Maps takes where you are and where the trip ends. All of it is free: we decided not to charge for the planner.
This trip is saved on this device. Sign in to keep it and share it, coming soon.
The Google and Apple Maps links on each day open on your phone and follow through to the car with Android Auto or CarPlay. The GPX file loads into TomTom, Garmin, Hema and most in-car units.
A whole dog trip, planned in one go
Most route planners stop at the driving. This one plans the trip the way you actually travel with a dog: shorter days, a dog-friendly bed every night, and no nasty surprises at a park gate.
Easy days, your pace
Pick your maximum driving time per day, from about 4 to 8 hours, and the route is split into days that fit it. No 11-hour hauls with a restless dog in the back.
A dog-friendly bed every night
Each overnight stop comes with dog-friendly stays nearby from our catalogue of parks, beaches, caravan parks and camps across Australia, linked straight to their place pages.
Break stops the dog will love
Say how often you want to stop, from every hour to every 4 hours, and what counts as a break: dog parks, beaches, caravan parks, vets or kennels. Each day lists a real place near the road for every break, a little before or after your mark so it fits the route.
Your own stops on the way
Add up to six places you want to pass through: family, a beach the dog loves, a town you have always meant to see. The plan routes through all of them.
Take it to the car
Drive the whole trip in one go in Google Maps or Apple Maps, or open one day at a time with its break stops included; Android Auto and CarPlay take it from there. Stopped for the night? Pick the stop you are at and carry on from there. Or download the whole trip as a GPX file for TomTom, Garmin, Hema and most in-car units.
The weather, day by day
Leaving within the week? Every day of the trip shows the forecast where you will sleep that night, with heat advice for the dog when a day runs hot.
The best months to go
Every stop shows which months are best there, and which run too hot or too wet, from long-term climate records. Handy when the dates are still up in the air.
National park heads-up
Dogs are not allowed in Australian national parks. If a stop lands inside one, the plan says so before you set off, so you can route around it or plan that part without the dog.
How it works
- Say where. Type where you are leaving from and where you are headed, as a suburb or a postcode, and add any stops on the way.
- Say when and how far. Pick a leaving date, your max driving time per day, how often you want a break stop and what counts as one.
- Get the trip. One card per day: the drive, where to sleep, the weather and the best months, next to the route on the map.
Common questions
Is the Muttmates trip planner free?
Yes. Planning a trip is free and needs no account; we decided not to charge for it. The trip is saved on your device, and signing in to keep and share trips is coming.
Can I add my own stops along the way?
Yes. Add up to six stops between your start and your destination, like a mate’s place, a beach you love or a town you want to see, and the plan routes through all of them.
How does the planner choose where we sleep each night?
You set your maximum driving time per day. The planner splits the route into days that fit it, then looks for dog-friendly stays near each night’s stopping point and links straight to their place pages.
Can the planner add break stops along the way?
Yes. Tell it how long you want to drive between breaks, say every 2 hours, and pick what counts as a break: dog parks, beaches, caravan parks, vets or kennels. The plan then finds a real place near the route for each break, a little before or after your mark, and links straight to its page.
Can I take my dog into national parks?
No, dogs are not allowed in Australian national parks. If part of your route or a stop sits inside one, the plan flags it before you set off so you can plan around it.
Can I open the trip in Google Maps, Apple Maps or my sat nav?
Yes. One pair of links opens the whole trip in Google Maps or Apple Maps, and every day also has its own links with that day’s break stops included; the phone carries it through to the car with Android Auto or CarPlay. Stopped partway? Pick the stop you are at and the links carry on from there. You can also download the whole trip as a GPX file for TomTom, Garmin, Hema and most in-car units.
Does the planner show the weather for the trip?
Yes. When you leave within the week, every day of the trip shows the forecast where you will sleep that night. Every stop also shows which months of the year are best there, and which run too hot or too wet, from long-term climate records.