Yes, bring them along
It is a question we hear often, usually asked a little nervously: “Can we bring our dog?” The answer is yes. Dogs and cats are welcome in our cars, and there is no extra charge for them. For many families, a holiday with the dog left at home is not really a holiday. We understand.
Just tell us when you book. Tell us the breed and size, whether they get car-sick, and whether they are used to long drives. A few details like these help us send the right car and plan the day around them.
The right car for your pet
Small dogs and cats travel comfortably in our sedans, the Toyota Etios and the Swift Dzire. For big dogs, a Labrador, a Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd, we send the 7-seat Innova, so there is room to stretch out and nobody has to share a seat with a tail.
Either way, we put a seat cover or a blanket down before you get in. Your pet can settle in, and you don’t have to worry about hair or muddy paws.
Puppies and older dogs
Puppies need more stops, and a lap or a small crate to sleep in. Older dogs feel long drives in their joints, so a soft blanket and shorter driving days help them too. Whatever their age, keep their medicine in your bag, not in the boot, so you can reach it on the road.
Before the trip
If your dog has never done a long car journey, take a couple of short drives at home first, so the car feels normal. If they are shy with strangers, bring their own blanket for the seat; the familiar smell calms them down. Keep your pet’s vaccination record on your phone, because some stays like to see it. A tag with your number, and a recent photo on your phone, will help if they ever slip away somewhere new.
Tell us about their habits too. Does your dog get nervous with strangers, or bark at cows? It helps the driver to know before the first morning, not after.
What to pack for them
A leash, and a collar with your phone number on the tag. Their own food, a bowl, and a bottle of water. An old towel for wet paws after a walk in the rain. Poop bags. Their favourite blanket or toy, which helps them feel at home in a new car. And any medicine your vet has given them.
In winter, short-haired dogs feel the cold at night in Dharamshala and McLeodganj, so a dog jacket is a good idea. In summer, the first stretch up from the plains can be hot; travel in the cooler morning if you can.
Hill roads and a happy pet
Mountain roads have a lot of bends, and some pets feel them. A light meal a few hours before a long drive helps. So does a window opened a little for fresh air. If your pet has been car-sick before, speak to your vet before the trip.
Stops are no problem. Tell the driver when your dog needs water or a short walk, and he will pull over at the next safe spot. On a long day, a break every couple of hours keeps everyone, two legs or four, in a good mood.
Learn the signs that your pet needs a break: heavy panting, drooling, whining, or pacing on the seat. When you see them, ask for a stop. Five minutes of fresh air usually sets things right.
And never leave a pet alone in a parked car, not even for a few minutes. In the sun a closed car heats up very fast, and on a winter evening it turns cold just as quickly.
Where pets can and can’t go
Temples don’t allow pets inside. If darshan is on your plan, at Brajeshwari, Chamunda or Baijnath, take turns: one person goes in while another stays out with the dog. Keep a little extra time for it.
Many homestays and some cafés around Dharamkot, McLeodganj and Bir are happy to have pets, but not every hotel is. Always check with your stay before you book, and tell them the size of your dog. For meals on the road, cafés with outdoor seating are usually the easiest.
Open spaces they will love
Dogs love the hills as much as we do: the forest walks around Dharamkot and Naddi, the big green meadow at Khajjiar, the landing ground at Bir in the evening. Early mornings and late evenings are the best times for a walk, before the trails get busy and the sun gets strong. Carry water, because there are few taps on the trails, and a towel for the muddy days. Pick up after your dog on the trails and in town, too. The hills stay beautiful because people take care of them.
Monkeys, cows and village dogs
The hills have their own residents. Monkeys around McLeodganj and some temples can be bold, so keep food out of sight and hold the leash firmly. Cows and goats wander onto the roads. Village dogs guard their own streets and may bark at a newcomer. None of this is a problem if your pet stays on a leash and close to you.
Arriving by air or train with your pet
If your pet is flying with you, check your airline’s rules well in advance, because they differ a lot. Once you land at Gaggal airport, we will be waiting with the seat cover already down. If you come by train, we meet you at Pathankot or Amb Andaura station and drive you up from there.
Why a taxi beats the bus for a pet
Buses in the hills are hard with a dog, and flights mean crates and paperwork. In a private taxi, your pet sits with you, stops when they need to, and gets to smell the pine forests through the window. You set the pace too: if your dog wants to sniff every tree at a viewpoint, there is no bus to catch. It is the easiest way to see the mountains together.
“If your dog is family, it travels like family,” says Arvind, who started Nandini Travels at the Kangra taxi stand in 2018. We pick up from Gaggal airport, the railway stations and any hotel in the valley, and drive anywhere in Himachal: to Bir, to Dalhousie, or across to Manali.