I recently completed a solo trip from Essex, England to Ireland via car and ferry with my medium/small dog.  I had done this journey before with other family and the dog so hadn't thought about the difficulties faced by solo travellers with pets.

Not one of the service stations along the M25/M1/M6 allowed dogs inside, nor was there anywhere safe that they can be left and there was no way I would leave him in the car or tied up outside.  It just so happened that this was during the awful heatwave so an even bigger no no to leaving him in the car!

In one place I brought him inside with me and managed to use the look before I was approached on the way back to to car to say dogs weren't allowed.  In another place I ended up having to ask a couple who had a dog if they would mind watching my dog whilst I used the loo - thankfully they agreed but it was the quickest wee of my life to make sure he hadn't been stolen!  Two places I stopped were parking laybys with toilet facilities and I brought him in with me.

When I got to the ferry again I had to wait until I got to the "portacabin" toilets after check-in and i could bring him in with me.  The ferry was the worst part of the trip - the barbarity of the facilities depend which route you take. 

On the Holyhead to Dublin route I was on a ferry called the Estrid with Stena Line.  This is their newest ship and you can take your dog onto the "people deck" to a secure key-pad room with approximately 10-12 metal cages.  You are given the keypad code and assurance that you can come and go from the room as you please and can walk your dog on the outside deck during the trip but they are not allowed inside (except for when you have to go back down to the car deck).  There is a sink and water bowls if needed.

On the Rosslare to Fishguard route I was on the Stena Europe.  This was definitely the most awful.  The "Kennels" are 6-8 metal cages at the back of the ship on the car deck, next to a very loud and powerful fan or blower.  You can't go see them during the trip, there's no water and the smell of diesel and exhaust fumes is overpowering.

Fellow pet owners who had to leave their dogs there were as anxious and traumatised as me and my dog were.  We had a long conversation in the passenger area about how we would have no problem paying extra for a pre-booked "dog cabin" where we could stay and sleep with our dog in the cabin or a dog area on the passenger deck where the dogs don't have to be locked in cages.

I am calling on motorway services - Moto, Roadchef, Welcome Break and others and the ferry companies - Stena Line, Irish Ferries, P&O, to drastically improve their facilities for pets and their owners