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Lots of good advice here. Am thinking about driving MD to OR w/3 old cats, so its been very helpful. I have one thing to add. If your cats aren't used to carriers (or associate them w/going to the vet), try feeding them in their carriers, starting a few months before your trip. At first, leave the door open (if they're really nervous, take the top off and set the food in the bottom half of the carrier--once they're okay eating in it, add the top (without the door). When they'll eat with the top on, add the door (but keep it open at first) Once they finish all food calmly with the door open, try closing it while they eat. Pretty soon they'll go right in and chow down with the door closed. (this takes longer with animals that have been traumatized/feral.) My cats have been fed in carriers since they were kittens. They associate the carrier with food, not with scary things. So when its time for a car ride, they go right in! I use Rescue Remedy too, works great!
We had to take a 2000 mile trip last fall. We had our kitties in a large dog crate with a shelf my husband added, a water dish on the side, 2 cat beds and a small litter pan. They weren't thrilled with being locked in a cage (too much like the kill-shelter they came from?) so we finally just left them loose in our travel trailer. They were much happier.
I have two cats and two cat carriers, which I will use if I have to travel with them. Might need to get tranqs for them too, as they are freaked out when in a car. I've done it before, but I don't look forward to doing it again. They are not good travelers!
Well, I've done long distance car rides with cats twice in my life so far, both were very different circumstances, hehe...
The first time, was really funny. I was driving the uhaaul - and towing the ford taurus behind it. I tried the kitties in the carrier up in the front seat with me, they weren't very happy. The noises scared them and such. What worked best (and I'm not sure if this was entirely legal at the time) was putting them in the taurus! it was on it's own carrier, and they had free roam inside the car (which they knew well, no loud engine noises, and had eachother to keep company with their beds on the backseat if they ever tired of looking out the windows). The more I think about it, it was probably dangerous to do, not for the trip, but for the inbetween stops when I had to enter the taurus to put them back in their carriers to go somewhere inside for the night.. gosh, if one had freaked out and gotten past me by the door, they would've been lost for good. I guess being a good kitty-mommy is a progressive skill. I couldn't imagine doing it again that way now, even if they were more comfortable for the ride.
The second time I did a long distance trip, I had them both in one larger carrier with me on the front seat... and they did just fine. (this was my regular car now, no big scary u-haul engine. We had singalongs, stopped for gas and juice boxes, and treats - and they did just fine And as much as I tried to make them comfortable by stopping to let them eat when I stopped to eat, bathroom breaks, etc - they weren't going for it. I would say don't even bother wasting your time. Mine would never calm down enough to eat or poop until I had settled into a hotel room for the night - when they were binging off the walls and exploring I don't know what I would've done without them during that trip. I was young, and on the run, didn't have somewhere particular to head to, was just trying to distance myself and them from an abusive past - and they took as much care of me as I did them on that trip. As soon as it got dark, they would start meowing at me, to remind me that we did enough today! It was time to slow down and settle down for the night.
Both trips the cats survived without any trauma. - I would advise against sedating as well. People don't know what to use and end up killing the cat with a baby tylenol - or ... half the time even vet-approved pills the cats will become angry, and spend the next 6 hours foaming and slobbering at the mouth in a foggy frame of mind.
Eh.. moral for my 2 bits is, keep them together for company, keep as many of the bright lights, loud noises, or open windows to a minimum, draping something over most of the kennel will work just fine - as long as they can either see you or hear your reassurances if they get ancy, but more often than not, they will settle down, even if they don't understand what's going on, and sleep through the trip.
Best of luck - and if I'm not the first to say this, let me be the LOUDEST :
THANKYOU FOR NOT GIVING UP YOUR KITTIES JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE MOVING AND IT MIGHT BE A HASSLE!
I haven't done it with my cats, but I just wanted to add that I really love the idea of this type of cat carrier: petadventureoutlet pet gear products
One you belt the base in place there is no hassle and the carrier is secure. Plus it is washable.
I have heard cats will do what Marylandkitten has said - they'll refuse to eat or use the box until stopped for the night. I suppose it depends on how long you will drive per day.
One suggestion I have. I am against tranqs but I do use something called Bach Flowers Rescue Remedy when my cats are really stressed. They even have a product strictly for animals, for it is non-alcohol. This may help keep your cats calm. Or, make sure you have plenty of catnip on hand to give them. I'm not sure if someone here mentioned this, for I just quickly skimmed over the posts. Catnip makes my cats so HAPPY. Hope this helps!
I'm moving and won't have a place when I first arrive at my new location. I will be flying with my cat, then staying at a pet-friendly motel of course but am worried about having to leave the cat alone for several hours at a time while I hunt for a rental.
Boarding has been suggested as a good alternative to having the cat at the motel.
Good advice about checking out the hiding places in the motel room before releasing the cat. YIkes!
When we stayed in motels with cats, we let them out of the carriers only when we were in the room and the door was locked and the security latch was engaged so nobody could open the door from the outside even with a key.
When we left the room for any reason, we put them back in the carriers so there was no chance of them getting out of the room when the door was opened.
Greeeeeeeeat Idea !
I had been recommended a soft side carrier for my kitty. But she did not like being in a confined space while driving.
Hard side and soft side each have their own advantages....
I traveled cross country with 3 cats way back when. I put 2 cats in 1 carrier and 1 in a separate one. I stopped early every day--only traveled from 8 am-4 pm, then put their litter boxes in hotel room with food and water. They did fine.
I traveled from OR to MN with 2 cats. They each had their own carrier. I had the little dishes clipped to the door one with food and one with water. I also used a shoebox lined with a plastic bag as a litter box in the back of each carrier. This only works though if the carrier is big enough for it. One cat howled the whole time. The other cat only howled for about an hour at the start of each day. If you can't block off the hiding areas in the hotel room, you could just let them out of the carrier into the bathroom.
Also when I got to the new place, I picked a room and put them in there with the door shut, so we could unload without worrying about them. Make sure to pick a room that you won't need to go in and out of (don't use the bathroom . . . lol).
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was putting them in the taurus! it was on it's own carrier, and they had free roam inside the car (which they knew well, no loud engine noises, and had eachother to keep company with their beds on the backseat if they ever tired of looking out the windows). The more I think about it, it was probably dangerous to do, not for the trip, but for the inbetween stops when I had to enter the taurus to put them back in their carriers to go somewhere inside for the night.. gosh, if one had freaked out and gotten past me by the door, they would've been lost for good. I guess being a good kitty-mommy is a progressive skill. I couldn't imagine doing it again that way now, even if they were more comfortable for the ride.
And as much as I tried to make them comfortable by stopping to let them eat when I stopped to eat, bathroom breaks, etc - they weren't going for it. I would say don't even bother wasting your time. Mine would never calm down enough to eat or poop until I had settled into a hotel room for the night - when they were binging off the walls and exploring 
I don't know what I would've done without them during that trip. I was young, and on the run, didn't have somewhere particular to head to, was just trying to distance myself and them from an abusive past - and they took as much care of me as I did them on that trip. As soon as it got dark, they would start meowing at me, to remind me that we did enough today! It was time to slow down and settle down for the night. 
