Drive Santander to Almeria stop

Its an easy drive, about 9 hours.

9 hours is too long for a dog. Try an Ibis Styles, they take dogs and are pretty good.

Chris

Of course its not, couple or three 15 minute breaks on the way down would be more than enough.

Try hotel mirasierra madrid they are on booking.com they are dog friendly we are stayed there lots of times with our dog, they are just at the side off the motorway.

I suspect you don’t actually have a dog. Nine hours in a car is too much for them. 

Chris

2 German Shepherds good enough for you?  They love a road trip, as long as they get a few breaks, they are fine. Sleep, eat, crap/piss and loads of attention they are in dog heaven. 

We normally stay, on the way home, in the Valladolid Ibis. 2.5 hrs drive from Santander. We then

leave at around 9.30am, have a quick break at a filling station down the hill into Madrid, 6 hours from there with plenty of gas stops available and your home. Done it so many times over the years without speeding, and get back to Arboleas about 5. Treat it as a holiday from start to finish, with wonderful scenery and you will enjoy.

A lot depends on the arrival time of the ferry. Pont Aven used to dock at 13.30, clear of customs by 15.00. We would drive around 3.5hrs to hotel mirasierra at j99 on a1 at Santo Tome del Puerto, an excellent dog friendly hotel. This year ferry docks at 10.00 so will probably drive straight through to Huercal overa

James

Our overnight ferry in May from Portsmouth to Santander is actually scheduled to arrive at 08.00 hrs.  Assuming you can be away by about 09.00 or 09.30 we comfortably get to the pet-friendly Parador at Albacete by about 18.00 with two convenience stops for a coffee, etc., and about an hour for lunch.  On the inward journey because of the ferry departure time we need to be nearer Santander and have often used the already mentioned Hotel Mirasierra at J99 on the A1 at Santo Tome del Puerto.  An alternative is the very comfortable Las Casitas at Boceguillas.  Full description of the little houses at https://hotellascasitas.com/en/las-casitas-hotel but I am not sure about the pet situation there*.  Just ask if you cannot find the answer online.

Edit:  *Booking.com quotes it as dog-friendly.