Rats are known to be great travelers, but there are several things to keep in mind.  Some people take their rats just about everywhere; on vacation, to work, even to the grocery >store!  I find this hard to believe and a little silly, kind of like people who bring their dogs to the movie theater and then let them sit in the back of the car the whole time.  I think they'd rather be home, personally.  But, people do what they do, so I'll be quiet.  Very young rats shouldn't be moved.   Period.  It's too hard on them.  Adult or adolescant rats, however, seem to enjoy it!  Rats are like any other animal if left in the car for any length of time in the sun; they can overheat and die.  DON'T LEAVE THE RAT IN THE CAR.  You'll regret it.  Take them on the trip to the vet, to a friend's house, whatever, but take them with you!  That's the whole point, isn't it?  Leaving them to run loose in the car isn't such a brilliant idea usually, they can hide in places you can't reach and they might get stepped on or smashed by something accidentally.  Buy a small cage and put them in that when you drive, it'll work much better.  I use a wire "cage" that was actually designed to be a mailbox.  Works great.  They like to have something to drink a lot of the time, so a water bottle isn't a bad idea, and also maybe a little food.  Most rats don't even notice the movement of the car unless it's really bumpy or you're turning really sharply.  Airplanes are not my area of expertise, but I have heard of people bringing rats on them with no apparent problems.  Most bring them on like a person would a cat or dog, but some just literally carry them on, and the rat sleeps in their shirt throughout the flight.  Some probably don't have the slightest idea what's going on and are fine with that.  But I know that my ears hurt really badly with the pressurization of the plane at high altitudes, and I would suspect rats could have problems with that too, so I wouldn't recommend it.  Also, customs or airport security might give you a hard time, or refuse to let you in if you bring your rat on board, so call ahead of time for permission.  Always take care with your rat, and make sure you're not doing something that they really don't appreciate as much as you think!
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