When we moved from Indiana to Virginia, we moved with our old girl Boxer Sadie and two cats - Boomer and Kassi. Still have Boomer - the old fart.
Anyway, we had the dog crate set up in the back of the Trailblazer. Neither one had EVERY traveled. In the crate we had a litter box, a hammock and a travel bowl of water. I also completely covered the crate with a blanket so that the noise, lights and confusion are lessened. The first couple of hours were not great but then they settled down. (Wish I would have thought about the vet and drugs. But you should ONLY do it with the vet's advise. Just about everything over the counter is toxic to cats.)
When we got to the hotel for the overnight, I caught them in the dog crate (with the doors of the car closed) and put them in their go-to-the-vet carrier. Once we were settled in the hotel we let them out of the carrier and gave them free rein of the room. Actually, it was a suite at Country Inn and they had hightailed it for bedroom. The bathroom was off the bedroom, so we put the litter box and stuff under the bathroom counter. When DH had to walk Sadie in the middle of the night, he just closed the bedroom door. They both came out during the night for loving. In the morning, they went back in their carrier. They were the first thing taken to the car. Once they were securely in the crate (with litter box, etc.) we loaded Sadie and everything else in the car.
Having moved three other times since, every time it has basically been the same. I do give them run of the hotel rooms, because that they really need that closeness and loving from me to able to tolerate the crate time.
BTW, my cats are totally indoor cats, so I purchased harnesses for both of them (safe to use in the crate - not collars), had tags made with our cell phone numbers and my mom's phone number, and they wore them from two days prior to the trip, the trip and about a week later, in case they decided to attempt an escape.
HTH and your trip is good. Let us know.