For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (III)

[Tanooki]

I can't believe as a near-Montrealer, you aren't coming to spend a couple days in Wildwood first, and then heading onto WDW. If you did that, you could take my route!!

Thanks for the invitation but we want to spend as much time as we can in WDW :good vibes Dh even thinks a day at the beach is a waste...

 

[nono]

Thanks for the invitation but we want to spend as much time as we can in WDW :good vibes Dh even thinks a day at the beach is a waste...

We try to pack as many Quebecois as possible in town during the season. You, as a group, blend much better than some of our much closer neighbors.

Have a great trip and I hope someone chimes in with a vote for which route would be best for you!

 

[sharadoc]

or you can do it another way.

HI SHARON!!!!! how are you guys doing? did you get the house sold yet?

Hey there! Nope, house isn't even on the market yet. Too hot to get all the work done still painting the downstairs. Nothing really out there to buy so we're taking our time hoping more goes on the market in the fall.

How's it up there?? We keep saying we want to go to Musikfest and come see you guys too. Hasn't happened.

We leave 3 weeks from tomorrow. Getting excited!

 

[dvczerfs]

Hey there! Nope, house isn't even on the market yet. Too hot to get all the work done still painting the downstairs. Nothing really out there to buy so we're taking our time hoping more goes on the market in the fall.

How's it up there?? We keep saying we want to go to Musikfest and come see you guys too. Hasn't happened.

We leave 3 weeks from tomorrow. Getting excited!

hope you guys have a great trip!!! i watch music fest on tv. briana is dancing there i think on wednesday. she dances at the college and they are doing something. if you do happen to come up, let me know.

 

[dvczerfs]

Making good time, 230am and we are just south of Knoxville!

ARE WE THERE YET????

i hope you guys are having a great time.

 

[emksmama]

We arrived just after 2pm and are at DTD having a blast!!! Ready to crash soon after our all night drive though.

 

[dvczerfs]

We arrived just after 2pm and are at DTD having a blast!!! Ready to crash soon after our all night drive though.

if you get a chance, keep us posted! can you bring me a hot fudge sundae????

 

[Salrx95]

Wife will be booking our 2nd trip with the boys, ages 4 and 6, today, which made me look to this thread, which helped in our first trip in February 2010. Gave me some pointers and ideas and I appreciated it.

I did almost all the driving. We come from western Ct, about 1,200 miles. We left at 4am here and stayed in SC, giving us a good nights sleep for the last 5 hours and arrive at Disney fresh in time for lunch. We checked out at 8am and I drove straight on the way home, about 21 hours, with limited stops. We are staying longer this time so our driving schedule may be different. We got great weather for the drive last time and hope for more of the same this time.

Let the planning officially begin!!!

 

[iDad]

My family is going down at the end of August, so we have a bit to wait. I was wondering what people do to get there vehicals ready for the trip.n i am planning on an oil change about 2 weeks before (to allow for leaks to show up). Is there anything else that anyone would suggest?

 

[BC1836]

My family is going down at the end of August, so we have a bit to wait. I was wondering what people do to get there vehicals ready for the trip.n i am planning on an oil change about 2 weeks before (to allow for leaks to show up). Is there anything else that anyone would suggest?

Indeed, an oil change is essential. Also: properly inflated tires and a clean windshield. And a full tank of gas!

All the best.

 

[sharadoc]

My family is going down at the end of August, so we have a bit to wait. I was wondering what people do to get there vehicals ready for the trip.n i am planning on an oil change about 2 weeks before (to allow for leaks to show up). Is there anything else that anyone would suggest?

Indeed, an oil change is essential. Also: properly inflated tires and a clean windshield. And a full tank of gas!

All the best.

Check all belts and fluids and top them off, check a/c unit. Brakes and transmission check is good too, depending on when you last got them serviced.

Usually will cost around $100 at a chain to get everything checked but well worth it.

 

[Tanooki]

Hi there!

We're preparing for our 5th drive (in less than 3 weeks, woohoo!) and I need opinions on the itinerary. First off, let me tell you that we leave around 5am and we always do he drive in 2 days, stopping for the night in VA.

Since we leave from near Montreal (Canada), we've gone the I-95 all the way a couple of times but they were always during a weekend day in the winter time. We did the 88-81-77-26-95 way as well, mostly when we were traveling weekdays.
Last summer, we did our first summer drive and we also used the 81 since we didn't want to chance traffic, as I've read here that the 95 can be really busy during the summer months, even on weekends. We found that, even if we were using the "less busy road", we encountered much more traffic than any of our other drives.

This time around, we are leaving on a Saturday (August 11th) and I'm really wondering what itinerary we should take. The fact is, the I-95 shaves a couple of hours on the drive, which is nice at the end of the day. As dh says, these last 2 hours can seem like forever...
Can anyone tell me about their experience on using I-95 all the way during the summer? When we go this way, we usually hit Washington, DC around 4:00pm, which would be really bad on a weekday, but we're talking about a Saturday.

I'm also wondering if the I-95 would be a good option going back home, since we will be traveling during a weekday, but leaving from our overnight stay would put us in DC around 9:30-10am. What do you think?
We've also done the I-95 going down and I-81 coming back so this remains an option as well.

Ok, I'm ready now, I know there are a few specialists here who will tell it like it is

Thanks!

I'm such a thread killer...

Still considering the I-95 all the way, I found a great hotel for our overnight stay (not easy for a family of 6) but it's on the 295 around Richmond, VA. Does anyone know if this a good option? I think I remember a Triptik where they made us go around Richmond on the 295 anyway so this might be doable.

Still waiting for opinions on the I-95 vs I-81 in the summer debate

Thanks!

 

[pwdebbie]

Indeed, an oil change is essential. Also: properly inflated tires and a clean windshield. And a full tank of gas!

All the best.

Yes, do make sure your tires are inflated properly. Mine weren't checked for a year and after getting them corrected, I was able to go another 40 miles between fill ups.

 

[pwdebbie]

I'm such a thread killer...

Still considering the I-95 all the way, I found a great hotel for our overnight stay (not easy for a family of 6) but it's on the 295 around Richmond, VA. Does anyone know if this a good option? I think I remember a Triptik where they made us go around Richmond on the 295 anyway so this might be doable.

Still waiting for opinions on the I-95 vs I-81 in the summer debate

Thanks!

Well, in summer I wouldn't want to go near 95 if 81 is an option. Don't I remember some folk here saying not to take the 295 around Richmond but to stay on 95?

 

[crzy4dsny]

My family is going down at the end of August, so we have a bit to wait. I was wondering what people do to get there vehicals ready for the trip.n i am planning on an oil change about 2 weeks before (to allow for leaks to show up). Is there anything else that anyone would suggest?

Check hoses, feel all around them for soft spots. Check you belt, twist it around see if there are large cracks or signs of wear. Check your tires all around for uneven wear, bulges, screws or nails. Check your tranny fluid, and all other fluids. Replace windshield wipers even if there just a little worn. Check all lights. Change your air filter unless it's just recently been replaced. If need be do a tune-up, plugs and wires if you have them. Bring a flashlight with you and have it easily accessible. Bring some basic hand tools like a socket set or wrench set if you have it. A couple of screwdrivers and some duct tape!

 

[zoie101]

Well, in summer I wouldn't want to go near 95 if 81 is an option. Don't I remember some folk here saying not to take the 295 around Richmond but to stay on 95?

My sister in law lives on the bi pass at Richmond. We only take the bi pass when we stay with her, don't use it otherwise

 

[iDad]

Check hoses, feel all around them for soft spots. Check you belt, twist it around see if there are large cracks or signs of wear. Check your tires all around for uneven wear, bulges, screws or nails. Check your tranny fluid, and all other fluids. Replace windshield wipers even if there just a little worn. Check all lights. Change your air filter unless it's just recently been replaced. If need be do a tune-up, plugs and wires if you have them. Bring a flashlight with you and have it easily accessible. Bring some basic hand tools like a socket set or wrench set if you have it. A couple of screwdrivers and some duct tape!

Thanks so much to everyone for their great advice. I can now start on some of this and put my honey do list aside for a minute, Sorry Karmalady.

 

[Goofygirl17]

I'm such a thread killer...

Still considering the I-95 all the way, I found a great hotel for our overnight stay (not easy for a family of 6) but it's on the 295 around Richmond, VA. Does anyone know if this a good option? I think I remember a Triptik where they made us go around Richmond on the 295 anyway so this might be doable.

Still waiting for opinions on the I-95 vs I-81 in the summer debate

Thanks!

We just got back last week (to CT). We took the inland route and it was great. Hit a couple slow downs in the mountains but no real traffic jams. I was nervous about the ride back because we saw 2 very large traffic jams going northbound (while we were going south). But on our way home 2 weeks later we had a straight through ride- no traffic at all!! It was great.

I also love the inland route instead of 95 because it just seems less stressful as far as traffic and the other drivers. More low key somehow.

Good luck and have a great time!

 

[justakrazymom]

We just got back last week (to CT). We took the inland route and it was great. Hit a couple slow downs in the mountains but no real traffic jams. I was nervous about the ride back because we saw 2 very large traffic jams going northbound (while we were going south). But on our way home 2 weeks later we had a straight through ride- no traffic at all!! It was great.

I also love the inland route instead of 95 because it just seems less stressful as far as traffic and the other drivers. More low key somehow.

Good luck and have a great time!

From CT 9 which part) how long was the drive? We are in W.mass and do 95 usually but i'm still considering the interior route.

 

[jlcw14]

Regarding the 295 around Richmond: we used to swear it was shorter to go straight through on 95 too, but in 2010, my parents drove down as well in their vehicle, and on the way back home, they took the 295 while we took 95, and they came out at exactly the same time that we did! We had no real traffic delays and they said they didn't, either, so....if there's any difference time-wise, it is miniscule, IMO.