For those folks driving!

[Lorix2]

areno79 - we make this drive from NH too.

We always leave at 4AM from Manchster in April and get into Roanoake Rapids, NC by dinner time and stay at a great Sleep Inn, exit 173 right off the highway. It's super clean with a small indoor pool and continental breakfast. With having a AAA card, I think we paid $62.00 for the night. It's located near alot of restaurants, gas stations and a Walmart. Perfect location and safe. There is a Hampton Inn right next to it, without a pool (we checked both).

I would strongly advise against driving through the night though, especially with kids. By the time we reached NC, my kids (11 and 6) really needed to get out of our roomy SUV for the night and sleep in a comfortable bed for some much needed rest.

If you push yourselves too hard, you're destined for cranky kids once you get to your destination. You and you're DH will be exhausted too, not to mention the hazards of driving at all hours through the night.

I've had so many friends try to do drive straight thru only to make their trip seem longer and their kids have meltdowns, no matter how old they were.

I hope this doesn't sound like a lecture, I just wanted to add some personal experience and share some knowledge from others too.

Hope you have a wonderful vacation and feel free to ask any questions

[areno79]

Thanks for the tip Lori. I suspect once we've gotten past NJ we'll probably want to get a hotel for some sleep, which is why I'm not making our Disney ressies until Sunday. I'm hoping to make it at least until MD before we have to get a hotel, but it'll depend on traffic.
Do you take 95 the whole way down or do the loop around NY, NJ, and DC?

[Lorix2]

Let's see...we take 93 to 495 to 84 to 684 and pick up 95 in NJ...so I guess we do go through that loop. We came home once through Philly, but I don't know which route that was, DH does all the driving.

Do you have AAA? I love them for mapping out our route, discounted theme park tic's, discounted hotel rates and of course the road assistance as well.

[areno79]

Oh yes, the folks at AAA know me very well

I just put a hold on a room for Pop Century for May 1-May 7 directly with Disney using my AAA discount. $93 a night including tax...not too bad, but hey, at least it's not rack rate
Last time we didn't get a Triptik but my grandpa's a truck driver and had us take this route through Maryland...it wasn't a highway, but it got us from having to go around Baltimore and DC. I think this time we'll try to do 95 down, although I hear 84 is a pretty nice drive

[Lorix2]

Glad to hear you have AAA, I think everyone should.

Yes, 84 is a nice drive. Great rate you got for the Pop.

We'll be coming home on the day you check in.

[corinascot]

We're driving down from Cleveland Easter week. The traffic can be terrible, especially on the drive home. Has anyone ever taken the backroads from the Orlando area to Ga.? We were thinking of going via Ocala.

Also, does anyone have any opinions on driving I-95 to 77 vs I-75 to Ohio?

Thanks!

[areno79]

Lori~My SIL is coming back the day we get there too...and coincidentally enough, they live in Manchester too Are you driving this time or flying?

[Lorix2]

areno - we are driving again. Are they driving?

[areno79]

Nope, they're flying...I say they have no sense of adventure
Good news, instead of having to bring my laptop, my BIL is letting us use his portable DVD player That'll be much easier to carry around, plus won't use as much battery power. All we need is an adapter and electic cooler and we should be good to go

[SunFloridaDisney]

Corinascot-
We drive from Cincinnati to Orlando, usually straight down 75, but last time we did the 77 to 95 trying to avoid Atlanta!

It wasn't bad, about the same time wise, but we did run into a lot of traffic in SC.

Enjoy your trip!

[Jamesbyr]

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[localdriver]

This coming week is Race Week in Daytona. There are major races at the Speedway the 17th thru the 20th.

If your route is I-95 south to I-4, I would suggest a deviation in Jacksonville using I-10 west to I-75 south to Orlando.

The traffic backups can be massive. Unless you are going to the races, avoid the Daytona area.

Just my opinion.

[cmonroe]

Originally Posted by areno79

Oh yes, the folks at AAA know me very well

I just put a hold on a room for Pop Century for May 1-May 7 directly with Disney using my AAA discount. $93 a night including tax...not too bad, but hey, at least it's not rack rate
Last time we didn't get a Triptik but my grandpa's a truck driver and had us take this route through Maryland...it wasn't a highway, but it got us from having to go around Baltimore and DC. I think this time we'll try to do 95 down, although I hear 84 is a pretty nice drive

My wife does not like bridges or tunnels so we took I-84 to I-81 to I-77 to I-26 to I-95. It was a nice scenic ride, but I believe it tacked on another 100 miles or so to our trip. I'd do it again, but I would leave during the day. Driving into New York through the mountains at night was difficult. It is very foggy, full of BST's and boring. By boring I mean, there are no lights, etc. Just woods, so if you are not a night driver you have little stimulation.

81 into VA. is very mountainous as well. You might want to keep that in mind considering the season you'll be travelling in. It was August for us, so we had to deal with some rain wasn't too bad though.

[areno79]

Thanks for the tip, Craig I'm hoping 95 won't be too bad at night, plus my husband isn't comfortable going any way he's "not familiar with"...he's got no sense of adventure My main concern is NYC, which is HORRIBLE during the day...I figure at 10:00 at night it shouldn't be too bad

[cmonroe]

areno79,

Would you mind posting your ride experience down and back when you return?
I'd be interested as you as I live about 15 minutes from Salisbury, so my ride would essentially mimic yours going down 95.