driving from ontario via i75 and bluewater bridge.Help with timeline

[youngb1978]

My husband and I are trying to figure out what time to leave and what's better straight through or stop for a night. We have 3 kids aged 12 8 and 7. We have to check into our hotel in the Saturday so need to leave on a Friday which means weekend rush hour in big cities..we aren't sure what time to leave..we to get to the other side of Atlanta before we stop for the night if we don't drive straight through what time have people found the best to getaway doing either stopping or straight...ideally I would like to get to my hotel early afternoon on Saturday

 

[Northernlites]

We are at Windsor Ontario at the bridge at 6 am, then we drive to Cordele or Macon area around 9 to 10 pm. Atlanta is okay if you stay in the HVAC lane which is for 2 or more persons. We then leave around 7:39 am and are in Orlando area around 2. We always stock up on groceries right at the border between Georgia and Florida as gas and food is way cheaper in Georgia. The best deal I found on a hotel last year was staying at a Quality inn off 75 near the Robins Air force base. It was 10 minutes off the interstate and probably 30 dollar less.

 

[youngb1978]

ThanKS for the help was thinking the same area to stay.

 

[Bertie9396]

We come from Barrie and take that route. The first time we ever drove, we left around 4 am on Friday and drove all the way to Clinton, TN. Got up at 4:30 am the next day and we were checked into our room around 4 pm on Saturday. It was a lot of driving but thankfully we had no traffic or weather issues. Also, we only have one child and she's great in the car and has her own little set up in the backseat. If we have more time, we take two nights. Usually somewhere past Lexington, KY and then somewhere past Atlanta. When we go away next month (22 more sleeps!) we plan on leaving Thursday night and driving as far as we can (weather permitting). My in-laws will already be there so we can show up anytime.

 

[Glindawotn]

My husband and I are trying to figure out what time to leave and what's better straight through or stop for a night. We have 3 kids aged 12 8 and 7. We have to check into our hotel in the Saturday so need to leave on a Friday which means weekend rush hour in big cities..we aren't sure what time to leave..we to get to the other side of Atlanta before we stop for the night if we don't drive straight through what time have people found the best to getaway doing either stopping or straight...ideally I would like to get to my hotel early afternoon on Saturday

We drive each year, leaving from London at 5 am on Friday morning. This gets us to Cincinnati around noon which has not been a problem. Knoxville TN at afternoon rush hour can be a pain but is better than the GTA (Toronto). We try to get to Calhoun GA, just north of Atlanta. We leave again on Sat at 5 am which means we go through Atlanta around 6:30 am. We stay in the HOV lanes too, it is less busy and not so many crazy lane changers! We arrive at Disney hotel around 1 pm, depending how long we doddle over breakfast and lunch and how long the stop is at the FLA-GA border, we always stop to get an orange juice and take a photo! My advice is to buy the "Along I 75 book". It is a great resource and full of neat info. It is very easy to use and there are lots of tid bits to read aloud to keep the kids amused. It is a great source of restaurant, gas and hotels along the way. We have 5 kids. Started driving to Disney when the youngest was 4, he is now 25, we've driven a lot! They fought a little long the way but did sleep a lot. We played all those road travelling games, finding the licence plates from each state and province etc. As they got older, they took over the "book" and looked forward to finding the cool things at the road side. Our favourite is the random dragon at the side of the road just past Caryville TN around mile marker 134. As the kids got older they were enthralled by the change in landscape, geology, flora and fauna too. We get kicks out of the change in temperature as we drive south too. Hope this helps! Andrea

 

[youngb1978]

We drive each year, leaving from London at 5 am on Friday morning. This gets us to Cincinnati around noon which has not been a problem. Knoxville TN at afternoon rush hour can be a pain but is better than the GTA (Toronto). We try to get to Calhoun GA, just north of Atlanta. We leave again on Sat at 5 am which means we go through Atlanta around 6:30 am. We stay in the HOV lanes too, it is less busy and not so many crazy lane changers! We arrive at Disney hotel around 1 pm, depending how long we doddle over breakfast and lunch and how long the stop is at the FLA-GA border, we always stop to get an orange juice and take a photo! My advice is to buy the "Along I 75 book". It is a great resource and full of neat info. It is very easy to use and there are lots of tid bits to read aloud to keep the kids amused. It is a great source of restaurant, gas and hotels along the way. We have 5 kids. Started driving to Disney when the youngest was 4, he is now 25, we've driven a lot! They fought a little long the way but did sleep a lot. We played all those road travelling games, finding the licence plates from each state and province etc. As they got older, they took over the "book" and looked forward to finding the cool things at the road side. Our favourite is the random dragon at the side of the road just past Caryville TN around mile marker 134. As the kids got older they were enthralled by the change in landscape, geology, flora and fauna too. We get kicks out of the change in temperature as we drive south too. Hope this helps! Andrea

Yep got the book...for sure will be using it on the drive down...Thand for the help.

 

[CindyV]

We have done the drive several times now. We leave between 3-4 am and stop around dinner or just after. The areas we have stopped in are basicaly Macon, tifton and cordele. The next day we only have 4-5 hours left of a drive. Its a lot of driving the first day but with the time we leave we seem to have been ok with rush hour traffic. We usually hit atlanta between 3-4 in the afternoon and use the hov lane like others have said. Each time we have driven has been the same, we are always in orlando by lunch the next day. Since u already got the book i wont suggest that. But i love it, thats how i pass my time is page flipping each time you drive through. Each page is about 20-30 minutes worth of driving so you can plan stops.

 

[youngb1978]

We have done the drive several times now. We leave between 3-4 am and stop around dinner or just after. The areas we have stopped in are basicaly Macon, tifton and cordele. The next day we only have 4-5 hours left of a drive. Its a lot of driving the first day but with the time we leave we seem to have been ok with rush hour traffic. We usually hit atlanta between 3-4 in the afternoon and use the hov lane like others have said. Each time we have driven has been the same, we are always in orlando by lunch the next day. Since u already got the book i wont suggest that. But i love it, thats how i pass my time is page flipping each time you drive through. Each page is about 20-30 minutes worth of driving so you can plan stops.

Thanks for your help..I think that is what time we are aiming to leave.

 

[CindyV]

no problem. 4 is the latest we have left. We have gotten a little bit of traffic in cincinnati and of course atlanta. But nothing that added much extra time to our drive. And our stops arent that long either. 30 minutes tops. My son was 3, 5 ,6 and 8 on our drives down there and we never had an issue with him not being able to handle it at all. We did straight through (well almost) one time and we were exhausted. Ended up stopping 2 hours from orlando. My husband drove the whole way though. But i always like to keep my eyes on the road as there can be some crazy drivers out there.

 

[DM Minnie]

We live about 8 min from the ambassador bridge in Windsor. This trip we are picking up my son from school at 330 and leaving. We plan on hitting just instead Kentucky then stopping for the night, then making it to Florida border the next day and a few hours the last day. We usually do a straight drive leaving at 330 and arriving about 18 hours later. Or doing one stop. In Macon we stay at the holiday Inn at the Macon cut off. But this year we have some extra time as I didn't book the full 2 weeks with the dollar sucking so much.

 

[Maple Leaf]

We live about 8 min from the ambassador bridge in Windsor. This trip we are picking up my son from school at 330 and leaving. We plan on hitting just instead Kentucky then stopping for the night, then making it to Florida border the next day and a few hours the last day. We usually do a straight drive leaving at 330 and arriving about 18 hours later. Or doing one stop. In Macon we stay at the holiday Inn at the Macon cut off. But this year we have some extra time as I didn't book the full 2 weeks with the dollar sucking so much.

Our grandchildren are great in the car and our kids drive straight through. They are older and take their electronics and set up movies in the car. It takes our son and daughter about 20 hours from London. Remember your holiday starts as soon as you pull out off the driveway. Have fun!

 

[Sugar Jones]

When we drove we were at the Bluewater Bridge for 5am (left home at 4:30am) Saturday morning and drove until Macon, GA. It took us approximately 14 hours. Then it took us another 6.5 hrs the next day to get to Disney.

 

[youngb1978]

When we drove we were at the Bluewater Bridge for 5am (left home at 4:30am) Saturday morning and drove until Macon, GA. It took us approximately 14 hours. Then it took us another 6.5 hrs the next day to get to Disney.

Thanks for the info...we must live close to each other as it's about 30 mins from our house to the bridge

 

[mctoffee]

What about the return trip. Where do you normally end up stopping? That is where we are stuck as we can't figure out where that point will be.

 

[youngb1978]

What about the return trip. Where do you normally end up stopping? That is where we are stuck as we can't figure out where that point will be.

I think our plan is at least half way. So it's even driving time both days

 

[hcoker1]

We're driving this year (flight prices are NUTS!). Leaving Woodstock after school and getting as far as Troy OH the first night (about 5.5-6hrs). Then to Tifton GA (11hrs) and WDW on Sunday early afternoon (we don't have a reservation until Sunday). On the way home we've booked Knoxville TN area and hope to be home by 8pm or earlier on the Sunday. I'm sure we could do it in less time but driving through the night doesn't appeal and I don't want to start the trip off tired and cranky.

 

[Sugar Jones]

We must live pretty close to each other lol! I live in the Lambton Shores area. I just seen on Facebook that i75 is under construction around Kentucky?? You may want to scope out an alternate route. I haven't actually looked it up to confirm it though.

 

[Csaks]

Isn't 75 closed somewhere in Kentucky?

 

[youngb1978]

Yes it is closed but will be open again way before we go.

 

[youngb1978]

We must live pretty close to each other lol! I live in the Lambton Shores area. I just seen on Facebook that i75 is under construction around Kentucky?? You may want to scope out an alternate route. I haven't actually looked it up to confirm it though.

Yep I am in ptown