Best driving directions from High Point, NC to Orlando?

[Crystal0608]

Hi, what are the quickest & easiest driving directions from High Point, NC to Orlando? I have MapQuested, but I know those aren't always the best.

Also, we hope to get to maybe Savannah or tip of FL our 1st day (we leave after I get off work at 5pm). How far should we get by 9-10pm that night (2 small kids) and what motels on the way are clean/safe/cheap? Thanks for all tips!

 

[Billmel]

We are coming from the Hendersonville, NC area. We are leaving about the same time about 6:00pm, we are stopping in the Savannah, Ga area. The Red Roof in "Savannah airport Exit". About $85.00 I think is what I was quoted, my Disney planning book is at home. This stop is about 4.5 to 5 hrs. We expect to get there about 10:00 -10:30pm.

 

[NCRedding]

When we drive from Asheboro, just down 311 and 220 from you, we take 220 to Rockingham; then 74 and 38 over to Bennettsville, catching I-95 at Dillon, above Florence. That takes us about 2 hours to get onto I-95 from our house. (Mapquest recommends going thru Rockingham, catching Highway 1 and 52 to Florence. If you go this route, you will go thru Society Hill in SC--the worst speed trap--must go under 35 or you will be pulled and ticketed--needless to say, we don't go this way). Then we just stay on I-95 until we get to I-4 in Florida.

Depending upon what area you live in High Point, mapquest may also route you I-85 to Charlotte, then I-77 to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95 just above Charleston. The advantage of this is interstate, but it goes through the busiest city in NC and another big one in SC, Columbia.

We left at 5pm on a Friday in June, and stopped at Kingsland, GA (last exit in GA before the FL border) at 11 pm, after stopping one time in Santee for a fast food trip. We do speed though, and don't have young children, so I would think reaching the outskirts of Savannah is doable for you in that time frame.

Hope this helps!

 

[Crystal0608]

Thanks ya'll. I work in south High Point, so I can access 220 and I-85 both easily. Kingsland sounds like a good stopping point. The kids take frequent potty breaks, so my timing may be longer .

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

Depending upon what area you live in High Point, mapquest may also route you I-85 to Charlotte, then I-77 to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95 just above Charleston. The advantage of this is interstate, but it goes through the busiest city in NC and another big one in SC, Columbia.

Thats how we get there from Northern Davidson County. Were centered between Lexington, Mocksville, and Winston Salem.

We go several times a year, and it usually takes us between 9 hours (driving like we stole it) to 10.5 if we go closer to the speed limit.

We have 2 children, and one is autistic. We dont stop off at all. We eat in the car, drink in the car, and only stop for bathroom breaks at rest areas. We usually leave out at 5:00 - 7:00 AM.
If you have to leave after work, then a stop half way is a definate. I wouldnt even consider not stopping for the night if I had to do that.
Once on the way back we left WDW at 10:00PM. We planned to catch a nice hotel just outside of FL. Unfortunately for us, we didnt know it was Daytona 500 weekend!!! EVERY single motel from FL to northern SC was booked solid. After stopping at about 12 motels at different exits, and after falling asleep on the road about 100 times, we pulled over and slept in the car in a deserted parking lot. I dont ever want to do that again. not only was it unsafe, but it was painful and we didnt really get any sleep. It was a horrible end to a great vacation.

 

[Robert P]

Depending upon what area you live in High Point, mapquest may also route you I-85 to Charlotte, then I-77 to Columbia, then I-26 to I-95 just above Charleston. The advantage of this is interstate, but it goes through the busiest city in NC and another big one in SC, Columbia.

Just an FYI for all NC DIS'ers: The 'fall line' in NC is somewhere about Burlington. If you're East of that, go 40-95-4, if West of there, take your prefered road to to get to 77-26-95-4. I had to check into that many years ago, when we lived in Chapel Hill.

Charlotte traffic can be a bear, but leaving after work, I would be equally worried about the construction heading down 85 South, in the Salisbury to Concord area.
Columbia is rarely a problem, as we get on 26 just before Columbia proper, and the road really spreads out there (multi-lanes), which keeps traffic moving. The route sort of 'skirts' Columbia. And leaving after work (assuming 5:00 p.m), you won't be getting to Columbia before 8:00 p.m., at best.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We live in Trinity (Randolph county -near HP) and have driven to WDW many times (and from various other NC towns too). The shortest route is to go 85 S to Charlotte, pick up 77 to Columbia, 26 over to 95, 4 into WDW. I tried going thru Rockingham using 220 once because I feared Charlotte ruch hour traffic. I think I outsmarted myself on that one. I will always go thru Charlotte etc. from now on

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

Charlotte traffic can be a bear, but leaving after work, I would be equally worried about the construction heading down 85 South, in the Salisbury to Concord area.
.

Sctually that's the Lexington to Salisbury area, but yeah -that stretch can be a bear sometimes. I travel that route a lot... unfortunately.

 

[Crystal0608]

Thanks, I'll try the I-85 way since we are familar with that hwy. Charlotte traffic is the worst- Takes me 1 hr 15 min sometimes just to get to Carowinds or a Panthers game.

I found a Microtel in Kingsland, GA that says its 3 miles of I-95 and looks newer for $63/night + tax. I have a micropass thing with 8 nights on it, so if I stay here this will be night 9 and my coming back night will be free. Dh could probably drive straight home coming back since checkout is 10am, but a free night would be great, b/c the kids love staying at a hotel.

 

[pcgmom]

We have driven to Orlando/Daytona a couple times from Asheville after visiting friends. I don't remember exactly what route we took to get to 95, but that's the way we got to central Florida. When I used mapquest, they sent us that way even though we left from central Kentucky.

I would highly recommend scoping out a doable location for your first night's stop and reserving a room b/c I have talked to many people who have found it more and more difficult to stop and get a room while travelling through at night. It happened to my family on our trip to WDW last year, and we ended up stopping in Georgia sooner than we had anticipated. In the middle of the week, we couldn't get a room within a reasonable distance south of Atlanta, and we even called ahead on our way down there. I was frantic with a map, a AAA book, 2 cell phones, and a walkie talkie in hand. Our friends encountered the same thing as they were heading to Myrtle one year. Good luck!