best time to leave

[cheap traveler]

We are planning to drive down to Disney from New York with our DD5 and DD2.5. Wondering what time you would start the drive. I was thinking of after lunch, so they would have a nap(?) and only endure a few hours the first day, while cutting our drive time for the second day. Any thoughts?

 

[pklein09]

I think it depends on where in New York you're leaving from. The city/LI or upstate? You will need to take into account (if you're driving I-95) when you will hit Baltimore and Washington, DC. You do not want to hit rush hour on the beltway. Again, depending on where you're coming from, I'd try to be clear of DC before 4 PM. Personally, I'd leave as soon as I got up (pack the car/van the night before) and just get as much road behind me as possible.

On another note, I don't know what you have planned for your kids on the way down, but my 4 LOVE Crayola Color Wonder. I love it because the ink stays on the paper and it's not all over my van. Also, I would pack snacks for them as well as toys/activities in their own backpacks that they can reach from their carseats. This way, you won't be turning around everytime they want something - they can get it themselves, at least the 5 year old. A car DVD player will also work wonders.

Best of luck!

 

[Ariel8676]

Ill tell you what we did the few times we drove with the kids from NJ to Orlando...
We would leave about 9-10 pm. We would give them dinner, get a bath, put on some comfy clothes and get them all excited to go so they didn't fall asleep..lol. This way you are going when the kids would normally sleep, there is less traffic..especially through the D.C area. One time we left around 10-11 pm and my dd slept until 7 am..thats a whole lot of driving..lol.
It is harder to drive at night, just because you aren't used to being up at those hours..but my Dh would sleep for a few hours before we left and would drive first, and i would sleep when we were driving, then we would switch. You really can get so much more driving time in at night especially if the kids are sleeping and its pretty much just you and the trucks.
Good luck and let us know what you decide...

 

[3littleHalls]

We are leaving at sun-up. We are trying to avoid all rush hours. Maybe if you write it out on paper of where you would make it to for lunch, dinner, etc. Also, do you have a time that you want to arrive by? We travel long trips a few times a year and have a rule of thumb to stop every three hours. It cuts out the "I need to pee" and the whining. We usually watch a movie, then have a snack or listen to music/play games, then stop, go potty, do jumping jacks, tag games, etc. Usually a 10-15 minute stop break. Back in the van, and routine starts over. The only time we break the 3hr rule is if a kid is asleep. It may take us 30mins longer to arrive, but the kids are happier and so are we!

 

[Not so Dumbo]

We are driving from Michigan the first week of Dec. With our DS7, DS4 and DD6mo. We are planning on leaving at 5p after the kids get home from school. Rush hour will be over before we get to any major cities. DH will stay home from work that day and sleep. We figure we'll drive until he's too tired, maybe stop somewhere in Tenn. That way the kids will hopefully sleep most of the way. They'll be tired after being in school all day.

 

[wendy46001]

with two kids i would probably drive during the day but avoiding rush hours (esp DC) it will be easier on the driver in the daytime.. bring stuff to entertain them ...and they will normally fall asleep after a few hours….When I normally drive long distances its in a 15 passenger van full of college girls...So we always leave at 7pm after dinner....that way in four hours we can stop use the restroom and grab some munchies...and then they all go to sleep...Its hard on me but it better then stopping every hour because someone has to use the potty...

 

[marathonmommy]

A year and a half ago, we drove down with DD4 and DS who was not even 1 from Northern NJ. We did not do it in two days - we drove straight through. We left around 6:30 PM. We drove a couple of hours and they were out for the night. We drove and drove. Made a couple of pitstops, stopped for breakfast and were in Disney the next day at 11AM.

 

[cheap traveler]

Thanks for all of the great input. I never even thought about the fact that if we left after lunch, we would hit Baltimore and D.C. right around rush hour. We avoid NJ completely, and go through PA instead. I am starting to think we will leave early AM, that way if we have to make a lot of potty stops, we can still make it there the next day.

 

[Lizzy2]

If you could stand to drive at night I would. The kids will sleep and the roads lots less crowded.

 

[marathonmommy]

If you could stand to drive at night I would. The kids will sleep and the roads lots less crowded.

DITTO! (See above).

 

[KikiNJ]

We do a 20 hour drive every summer with 2 kids (now 6 and 3). The night driving would be the best unless your kids don't sleep in the car (my 6 year old has a really hard time sleeping in the car no matter how tired she is). Plus, I'm such a backseat driver that I can't sleep while dh is driving, then when it's my turn to drive I'm exhausted! LOL And, those reallllly early morning hours just before the sun comes up tends to be pretty tough on us. The one year I started doing that "I'll just close my left eye for a second, now just my right eye..." That was the last year we drove at night!

What we found works best is leave in the morning, and put in as many hours as we can the first day. We try to do at least 14. That way the second day isn't as long, because every trip we've ever taken, when we have to get back in the car the second day, the kids are NOT happy! There tends to be a lot of whining and moodiness that second day, whereas the first they're just excited to be going on vacation.

That said, we are driving down to Orlando next week from NJ. What we're doing is leaving after dinner on Monday, driving until we're just past DC and stopping. Then the next day we'll drive until we get to Orlando, find a place to stay Tuesday night, and check in to the Poly Wed. morning. It's kind of opposite what we normally do but I just want to go thru DC when it's not as busy, plus that gives us the full day of the parks on Wednesday vs. getting there mid/late afternoon that day. On the way home we'll do our normal full day the first day, that would put us going thru DC mid morning the second day.

Good luck!

 

[java]

Well we live in western NJ and drive down every year- we have done it many many ways. I think our favorite way is to leave at 4AM(the kids are still so tired that you get a few hours out of the way with them asleep and it isn't so awful that the drivers are exhausted- we switched on and off so DH could sleep while I drove and then I slept for about an hour and was good.) we were able to get all the way to Georgia that first day. And why I am suggesting the major driving day one is that after that day the kids aren't so anxious to get back in the car- so less driving day 2 is bettter.
Now I am not sure how you are talking about going through PA(we take the Turnpike south to 95 in DE... The 2 tips if you are traveling that way - take the loop around DC heading WEST (mileage wise longer but much less traffic than going east and you end up in the same place) The way we chose the time to leave was that we DID NOT want to be near the DC/Alexandria area around rush hour. so 4AM was the plan. The kids actually slept until around 8 we stopped for breakfast. drove 4 more hours- stopped for lunch- drove to Georgia!! I was really surprised we made it to Georgia that day but it is the way we will do it from now on.

 

[the Fidge]

Former Long Islander and now in Pennsylvania. THe best time that I have found to leave is right after the work force is set out for their day. I make a habit of leaving around 9am or 9:30 to avoid the traffic. We travel 81 down and we make very good time and hit a restaurant for dinner while the rush hour home is going on. That leaves smooth sailing for our journey. I have alwyas been pleasantly surpirsed how well my DS travels. Real travel bug I think! I have always stocked up well on activities and shockingly have never used a portable DVD player! I think they are a great asset for any traveling family! My only problem has been when we sleep over in Virginia he his disappointed that we are not in Florida yet!

Happy Planning and have a great trip!

 

[the Fidge]

Double dipping here, but I wanted you to know my main factor for traveling in daylight here in Pennsylvania we have a ton of deer! I kid you not we happen to notice one every few miles on rt 84, and once every few days on the road we leave off of. I never imagined that we would factor in the times that deer are most active on roads, dusk is the most active time here. A friend was leaving for their vacation at 4am and by 6am their trip was delayed by our deer population. Some may find that a silly consideration but if you are traveling in areas of high deer population, it is a factor!

OK enough about our deer, and have a great trip!

 

[toocooltobeMom]

Having to drive every time when we go to WDW, we always start before 4:00am. Drivng south thru 81 then 66/17 to 95 Southbound, we normally reach Richmond by 11:00am. (DH used to commute to Richmond, VA/home for 2 years, so he is not too fond of the traffic there) We drive approximately 850 miles to Florence, SC for an over-nighter, then begin the last 400 miles at 5:00am.
We just believe it is alway safer to drive during daylight. No matter how alert you are, there are always other tired travellers on the road.

Have a safe and magical vacations to all.

 

[cheap traveler]

Double dipping here, but I wanted you to know my main factor for traveling in daylight here in Pennsylvania we have a ton of deer! I kid you not we happen to notice one every few miles on rt 84, and once every few days on the road we leave off of. I never imagined that we would factor in the times that deer are most active on roads, dusk is the most active time here. A friend was leaving for their vacation at 4am and by 6am their trip was delayed by our deer population. Some may find that a silly consideration but if you are traveling in areas of high deer population, it is a factor!

OK enough about our deer, and have a great trip!

We have major deer problems where I live too, so I am planning a 7:30 am departure. We will hit our first city (Newburgh) on the tail end of rush hour, and head out 84 to PA, then down 81 to Baltimore. We can't do night driving, we are total party poopers - to bed at 9pm every night, and we're only 24!!! I hope to make it to Georgia for a late bed time on night 1, and down to disney after lunch day 2.
Thanks for the warning/reminder of the deer. And to everyone that is on their way down soon, have a safe speedy trip

 

[the Fidge]

OK then you must not be very far from me! WE like to avoid Harrisburg rush hours too! Do watch your time for Wilkes Barre Sranton 81 in the morning. Yes, we too are not night owls by any stretch anymore most nights I struggling to stay awake longer than DS! LOL Happy and safe trails!