directions from WDW to DC

[mykidslovesdisney]

I am looking for directions from WDW to DC. We travel by autotrain every August. Last Aug our train was cancelled due to TS Fay. We decided to stay till the next train out which was 5 days. We thought about driving home for a mere few seconds. We are returning in 2 wks and this time DH has to be home right after our trip. Our return train is on a Thursday, we get into VA on Friday. DH has to be in CT by Monday for a court appearance (darn him for giving someone a ticket!) So if a storm should cancel the train again we would probably drive all the way to CT. I would like to go down w/ a copy of directions as a Plan B. I have a mapquest route but does anyone have a favorite route?? Also would need to find a hotel that would fit 6 in a room(one being 2) along the way. I am not sure how long it would take us to drive from WDW to DC (we know the rest of the way).

thanks in advance

 

[Christine]

I don't know exact directions but, in my mind, I think most people use I-95 for the bulk of the trip.

The driving time from WDW to DC is 13 hours. I've done it straight through but it's rough.

 

[Onceler]

Take I-4 east towards Daytona Beach. Hang a left on I-95 north.

 

[WillCAD]

Total travel time from WDW to DC is about 12-13 hours, about 850 miles to the southern outskirts of DC.

Take I-4 east from WDW toward Daytona.

In Daytona, switch to I-95 north. You'll stay on I-95 all the way to DC.

When you approach Richmond, Virginia, get off I-95 and take I-295, the Richmond Bypass. I-95 through downtown Richmond slows to 55mph and winds and twists a lot, but the Bypass stays at 65mph, is straight, has more lanes, and fewer interchanges than I-95. Once past Richmond, I-295 connects back to I-95; you can't get lost.

If you're considering a hotel stay in the DC/Baltimore region, a good alternative would be to take MD 295 between DC and Baltimore. The 295 corridor goes through the heart of the BWI Airport hotel district, giving you a good variety of places from Holiday Inn to Sheraton to Extended Stay America. I can give you more detailed directions to take MD 295 between DC and Baltimore, and get back to I-95 afterward, if you like. It's not complicated at all and won't cost you any time, since MD 295 runs parralel to I-95 the whole way between the cities.

I've made the drive from Baltimore to WDW and back many times. Between Richmond and Jacksonville, FL, I-95 is a great, big, boring, empty highway without much scenery on either side. It mostly goes through pine forest in VA, NC, and SC, but starts to show some swamps in SC, GA, and FL.

In some ways, the southern half of your drive will be easier than the northern half - no tolls, higher speed limits, lower traffic, more long straighaways with good sight distance, fewer interruptions and obstructions - and in other ways it will be harder - boring, fewer places to stop for food, gas, or bathrooms, inherent danger from morons travelling at higher speeds, and more chance of speed traps. It's a different world out there from the one you're used to seeing on the drive from CT to DC. Here are a few tips, based on my experiences:

* Switch drivers every 2-3 hours to prevent boredom from causing fatigue or attention deficit
* Stop for gas when you have no less than 1/4 tank left
* Bring lots of food, drinks, and distractions for the kids - there are fewer places to stop for these things in the south
* Radar detectors are illegal in Virginia - if you have one, take it OFF of the dash and put it away, or you will get pulled over and it will be confiscated
* Don't count on "professional courtesy" if your LEO DH is stopped by a LEO in the south