driving and hotels on the way down.

[youngb1978]

We are taking 2 nights to drive down. Our plan is to stop in Georgetown kentucky where I can use my air miles. Next stop is valdosta..I was wondering if I should prebook that as well or chance it and maybe get a better deal. I just don't want to end up spending more money If I can save.

 

[TFC_UNTIL_I_DIE]

Don't book in advance - you want to stay loosey-goosey and not be tied down. Maybe you will be tired before you make it. Maybe you can go further. Each state visitor centre has a good booklet which has hotels by exit with posted rate (usually they honor it) but you can always book online from a parking lot as well and check out TripAdvisor. The state visitors centres are mostly online now too

Also - download Navigator app and the state maps you need on your tablet. Since your tablet has GPS you can use it in the US without a data plan and it gives speed limits, shows your speed in Miles per hour, warns when you are speeding etc, shows exits, hotels, restaurants everything

 

[CindyV]

The first time we drove we prebooked a hotel. We ended up being in that area by 2 in the afternoon, so we ended up cancelling as we werent ready to stop for the night. We drove a couple more hours leaving only 4-5 hours the next day to go. Like the previous poster said their are good booklets that you can get that have coupons and such. We also stopped for dinner at a mcdonalds and brought our laptop in with us to look for good rates in the area.

 

[bankr63]

Agree, don't book in advance. Walk-ins are usually easy to find unless there is an event in the area. We pick up the coupon books at the state welcome centers, and cross-check against the AAA guides for hotel quality.

Do be aware of events in the area, or leave enough in your "tank" to move on. Our recent trip back we tried to stop near Savannah GA without knowing that Savannah celebrates St. Patrick's Day WEEKEND. The one room we found was $240 for the night. Hopped back in the car and drove about an hour+ further North (nearer Charleston SC), and found a good spot for less than half of that. Same sort of thing a couple of years back when we tried stopping too near a NASCAR event. Make sure you aren't COMPLETELY beat when you stop, just in case you need to move on a bit more. Usually an hour further up the road is all it takes.

 

[Chelley00]

I book in advance if it's all 6 of us just to make sure I get a room with enough space for us all.

Other than that I don't prebook but I do look at trip advisor and make a list is the top 2-3 hotels in bigger cities on the way down. This way I have an idea of where to stay based on when we start getting tired.

 

[lizzyb]

We booked last time on the way down. We wish we hadn't as we felt we could have driven longer. On the way back up we had no reservations and ended up driving straight home.

 

[cate2]

We pre-book there and back but we use starpoints to pay for the room.
I like knowing what to expect - we actually stop at the same location coming home as we do going down.

 

[youngb1978]

I have air miles to use that's why I am booking the first night...we are ok if we get to georgetown earlier then planned. Lots to see in that area.

 

[mshanson3121]

We are taking 2 nights to drive down. Our plan is to stop in Georgetown kentucky where I can use my air miles. Next stop is valdosta..I was wondering if I should prebook that as well or chance it and maybe get a better deal. I just don't want to end up spending more money If I can save.

Don't book in advanc. Go to www.hotelcoupons.com and before you leave, research some hotels and print out coupons for some places you might want to stay. These coupons will save quite a bit of money. We never paid more than $65 a night, and all the hotels had free, full hot breakfast, pools, were clean, comfortable and very easy to get to off the highway.

 

[youngb1978]

Don't book in advanc. Go to www.hotelcoupons.com and before you leave, research some hotels and print out coupons for some places you might want to stay. These coupons will save quite a bit of money. We never paid more than $65 a night, and all the hotels had free, full hot breakfast, pools, were clean, comfortable and very easy to get to off the highway.

Is that canadian or American

 

[mshanson3121]

Is that canadian or American

American