Driving at March Break

[gskywalker]

Last time we drove straight through but for this time we unexpectedly have an extra day to get down there. Does anyone know of a hotel about 12-14 hours(including stops) into the drive that has a reasonable priced hotel that would fit 6 people in one room with an indoor pool? We are travelling from Mississauga, so we figure it would be shortly after the Appalachians that we would be looking to stop for the night. thx.

 

[gskywalker]

Did I ask too specific a question? I thought people who had families this size and did the road trip mentioned possibilities on threads that I read a couple of years ago before we did a road trip.

 

[starvenger]

Sorry, didn’t see this post.

Stayed at Homewood Suites Charlotte north in august. 2 rooms, outdoor pool and breakfast. Potentially a bit far for winter, but gives you a short trip down to Orlando.

 

[TammyLynn33]

Sorry can’t help we are a family in five but I’m a single mom so we fly. I wouldn’t book a reservation if drive and then when I felt I had only a couple hours ahead of me I’d start looking at Expedia etc for a room . I would think it’s just to sleep in so u wouldn’t be too choosy but that’s just me.. maybe check with caa if you have it get triptix and look roughly how far you’d like to get
all the best safe travels
T

QUOTE="gskywalker, post: 60197977, member: 435407"]Did I ask too specific a question? I thought people who had families this size and did the road trip mentioned possibilities on threads that I read a couple of years ago before we did a road trip.[/QUOTE]

 

[hardis5]

A little further down pushing 14-15 hours with stops depending on the border wait, traffic and meal stops but we've done stay-overs in the Columbia SC area in the Columbiana mall area (HIE and Comfort Suites nearest the mall). Both times had 5 but the rooms accommodated 6. Easy area to access and lot of food, accommodation and shopping distractions in the area and a leisurely 6-7 hour drive to the Orlando area the 2nd day. We've always pushed through to this area leaving the GTA around 5 am so past the border before getting busy and it has us skirt the worst of Charlotte the tail end of rush hour.

 

[hardis5]

Sorry can’t help we are a family in five but I’m a single mom so we fly. I wouldn’t book a reservation if drive and then when I felt I had only a couple hours ahead of me I’d start looking at Expedia etc for a room . I would think it’s just to sleep in so u wouldn’t be too choosy but that’s just me.. maybe check with caa if you have it get triptix and look roughly how far you’d like to get
all the best safe travels

I'd watch driving March Break without a reservation unless you do not care about where staying or the cost. We book and rebook (and a few allow cancellations as late at 6:00 pm the night of the stay) having a place we feel comfortable about at a price we can live with. Virtually every time when driving during peak periods when checking in, there are always those asking availability and being told they are booked up.

 

[starvenger]

Yeah my wife’s a bit picky about hotels and since we’re a visible minority I prefer to stay in more populated centres. So booking in advance works for us.

 

[Susan2771]

during our drives down, we usually stay in the Rock Hill in South Carolina just south of Charlotte. Lots of hotel options at the various exits and many restaurants/food outlets as well. We are a family of 4 so not sure which can accommodate a family of 6. Maybe connecting rooms would be an option for your family?

 

[calngavinsmom]

Hi there. We drive down quite a bit. We are in St.Catharines and usually drive through to Kingsland Georgia which leaves about 3 hours for day 2. If you wanted to stop at about 13.5 hours, Columbia SC has a lot of options for you. Here is a link to trip advisor that might be helpful https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Hotels-g54184-Columbia_South_Carolina-Hotels.html I agree with pp too though, If travelling over march break, I would be safe and make a reservation, we have been burned by that before lol.

Good luck!

 

[Cheerio]

Last time we drove straight through but for this time we unexpectedly have an extra day to get down there. Does anyone know of a hotel about 12-14 hours(including stops) into the drive that has a reasonable priced hotel that would fit 6 people in one room with an indoor pool? We are travelling from Mississauga, so we figure it would be shortly after the Appalachians that we would be looking to stop for the night. thx.

We do 77/79 and have stopped as far north as Charlotte, NC (12hrs) south to Orangeburg, SC (17hrs) Residence Inn, Country Inn and Suites usually have rooms for the 6 of us - we like to book from the road using hotels.ca (bonus, it's in CAD, so no cc surprises) We stayed here in 2016, but the pool was chilly Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Orangeburg, SC. We find the best luck (and least wait) using the rainbow bridge crossing, always less cars than the other two options.

 

[gskywalker]

I am very excited. Just booked a rental van for the trip for what seems like a really good price. $432 for 11 nights for an upgraded Honda Odyssey 8 seater all in. We have a van, but think with all the mileage it is better to put it on a rental instead of the wear and tear, maintenance and insurance charges that will happen on our van.

 

[PrincessMolly'sMom]

I am very excited. Just booked a rental van for the trip for what seems like a really good price. $432 for 11 nights for an upgraded Honda Odyssey 8 seater all in. We have a van, but think with all the mileage it is better to put it on a rental instead of the wear and tear, maintenance and insurance charges that will happen on our van.

Wow! That seems like a great deal!!

Do you mind if I ask where you're renting from? We were looking at maybe doing the same thing this summer, but from what I've seen, it's way more expensive. TIA

 

[FigmentSpark]

Awesome! When are you leaving? I find the best rental deals to be within a couple of weeks of the trip, so keep watching in case you find an even better price. That's still an awesome rate, though.

 

[gskywalker]

Wow! That seems like a great deal!!

Do you mind if I ask where you're renting from? We were looking at maybe doing the same thing this summer, but from what I've seen, it's way more expensive. TIA

I looked around and then discovered Costco travel. It was about $55 lower than the same company listed on other sites. Renting from Alamo.

 

[gskywalker]

Awesome! When are you leaving? I find the best rental deals to be within a couple of weeks of the trip, so keep watching in case you find an even better price. That's still an awesome rate, though.

Yes I keep checking, I actually found it $19 lower today than yesterday when I booked it. We are going from Mar 7-Mar 18.

 

[damo]

There is a Drury Inn north of Charlotte that we stay at a lot. There is also one south of Charlotte.

 

[starvenger]

Yes I keep checking, I actually found it $19 lower today than yesterday when I booked it. We are going from Mar 7-Mar 18.

Just make sure you read the fine print in the agreements. Local Big Name rental agencies may not offer unlimited metrage if you leave the province. The airport car rentals for certain do have unlimited metrage, but it’s usually at a slightly higher price.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Yes I keep checking, I actually found it $19 lower today than yesterday when I booked it. We are going from Mar 7-Mar 18.

Ah. We're doing the 6th to the 18th. I've seen some movement today, too.

 

[gskywalker]

A little further down pushing 14-15 hours with stops depending on the border wait, traffic and meal stops but we've done stay-overs in the Columbia SC area in the Columbiana mall area (HIE and Comfort Suites nearest the mall). Both times had 5 but the rooms accommodated 6. Easy area to access and lot of food, accommodation and shopping distractions in the area and a leisurely 6-7 hour drive to the Orlando area the 2nd day. We've always pushed through to this area leaving the GTA around 5 am so past the border before getting busy and it has us skirt the worst of Charlotte the tail end of rush hour.

I think this is pretty much exactly what we are going to do. I was thinking leave at 5am, maybe 4. My only concern is whether we should push to Savannah. I am looking to get to a hotel at 8pm at the earliest, just enough time for a quick swim and go to sleep. Also I was hoping for only 5-6 hours to drive on the following day so we can just drive straight to a park.

 

[starvenger]

I’ve found that using mapping tools (google maps and AAA Triptik) gave me a good idea of where I’d be at any point. I generally go faster than the speed limit but that got offset by breaks and the occasional traffic slowdown.