Driving Daytona Weekend--any tips? alt routes?

[jennypenny]

We are driving from PA to Orlando Pres Day weekend. We've driven to FL a few times, but we are usually driving home on Pres Weekend. This year we will be arriving on the Sat of Pres Weekend.

How bad is the traffic?? Is there a way to skip the daytona area? (we usually just take 95 all the way down) Are we insane?

Also, we usually drive straight through. We'll be leaving after school on Friday and arriving sometime Sat morning.

Help--I'm a little nervous.
Jenny

 

[GrumpyLuver]

Can't help you with an alternate route, but I think traffic will be heavy around Daytona because of the Nascar races. We went to the races last year and ended up sitting in a ton of traffic. Sorry, probably not what you wanted to hear.

 

[jennypenny]

What day did you arrive? Is the traffic bad Sat or only Sun?

 

[hockeygirl]

I went to the Daytona races last year and yes, traffic was bad both saturday and sunday, as there is a Busch series race on saturday and the Daytona 500 race on sunday. Traffic was slightly better on saturday but it was still bad. Try to avoid that area at any cost if you can!!

 

[jennypenny]

Ugh, that's what I was afraid of. I'm not sure what to do. We can't leave Philly until 4-5pm which puts me in florida around 6 the next morning.

Is it just slow, or horrible??
Jenny

 

[cranbiz]

Traffic for Daytona week is bad the whole week, not just the Sat/Sun of the race.

Last Feb. we made the trip down and I 95 started to backup in Jax, cleared our for a while and then from just before the Flagler/Volusia county line to I4 was bumper to bumper the entire way. It took us an hour to get to LPGA Blvd, where I got off to get around that mess. There are no good alternate routes around Daytona, but if you can get to the LPGA Blvd exit, you can get off there and use LPGA Blvd to 92 to I4.

I'll never drive that week again.

 

[jennypenny]

It doesn't sound good. I don't know what to do. We are locked into that week because we're travelling with family. We refuse to pay over $2000 for airfare (5 of us) when we usually pay less than $1000. But driving sounds bad too.

The auto train isn't much cheaper than flying, but at least I'd have my car when we get there. I just don't know how the kids would do on the train--at least in the car when they get loud they are only bugging me

Jenny

 

[cranbiz]

For a $1000 savings, I would put up with a couple of extra hours in traffic.

I know it's not the ideal situation, but hey, Your going to Disney!

 

[localdriver]

We are driving from PA to Orlando Pres Day weekend. We've driven to FL a few times, but we are usually driving home on Pres Weekend. This year we will be arriving on the Sat of Pres Weekend.

How bad is the traffic?? Is there a way to skip the daytona area? (we usually just take 95 all the way down) Are we insane?

Also, we usually drive straight through. We'll be leaving after school on Friday and arriving sometime Sat morning.

Help--I'm a little nervous.
Jenny

When you get to Jacksonville, take I-10 west to I-75 south. It will be worth the few extra miles

JMHO