Driving from Allentown, PA

[MulanMom]

We plan on starting our trip around noon next Friday, the 19th. That would put us around the DC beltway around 3:30pm. In order to avoid that, we're considering taking 81, 66 to 17 to hook up with I-95 in Fredericksburg, VA. Our other alternative is to take 81 to 77 to 26 to 95. We plan on stopping at a hotel in Savannah, GA. Any one have any advice as to what route to take?

It seems I-95 is more direct. However, with a high volume of traffic, time can be lost with traffic tie-ups. My concern with going through Charlotte and Columbia is that it seems to be much longer and would seem to add time to the trip due to distance.

TIA!

 

[Bill From PA]

I also try to avoid 695 and 495 durung any weekday let alone rush hour, but hitting 95 at Fredericksburg by the route you mention is no picnic either. The last several miles has traffic lights at frequent intervals and we've lost whatever time we saved on that route and don't use it anymore. If you're locked into a noon departure, your route is probably the lesser of two evils. We drive to Myrtle Beach every June, starting about 7 pm and going straight through the night. The beltways are not exactly empty but traffic really moves and it's smooth sailing from where 495 reconnects with 95 on south.

Bill From PA

 

[MulanMom]

Thanks for your response, Bill! I forgot about all the lights along 17. Plus, I-95 still will be congested from Fredericksburg through Petersburg.

We either leave at noon and stop in Savannah or we leave around 6 pm and drive straight throught the night. With two young ones 5 & 7 not sure if we want to do the all-nighter then have to deal with their energy level the following day. I'm usually a night owl and can easily stay awake, but I pay for it the next day. DH would prefer to stop at Savannah.

A new wrinkle, in doing an online AAA triptik for the I-81, 77, 26, 95 route, there seems to be a lot of construction spots along 81 and 77. Have you ever driven that way to WDW?

 

[Bill From PA]

A co-worker of mine took the AAA Trip-Tik route just a few weeks ago, I81 to I77. He said it wasn't bad and he went all the way to WDW. I've never driven past the Myrtle Beach area. The reason I do the overnight trek to MB is that I refuse to lose a vacation day to travel. It's probably too late for you guys, but I noticed that flights out of ABE are noticeably less that out of AVP. The price of gas being what it is, a flight gets competetive.

Bill From PA

 

[MulanMom]

We usually do fly. Rates are very good as we have our choice between ABE, Philly and Newark. It's the rental cars that kill us. We'll be going for two weeks this time and felt with a longer stay, the driving would be justified.

What's also frustrating when flying is you are totally under the airline's control. Our last time flying was in March of this year with Southeast. There was a substantial delay in our departure time, 7:30 - 8 rather than 6. Then the pilot chose to land at MCO rather than Sanford because some runway lights were out. I say "chose" because the rental car agent told us a 747 landed at Sanford about the same time we were due. We sat on the tarmac at MCO for about 1.5 hours while Southeast decided if we would fly back to Sanford or if they would send busses to pick us up and take us back to Sanford. When we mentioned we would prefer to go into the MCO terminal and rent a vehicle, we were told "no". Long story short...we got to our Lake Buena Vista hotel room at 1:30 am. With two young children, it was not fun!

 

[Bill From PA]

I was looking at Sanford via VacationExpress, but they went belly-up, at least at AVP. Yeah, that's a horror story. We've had a few minor delays here and there but nothing to put us off flying. With two weeks, a 2 day drive doesn't eat up half your vacation. This March we went 'carless' for the first time. Took the whole family, 9 in all, so we used Tiffany and their 15 passenger van. It worked out great and we didn't miss having wheels. We're reserved them for Jan., but we'll try a low-ball Priceline bid for a car and maybe get ludky.

Bill From PA

 

[MulanMom]

I'm sorry to hear Vacation Express went belly up. That was a good alternative for folks in NEPA. Southeast started out great here...really good flight times. But as they've become more popular, the times have really become less desirable. Who wants to fly out of Sanford at 8 o'clock in the morning?????

Towncars are definitely the way to go if you are going carless! Have a great trip in Jan.!