Driving from Houston to US

[PlanningDisney]

I'm hoping there are people out there who have driven this route. How long did it take? Is there anyone who can recommend a nice hotel anywhere along I-10 to stay for the night.... maybe in Mississippi or Alabama? I'm not really one to "drive" but we were just there in August, and have another trip planned this August. We fly each August, so we thought we would try driving it this time.... We are going March 14-18. Any words of wisdom???

One thing I am think I will like is having a car and being able to bring things like bottled water, snacks, etc....

 

[RAPstar]

Last family trip I went on, we drove from Houston to Orlando. We stopped over for a day in Destin, which was a lot of fun. I got to go parasailing, which was amazing. I don't remember the hotel, but it was nice.

 

[PlanningDisney]

Do you remember how long it took? I'm "thinking" of staying in Mobile on the way there, and Biloxi (SP?) on the way back. That way the kids can say they have stayed in 2 more states.... not sure though. I would rather drive further, on the way in, but don't want to arrive at US exhausted either...

 

[zzupschuck]

It's about 6 1/2 hours to Biloxi and 7 1/2 hours to Mobile from Houston, with stops for gas and drive-thru meals.

 

[Herkemer]

We do Austin -> Orlando all the time, going via Houston on I-10.

On the way there we stop in Pensacola, FL, its a good drive about 11-12 hrs. We make stops at all of the state visitor centers as well as a sit down lunch (gotta spend some of the time out of the car). The next day we drive the rest of the way to Orlando, leaving around 6-7am and getting there between 3-4pm.

On the way back we stop in Convington, LA, roughly the same drive as above.

Subtract about 3 hrs to get some accurate numbers for Houston.

For you, going I would suggest trying to get the Tallahassee. Coming home you can be a little less aggressive depending on how much time you want to spend in the car.

 

[phamton]

I drove a few weeks ago from Orlando to Houston, just stopping for gas and food (usually hamburgers at a drive-in) along the way. I live only a few blocks from Universal Studios. I left Orlando at 6:00 AM and arrived in Houston at 7:30 PM.

 

[texaslady22]

We are going March 14-18. Any words of wisdom???

QUOTE]

We're driving from Dallas to Orlando March 14-20, so we'll be on the road the same time as you!!

Mapquest shows that from Houston it's 14 hours 39 minutes to Orlando, but from Dallas it's 16.5 hours. We're driving all day and all night to arrive Sunday morning (my husband works night shift, so I'll be doing the day driving and he'll be doing the night driving).

We'll have a 2 year old and 3 teenagers. Somebody help me!!

 

[avic77]

I live in the Mobile Al area but I live up north of I 10 off of I 65. There are quite a few hotels off the Tillmans corner exit (i dont recall the exit number) and it's not a bad area at all, locally speaking, i dont know about what type of visitors the hotels get though. I think I would suggest getting across the bay and staying in Daphine, waste a couple hours and visit the new Bass Pro shop. It's more tourist attraction the sporting goods store

 

[PlanningDisney]

I am hoping map quest is longer then it really is. I think I read somewhere that mapquest, builds in breaks. My DH and I will be switching off driving. I am thinking it may be best if we push through as far as possible in our way in. Maybe we should get into Florida. It isn't like we are going to be doing any site seeing where ever we stay. Just need a place to shower and sleep! If it were me, I would drive straight though, but I know my DH, he will want to stop on the way.... I just know Saturday I am going to want to get there asap. My kids are great ages, they are DS 11, and DD 9. So they can plug in to IPods, DS's, and DVD's and make the trip.... we can eat along the way. I plan to have some good sit down meals while we are there, so we can just wing it on the way in....

I'm getting soooooo excited!!!!

 

[texaslady22]

Sorry to disappoint, but I don't think mapquest builds in breaks. I think the 14 hours would be straight driving

Don't worry, though--we took our two year old on a 12-hour roadtrip and he did great!! I'm sure your older kids will do fine. You'll be so excited....

 

[blackjackmark]

RE: How long will it take...how fast do you drive? Not trying to be a smartypants, but that has a big impact on such a long trip.

Personally I drive around 75-80mph. For trips I plan on using rest areas for quick potty breaks and a quick stretch of the legs, and then fast food typically for eats on the way. That way I can typically average at least 60 mph for the entire trip (If you can AVERAGE 75mph that gives you about 15 minutes/hour of driving for your stops.

Looks like appx 960 miles one way, so 960/60 = 16 hours. So if you can average BETTER than 60mph (including stops) then you'll beat that time.

 

[mareed]

And if you're like us and always manage to hit a stretch of slow traffic somewhere, it will take between 2-4 hours longer than Mapquest says it will. We drive about 5 miles over speed limit (maybe closer to 10 when DH is driving), and we always take longer than Mapquest says. We drove from Houston to Orlando once and I'm guessing it was about 18 hours. I'm amazed when I see people doing this in 14 somehow! We'll be driving again this July and I plan to keep a driving log this time to know for sure!

 

[pktbMouse]

OMG>>...never again...the drive is relative ly easy until you reach Florida then realise you are only halfway there...I moaned all the way...the whole 16hours...hubby was mad with me asking "are we there yet" every hour.. we left at 5.30am had three stops for eats and got there at 9.00pm. Hubby didnt think it was so bad but I did.. when it was my turn to drive I nearly died of boredom..the I10 has nothing to look at but straight road...sorry to moan but I guess its my nature..Im far to impatient. Not to mention the sore butt I had from sitting so long, mabey if we had stopped overnight halfway it wouldnt have been so bad..mabey its because Im scottish and we dont like to drive anywhere...heheh.. anyway I dont have to worry about it..hubby said he would never sit in a car with me that long again if his life depended on it!!!!!!!!

 

[avic77]

OMG>>...never again...the drive is relative ly easy until you reach Florida then realise you are only halfway there...I moaned all the way...the whole 16hours...hubby was mad with me asking "are we there yet" every hour.. we left at 5.30am had three stops for eats and got there at 9.00pm. Hubby didnt think it was so bad but I did.. when it was my turn to drive I nearly died of boredom..the I10 has nothing to look at but straight road...sorry to moan but I guess its my nature..Im far to impatient. Not to mention the sore butt I had from sitting so long, mabey if we had stopped overnight halfway it wouldnt have been so bad..mabey its because Im scottish and we dont like to drive anywhere...heheh.. anyway I dont have to worry about it..hubby said he would never sit in a car with me that long again if his life depended on it!!!!!!!!

We drove from Mobile Al to Denver Co for a wedding NONSTOP (except bathroom breaks)!
My Dh and his friend drove the whole way and I spent the entire time in the back seat mostly sleeping. I remember Kansas most becuase I would go to sleep wake up and ask where are we and they would say Kansas I would go back to sleep wake up ask where are we? Kansas I remember thinking we will NEVER get our of Kansas it goes on and on forever in a big flat nothingness, no trees no rivers just fields and fields and fields... not even cows or horses. So on our way home we stopped in Kansas for gas and I got a magnet that has Dorthy on it and She is saying Toto I dont think we are in Kansas anymore and Toto is thinking GOOD! It was my thought exactly.

Anything over 12 hours needs a sleepover night IMO!

 

[pktbMouse]

hahah that too funny...hubby reminded me that when we just arrived at the Alabama/Florida border there was a Florida tourist info office that we stopped at..I got out of the car and asked him if I could see Cinderellas Castle from there....he about wet himself laughing...little did I know I had another 8 hours to go. Oh well ...another thing hubby wont do with me ever again along with "go on a jet ski (crashed it), a canoe (tipped it over) and diving (I panicked and pulled his air regulator out of his mouth) and a romantic Norwegian cruise (threw up the whole cruise..everywhere!). Ho Hum.