Driving from Maryland to WDW

[Missytara]

Hi. Just wondering how 301 is to travel on. I was wondering if it is a decent alternative starting in Newark DE till you rejoin I 95 before Richmond VA. How many lanes does it have, what is the road condition like, and what is the traffic light and congestion situation on 301? Thanks for any advise.

Through DE, 301 has its fair share of lights and is two lanes, each side.

I come from Dover and take it to BWI, but I am leaving at 3:30 am on a Saturday, so I have never hit much traffic.

If you are traveling on a holiday weekend (like this weekend, July 4th and Monday is a state and federal holiday), and a lot of people will be leaving DC to get to the Delaware shore - the other alternative is to go through Delaware on Rt 1/13 and take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel.

 

[Daddy_of_Princesses]

Looks like WillCAD covered just about everything.

Be careful in Georgia, the speed limit signs change alot. There was one stretch where it went from 70 to 55 to 65 to 55 and back to 70 in a very short stretch. At least it seemed that way to me, it was probably 1 or 2 in the morning. As far as gas, I think there is an exit just about every mile on I-95.


Here is a website I used in 2007 when I drove from PA to Disney. Some great stuff. Pay attention to the gas prices, it is much better to fill up in South Carolina since the gas is cheaper. The site also has restraunt suggestions, and well, all sorts of info really.
http://www.i95exitguide.com/index.php

 

[Robert P]

Someone mentioned construction in Ga- where exacty is that?

As I recall, the zone is @ mm58 - mm29. It's almost a 30 mile construction zone, with limited or no shoulders in spots, and construction barriers scattered throughout. It isn't that bad, except that it pops up after you've been making good time in I-95 traffic, and then you have to seriously slow down and watch those speed limits.

 

[Donut23]

Where in Maryland are you driving from? We live in Annapolis, and regularly drive. It's a straight shot down I95, no tolls. We had a family record in June. 13 and a half hours. We left at 5am and pulled into DTD at 6:30pm.

Hey - another Annapolis Dis'er here!


We drove for the first time in April. We had planned a coastal tour on the way down and returned with friends to their home in NC....so we didn't drive straight through.

It was soooooo easy, we are now working on a driving plan for December. (PM me if you are renting a car - Avis has a 40% discount code - southwest).

Our plan is to drive as far as jacksonville. We have found a staybridge suites on the south side with weekend rates of ... $ 46+ tax (can you believe it).

Directions are easy......ready? 95 to 4 and you are there!!! No need for much toll $$$ - no tolls until Florida!!

I have a GPS I use for work and we took it with us....just to keep track of where we were. I still took my road atlas. Both of us are in our mid-50's and still feel more comfortable with those paper pages in our hands. Gives you a better idea of where on earth you are after a few hours of driving.


Tips ---

Clean car windows well - inside and out. When you are a bit tired and the windows are smeary, it's annoying. Ok, it's also easier to SEE the road.

We took food/drink for the room -- packed on ice in the trunk. We did have a small cooler in the car with drinks and snacks, hand wipes, paper towels.

I went to the library and checked out books on tape. The library in Annapolis has a 3-week rental period...so perfect for our trip. They are generally 8 - 10 - 12 hours. It's a GREAT way to make the time evaporate as you drive! Of course you have to have the Disney CD's to play the last hour or so.....to get excited!

We had plenty of pillows and fleece throws in the car for naps....very good thing.

Hertz upgraded us to a Terraine (wowza for people who are little car people - called him Terrance and even had an antennea - for our Mickey topper). When we drove back to NC with our friends, they watched UP and Walle on the car's DVD player.

I can hop in a car and drive 6 or 7 hours without blinking an eye. My DH (lifetime New Yorker) thinks a drive to Riverhead (about 1 hour) is a major passage. I was worried how he would handle the drive. He didn't mind at all.

My only concern (which is why we stopped to and from WDW from Maryland) was.....I didn't want to arrive at WDW deathly tired by driving straight through. Even if you don't drive the entire time....you are still stiff and poopy by simply being in the car that long!