Driving from Montreal?

[TARAMEOW]

Anybody drive down from Montreal? What was your experience ? Would you do it again? We are thinking of maybe driving with 2 hotel stops each way, only one driver. What do you think?

 

[satman1962]

I have no problem with the drive. There are some traffic areas to avoid at certain parts of the day. Generally we only do one hotel stop, and a couple stops for lunch/bathroom breaks. With 2 hotel stops you'll have a nice easy time.

 

[bankr63]

We've done Orlando a couple of time from Ottawa, and will do many more times I am sure (plus slightly shorter trips to South Carolina on a similar route). Google Maps suggests the same route for you as for us, except we turn onto 401 at 416 where you hit it from the 20. I have driven completely solo once, but usually DW will spell me off short bits, although on this last trip she probably did more like 1/3 of miles. I really enjoy driving, but I had a cold before leaving this year, so I was more tired than usual and she picked up when I was flagging.

Usually drive it with only one overnight stay, but we will do two overnights sometimes. We just stop when tired and it is getting late. Some good stopping points for your first day drive are Hazelton PA (Hampton Inn), or Hagerstown MD (a few good hotel chains and restaurants, the HI Express was good). We have also stayed around Fredericksburg and near Charleston on previous trips.

Last year's trip down we planned to stop somewhere around SC/GA line, but were so excited to get our destination that we just pressed on, arriving in Orlando at midnight. Was great for us because, although I slept in a bit the first morning, we still had most of the first day there where we would otherwise still have been travelling.

My suggested route would be 20/401 to Ivy Lea bridge where you pick up the I-81. We prefer to stay on I-81 all the way to I-77 (Fancy Gap) then down through Charlotte and Columbia SC (I-26) to the I-95. Google Maps says it is about 40 minutes longer, but there is less population that direction and the I-81 is a lot less heavily travelled than the I-95; so much less white knuckle driving, much less probability of traffic delays (but can still happen, esp around Charlotte), and usually the time works out to a wash. I always suggest taking the Jax Beaches bypass at Jacksonville FL (downtown Jax construction is a mess), but stick on the main interstate in the other cities (on both suggested routes).

If you want to hit I-95 sooner be sure to bypass the Washington traffic. Our route there would be I-81 to I-66 Front Royal, then take SR-17 (mostly 4-lane, but not limited access, a few traffic lights) to I-95 at Fredericksburg VA. The 17 shortcut routes you around a ton of DC traffic.

Of course you can also do the 15, 87, 95 route which looks more direct, but takes you through some of the most populous areas of the US. If starting down that route, I'd be sorely tempted to take the 88 across to 81 and then follow the directions above.

 

[TARAMEOW]

We've done Orlando a couple of time from Ottawa, and will do many more times I am sure (plus slightly shorter trips to South Carolina on a similar route). Google Maps suggests the same route for you as for us, except we turn onto 401 at 416 where you hit it from the 20. I have driven completely solo once, but usually DW will spell me off short bits, although on this last trip she probably did more like 1/3 of miles. I really enjoy driving, but I had a cold before leaving this year, so I was more tired than usual and she picked up when I was flagging.

Usually drive it with only one overnight stay, but we will do two overnights sometimes. We just stop when tired and it is getting late. Some good stopping points for your first day drive are Hazelton PA (Hampton Inn), or Hagerstown MD (a few good hotel chains and restaurants, the HI Express was good). We have also stayed around Fredericksburg and near Charleston on previous trips.

Last year's trip down we planned to stop somewhere around SC/GA line, but were so excited to get our destination that we just pressed on, arriving in Orlando at midnight. Was great for us because, although I slept in a bit the first morning, we still had most of the first day there where we would otherwise still have been travelling.

My suggested route would be 20/401 to Ivy Lea bridge where you pick up the I-81. We prefer to stay on I-81 all the way to I-77 (Fancy Gap) then down through Charlotte and Columbia SC (I-26) to the I-95. Google Maps says it is about 40 minutes longer, but there is less population that direction and the I-81 is a lot less heavily travelled than the I-95; so much less white knuckle driving, much less probability of traffic delays (but can still happen, esp around Charlotte), and usually the time works out to a wash. I always suggest taking the Jax Beaches bypass at Jacksonville FL (downtown Jax construction is a mess), but stick on the main interstate in the other cities (on both suggested routes).

If you want to hit I-95 sooner be sure to bypass the Washington traffic. Our route there would be I-81 to I-66 Front Royal, then take SR-17 (mostly 4-lane, but not limited access, a few traffic lights) to I-95 at Fredericksburg VA. The 17 shortcut routes you around a ton of DC traffic.

Of course you can also do the 15, 87, 95 route which looks more direct, but takes you through some of the most populous areas of the US. If starting down that route, I'd be sorely tempted to take the 88 across to 81 and then follow the directions above.

Thank you so much ! Sounds like we should be able to make it work !

 

[mshanson3121]

We drove from New Bruncswick. Took 3 days, we took the 81 to 75 route and really enjoyed it. If you have time, stop and tour the Luray or Shenandoah Caverns in Virginia - they're beautiful and worth the detour.

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

We are from north of Montreal and we do it almost twice a year, in summer time and at Christmas time. We leave at 4h00 in the morning and go tho the Thousand Island so no wait at the customs. We then take the 81-77-26-95-4 with only the 3$ at Thousand Islands to pay. We stop only one night at the beginning of North Carolina (Mount Airy very Nice Best Western and very cheap exit 100) And the next day we are at Disney or the area for diner.

 

[TARAMEOW]

We are from north of Montreal and we do it almost twice a year, in summer time and at Christmas time. We leave at 4h00 in the morning and go tho the Thousand Island so no wait at the customs. We then take the 81-77-26-95-4 with only the 3$ at Thousand Islands to pay. We stop only one night at the beginning of North Carolina (Mount Airy very Nice Best Western and very cheap exit 100) And the next day we are at Disney or the area for diner.

Wow that's fast! We have a 2 year old so me might need to stop more. Glad it seems easy enough though. Thanks

 

[isabellea]

We live in Lachine so close to YUL. We started driving to Florida when my youngest was 2yo. We are two drivers and DH is used to work overnight... The first time we stopped once in SC (south of Columbia) but now we drive-thru and prefer it (I am less tired not stopping and find it's easier on my daughters too). But having only 1 driver you definitely need to stop once or twice.

We have done almost all the different routes possible. To go south my favourite would be 401/81/64/95 for the view in VA if you drive in the Charlottesville area during the day. An alternative would be 401/81/77/26/95 but avoid Charlotte, NC during rush hour. We got worst traffic from Lake Norman to Charlotte then in Mtl! Finally we also like 95/17/15/81/401 to come back. One suggestion, avoid I-4 as much as possible. We much prefer paying the tolls on the 417.

We also did 15/89/95 last February because the weather forecast was not great and decided to avoid the mountains as much as possible. Was expensive (30$+ in tolls) and the traffic close to NYC was crazy. I don't think we will take this route again.

Good luck and don't hesitate if you have questions!

 

[TARAMEOW]

We live in Lachine so close to YUL. We started driving to Florida when my youngest was 2yo. We are two drivers and DH is used to work overnight... The first time we stopped once in SC (south of Columbia) but now we drive-thru and prefer it (I am less tired not stopping and find it's easier on my daughters too). But having only 1 driver you definitely need to stop once or twice.

We have done almost all the different routes possible. To go south my favourite would be 401/81/64/95 for the view in VA if you drive in the Charlottesville area during the day. An alternative would be 401/81/77/26/95 but avoid Charlotte, NC during rush hour. We got worst traffic from Lake Norman to Charlotte then in Mtl! Finally we also like 95/17/15/81/401 to come back. One suggestion, avoid I-4 as much as possible. We much prefer paying the tolls on the 417.

We also did 15/89/95 last February because the weather forecast was not great and decided to avoid the mountains as much as possible. Was expensive (30$+ in tolls) and the traffic close to NYC was crazy. I don't think we will take this route again.

Good luck and don't hesitate if you have questions!

Small World we are in Lachine too! I am mostly stressed about keeping my daughter entertained lol! And maybe bad driving weather. We are going in late November so a little worried about snow storms. I can drive but I only started driving last year and would prefer not to drive if I can help it. How long does it take you to get to SC?

 

[isabellea]

Small World we are in Lachine too! I am mostly stressed about keeping my daughter entertained lol! And maybe bad driving weather. We are going in late November so a little worried about snow storms. I can drive but I only started driving last year and would prefer not to drive if I can help it. How long does it take you to get to SC?

Small world! It took us about 18h to get there. I find that driving on the I-81 very easy. If you can drive on the 20 or between the two 15 on the Met you will be fine! I really think the more you can drive the first day, the better it will be. I wouldn't reserve any room and see how it's going. My youngest wasn't a fan of movies at 2yo and I was really afraid of the drive but with tons of books and her favourite baby doll she was fine. She slept often and it went very well. Much better than expected. Our trick with the kids is to stop every 2 hours when they are awake to a rest area and have them run for a full 10-15 minutes. We also bring a ball and play. Another hit was a cookie sheet with tons of Disney character magnets.

 

[TARAMEOW]

Small world! It took us about 18h to get there. I find that driving on the I-81 very easy. If you can drive on the 20 or between the two 15 on the Met you will be fine! I really think the more you can drive the first day, the better it will be. I wouldn't reserve any room and see how it's going. My youngest wasn't a fan of movies at 2yo and I was really afraid of the drive but with tons of books and her favourite baby doll she was fine. She slept often and it went very well. Much better than expected. Our trick with the kids is to stop every 2 hours when they are awake to a rest area and have them run for a full 10-15 minutes. We also bring a ball and play. Another hit was a cookie sheet with tons of Disney character magnets.

Omg these pictures are too cute Yeah my daughter will watch about 2 minutes of a movie or TV show and that's about it. That cookie sheet idea is good, is that what she is playing with in the second pic? Did you make it?

 

[Tanooki]

We've done the drive down 8 times already and are preparing for the next one this summer!
We leave from Beloeil, so close to Montreal , and we pretty much use the same itinerary every time : we do 87-287-84-81-77-26-95-4. We always do it in 2 days since our kids don't sleep that much in the car and we do need to stop as well. We have our usual stops so Salem, VA when going down and Harrisonburg, VA when going home. We try to drive a little longer the first day so the 2nd one doesn't ssem as long. Since we need a suite that can fit 6 people, I always make reservations in advance as the last thing you want after a very tiresome day on the road is to look for an available hotel...
My youngest was 2 when we drove for the first time and it went very well, although he was getting restless by the end of the day but it was expected... Now, the kids are used to it and we all actually enjoy it. Of course, it's nice to fly there and arrive on the same day but 6 plane tickets... So flying is a treat rather than the usual
We used to say that we would NEVER drive there...until we did it a first time! I love having our own car there, being able to pack what I want where I want and being able to stop to do a little shopping before coming back.
A good GPS with traffic advisory is a must for us though. It was very useful in past trips! The last drive was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing and we traveled during the weekend right after Thanksgiving. The Saturday drive was fine but the Sunday...never again!
Good luck! Have fun, relax, everything will be fine, you're going to DisneyWorld!

 

[TARAMEOW]

We've done the drive down 8 times already and are preparing for the next one this summer!
We leave from Beloeil, so close to Montreal , and we pretty much use the same itinerary every time : we do 87-287-84-81-77-26-95-4. We always do it in 2 days since our kids don't sleep that much in the car and we do need to stop as well. We have our usual stops so Salem, VA when going down and Harrisonburg, VA when going home. We try to drive a little longer the first day so the 2nd one doesn't ssem as long. Since we need a suite that can fit 6 people, I always make reservations in advance as the last thing you want after a very tiresome day on the road is to look for an available hotel...
My youngest was 2 when we drove for the first time and it went very well, although he was getting restless by the end of the day but it was expected... Now, the kids are used to it and we all actually enjoy it. Of course, it's nice to fly there and arrive on the same day but 6 plane tickets... So flying is a treat rather than the usual
We used to say that we would NEVER drive there...until we did it a first time! I love having our own car there, being able to pack what I want where I want and being able to stop to do a little shopping before coming back.
A good GPS with traffic advisory is a must for us though. It was very useful in past trips! The last drive was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing and we traveled during the weekend right after Thanksgiving. The Saturday drive was fine but the Sunday...never again!
Good luck! Have fun, relax, everything will be fine, you're going to DisneyWorld!

Thanks! Because we are only 3 of us we could fly for almost the same price but I wanted to try driving. Also I have a terrible fear of flying that doesn't help! Sounds pretty doable to me ! Thanks for your input !!!!

 

[mjwheelerali]

Thanks for the suggestion of Salem, VA. Thinking that might work well for us too! We're leaving from Oakville and hope to stop somewhere for one night. Seems to be a good mid-way point.... or maybe we should press on a little further? We plan on leaving between 4 and 5am, too, to beat the border crossing traffic and we don't drive at night due to too many animals on the roads. Any other safe suggestions for hotels on route?

 

[isabellea]

Omg these pictures are too cute Yeah my daughter will watch about 2 minutes of a movie or TV show and that's about it. That cookie sheet idea is good, is that what she is playing with in the second pic? Did you make it?

On the second picture she is playing with some of the Disney magnets that I made and a white magnetic board (we now prefer a cookie sheet). I might still have the magnets somewhere in the toys mess we have in the basement. If I find them I could give them to you if you're interested. My youngest is now almost 4yo and prefers her iPad and movies now (especially since I don't give them time restrictions on them while in the car).

 

[Tanooki]

Thanks for the suggestion of Salem, VA. Thinking that might work well for us too! We're leaving from Oakville and hope to stop somewhere for one night. Seems to be a good mid-way point.... or maybe we should press on a little further? We plan on leaving between 4 and 5am, too, to beat the border crossing traffic and we don't drive at night due to too many animals on the roads. Any other safe suggestions for hotels on route?

We pushed it further on our first drive since we didn't know and it was a mistake for us. We usually leave by 5am and make it to Salem between 6 and 7:30pm, depending on the road (traffic, construction, etc.) and it's enough for us. We now have little traditions for the road : we stop for breakfast at McD's once we cross the border (we get food and eat in the car), we pack a lunch and eat in the car and we have dinner at Denny's next to the hotel in Salem. The next morning, we have breakfast at the hotel (included at Comfort Suites) and leave around 7:30am. Then we have lunch at Sonic (we all just looove it and there's none here) in NC if I remember correctly and we have dinner once we arrive, so around 7-7:30pm. That's our usual schedule and it's now part of our vacation

 

[TARAMEOW]

On the second picture she is playing with some of the Disney magnets that I made and a white magnetic board (we now prefer a cookie sheet). I might still have the magnets somewhere in the toys mess we have in the basement. If I find them I could give them to you if you're interested. My youngest is now almost 4yo and prefers her iPad and movies now (especially since I don't give them time restrictions on them while in the car).

That would be amazing thanks! My daughter loves the iPad (mostly YouTube ) but unfortunately we only have a wifi one, so it won't work for her in our car

 

[bankr63]

If you are a nervous about helping out with the driving, but want to give it a go, I would plan to take a shift on the I-81 once you are out of PA (assuming you are going on to the I-77). Once you are out of PA, you are over the twisty hills, and following the line of the mountains all through MD, WV, and VA. The road is straight, and with gentle hills, and lighter traffic. 77 down from Fancy Gap is pretty good too; just one verrrrry long downhill. Traffic picks up around Lake Norman into Charlotte, but then is pretty good again until the I-95.

I do most of the driving on the I-95 and through PA and lower NY for a similar reason.

Also +1 for Isalbellea's suggestion to take the 417 around Orlando. I have a Sunpass for just this one road.

 

[isabellea]

On the second picture she is playing with some of the Disney magnets that I made and a white magnetic board (we now prefer a cookie sheet). I might still have the magnets somewhere in the toys mess we have in the basement. If I find them I could give them to you if you're interested. My youngest is now almost 4yo and prefers her iPad and movies now (especially since I don't give them time restrictions on them while in the car).

That would be amazing thanks! My daughter loves the iPad (mostly YouTube ) but unfortunately we only have a wifi one, so it won't work for her in our car

I hope the planning is going well! It's been awhile but I finally found those Disney magnets. If you're still interested in them, please send me a pm and we can arrange something so I can give them to you!