Driving from NJ....

[callaghan]

I have friend driving from Central Jersey and I want to help her. She is going in September and will stop over night. She has DH, DS4 and DD3. How long will the drive take, we are VERY close to I-95? And does anybody know of any good, clean, inexpensive hotels to rest overnight? ANy help or tips are appreciated!
Thanks
callie

 

[mep319]

It should be about an 18 hr drive.

 

[AspiringCindy]

Definitely around 17-18 hours! We drove from Northern Jersey and it took 18 hours traveling time. We stopped over night at Santee, SC at a Holiday INN. Newly renovated and very clean. They AAA discount too. Santee, SC is about 11 1/2 hours into the trip!

 

[jiminy14]

Driving time all depends on how many stops you make and how long you stop for. We have driven from South Jersey for several years and the total time was about 16 hours. We usually drive for about 11 hours the first day which puts us at Savannah, Georgia. There is a very nice Fairfield Inn just on the north side of Savannah that shares a parking lot with a Cracker Barrel. The second day's drive is about another 5 hours.
When we stop for food, we get it to go and eat in the car. We pack a cooler with drinks and snacks and this also cuts down on stops.
Just keep in mind that there is often construction work going on in the Carolinas and this will add time to your trip. Make sure you watch your speed in Maryland and Virginia because these states were where we saw the most State Troopers.

 

[Barb A.]

We do just about what jiminy14 said. We waste no time with our stops. We get our gas, use the restroom and go. We usually pack lunch for the first day of driving and eat while driving. We also take a cooler with some drinks and water and pack a basket of snacks. If we stop for food, we usually get it to go also. We find the key to making good time is to only stop when necessary and make the stops quick if possible.

We usually make it to Savannah,GA and have stayed at the La Quinta there. Nice and clean and a decent continental breakfast. Last year they had a place where you could make your own waffles.

 

[dfr1966]

We've done the drive from Central New Jersey several times with my children, last time was about 2 years ago when they were 6 and 3. We left early (5 am) and stopped around 5:30 pm the first day. Stopped for bathroom breaks, gas, and also for lunch at a McD's in North Carolina somewhere (need to get out and stretch the legs). Even still, we made it to the Holiday Inn in Santee, SC--a very nice property close to a Cracker Barrel.

 

[pfishgirl]

Well we also live in Central Jersey and Yes, 18 hours, HOWEVER, MY hubby and son just went to NC recently and ran into major traffic on I95. Sat in traffic for 2 hours of bumper to bumper. So hopefully Sept will not be bad. We always stay at the Hampton Inn. We have also stayed at Days Inn. There are plenty of hotels on I95. Our record to beat is 12 hours and 42 minutes...lol...
but I DON'T reccommend it !!! Our son will be 14 on May 6th and he sleeps like a baby just about the whole way there and back... He also has his dvd player to keep him company.... Hope this helps a little.

 

[DaveH]

Try to plan your drive so as to not hit DC during rush hours. I think the number of stops also depend on how well the kids travel. I know some folks like to start either very early in the morning or leave home in the evening and let the kids sleep during a good chunk of the trip. I would suggest trying to get alot of the driving done the first day. The second day always seems worse to me. I use to live in Salem County and I found stopping at some of the welcome centers for a pit stop and stretch break helped me and when I traveled with my kids. I would say have plenty of stuff for the kids to do. Also have some fun snacks. I have heard of folks have fruit type snacks instead of the normal junk stuff I like. LOL I think I read sometime on one of these boards where the parents made special bags of stuff for thier kids and they go them when they started the trip. I could be things like a new toy car or something. Some kind of activity book or coloring book kind of things. I hope they have a safe and magical trip.