Driving From NY to Florida...Help!

[mjaclyn]

So this is the first time DH and I along with our two kids (and two dogs) will be driving the VERY long trip from NY to Florida this summer. I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this trip (especially with kids). What was your strategy? Did you drive straight through? Stop overnight in a hotel once? Twice? We are leaving from around the NYC area and I'm wondering where our stops should be along the way. My initial thought is to drive about 12 hours the first day and 12 the second day, stopping at a hotel overnight. We will have to find accommodations that are pet friendly which is another thing that's making me nervous. I'd really appreciate any help!

 

[shafke]

So this is the first time DH and I along with our two kids (and two dogs) will be driving the VERY long trip from NY to Florida this summer. I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this trip (especially with kids). What was your strategy? Did you drive straight through? Stop overnight in a hotel once? Twice? We are leaving from around the NYC area and I'm wondering where our stops should be along the way. My initial thought is to drive about 12 hours the first day and 12 the second day, stopping at a hotel overnight. We will have to find accommodations that are pet friendly which is another thing that's making me nervous. I'd really appreciate any help!

Never drove down with a pet so cannot help you there.

Out strategy for driving is to leave at night around 8-10pm.
This gives the kids time to unwind from the excitement of leaving and then sleep through the night.

The first time we drove we originally planned on stopping somewhere in SC. By the time we hit the NC/SC border it was only 8AM and it would have been too early to stop for the day. We continued on to Brunswick, GA. Another trip we made it as far as Savannah. If you can make it as far as GA you will only have about 4-5 hours for the 2nd day. As long as you switch off driving this should be doable.

 

[monorailsilver]

We drove from CT (Fairfield county) last April.

It was dh and myself, our 3 kids, then 11, 9 & 7 and my mother.

We left at 6am and were in NJ by 7. For us, leaving at night is not an option because neither one of us stays up late and it would of made us more tired.

My goal was the top of FL but then I realized after our first bathroom stop that wasn't going to happen! My ds claimed he had to poop after we passed the first rest stop on the NJT claimed he didn't have to go when we got out in the pouring rain at the 2nd one so we waited and he went. Then we hit traffic south of DC and that was it. We hit no traffic in the NYC/tri state area.

We only made it to santee, Sc that first day. We had another 9 hours that next day since we were going to ft. Myers.

On the way home, we did it in 2 stops. The first day we left at about 3, stopped in DtD for dinner and then drove to Jacksonville and stayed there for the night. The next night we made it to just south of DC and then the next day we drive home. That was a Sunday in April and we hit traffic in NJ/and a bit once we crossed the GW.

We are headed down in a week but we are taking the auto train. We have never done it before but I'd rather drive the 5 hours in the congestion on the north east to get to lorton then drive those long boring states down south.

I did print each if my kids a trip tic but they still kept asking "what page". They each had their own DVD player/laptop whatever played movies, we had the iPad and iPods and they had some school work to do since we lost part of April break last year due to weather.

I did have a scavenger hunt list for them as well that had tons of stuff I would never think about adding...I need to print that again!

I will say my kids were good in the car so I have no complaints in that department.

We all hated the long states with nothing to look at.

We used the iexit app as well as google to check traffic.

Good luck!

 

[DVC-Don]

We never traveled with a pet but have done the Albany, NY area to Orlando trip several times. One time we stopped for an overnight in mid N. Carolina at exit 73 and then finished the trip the next day. That was a bit much for us and tiring.

The other times we've stopped in the Fredericksburg/Richmond area the first night (about 10 hours). The second day we stopped overnight at exit 104 Pooler Parkway/Savannah International Airport (about 8 hours). The third day will finish off the trip in about 5 1/2 hours to WDW.

 

[3happydancers]

So this is the first time DH and I along with our two kids (and two dogs) will be driving the VERY long trip from NY to Florida this summer. I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this trip (especially with kids). What was your strategy? Did you drive straight through? Stop overnight in a hotel once? Twice? We are leaving from around the NYC area and I'm wondering where our stops should be along the way. My initial thought is to drive about 12 hours the first day and 12 the second day, stopping at a hotel overnight. We will have to find accommodations that are pet friendly which is another thing that's making me nervous. I'd really appreciate any help!

You are very brave to travel with kids AND dogs! Anyway, I can't help with traveling tips as we have never driven. However, if you are a AAA member, they might be able to help you with dog friendly hotel/motel places to stay! If you're not a member but knows someone who is, maybe they can call for you.

Have a fun trip!

 

[momdad4kids]

We drive down from Atlantic Canada and go through the NYC area usually. The trip for us takes about 26-28 hrs of driving add time for meals so 2, 12 hr days should easily put you there. We've never travelled with pets, 4 kids instead so at least half of your charges are most likely better behaved, lol.
All of the state welcome centers and rest areas on the Interstate system are pet friendly, we find it helpful to stop every 2 hrs or so for even 5 mins to let everyone stretch and get whatever they've dropped that they couldn't live without 30 mins before that. For pet friendly hotels I believe a lot of Holiday Inn Express are pet friendly as a policy, also try this site.........
http://www.petswelcome.com/
I just happened across it trying to find out for sure about Holiday Inn Express.
What route were you planning on taking?

 

[Vickie1016]

So this is the first time DH and I along with our two kids (and two dogs) will be driving the VERY long trip from NY to Florida this summer. I'd love to hear from anyone who has done this trip (especially with kids). What was your strategy? Did you drive straight through? Stop overnight in a hotel once? Twice? We are leaving from around the NYC area and I'm wondering where our stops should be along the way. My initial thought is to drive about 12 hours the first day and 12 the second day, stopping at a hotel overnight. We will have to find accommodations that are pet friendly which is another thing that's making me nervous. I'd really appreciate any help!

Hi mjaclyn! In July 2012 DH, DD(then 6) & I drove from Westchester County, NY to WDW. We did not travel with our dog. But do to sever asthma, we need to stay in smoke free hotels/motels, so we mapped out our trip & made reservations in advance for smoke free hotels. We did use several websites, like Trip Advisor & I95 travel guide. That lists all the rest areas along 95 with the type of gas stations and food available (if any).

We left NY approx 3:00 AM and drove thru to Florance SC (packed a cooler breakfast & ate while driving and a cooler lunch and stopped at a very nice outdoor rest area). We arrived in SC approx 6:00, had dinner & stayed over in a Comfort Suites (which we had a reservation).

Next morning we got on the road approx 8:00 am and were on WDW property by 4:00. I do not remember hitting any traffic problems along the way.

The ride home was a different story. We left WDW approx noon time and traveled to Walterboro SC, arrived approx 6:00 (had an existing reservation). Next morning, again got on the road about 8:00 am and traveled to Woodbridge, VA, arrived approx 6:00 (had an existing reservation). Again, next morning got on the road about 8:00 am. The amount of traffic we hit in NJ was horrible and what should have been a 5 hour drive turned into 8 hours. We were all cranky, tired & wanted out of the truck by the time we reached out driveway!!!

I have to say DD was excellent. We have a mounted DVD player, which she enjoyed watching all princess movies. We did pack a cooler with drinks & snacks. I also purchased small travel games, like road bingo or coloring books and crayons. About every two hours I would have something for her. I purchased party favor bags at Party City that were Disney themed to put the little "gifts" into. She also had her electronic Leapster Explorer.

All in all, the ride down was not bad and if we had to do it again we would. For us the ride home was hard & would not want to do it again. (in 2009, 2010, 2013 & this July we will be taking the auto train).

Happy planning & enjoy your trip.