driving from NY to HH with an overnight stayover..

[dis2cruise]

Hi I would just like to know how other NY'ers or in my area drives down to HH. We wouldn't leave the NYC area until
2pm due to my dh's work. We are thinking of driving about 6 hrs and then call it a night and drive the rest the next day.

How much traffic would we hit if we left NYC at 2 pm on a Friday and drove for the next 5-6 hrs, are there worse traffic areas then others??

What hotels would you recommend, do you make a reservation before hand??

 

[baylakebisi]

We drive to Florida every year from Long Island but we leave at 5am on day 1 of over 2 day trip. We have left NYC before on a friday at around 1pm or so and we typically get some traffic leaving the city and then as you drive you will find more traffic in the Baltimore Area and DC Area. I think you should be able to make it past DC and get into at least Richmond or further. Our rule of thumb is ALWAYS ALWAYS stay at a Holiday Inn. AAA has great rates there and we know the brand is strong. I would recommend going to google maps and type in Holiday Inn VA and map out the Holiday Inns along the road, that way you know where they are.

 

[EAP'sDAD]

We drive whenever we go to either DW or HH or even VB. We always try and do it in one day. Leaving from CT at about 4:30 am we usually arrive to Orlando about 11:00 that night. For HH we would get there at about 6:30. We then book a cheap hotel where ever we go and then get up the next morning and enjoy the resort that day or go to one of the parks. But we also have left at 4:00 in the afternoon on a friday about 2 years ago, the only heavy traffic was through NJ and a little light traffic in Maryland. The only other bad area is DC but by the time we get there the traffic had let up.

 

[auralia]

I don't know where in your trip sout of the boarder would lie but it is such a funny place to stay and cheap.

 

[5forDiz]

2pm on Friday can be dicey; as poster baylakebisi said you will hit DC around the evening rush and that can sometimes be a nightmare. You may do better leaving around 5pm and getting in your 5 - 6 hour drive then. We usually leave southernmost NY between 4 to 5 am and arrive at Hilton Head Island by 6pm, sometimes staying at Disney resort otherwise another on-island resort but we have done other drives with stops in Virginia, NC & SC. You can pm me if you'd like and I can send you more details on various overnight stops we like, etc.

Best wishes on your planning