Driving from NYC to HH, where to stay over & Route suggestions

[lat]

I am looking for advice from people who have done the driving to HH from NYC area. We live right outside of Manhattan on the Jersey side and we are driving to HH in late August. With 2 little kids, we plan to leave on Saturday, stay over somewhere, and then get to HH on Sunday.

We have never done a long drive like this and I am looking for suggestion as to where to stop, both ways. I would like to have a reservation at a hotel before we leave.

Route, hotel, or any suggestions?

Thanks a lot!!!

 

[SlyHubby]

there is basically one route - straight down I-95.

 

[Michelemouse]

We have made this trip often from our home in CT. From your area it is about a 13 hour drive. We always go straight down I-95. We don't take the 495 Beltway in the DC area (we stay on 95) and we don't take the bypass around Richmond. We just get on 95 and stay on 95.

Once you get to the Hilton Head area you will want to take Exit 8. There are other exits for HH before this one but they will put you on a toll road. Exit 8 puts you on a direct path to the DVC resort. You will go over a bridge (onto the island itself) and then continue on the same road. You will pass WalMart, Publix, Piggly Wiggly and Fuddrucker's (all on your right) and then the entrance to the resort will be just ahead, also on your right. The signs on HH have to meet an ordinance and blend in quite well with the surroundings. Keep a lookout for the places I mentioned and then go slowly until you see the sign. If you reach the Hilton Head Diner you've gone too far!

As for places to stay, we usually make the trip in one straight shot so I really can't help you there. I would guess that you'd be at the halfway point somewhere around Richmond, VA. Emporia (the last exits in VA) has lots of motels and restaurants so that might be a good place.

Have fun!

 

[lat]

Thanks.

I know we can go straight down I95, but there are all these routes that people talk about to avoid traffic, this is exactly the type of information we are looking for.

Michele, we are actually staying at Marriott Grand Ocean for this trip. Should we still get off at exit 8 and follow the same direction? Never been there and have really no clues.

Thanks again.

 

[DownNeckBoy]

We have traveled down to HH ( as well as to WDW) numerous times. From Bergen County it takes 11-12 hours to complete the journey.

Although there are routes that are recommended by others, they all seem to be prefaced on traveling through PA, which is WAY out of the way, in my opinion.

We do use I-95 straight down, although utilization of the Richmond bypass is a given for us. The other "given," which you might not like, is that we leave fairly early (12 am to 3 am) to avoid the NJ-DC traffic issues. When we follow these rules, we are in DC within 4 hours and are in the Carolinas by dawn. This also means that the kids are asleep until we reach the Carolinas, which makes the trip much less stressful.

We do not break up the trip. It just seems too short to do that. To reach Mariott's Grand Ocean you would still utilize Exit 8.

Good luck with your planning!!!

 

[Macnjac87]

We are leaving at 4 am on Friday morning and are stopping in Santee, SC, which is about a 11.5 Hour drive for us from Southampton, NY (about 2 hrs. east of NYC) We are staying in a Hampton Inn (very new, clean and free breakfast) for $92 for the night, its right off 95. We've stayed here before and its a great hotel. Then, the next day we will be up and at 'em bright and early and hope to be on the road by 8 am and at the resort by 10:30 at the latest. I don't want to drive all day and get there late and night and use my points for that night, I'd rather take it easy and get there early in the day the next day.
Hilton Head Island is gorgeous!

 

[Judique]

Originally posted by lat
I am looking for advice from people who have done the driving to HH from NYC area. We live right outside of Manhattan on the Jersey side and we are driving to HH in late August. With 2 little kids, we plan to leave on Saturday, stay over somewhere, and then get to HH on Sunday.

We have never done a long drive like this and I am looking for suggestion as to where to stop, both ways. I would like to have a reservation at a hotel before we leave.

Route, hotel, or any suggestions?

Thanks a lot!!!

Roanoke Rapids just after you enter in North Carolina would leave you with about 4 and 1/2 or 5 hours to drive. There are quite a few choices there for an overnight, as well as a Cracker Barrel if you want to do a bigger breakfast and/or a simple supper.

I agree with your plan to leave and stop. It will give you more resort time on your first day. I live in Maryland and do something similar. I fact I am researching where I will stop when I go the week before Easter. I am leaning towards driving into Myrtle Beach and checking that out...however I have a shorter drive then you do.

Since you are leaving on Saturday, straight down 95 is your best bet, unless you run into a traffic snarl from an accident or something. The DC traffic south won't be much of an issue unless you choose to leave really late in the morning. Also, the Richmond bypass.....depends what day and time you are traveling. If I were going to hit it during rush hour on a weekday, I'd be on the bypass. Other wise, I just go straight through Richmond.

When you get to South Carolina, there are quite a few exits but the direct route off Route 95 with the divided highway is exit 8. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the resort from I-95. I've been known to take exits before this to avoid traffic backups during holiday weekends such as Xmas and NY's, but you are on 2 lane country roads which are NOT well marked. FYI, there is no toll road till you actually cross the intercoastal waterway onto the island. Stay on 278 Business...you'll get your landmarks and find out where the grocery stores are. It's only a few more miles once you cross the bridge. Whe are you going? Maybe we'll see you there! Have a great trip!

 

[VMS]

We just got back last night, we live in SW CT. We had no traffic at all driving down last Saturday, and very little coming back. We left CT at 4:30 am and made it down to Walterboro, SC by 5:45 pm with a couple of stops. We stayed at a Hampton Inn with a AAA rate of $67 + tax. I always bring my AAA book, and at about 3pm we figured where we would end up, and call ahead for the reservation. We in the past have had a difficult time getting a room when we wait to find a place when we want to stop. We are glad we called ahead, because when we pulled up to the Hampton Inn they were putting up the sign that they were full for the night. We had planned on going to the Santee one, but we were making good time we thought we would go further. The trip from Walterboro was about 90 minutes, I believe. We also like stopping because we like having a full day, and not tired at HH. The whole trip going down took us only 12 1/2 hours of drive time from CT.

Going back we stopped at the Rocky Mount, NC Hampton Inn. Our AAA price that night was $78 + tax. It was definitely a newer hotel than the room in Walterboro, and the room was noticably larger. Our trip back took a little over 13 hours, a little traffic in VA.

As for us, we do follow 95 down, the only thing is through DC we take 295 the Baltimore - Washington Pkwy. It definitely cuts time and miles. Look on a map, I think you need to make a connection with 495, but it is very clear on maps. In Richmond you do want to do the bypass (I think it is 295). My parents once did stay on 95 which looks like a more direct route through the city, they got lost and said they would not do that again.

 

[raparker13]

A few points (from someone who spends his life driving up and down 95).

The Richmond bypass is only hepful if you know that there is a problem on 95 through Richmond. Listen to 1140AM when you get close to Richmond for regular traffic. There was a lot of construction a few years ago that made the bypass (295) better, but these days I almost always go straight through. No problem, and you cannot get lost. Just keep going straight.

As for the DC beltway. 95 doesn't really go through DC. You are going to take the beltway, whether you know it or not. If you follow the signs for I-95 you are taking the east side of the beltway. If you follow I-495 you are taking the west side. 50/50, again I would listen to traffic on 1500AM. Either way it is bad right now where you get off the beltway onto I-95 south on the Virginia side. I would avoid hitting DC area between 4 and 7 PM.

 

[lat]

Thanks again for all of your suggestions.

I think we may stop at Florence to try to Spring Hill Suites by using Marriott's pts.

Going back up north, we are thinking about driving straight through. Thanks again.