Driving from PA...

[jl3614]

Have you checked schedules and rates from Greyhound. While 18 - 24 hrs on a bus would not be fun, it will free you from having to drive, probably allow you to leave the evening of the 22nd arriving on the 23rd, and would allow your husband the opportunity to walk, at least to the bathroom whenever he needed a stretch break.

It may be at least worth investigating.

Sorry for your misfortune, and good luck to you.

 

[Patio]

Stacy, I'm so sorry this happened to you and your family. We've driven several times from NE Pa with the kids over the years. Our last drive was in June and we left here at 8:00 am, drove 2 hours to Hershey, stopped at McDonald's for breakfast, stopped for a bathroom break in North Carolina, made a dinner stop at Shoney's in South Carolina, about 7:00pm, then drove to Brunswick, Georgia, got there at 11:00pm. We stayed overnight at a Hampton Inn, got up and had a free breakfast and had about a 3 1/2-4 hour drive the next day. My kids are also 15 and 10 and they had a DVD player, CD player, Gameboys, books, my son had a joke book so he told us jokes, we talked to each other, my 15 yr old slept, we just enjoyed the ride as much as possible.
I have also ridden the Amtrak. Maybe you can check into the Auto-train, too. It leaves from Lorton, Virginia and then you'd have your car with you. Also, check into Autobus, they are based in Mountaintop, Pa., and have weekly trips to Florida, I believe.
Whatever you decide, I hope you have a magical trip!

 

[MulanMom]

Stacy,

I feel so badly for you. We just got back from driving to WDW from the Allentown area. We feel like we dodged a bullet...we normally fly and have been using SE quite a lot. But I feel for you and your situation...we were once stranded in FL due to a charter operator going out of business.

Anyway, on our recent trip, we took I-81S to I-77 to 26 to I-95. We left Allentown at 12:30pm, arrived in Savannah, GA at 1:30am...which included a couple of rest area stops, an hour dinner stop at a McD's with a playland, and a 45 minute contstruction delay in Charlotte. It was a great route to avoid I-95 around Baltimore, DC, Richmond, etc. When we traveled to the beach during summer, I-95 S out of DC was still congested at 11:30 at night!

For the return trip, we took I-95 till we got off around Raleigh to visit relatives for the night. We arrived there within 9 hours...including rest area stops and a lunch one. If we didn't visit relatives, we would have gotten to the Wilson, NC area along 95 in the same amount of time. We stayed at a Jameson Inn along I-95 during the summer in Wilson and were pleased with the hotel and the nearby Aunt Sarah's pancake house.

The next day, it took about 7 hours to get to Allentown. We caught I-85 from Raleigh, joined I-95 in Petersburg. For a Sunday, the traffic wasn't too bad...got heavier near the DC beltway, but it kept moving.

In DC, we take the beltway west to I-270, which takes us to Frederick MD. It then becomes route 15, a 4 lane highway which is sometimes limited access and sometimes with at-grade crossings. Doesn't have near the volume that 95 and 83 have. In Harrisburg, we take 581 East (I-83 joins in at next exit) until it joins up with I-81 north. We then take the I-78 split towards Allentown.

We have children ages 5 & 7 who traveled very well. We made 10 minute rest area stops every 1.5 - 3 hours, usually averaging about one every two hours. It's amazing how stiff you can get sitting in a vehicle! Kept ours busy with DVD player, game boys, books and coloring books. On long drives to PA from NC, my teenaged nieces keep themselves busy with listening to books on tape.

Don't fear driving. If you plan it right, it can be very enjoyable.

Hope this helps!

 

[denise5374]

Stacy,

I hope you are feeling beeter about your situation. It stinks when things works out this way!

We took the AUto Train last year to go on a Disney Cruise and my family loved it. It wasn't a bad ride, you can get up and move around, you get a full dinner and a continental breakfast. But I din't sleep hardly at all but apparently I was the only one on th train that was awake. My kids(12 and 8) slept throughas did my DH. I read, I think I read 4 books. I slept for a couple of hours. When we go back in June 2005, my kids wanted to take the Autotrain again but I said no, the memory is still fresh in my mind LOL this time we decided to drive.

As a child, my parents my sister and I would drive to Atlanta every summer, so I don't mind long car trips. If you have enough stuff the kids should be fine and if your daughters ar like mine, they will sleep LOL

Denise

PS-Thanks for all the tips on driving from PA!