driving from Philadelphia where to stop for night?

[frameman]

Our first trip we are leaving march first and want to stop about two thirds of the way any suggestions?

 

[AlyLynn]

We drive from PA, too. But you are 2 hours closer to FW than we are! We like to stay at a KOA in Fayetteville, NC. It won't be 2/3 of the trip down for you, but it could help you on the way home!

 

[auntie]

When we drive from NY(and it's been a while) we used to get more than half way the first day(made the trip in 2 days). I believe we would stop in South Carolina, around the Florence area.

 

[scromwell]

Try the campground at South of the Border in SC. Full hookups, pull throughs, quiet, surprisingly nice. Right off 95

 

[cyberdeb]

I am in a suburb Philadelphia and the half way point for us is Fayetville, NC.

 

[lawnspecialties]

I'm going to sound like a broken record recommending this but it's well worth it.

Order the 2008 edition of The Next Exit from Camping World. It lists everything at each exit along every interstate in the US. You'd be amazed at how many campgrounds are all along I-95.

In addition, all the listings in red print are considered RV accessible. No more stopping for food or fuel and then finding out you can't get into the place and there's nowhere to turn around for at least a mile.

 

[Sibahan]

we are leaving sat for our trip...from Phila. My hubby likes to drive further, but a good 2/3 way point for us,, which is about 13 hrs from Phila, is Yemessee SC. its just before Georgia...and leave you with about 5 hrs drive time until Orlando. There is a decent Days inn right off the 95 exit...i believe its exit....7 maybe? its the exit for Rt 17 (beaufort.yemessee) Good luck!

 

[auntie]

Try the campground at South of the Border in SC. Full hookups, pull throughs, quiet, surprisingly nice. Right off 95

Really ...because the last time we stopped at South of the Border..and granted it was a long time ago, it was a pretty darn scary place. Although I didn't see the campground.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I'm going to sound like a broken record recommending this but it's well worth it.

Order the 2008 edition of The Next Exit from Camping World. It lists everything at each exit along every interstate in the US. You'd be amazed at how many campgrounds are all along I-95.

In addition, all the listings in red print are considered RV accessible. No more stopping for food or fuel and then finding out you can't get into the place and there's nowhere to turn around for at least a mile.

This is good advice its nice to know where you can buy diesel and grab a burger.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I highly recommend "The Next Exit", too. Great information if you don't use it for any other reason than to find RV accessible gas stations or places to eat.

FWGuy goes from Allentown, so we are a little north of you, and we always stop on the way down at the Savannah South KOA. It makes for a long drive on the first day, but will put you well within your 2/3 goal. I leave at about 11pm and will pull into Savannah about 3 pm the next day which includes potty breaks. I only hook up electric so I can escape the next morning early. I leave about 2am so I can get through Jacksonville before traffic hits and I can avoid having to take the bypass. We stop again at the Cracker Barrel in Palm Coast, gas up and take a little nap in the CB parking lot until it opens and then have breakfast. Then it's off to FW - we usually arrive there about 9 or 10 am.

 

[scromwell]

Really ...because the last time we stopped at South of the Border..and granted it was a long time ago, it was a pretty darn scary place. Although I didn't see the campground.

Yes, really! It was very nice! We didn't waste our time on any of the "attractions." We arrived around 3am, and, yes, we were very quiet and only hooked up the electric! The campground had wide, long pull-throughs, full hook-ups, nice landscaping, clean restrooms, and no highway noise. And the price was right, about $20 with a AAA discount. What more could you want for a highway overnight? It was surrounded by a fence and had security, but I didn't see anything "scary" about the area. Granted it was the middle of the night and we didn't spend any time checking out the rest of the place, but my impression was that it was just one extremely large tacky, well-lit souvenir shop. It also had a pool, restaurants, lounge, a hotel, mini-golf, etc. and, apparently, is an actual destination for some folks!

 

[mike k.]

Our first trip we are leaving march first and want to stop about two thirds of the way any suggestions?

Frameman, lots of good advice here. Here's my two cents worth.
We travel from Levittown,PA towing a 22' SUNLINE SATELLITE tt.
Keep in mind that I drive 6-7 days a week towing my commercial work trailer, boat trailer, or race car hauler hundreds of miles daily.

1) South of the border looks pretty scary to us, but never stayed there.Stayed close by, that was enough.
2) we usually lodge instead of camp during our trip down and back. Trailer is usually stuffed with supplies,bikes etc. Unloading isn't worth the trouble. For $65 to $79 we book 1 room for our clan(me & dw,2 teenage ds's). We generally stay in HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS or HAMPTON INN. We always lodge where they offer a free breakfast bar.
3)We split the trip up 50/50 because we usually hit the road at 3:00pm after school on a Friday. We stay anywhere from Lumberton NC to Florence SC.
Usually hit the road by 9 to 9:30 on Saturday morning and get to the FORT
by 7:00. We don't rise and shine too well. If you do, you'll be there earlier.
4) on one occasion coming home, we drove from Savannah,GA to Levittown,about 13+ hours. With all my driving and towing experience, I was pretty road weary and vowed not to try that again unless forced to. It didn't hit me while driving. We got home before 9:00pm. I was so torqued up and fidgety, i couldn't close my eyes for all the beer in GATORDAD's COOLER.
Wife and sons fared a little better but admitted that bouncing around in the back seat for that long was a problem. Even with all the fancy weight distributing equipment and sway bars,and it being a lightweight trailer, its still a tough ride for that long.
Savannah to WDW was about 4 hours. We stayed at the COMFORT INN (with Bkfst.bar). In 2005, it was only a couple of months old .We,ve tried several ways around the Balto/Wash area. Beleive it or not, we've had the best luck on 695 west around Balt. and staying on 95/495 thru DC.
Good luck and travel safely.

 

[mike k.]

I highly recommend "The Next Exit", too. Great information if you don't use it for any other reason than to find RV accessible gas stations or places to eat.

FWGuy goes from Allentown, so we are a little north of you, and we always stop on the way down at the Savannah South KOA. It makes for a long drive on the first day, but will put you well within your 2/3 goal. I leave at about 11pm and will pull into Savannah about 3 pm the next day which includes potty breaks. I only hook up electric so I can escape the next morning early. I leave about 2am so I can get through Jacksonville before traffic hits and I can avoid having to take the bypass. We stop again at the Cracker Barrel in Palm Coast, gas up and take a little nap in the CB parking lot until it opens and then have breakfast. Then it's off to FW - we usually arrive there about 9 or 10 am.

I think i'm driving faster, probably too fast. Might explain the video game replaying on the inside of my eyelids when I tried to sleep after the Savannah canonball express run.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I think i'm driving faster, probably too fast. Might explain the video game replaying on the inside of my eyelids when I tried to sleep after the Savannah canonball express run.

I try to keep my speed under 60mph when I tow. We also stop a lot more than I would like - for some reason the wife likes to do things like eat and go to the bathroom, while I try to stay focused on the task at hand.

 

[mike k.]

:QUOTE=ftwildernessguy;22719625]I try to keep my speed under 60mph when I tow. We also stop a lot more than I would like - for some reason the wife likes to do things like eat and go to the bathroom, while I try to stay focused on the task at hand.[/QUOTE]


Bring the wife?
DARN ,I knew I forgot something!

Seriously, the Bride of 26 years is a great travel companion.
GETS IN, SHUTS UP,! AND SAYS TO MAKE TRACKS - SHE'S OFFICIALLY ON VACATION WHEN THE TRAILER LEAVES THE DRIVEWAY.

 

[WhereRv]

We'll be heading down from Bucks county PA on Wed Jan 30th in the morning and plan to drive till Dillon S.C. or so...not going to stop at South of the border though, we normally look to just park overnight at a truck stop like Flying J for the night, get in around 10 to 11 pm, leave by 8 am, never had an issue in the last 3 years doing that, and the price is right!

 

[jeff1966]

I Live In South Carolina And Love To Fish And To Camp.you Might Consider Santee State Park Campground.it,s A Nice Place To Stay To Stay.

 

[loriandmatt]

when driving down we generally are towing our pop up and don't think hassle of putting up the pop up is worth it for a quick overnight on the way to/from WDW. We get a decent hotel off 95.

on the way down we tend to leave at around 2 to avoid rush hour on the DC beltway, and depending on trafic can make it to St. Augustine Fla at around 6-8pm. We have, also stayed in the Sanford area.

 

[PrincessMom98]

Really ...because the last time we stopped at South of the Border..and granted it was a long time ago, it was a pretty darn scary place. Although I didn't see the campground.

We live just outside of Philly and South of the Border is exactly 1/2 way of our 1000 mile trip. We found the campground to be fine and have stayed there twice. We didn't unhook the 5er from the truck just pluged in to the electric, microwaved some dinner, took a walk and got some sleep. There were nice rigs around us, some staying a couple days. It was a great deal for $20. I would like to get closer to Disney but that was as far as the kids could deal with.
The hotel part I will agree looks scary. On a car trip with just me and the kids they begged me to stay there, but I drove around the hotel and parts were very secluded and dimmly lit I had to say no and kept driving!

 

[jimlin]

Frameman, lots of good advice here. Here's my two cents worth.
We travel from Levittown,PA towing a 22' SUNLINE SATELLITE tt.
Keep in mind that I drive 6-7 days a week towing my commercial work trailer, boat trailer, or race car hauler hundreds of miles daily.

1) South of the border looks pretty scary to us, but never stayed there.Stayed close by, that was enough.
2) we usually lodge instead of camp during our trip down and back. Trailer is usually stuffed with supplies,bikes etc. Unloading isn't worth the trouble. For $65 to $79 we book 1 room for our clan(me & dw,2 teenage ds's). We generally stay in HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS or HAMPTON INN. We always lodge where they offer a free breakfast bar.
3)We split the trip up 50/50 because we usually hit the road at 3:00pm after school on a Friday. We stay anywhere from Lumberton NC to Florence SC.
Usually hit the road by 9 to 9:30 on Saturday morning and get to the FORT
by 7:00. We don't rise and shine too well. If you do, you'll be there earlier.
4) on one occasion coming home, we drove from Savannah,GA to Levittown,about 13+ hours. With all my driving and towing experience, I was pretty road weary and vowed not to try that again unless forced to. It didn't hit me while driving. We got home before 9:00pm. I was so torqued up and fidgety, i couldn't close my eyes for all the beer in GATORDAD's COOLER.
Wife and sons fared a little better but admitted that bouncing around in the back seat for that long was a problem. Even with all the fancy weight distributing equipment and sway bars,and it being a lightweight trailer, its still a tough ride for that long.
Savannah to WDW was about 4 hours. We stayed at the COMFORT INN (with Bkfst.bar). In 2005, it was only a couple of months old .We,ve tried several ways around the Balto/Wash area. Beleive it or not, we've had the best luck on 695 west around Balt. and staying on 95/495 thru DC.
Good luck and travel safely.

Wow, Savannah to WDW in about 4 hours. Thats close to 300 miles pulling a trailer of some sort. That gives me the willies seeing someone moving down the freeway, especially the Jax area, that fast. Good thing the Fhp has the traps out.

Jim