Driving from the northeast to Orlando...have you done it?

[MaryAnnDVC]

I'm seriously kicking around the idea of driving from Rhode Island to Orlando in August with my 3 kids (15, almost 13, 10) and then DH will meet us down there for a few days (he needs to work). I'd like to make the most of the drive, and see a few things along the way. My oldest DD has requested we see Washington DC; my 2nd DD and my DS want to know why they can't just fly down with dad. (The "adventure" is lost on them right now.)

Any advice all around? What are some good places to stop and see? How much driving might be "comfortable" in a day? Coming home, I'll probably have up to 4 days. Going down is more open, but I'm figuring 3 or 4. How do I even PLAN how much to drive each day, where to stay, etc?? Feeling a little overwhelmed about how to approach this.

The furthest I've ever driven in one trip is probably 250 miles, altho I have done 400 miles roundtrip very comfortably in a day with other people driving...this is a BIG change...but I think I'll be fine.

 

[jipsy]

Stop in Maggie Valley, NC. Helen, Georgia is also alot of fun, but off the beaten path.

I have driven from Springfield, MA to Red Level, AL (an hour north of Destin, FL). It takes approximately 23 hours driving time. Two days of hard driving, three days of taking your time.
You didn't say where in RI, but mapquest says:

Providence, RI
US

to

Orlando, FL
US


Total Distance: 1265.33 miles
Total Estimated Time:
20 hours, 29 minutes

Eight hours a day driving is comfortable. It is a haul. And if you have had an exhausting vacation, the two or three day drive back will not be fun, especially with tired kids.

You can plan your trip at www.mapquest.com

 

[PandyPaws]

Do you belong to AAA? They can map out your route, and have some really nice travel books you could pick up for each state you'll be passing through. They list all points of interest, hotels, restaurants, etc...lots of info in these books.

I make the drive from Stamford, Ct frequently, but I'm a driving 'Nazi' I usually dont stop for the night until i reach Georgia

 

[philaround]

DW and I just did this from East Haven, Ct. We drove down Memorial Day weekend and came back last weekend. I did it in 2 days each way and will NEVER do that again.
If I ever drive again I will take at least 3 days each way but I doubt if I'll even try again.

 

[KingKobra]

If you're driving down I-95, which i assume you are, then see if you can stay a night at South of The Border in South Carolina. Its a pretty cool travelers rest stop. Also see the city of St. Augustine, FL if you get the chance and go on one of the ghost tours.

 

[Jenzebelle]

I've driven to Tampa from Attleboro many times.
It's a long trip, but if you take your time it's not too bad. Bring lots of change for tolls, and lots of cd's - it is a very boring drive

I usually leave around 4am, stop only for gas and food, and then stop for the night in Rocky Mount, NC are -usually around 7 or 8pm. I leave after breakfast the next morning and usually am in Tampa sometime that evening.

The only thing you really have to be leary of when driving in the summer is construction, and there is lots of it!

 

[Nagle]

We've driven it several times now. We try to drive straight thru on the way there and stop one night on the way home. It is definitely a long haul, but we don't mind it at all.

Nagle

 

[PamOKW]

It sounds to me like you want to make the drive part of your vacation rather than just pushing to get to Orlando. I'm not exactly sure how to plan that out either but the idea of wanting to see DC sounds like a start. Have you done long drives in tough traffic (NY-DC will be pretty hectic) before? That could play a part in how many hours per day you should shoot for. It's also a question of whether you are just going to stay the night somewhere or want to look around, too. I'm guessing it would be roughly 8 hours (if you don't hit traffic) to make it to DC. That could be your first stop if you're up for it. I'm not sure how to map out the remainder of the trip. Have you thought about maybe skipping DC and instead stopping one night on the way down, then stopping in HHI for a day/night and then going the rest of the way?

 

[bsnyder]

We do about half that drive (10 hours) several times every year, to go to North Carolina. We usually drive it in one day, because we're loathe to waste any time away from our destination.

I love your idea, Mare, of splitting it up into some manageable days and seeing the sites along the way. I'm thinking of doing that with DD, when I go pick her up from camp....instead of rushing back home, we might take 2 or 3 days and stop and see some of the old tourist attractions (Rock City, Ruby Falls, etc.) that I remember from my childhood.

I'd second the motion to stop somewhere in the western North Carolina mountains. It's absolutely gorgeous there! The Waynesville/Maggie Valley area is where my family's been vacationing all my life, so if you want any suggestions of things to do/places to stay, please PM me and I can definitely help you.

I'd also put in a vote for Washington D.C. (there's so many neat things to see there, and some of them don't take lots and lots of time!) and St. Augustine is really neat too!

A TV/VCR for the car is a great help to us on our long trips. I think you can get one at Sam's for about $150, and it's worth every penny!

Also, Jenz's warning about construction is an important one. AAA can help you with information about what areas to avoid.

Have fun planning!!!

 

[SplshMtn99]

You may wish to check out the DIS Transportation board. This very topic has been discussed several times recently...and I'm sure you'll get very useful info there as well.

 

[Gette88]

We drive from South Jersey. Not as far as you but it's still a long haul. We like to drive straight to Daytona Beach. We have stopped in Georgia for the night once and once in St. Augustine.We prefer to get most of the driving done the first day. I do recommend getting AAA for the trip tix and just in case you have a problem with your car. Better safe then sorry.

 

[Disney Doll]

We drove it many times when I was a kid. We'd start out in Southwestern CT, drive till about Virginia(8 hours or so) and stay over. The next day we'd drive to Georgia(another 8 hours or so) and stay over, and the third day we'd arrive in Florida. I always enjoyed it, as there was a lot to see, we'd play the license plate game and other car games. It was fun, and the trip was part of the vacation. To this day, I love to travel and stay in motels or hotels, and I swear it's because of all the driving vacations I took as a kid.

 

[GeorgeG]

We've driven from the NY metro area several times now and don't usually make any side stops, but a nice treat is stopping at one of the Cracker Barrel restaurants for breakfast. I especially like their Sourdough French Toast.

 

[marlasmom]

Mare Roy and I did it several times when we were looking for this house. We were comfortable spending two nights each way. However one time when we were very tired we made it three nights. As someone else said the problems are NY and DC traffic. You might also consider the train from Virginia to Florida. You put your car right on the train.

 

[snoopy]

If you stop in DC, you better come see me, Mare!

(I personally would not make the drive from DC to Orlando because my kids are so young - if mine were your kids age I would do it in a heartbeat - I like the idea of having my own car while in Orlando, and saving all those $$$ in airfare! I think you should go for it!)

 

[MickeysMommy]

We've done it four times and I won't do it again. We usually take about 2 1/2 days and it's just too long a drive when you can be there in 2 1/2 hours! However, if you are planning on sight seeing then I say go for it. It will definitely break up the time ~ the last time we drove (August) we decided in South Carolina (Our first night) to drive straight home the next day. The added expense of hotels coupled with all the expenses you are spending (spent) on WDW just is too much! Good Luck!