Driving in- how far from port to stop?

[Partyof4LA]

My vacation days were not all approved for our upcoming cruise and I now have to work until 3pm the day before our cruise. I priced flights leaving in the evening and they are close to $3K for our family so we will likely drive in. GPS gives us an estimated time of 11.5 hours to get to port and DH and I split the driving.

I know if we drive into the wee hours of the morning, kids will sleep in the car. We can stay in a hotel near port, but my kids are ALWAYS up at 6-6:30am and we will be exhausted on the first day of our cruise if we only have a few hours of sleep before they wake us up. We were thinking of stopping to sleep at a hotel further from port then driving the rest of the way in the morning after the kids wake up so we get more sleep.

We have always been in the departure port city a full day before our cruise so this is all new and makes me nervous to miss the ship. What is the furthest from port you would be comfortable staying the night before? Any suggestions on where to stop (we come into Florida on I-10 from the panhandle)?

 

[jne7043]

What about Tallahassee? You should get there around 11 (assuming you weren't able to start driving until 4). It would be 4.5 hours the next morning. If you left at 7 you would arrive at around 11:30. But, honestly I wouldn't make any hotel reservations. I would wait until you get close that night and see how everyone feels. It's easy to find hotel availability and even book a room from a cell when you decide you are ready to stop. But, Tallahassee is the furthest away I would feel comfortable with.

 

[mmouse37]

I wouldn't do more than 4 or so hours away from port. That would be my comfort level. I agree about not making a reservation. We have driven from NY to WDW several times and never pre book a hotel on the way down (unless it was a holiday weekend or major event in the area we plan to stop).



MJ

 

[CheerMomma]

We live in Gainesville (about 3 hours from port) and we are staying in hotel at port the night before. I'm personally too concerned about the "what-ifs" of interstate travel to drive the morning of. I've been in some pretty awful jams on 75 or 95 and even the turnpike before.

 

[tink1970]

We live in Pensacola and are in Ocala tonight for our cruise tomorrow.
I don't like to stay more than a couple of hours away but since I'm like your kids we'll probably still be at the port waaay too early

 

[Partyof4LA]

Thanks everyone! We have never traveled without making a reservation at a hotel ahead of time for planned stops, so thanks for the suggestion to just find a place when we are tired.
We will probably shoot to make it to at least Gainesville or preferably Ocala since it's a bit closer, depends on what time we actually get on the road and if we are making good time.
I'll keep checking flights too and maybe they will come down as the cruise gets closer.

 

[LSUfan4444]

I would at least get to Tallahassee. Don't forget about the hour you will lose when you cross from CST to EST...I much prefer to lose that hour the night before rather than the morning of.

 

[BigredNole]

If it were me, Tally would be the farthest. I think you could make it to Lake City or Jville. If coming from Louisiana, you have to account for the time change as well. It will be 1 hour later as you cross the line.

 

[FigmentSpark]

You might also consider having your DH pick you up from work and going right from there. I know it would suck to have no down time and you'd be stuck in your work clothes, but it could save a lot of time.

 

[ahain]

You might also consider having your DH pick you up from work and going right from there. I know it would suck to have no down time and you'd be stuck in your work clothes, but it could save a lot of time.

I would do this! Have the car and everything set to go and leave right from work. Get as far as you can that night. Find a hotel & keep the night-shades closed - this might darken the room enough to help your kids sleep in a little later!

 

[Partyof4LA]

We are coming from Louisiana, thanks everyone for the heads up on the time change. I do plan to have hubby pick us up and leave straight from my work. I wear scrubs so it's pretty comfy to travel in those. 12 hours of driving is plenty of downtime after work haha

If it were me, Tally would be the farthest. I think you could make it to Lake City or Jville. If coming from Louisiana, you have to account for the time change as well. It will be 1 hour later as you cross the line.

Making it to Jacksonville would put us coming in on I-95. Is that a better route than taking I-75? GPS has us taking I-10 to I-75 and didn't even give the option of taking the other way. But again, I haven't driven to Cape Canaveral before. We flew last time.

 

[FigmentSpark]

This is just my opinion from looking at the map. Locals might disagree. If you go on the I-75 you may gain time moving on the diagonal through the state, but you pretty much go right through Orlando, which can have heavy traffic, especially if you're coming in during morning rush hour.




The other way, the I-95, you'll have to go straight east longer, but you can bypass Jacksonville on their 295 bypass highway. The down side is the number 1 down the coast isn't as nice a highway (not bad, though) as the interstates. I don't know what traffic you'll encounter there, but it is at least a couple of hours from Jacksonville to Cocoa Beach, if my memory is correct.



If you have AAA, you could ask for a Triptik and have them map our both routes so you can decide.


EDIT: Sorry, I just saw that you'll be on the I-95 all the way down the coast, not the #1. That might work out, then.

 

[BigredNole]

Not sure what would be faster. Avoiding Orlando traffic would be helpful. 295 takes you around Jville and a straight shoot down 95. Google Maps would be able to help planning as you are traveling. You could start tracking travel times on the days you have to drive the route. This will give you an idea of what you have to accomplish.

 

[sharonabe]

Make a quick stop at the FL Welcome Center and pick up a hotel discount book. It will save you some money and you can see what might be available along the route.

 

[Capt_BJ]

son went to FSU and now lives in Mobile while we live near PC

made the drive from Talla' to PC MANY MANY times .... and still do .....

after a lil experienced gained

we do 10 to 95

the toll road saves nothing ..... your time is plus/minus 10 minutes and you don't pay tolls.

For me, Orlando area was always the issue. TOO MANY WAYS to go and the signs just stressed me.

And I drive Orlando area routinely!

Take the bypass around JAX (295?) but otherwise 10 > 95 to SR 528 and the port . . .

 

[JW9DVC]

Talk with your employer and see if they can approve it. Most will. At least mine does. Why didn't they approve it? Maybe a half day or if it's slow leave earlier. Gets you in the road x amount sooner.

I'm sure if you talk to your boss it will work out better than you may think.

 

[Jillywilly143]

Have you thought about flying into Tampa or Jacksonville, and renting a car?

 

[Jillywilly143]

Or checking low cost airlines, like Allegiant and Spirit? I fly Spirit all the time from LAS to MCO. I love them.

 

[Sytrace]

I would suggest taking I 75 to the Turnpike exit right outside of Ocala. South toward Miami. Then take the turnpike to the 528 exit and take that all the way out to PC.
You could even stay in Ocala a bit and have about a 4 hour drive from there to the port.

The turnpike and 528 have tolls but it would be much easier to get around the bad traffic if you went about it that way. Avoid the 408 thru Orlando and definitely stay away from I 4.

 

[phinz]

Not to be the voice of doom and gloom, but just make sure you leave room for accidents/delays, because I've seen Florida routes backed up for *miles* and *hours* with no viable alternative to get where you are going. Keep in mind that there are really only two ways into Port Canaveral from the north: I-95 and the Beachline/Beeline. You roll the dice on your choice, and if traffic is stopped, well, you'll just have to wait it out, because there are really no surface streets to take to get around an incident once you're deep into that part of the state.

I wouldn't even consider using US 1. It goes through every podunk town and traffic can be horrendous, although it's one of my favorite roads in the world.

That's exactly why we always get to PC at least a day, if not two, ahead of time.