driving nj to fl via 95

[bellisima2002]

Hi All,

I have a driving question. For our trip in December, we are going to leave our NJ home (around Princeton area) at approx. 4 a.m. we want to drive until around 5 or 6 p.m. that day.

If anyone is a frequent driver from NJ area to FL via 95 s, where do you think we will end up about that time. I want to book a hotel for that night.

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[DancingBear]

I don't do that stretch but I'm from the DC area and if you are going on a weekday it sounds like you'll be hitting the DC beltway during rush hour, which can be painful.

 

[Disneymommie]

Hi, We are also from NJ. The Shore area. We normally try to get down to Florence, SC. There is a really nice Wingate hotel down there. You might also want to wing it. Along 95 at the showney Resterants and maybe some rest stops they have a discount hotel mag. It has coupons for hotels all up and down that area. You can not make ressies most of the time with these coupons but sometimes you can get a good deal. But I highly recommend the Wingate in Florence SC. It is very clean and nice.

 

[bellisima2002]

disneymommie,
thank you for your reply. How many hours does it take you to get to florence from home? How many more hours from there do you have to drive to arrive wdw???

Thank you!!!

 

[followme2disney]

My sister is from NJ - Hamilton - and drives at least once a year to WDW. If you want to drive for about 13 to 14 hours, you should at least be able to get to Georgia. It is about five to five and a half hours from the top of Georgia to WDW. It usually takes her about 18 to 18 and a half hours to do the whole trip. Coming back she normally stops at the top of NC or in Virginia. Most times she makes a reservation in Brunswick, Georgia on the way down, but if she is feeling good drives straight through. She usually calls around before to make sure she can extend her ressie at Disney - it's never been a problem.

You will hit DC around rush hour as the previous poster suggested. This may slow you down some and can be quite frustrating.

Good luck and have fun!!!!!!

 

[Mark P.]

Hi,
We drove from Southern NJ this past March and made it to Brunswick GA the first day. We left at 3am, missing DC rush hour traffic, and it took around 15hours or so with stops, making for a 'short' 4 hour drive to WDW the next day.

Here are a couple of links with some great info.


http://www.mapquest.com/

http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

Have a great trip!

 

[bellisima2002]

Thank you Mark P,

Did you leave on a weekday? If you did and we leave at 3:00 a.m. instead of later we should miss the rush hour madness in the dc area?

Thank you very much for the links as well!!

 

[mickeymom02]

Hi,
We're from Bucks County and we make this drive every 1-2 yrs.
We drive straight through, leaving about 10pm. We miss all of the Phila, DC and Richmond traffic which can be pretty bad. It takes about 17 hours, with breakfast and lunch stops. We have stopped over coming home and there are plenty of motels right off of the exits-never needing a reservation. Have a safe trip.

 

[Disneymommie]

If I remember correctly it is a 12 hr run to Florence SC. We have 3 small children so we can not go staright through. It is not a bad drive. Good luck

 

[Mark P.]

We did leave on a weekday, and rolled through DC around 6am. Coming from Northern NJ, it's hard for me to predict exactly when you'll be going through DC, but you could use Mapquest.com and plug in your location and then DC to get an idea of the distance.

-Mark

 

[DancingBear]

Again about DC----

Look at a DC map to understand what I'm about to say.

First, notice that the DC Beltway is I-495. I-95 comes in from the North, and then goes along the Eastern half of the Beltway until near Springfield, VA, where I-95 heads South toward Richmond. This Springfield interchange has always been a bottleneck, and is in the midst of a major, major construction project.

Second, notice that shortly after US Hwy 50 crosses the Eastern side of the Beltway in Maryland (also close to Baltimore-Washington Parkway), it becomes New York Avenue in DC. As you get into DC on New York Ave, near the Capitol Building, you can turn left and get directly onto I-395 (this starts in a tunnel which goes under the Mall). If you continue South on I-395 (past the Pentagon), at the Springfield interchange you will not have to do anything except go straight and I-395 becomes I-95 to Richmond.

As a local, if I am hitting DC at the beginning edge of rush hour from the North (I've made this drive many times from Baltimore), I take the New York Avenue route. You avoid most of the Beltway, and once you get on I-395 you will be against the rush hour traffic. The only slow portion will be the relatively short stretch of New York Ave.

Also, I recommend that you take the bypass around Richmond.