Driving vs. Flying to HHI Resort: Trying to Decide

[BWV Dreamin]

My husband is having second thoughts about driving to HHI. We live in Maryland, about a 10-11 hour drive. We have never driven this far, ever. I know it's supposed to be a relatively easy drive, but we have been so spoiled catching a flight from BWI and arriving in Fla. in 2/12 hrs. There would be added expense flying into Savannah and renting a car. Anyone else trying to decide?

 

[ajf1007]

I just actually worked through this dilema myself. We live outside of Philadelphia so it's only a couple more hours than your drive. I decided in the end, that it was just too far to drive, in order to enjoy my vacation, than have to do it all over again on the way home. Now, I'm just going for a few days so that also weighed heavily on my decision. If you're going for a week and you enjoy driving, it might actually not be too bad! I'm actually flying into Jacksonville (it was much cheaper than flying into Savannah) and renting a car then driving into HHI. It's about the same distance only coming north vs going south. Again..just my humble opinion. When are you going?

 

[Dean]

I likely wouldn't drive all the way but would not fly into HH and try to do without a car. I'd fly to Savannah or Charleston or even Jacksonville and rent a car.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I just actually worked through this dilema myself. We live outside of Philadelphia so it's only a couple more hours than your drive. I decided in the end, that it was just too far to drive, in order to enjoy my vacation, than have to do it all over again on the way home. Now, I'm just going for a few days so that also weighed heavily on my decision. If you're going for a week and you enjoy driving, it might actually not be too bad! I'm actually flying into Jacksonville (it was much cheaper than flying into Savannah) and renting a car then driving into HHI. It's about the same distance only coming north vs going south. Again..just my humble opinion. When are you going?

Thanks for your reply! Not until next May 2011(Memorial day weekend and the week). I'm getting that feeling we'll be flying! Just need to start saving for these extra expenses. I wish there was an Amtrak autotrain stop near there. That would also be a nice option.

 

[LIFERBABE]

I am using the Fl rental car drive out rates for our HHI trip the year and we have used them in the past

If you pick up your rental before May 31 at a Fl airport and drop it outside of Fl you can get a car for as cheap as $1 a day

I am picking up our car on 5/29 at MCO from Hertz. Midsize was $10 a day and I am keeping it the max 21 days. We will spend 2 weeks at WDW and then drive up to HHI for 5 nights. We are dropping our car at ATL and flying home because we have vouchers from Airtran. Total car rental cost is $310 with all taxes/fees.
Jax airport Pickup was on the list for the special as was HHI airport and CLT for dropoff locations. You could fly into Jax pick up car and dropoff and fly home.

Start checking rental sites around late March for details

 

[lucyem]

Check out the transportation board. The east coast people will know the roads from MD to SC and some are more scenic. Lots of people drive to WDW down 95 and have all kinds of tips and recs on where to stop and what roads to take. Once you are past DC/Richmond the ride is pretty much smooth sailing. Leave early, take your time. Maybe find a good spot for a long lunch. Plan for breaks. You might enjoy the drive

Our driving time to WDW is 23 hours, that does not count stops. We have done it overnight and we have also stopped 1 or 2 nights. Our biggest issue is getting through NYC/Philly/DC. This coming trip we will spend two nights at HHI on our way home and I think it is about 17 hours from there to our house. We will do that in one day. So to us 11 hours sounds like a piece of cake

 

[ldo]

by the time you go 2 hours early to airport, then get luggage at SAV, rent car and drive to HHI, plus flying time, you are at a 6+ hours--so we drive--it's 10 hours with stops from DC area. They KEY is when you drive---no way Sat starting at 10 AM---we go Friday AM and spend the night 2/3 the way down. Or Sun AM. I would not even consider flying due to expense and hassle.

 

[tomandrobin]

Thanks for your reply! Not until next May 2011(Memorial day weekend and the week). I'm getting that feeling we'll be flying! Just need to start saving for these extra expenses. I wish there was an Amtrak autotrain stop near there. That would also be a nice option.

The drive to Hilton Head is not that bad. We normally can make South of the Border in about 7 hours. Airport service is not too great on the SC coastal area, then you also have to get a rental car for your length of stay.

If you do drive, I recommend leaving 3-4am to avoid the DC/Arlington traffic.

 

[cpdwiz]

We just drove from Massachusetts to hilton head and Disney and it was great from md I'm sure it would be better

 

[MinnieGi]

We drive 12 hours to HHI every summer from DE. Not bad and we have two kids and sometimes a grandmom along too. Actually its an easy drive after the DC/NOVA traffic and to avoid that we leave our house by 4:00am. But this also enables us to drive the 12 hours in one day and then stay over night on the island at the Hampton Inn before checking into DIsney's HHI for the week. Also driving allows us to bring our beach chairs, umbrella, sand toys, cooler, golf clubs etc...

 

[Anal Annie]

My husband is having second thoughts about driving to HHI. We live in Maryland, about a 10-11 hour drive. We have never driven this far, ever. I know it's supposed to be a relatively easy drive, but we have been so spoiled catching a flight from BWI and arriving in Fla. in 2/12 hrs. There would be added expense flying into Savannah and renting a car. Anyone else trying to decide?

We booked HHI specifically because we'll drive rather than fly this summer. We don't normally drive more than about 5 hrs either BUT trying to save $$$ for that Med cruise NEXT year doncha know!! Our thinking was that our last AP's just expired last week & it would be cheaper to drive to HHI and spend a week this summer than to re-invest in new AP's and flights to FL 'cuz when we buy AP's we feel like we need to plan 3 trips / year...with the Med coming up next year that was just too much expense and we won't have enough time to do that. (But now that we don't have a trip to FL planned I am already have withdraws!!)

Flying to HHI is not really flying to HHI 'cuz you have to really go somewhere else and it's still not a huge time saver. For us, an hour to drive to the airport, 90 min. or so AT the airport plus another hr. or 90 min. for the flight...easily 4-4.5 hrs. so only a 6 hr time saver....and it would cost more 'cuz we'd not only have to pay for flights we'd need to rent a car once we got there. We're going to do this drive in August - I'll be sure to let you know how it goes on our cruise meet thread!! I think if WDW were "only" a 9-10 hr drive we'd drive it sometimes.

NOTE - I have not decided for sure yet if we'll get up at O'dark-thirty on Sat. am to drive it straight thru or if we'll try to head out late on Fri. eve. & drive a few hours & stay somewhere in NC or something so we can get there earlier on Sat. I would sort of like to GET THERE closer to check-in time on Sat. than what we would if we just leave at 5:00 am...

OH, and definitely there's the added benefit of being able to bring our own beach chairs & umbrella, boogie boards etc.

 

[disneychic]

You can do it We did it at least once a year when we lived in NJ (we live in Maine now and haven't done the drive to HHI yet). It's really not that bad. We would leave at 6 or 7 in the morning, and get there about 12 hours later. HHI is so beautiful it's worth the long drive!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

You can do it We did it at least once a year when we lived in NJ (we live in Maine now and haven't done the drive to HHI yet). It's really not that bad. We would leave at 6 or 7 in the morning, and get there about 12 hours later. HHI is so beautiful it's worth the long drive!

I priced airfare and rental car just for fun and WE WILL DRIVE!! It is really expensive to fly any kind of way into HHI plus rental car. In Maryland, I am used to $65 airfare one way to Florida!1 Yes, I know we can do it, its just getting that confidence up to do it!!

 

[BWV Dreamin]

This was our reason to go to HHI next year, to save expenses and put it towards the Med cruise. I think if we both do some driving, it will be easier. Plus, we just need to get passed the WW bridge, and it should be smooth sailing on 95. (That's what I've been telling myself anyway!)

We booked HHI specifically because we'll drive rather than fly this summer. We don't normally drive more than about 5 hrs either BUT trying to save $$$ for that Med cruise NEXT year doncha know!! Our thinking was that our last AP's just expired last week & it would be cheaper to drive to HHI and spend a week this summer than to re-invest in new AP's and flights to FL 'cuz when we buy AP's we feel like we need to plan 3 trips / year...with the Med coming up next year that was just too much expense and we won't have enough time to do that. (But now that we don't have a trip to FL planned I am already have withdraws!!)

Flying to HHI is not really flying to HHI 'cuz you have to really go somewhere else and it's still not a huge time saver. For us, an hour to drive to the airport, 90 min. or so AT the airport plus another hr. or 90 min. for the flight...easily 4-4.5 hrs. so only a 6 hr time saver....and it would cost more 'cuz we'd not only have to pay for flights we'd need to rent a car once we got there. We're going to do this drive in August - I'll be sure to let you know how it goes on our cruise meet thread!! I think if WDW were "only" a 9-10 hr drive we'd drive it sometimes.

NOTE - I have not decided for sure yet if we'll get up at O'dark-thirty on Sat. am to drive it straight thru or if we'll try to head out late on Fri. eve. & drive a few hours & stay somewhere in NC or something so we can get there earlier on Sat. I would sort of like to GET THERE closer to check-in time on Sat. than what we would if we just leave at 5:00 am...

OH, and definitely there's the added benefit of being able to bring our own beach chairs & umbrella, boogie boards etc.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

We drive 12 hours to HHI every summer from DE. Not bad and we have two kids and sometimes a grandmom along too. Actually its an easy drive after the DC/NOVA traffic and to avoid that we leave our house by 4:00am. But this also enables us to drive the 12 hours in one day and then stay over night on the island at the Hampton Inn before checking into DIsney's HHI for the week. Also driving allows us to bring our beach chairs, umbrella, sand toys, cooler, golf clubs etc...

I was taking your advice from a previous post, and why I want to drive!!! I think that Garmin "Lady" sometimes doesn't give the right directions, so I'll have a Mapquest paper along too! (Did I ever say I hate the word "Recalculating"......)

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Check out the transportation board. The east coast people will know the roads from MD to SC and some are more scenic. Lots of people drive to WDW down 95 and have all kinds of tips and recs on where to stop and what roads to take. Once you are past DC/Richmond the ride is pretty much smooth sailing. Leave early, take your time. Maybe find a good spot for a long lunch. Plan for breaks. You might enjoy the drive

Our driving time to WDW is 23 hours, that does not count stops. We have done it overnight and we have also stopped 1 or 2 nights. Our biggest issue is getting through NYC/Philly/DC. This coming trip we will spend two nights at HHI on our way home and I think it is about 17 hours from there to our house. We will do that in one day. So to us 11 hours sounds like a piece of cake

by the time you go 2 hours early to airport, then get luggage at SAV, rent car and drive to HHI, plus flying time, you are at a 6+ hours--so we drive--it's 10 hours with stops from DC area. They KEY is when you drive---no way Sat starting at 10 AM---we go Friday AM and spend the night 2/3 the way down. Or Sun AM. I would not even consider flying due to expense and hassle.

Thanks for all your advice!!! I really think once we DO IT, that inital fear will subside.

 

[sleepydog25]

I encourage the drive. Yours from MD to HHI is nearly the same as mine from where I live in VA to WDW, and I travel along I-95 to get there, as well. Yes, driving can be tiring, but playing Disney CDs to pass the time, talking about the World itself (things to do and see), dredging up grand memories of past visits--these all help pass the time. Plus, once you're there, you have transportation without having to pay extra for it. And though gas prices will likely be higher by then, I can't imagine airfare dropping. Besides, flying is such a pain anymore. Leave early, stop frequently, and have a great trip.

 

[MinnieGi]

I was taking your advice from a previous post, and why I want to drive!!! I think that Garmin "Lady" sometimes doesn't give the right directions, so I'll have a Mapquest paper along too! (Did I ever say I hate the word "Recalculating"......)

Oh I soooo agree with you about that "Garmin Lady" - once we were in the Poconos up at Shawnee Mtn. and were driving back to the hotel for the first time, well we ended up in front of someone's house! (not the Hampton Inn). So after that when the "lady" comes on and says she is recalculating my kids yell out "Don't listen to her mommy"!!!!

Actually HHI is simple to get too. 2 roads, that's it!!
-I 95 to the bottom of SC
-Get off 95 at Rt. 278 and take it all the way onto the island. Disney resort is a few miles onto the island on the right. Look for the sign that says "Shelter Cove" - drive in and the short way to Disney's resort is marked!

Taking turns driving is what we do and helps out alot! Best wishes, you can do it!!

 

[Simba's Mom]

Have you priced airplane flights to Savannah from your area? Driving may look really good after you do! Oh, I see you already did. Then you can understand why, after we priced them last year, we considered driving, and it's almost 1300 miles for us. But it sure beats $1300 to fly, and that's for two people! Thank goodness DH flies so much for business and so this year, we were able to use FF miles. And last year we flew into Jacksonville, and although it was a lot less driving for us than if we'd driven from home, it was still a long drive with lots of construction. We've often talked of moving, and being within driving distance of HHI (in Alabama) is a big part of our thinking.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

I was taking your advice from a previous post, and why I want to drive!!! I think that Garmin "Lady" sometimes doesn't give the right directions, so I'll have a Mapquest paper along too! (Did I ever say I hate the word "Recalculating"......)

Yeah... Switch over to the british guy... he's much better with directions

We always drive to HHI, but we prefer to break the drive into two days. Usually 6-8 hours the first day and then we time next day departure it to arrive mid-morning in case they are in first come first served mode. We usually drive at least to Fayetteville and then play it by ear after that.