First time driving advice needed

[disneybliss2]

For those who have a long drive, which have you found better--driving straight through or stopping over night?

We've always flown but we're strongly (98% sure) considering driving on our next trip. We live in Arkansas, so the drive will be around 18 hours without stops.

I'd love to hear how others tackle such a long ride. My husband thinks we should drive straight through (with stops for restroom & dinner breaks), but I'm leery of this idea. He plans to drive through the night and let me drive the next morning the rest of the way there the last few hours. He wants to sleep while I drive and then sleep when we arrive at the resort while I take our girls out. My fear is that if he sleeps a chunk of the day, he won't want to sleep that night and get up early the next day. I'm just afraid it will be a recipe for disaster. He'll do fine driving, and he can make it long stretches. I'm just worried it will make him (and us) tired pushing it that hard leading into the trip. I don't want to add additional time to the trip by staying at a hotel either, but I think it will make the trip better so it's worth it. DH thinks it will be easier if we push it through too so our kids can sleep a big chunk of the drive if we leave later--which is one benefit of pushing it through.

So...for those of you who have a long drive do you try to push it straight through or stop over night? Thanks!!!

 

[momof2mouses]

We live in Louisiana and have driven to WDW. It is quite a drive for us--16+ hours, similar to yours. My husband is like yours and would prefer driving straight through, but I would rather go halfway and stop. It just works better for the kids, IMO. We stopped at Milton and slept then got up early and finished the rest of our trek. Lots of inexpensive hotels along the I-10 corridor, and I bet your husband would rather stop and sleep than deal with grouchy DW and kids!! I prefer to fly when the budget allows. There's just something magical about it to me, but it's not a bad drive either! Good luck and pixie dust to you!

 

[disneybliss2]

Thanks momof2mouses! It's funny that you mentioned that stopping was better for the kids. That was one of the reasons DH wants to push through is he thinks the kids will sleep through a big chunk of the driving, which they might would. I still don't think they would be as rested as if we stopped. What to do, what to do...Glad to hear that your drive has been good in the past. Thanks again!

 

[nugov2]

We drove straight through with a 2, 6 and 8 yr old. We left at 7pm drove until 3pm(Florida time) the next day. We stopped 3 times. Once at 9:30 for ice cream then the kids pretty much went right to sleep. They slept until 5am when we stopped b/c my dh had to go to the bathroom(oops). We ate breakfast and drove until 11 and stopped for lunch and then went the rest of the way through. Our ride home was similar only we left WDW at noon and got home(Chicago) around 6am. The kids slept a lot more on the way home b/c they were so tired. Our kids were really good and this strategy worked well for us. It was about 19 hours each way with stops. Good luck and have fun. This was our first road trip as a family and we loved it!!

 

[disneybliss2]

We drove straight through with a 2, 6 and 8 yr old. We left at 7pm drove until 3pm(Florida time) the next day. We stopped 3 times. Once at 9:30 for ice cream then the kids pretty much went right to sleep. They slept until 5am when we stopped b/c my dh had to go to the bathroom(oops). We ate breakfast and drove until 11 and stopped for lunch and then went the rest of the way through. Our ride home was similar only we left WDW at noon and got home(Chicago) around 6am. The kids slept a lot more on the way home b/c they were so tired. Our kids were really good and this strategy worked well for us. It was about 19 hours each way with stops. Good luck and have fun. This was our first road trip as a family and we loved it!!

Well, maybe I'm being paranoid about driving straight through. I'm glad to hear you had a good experience. I'm hopeful this strategy may not blow up in our faces.

 

[nono]

Wehave driven straight through too. My kids did not favor it. I LOVED IT!!! I was the overnight driver....three days of extra naps before going...comedy albums loaded on mp3 player...spouse who sleeps well in the car! It was great. Too bad my kids like being awake for the ride, I don't have a situation where I can nap in the afternoon....

So we do an unusual thing: short first day after most of a days work, and a long second day after an overnight at a hotel. We have fun. I sure hope you do as well!

 

[minnierocks]

We have done both...it's a 16 1/2 hour trip from Ohio. For the most part, we have done the drive in two days, breaking it up by a long day and a short day...either leaving after work, and driving about 5 hours, stopping for the night and then arriving at check in time or driving a long day, stopping for the night and then arriving by lunch on day two.
This past March, due to work schedules, we decided to try the overnight (our "kids" are adults at this point). We actually didn't mind and I am really close to thinking that we preferred it. We left at 3 pm, when our son got home from work. We packed some sub sandwiches in a cooler, so the only thing that we had to stop for was gas and bathroom breaks. My DH drove until about 2 am (I took a nap around 10 pm) and then I took over and drove a few hours while he slept. He woke up ready to take over and he drove the rest of the way. We arrived just before 8 am and our room was ready. I thought he would want to rest a bit but we were all ready to go so we went to Epcot for a few hours to wait for the rest of our group to arrive. It was an early night because we were done after dinner, but it was great. The best part was the time saved and a stress-free drive due to no traffic on the way down. We drove during the day on the way home...and we hit so much traffic that it made the drive longer.

 

[bjschil]

We live in Wisconsin, and have driven the 22 hour drive many times. This year, we are lucky to be going twice, October, and January, storing our camper in Florida between visits. We generally drive around 12 hours, stop and rest for about 5 hours, and finish the long drive, so up early the next day. We time our stop/ rest around Atlanta, not to get caught in morning traffic. Leaving morning from Wisconsin, and driving to north of Atlanta, south of Chatanooga, is our goal, then a wayside rest,or at times, springing for a hotel. Driving is tough, but so much cheaper, even pulling a 5th wheel., good luck on your drive, rest when tired.

 

[peabody58]

DW and I drive from central Ill - ~ 18 hr trip. We have it down to a science. Stop overnight in Cordele, GA, and have a nice relaxing second day trip. Arrive at WDW around 2 PM, room s usually ready, do our grocery shopping and are well rested for an exciting vacation.

Any trip over 15 hours we need to stop overnight. It was fine back when we were in our 20/30's, but pushing mid-50's now, we need out beauty sleep.

 

[Surfinpiratee]

We drove straight through with a 2, 6 and 8 yr old. We left at 7pm drove until 3pm(Florida time) the next day. We stopped 3 times. Once at 9:30 for ice cream then the kids pretty much went right to sleep. They slept until 5am when we stopped b/c my dh had to go to the bathroom(oops). We ate breakfast and drove until 11 and stopped for lunch and then went the rest of the way through. Our ride home was similar only we left WDW at noon and got home(Chicago) around 6am. The kids slept a lot more on the way home b/c they were so tired. Our kids were really good and this strategy worked well for us. It was about 19 hours each way with stops. Good luck and have fun. This was our first road trip as a family and we loved it!!

Hey, you're like me! I'm a little north of Chicago and we plan on leaving between 5 and 7pm and we'll be driving straight down. We don't want to waste time and money to stop!

 

[disneybliss2]

Well, DH is still headstrong that he wants to drive straight through so I guess that's the route we'll go. I'm a little leery, but hope to be pleasantly surprised at how things go. It is comforting to hear that others choose the straight through method a lot too and have liked it. Thanks everyone!

 

[KrazeeK120]

I'm from Central IL and it's about a 17 hour drive for us. I'd never try to drive straight through, and we don't even have kids yet!

There are some very nice and reasonably priced Country Inn & Suites hotels in the Atlanta suburbs that we stayed at the one time we drove. We're considering driving again in January and will stay at the same places if we do.

I want to start my vacation off relaxed, not exhausted from driving for 17 hours.