For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only! (II)

[justakrazymom]

38 days from right now we are heading down to FL ( by way of a 2 days lay over in GA)..

I'm getting very ready for the drive.. my kids are great in the car and are used to this first leg of the drive as we go to GA every year!

I'm thinking of letting the kids use window chalk markers to decorate the van all up.. anyone done this?

Once we have the van all packed I plan to post some pictures.. 38 days!!

 

[dvczerfs]

38 days from right now we are heading down to FL ( by way of a 2 days lay over in GA)..

I'm getting very ready for the drive.. my kids are great in the car and are used to this first leg of the drive as we go to GA every year!

I'm thinking of letting the kids use window chalk markers to decorate the van all up.. anyone done this?

Once we have the van all packed I plan to post some pictures.. 38 days!!

you didnt leave yet??? cant wait to see the pics. window chaulk
??? not on my van!!!

 

[Fwd Facing Tentacles]

We stayed at the Comfort Inn Blythewood on our return trip last time and ate pizza from this little joint down the street. Greasy and delicious. The reason I chose Rock Hill as a good destination point is to avoid both Charlotte and Columbia commuter traffic the following morning. We're probably going to be getting in after midnight and I'd like to be on the road again by 8, which puts us outside of Columbia sometime after 9AM. Is it a possibility to hit traffic outside of Columbia if we were to stay in Blythewood and leave around 8AM?

Cheers,
Indy

Columbia has good highways and is not a large enough city to have rush hour traffic jams. There will be more cars on the road but you won't have to slow down or stop the way you might at around the same time in Charlotte.

 

[Donald is #1]

My fiance and I will be taking our honeymoon to Disney World next September and yes WE ARE DRIVING I am really excited about it. I have made the drive to florida once already.`This will be his first time going. We have a 2741 mile trip!! Just a question for those driving experts. The map quest directions says take 95 the whole way, along with the GPS saying the same. We will be leaving on a Saturday and driving straight through to check in on Sunday. Does anyone suggest another route? I am sure traffic will be not so fun on a Saturday

hang in there julie, someone from your area should be around soon to help you out. if you can get to i81, i would take i81 to i77 to i26 to i95 to i4! even in september, i would stay away from i95 straight through. your gonna hit alot of citys and city traffic going that way.

I haven't tried the route that dvczerfs mentioned, but it is very popular amonget posters on here.

I have only done the 95 all the way once and that was enough for me. My sister & I did it at something like 11 PM on a Saturday night on a trip back from FL and it was still a bit crazy.

Instead I use I-90 to I-84 to I-684/Saw Mill Parkway (NY) to Tappan Zee Bridge. I then either cut over to the NJ turnpike or go to the Garden State and then make my way over to NJ Turnpike. From there, I take the GPS recommended route. I considered the alternate route for this up-coming trip but it ends up that we will be stopping in DC for a few days, so my tappan zee to I-95 route makes more sense for this trip.

Also, make sure that you have a Fast Lane or EZ Pass. It will make the northern part of the trip (down into Maryland) much easier.

Hello all
We will be driving down for the first time in August from the nw burbs of Chicago. It will be my DW and 2 kids, 7 and 5 and I. Planning on leaving around 7pm and driving straight thru.
I will drive first until I get tired and then switch with my DW who will be
sleeping already in the van. I will try to then get a nap (which will be hard since I never really sleep in cars) and switch again in a few hours.
I used to drive straight thru alone back and forth to Syracuse when I was in college with little problem so with switiching off it shouldnt be that bad.

A few questions:
1. Should we invest in one of those windshield sun blockers for the van?
2. Where do you get them and roughly what do they cost?
3. What time does Atlanta traffic really start to kick in in the am? I know we will hit some traffic but hopefully we can stick to the HOV lanes?

Thanks all....great thread

On your question, yes I would get one. I got one a couple of years ago for a summer trip to VA and it is amazing how much it helps. I got mine at Walmart and I think that it was less than $10, but I could be wrong. If you have a sun roof, remember to keep the shade closed when you park the car.

 

[Donald is #1]

I leave on my trip 4 weeks from yesterday. I am starting to get ready for the drive.

I bought new tires for my SUV today, updated the maps in my GPS and updated my I-Pod so far. I also picked up a couple of cases of water to bring with us. 2 cases of water (48 bottles) is less than 4 bottles of water in the parks. Yes, I will still buy water in the parks, but it is nice to bring a couple of bottles in with me.


Left to do (besides pack )
1) vaccuum out the car
2) Potentially an oil change. I have an appointment made for the Saturday before we leave. If I am close to the 2500 mile point from my last oil change then I will get it done. (I get my oil changed every 5K) Otherwise, I will cancel the appointment.

 

[dvczerfs]

I leave on my trip 4 weeks from yesterday. I am starting to get ready for the drive.

I bought new tires for my SUV today, updated the maps in my GPS and updated my I-Pod so far. I also picked up a couple of cases of water to bring with us. 2 cases of water (48 bottles) is less than 4 bottles of water in the parks. Yes, I will still buy water in the parks, but it is nice to bring a couple of bottles in with me.


Left to do (besides pack )
1) vaccuum out the car
2) Potentially an oil change. I have an appointment made for the Saturday before we leave. If I am close to the 2500 mile point from my last oil change then I will get it done. (I get my oil changed every 5K) Otherwise, I will cancel the appointment.

your getting there!!!

 

[LadyBeBop]

I was just playing with aaa triptik and compared our route on mapquest and I saw that aaa tells us to go 285 around Atlanta instead of going thru Atlanta on 75 (mapquest).
Midwest drivers....which would you advise going thru Atlanta???
drivers in general do you prefer following triptik or mapquest????

thanks

Don't have AAA, so cannot tell you about triptik. That said, we've driven 75 through Atlanta in mid-afternoon on a Friday, just before rush hour, with no problems. Just stay in the carpool/HOV lane, and you'll be fine.

That's assuming you don't hit Atlanta right at rush hour. And that it's more than just you.

 

[IndyDisney]

Columbia has good highways and is not a large enough city to have rush hour traffic jams. There will be more cars on the road but you won't have to slow down or stop the way you might at around the same time in Charlotte.

Done and done. Blytheville it is!!!!

Thanks for the input.

Cheers,
Indy

 

[julluvsdisney]

My DH just prepped our SUV. Oil changed rotated tires detailed all set! We have never driven to WDW so Im a little nervous! We are coming from south of boston and have 2 DS. When should we leave?We keep changing it up. I would LOVE to go straight through but I have to be flexible with the little DS he is great on road trips but he is 2 and Im not sure he can handle it. the older DS could sit in the car for a week straight with books and he wouldnt make a peep. as it stands right now we are leaving at 1am on thursday. We have reservations in orlando for friday night. WWYD??? What route would you take? I would like to avoid tolls and traffic but dont wanna take 3 days to get there! ANY info is welcomed (more like begged for !) Also if you were to stop and stay over night where would you for $50 or less (a mouse stole the rest of my vacation money lol!)?? THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

 

[chepic]

My DH just prepped our SUV. Oil changed rotated tires detailed all set! We have never driven to WDW so Im a little nervous! We are coming from south of boston and have 2 DS. When should we leave?We keep changing it up. I would LOVE to go straight through but I have to be flexible with the little DS he is great on road trips but he is 2 and Im not sure he can handle it. the older DS could sit in the car for a week straight with books and he wouldnt make a peep. as it stands right now we are leaving at 1am on thursday. We have reservations in orlando for friday night. WWYD??? What route would you take? I would like to avoid tolls and traffic but dont wanna take 3 days to get there! ANY info is welcomed (more like begged for !) Also if you were to stop and stay over night where would you for $50 or less (a mouse stole the rest of my vacation money lol!)?? THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

We are an hour south of you and always leave by 3 am on the Sat, take 95 pretty much the entire way (sorry, there are tolls) and then stop somewhere in SC or GA by 7pm. You will see signs all along the highway with rates (although don't remember any under $40, although I am certain there must be a few) Get up the next day and hit the road by 9, you are in the Kingdom by noon. We stop every 2-2.5 hrs for a rest break of 15 min. We pack a cooler with food, so we eat on the road. Have 2 boys myself, and they travel well.
have fun!!

che

 

[dvczerfs]

My DH just prepped our SUV. Oil changed rotated tires detailed all set! We have never driven to WDW so Im a little nervous! We are coming from south of boston and have 2 DS. When should we leave?We keep changing it up. I would LOVE to go straight through but I have to be flexible with the little DS he is great on road trips but he is 2 and Im not sure he can handle it. the older DS could sit in the car for a week straight with books and he wouldnt make a peep. as it stands right now we are leaving at 1am on thursday. We have reservations in orlando for friday night. WWYD??? What route would you take? I would like to avoid tolls and traffic but dont wanna take 3 days to get there! ANY info is welcomed (more like begged for !) Also if you were to stop and stay over night where would you for $50 or less (a mouse stole the rest of my vacation money lol!)?? THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

1am is a good time to not sit in traffic. just watch the drunks. chepic gave you good advise!!have a safe trip!!

 

[IndyDisney]

My DH just prepped our SUV. Oil changed rotated tires detailed all set! We have never driven to WDW so Im a little nervous! We are coming from south of boston and have 2 DS. When should we leave?We keep changing it up. I would LOVE to go straight through but I have to be flexible with the little DS he is great on road trips but he is 2 and Im not sure he can handle it. the older DS could sit in the car for a week straight with books and he wouldnt make a peep. as it stands right now we are leaving at 1am on thursday. We have reservations in orlando for friday night. WWYD??? What route would you take? I would like to avoid tolls and traffic but dont wanna take 3 days to get there! ANY info is welcomed (more like begged for !) Also if you were to stop and stay over night where would you for $50 or less (a mouse stole the rest of my vacation money lol!)?? THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

OK, so if you're looking to avoid tolls (except for those on I90/I84) and much of the Megalopolis, you could take I84 west to I81 and take it south to Staunton, VA. From there you could continue on I81 to I77 through Charlotte, NC, then take I26 back to I95 outside of Columbia, SC. That'll add a bit more than an hour to your travel time, but you avoid a) tolls, b) Thursday morning rush hour between Baltimore and DC, and c) I-95 north of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Now, there's a short cut that Google Maps will give you that my business partner takes to the beach from here in western PA. If you decide to take I81 the entire way to Staunton, VA, you can take US 29S to Greensboro, NC then take US 220/I74 to I95 to avoid going any further west than you have to, and will only add about 45 minutes to your travel time, instead of the hour plus going to Charlotte will.

You can check both of these routes out rather easily on Google Maps and decide if either are something you'd like to try.

Just some other options for you. Hope I helped.

Cheers,
Indy

 

[ParrotBill]

My DH just prepped our SUV. Oil changed rotated tires detailed all set! We have never driven to WDW so Im a little nervous! We are coming from south of boston and have 2 DS. When should we leave?We keep changing it up. I would LOVE to go straight through but I have to be flexible with the little DS he is great on road trips but he is 2 and Im not sure he can handle it. the older DS could sit in the car for a week straight with books and he wouldnt make a peep. as it stands right now we are leaving at 1am on thursday. We have reservations in orlando for friday night. WWYD??? What route would you take? I would like to avoid tolls and traffic but dont wanna take 3 days to get there! ANY info is welcomed (more like begged for !) Also if you were to stop and stay over night where would you for $50 or less (a mouse stole the rest of my vacation money lol!)?? THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!!!!!

We drove straight through last time from Upstate NY, about the same length of drive as you. We leave this Thursday and WON'T do it that way again! It was so hard in the wee hours with only me awake.. and at 5am we were both really punchy. But driving at night is great overall for traffic and sleeping kids!

For your route I am a big fan of avoiding I-95 through NY and NJ. Cross the Hudson on I-84 or I-87. Experiment with the route on google maps a bit. I find that if it adds 30 to 60 minutes it can be worth the detour because you will be able to drive at a higher speed limit with less chance of traffic slowdowns. Of course if you go leave in the late afternoon or evening you could also fly through NY and NJ on I-95... with higher tolls though.

As for places to stay. You could leave it up in the air and grab the special rates brochure that is at every rest area on I-95. If you prefer to plan ahead, use google maps, enter "hotels" in the search and move the map around to find places. Then look them up one by one to find a deal.... or pick a location that is not a tourist area, and use hotels.com or expedia to find their lowest rates. Searching google will reveal places that do not appear on the travel web sites.

Have a great trip! We are leaving Friday morning early from Rochester NY to arrive Orlando Saturday afternoon!

 

[julluvsdisney]

Thanks Everyone!! So many helpful hints! I have printed everything up and added it to my trusting WDW trip binder! Im so excited only 4 more days!!! So The times are changing again (atleast in my head DH has no clue what Im planning lol) Tell me what you think? 10pm wednesday night or 1am thursday morning or 3 am thursday morning they all have good points/ bad points. Tell me what you think!! TIA!! This thread is AWESOME!!!!

 

[BC1836]

1am is a good time to not sit in traffic. just watch the drunks.

Indeed. When we have begun our many early morning drives, within the first half hour we pass a no-frills roadside bar that has patrons at 1 a.m., 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m. and, yes, 5 a.m.

All the best.

 

[ThreeKMom]

BC1836, where on the jersey shore are you located, we are about 10 minutes from Sea Bright?

When you drive down what is your route? We will be leaving in 46 days for our first ever straight through drive! (Actually our first drive of any kind!) I'm getting excited and a little nervous!

 

[BC1836]

BC1836, where on the jersey shore are you located, we are about 10 minutes from Sea Bright?

When you drive down what is your route? We will be leaving in 46 days for our first ever straight through drive! (Actually our first drive of any kind!) I'm getting excited and a little nervous!

Howdy!

We are at Exit 67. We take Route 72 (the one that ends at Long Beach Island) to Route 70, which links with I-295 around Cherry Hill. Of course, I-295 takes us to the DE Memorial Bridge and I-95.

We have done the drive 23 times since 2002, and seven of them have been straight-through drives; in fact our last five have been straight-through efforts.

You might want to link up with the Turnpike and go directly to the DE Memorial Bridge. Remembber, though, leave very, very early.

Any other questions? Just ask.

All the best.

 

[2mchwrk]

Thanks Everyone!! So many helpful hints! I have printed everything up and added it to my trusting WDW trip binder! Im so excited only 4 more days!!! So The times are changing again (atleast in my head DH has no clue what Im planning lol) Tell me what you think? 10pm wednesday night or 1am thursday morning or 3 am thursday morning they all have good points/ bad points. Tell me what you think!! TIA!! This thread is AWESOME!!!!

I'm in WI, a little further than you (I think?), but I did live in the North End for awhile. I think stopping to sleep Thursday night somewhere and rolling in to Disney on Friday would be the easiest for you and the kids. Considering the little one. I have been taking my 3 to Disney since before they were born and every year, at every age and a 2 year old needs to move around or they tend to get fussy. My 2 cents, hope it helps :~)

Oh! And have a fantastic time!!

 

[ThreeKMom]

Howdy!

We are at Exit 67. We take Route 72 (the one that ends at Long Beach Island) to Route 70, which links with I-295 around Cherry Hill. Of course, I-295 takes us to the DE Memorial Bridge and I-95.

We have done the drive 23 times since 2002, and seven of them have been straight-through drives; in fact our last five have been straight-through efforts.

You might want to link up with the Turnpike and go directly to the DE Memorial Bridge. Remembber, though, leave very, very early.

Any other questions? Just ask.

All the best.

Thanks!

We will take rt. 18 to 195 to the Turnpike. We plan to leave on Thursday (8/25) after dinner - around 5:30 - 6:00 and drive straight through! Does this sound like a good idea to you?

We will stop for a bathroom break hopefully around 9:30 - 10:00 and put our DD into her PJ's. we are thinking she will sleep through most of the drive! DH will drive for the bulk of the trip (it's a guy thing!), we will stop again around 4:00 am so I can drive till its time for breakfast. Then DH will take over again!

We are planning to take it easy the day we arrive - relax (and nap) at the pool, with maybe a quick trip to DTD, we will watch Illuminations from the bridge and go to sleep! We have an early ADR at the Crystal Palace for Saturday morning to start the trip off on the right foot!

Any advice you could offer would be greatly appreciated!

 

[IndyDisney]

Thanks Everyone!! So many helpful hints! I have printed everything up and added it to my trusting WDW trip binder! Im so excited only 4 more days!!! So The times are changing again (atleast in my head DH has no clue what Im planning lol) Tell me what you think? 10pm wednesday night or 1am thursday morning or 3 am thursday morning they all have good points/ bad points. Tell me what you think!! TIA!! This thread is AWESOME!!!!

I would leave sooner rather than later if you were to take I95 the whole route. By leaving at either 1AM or 3AM, you'll be putting yourself in a major metro area for rush hour. Now if you're avoiding the Megalopolis, then you could leave at 3AM and be fine.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers,
Indy