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

[dvczerfs]

We are at WDW right now. We came down for a last-minute, two-day birthday celebration. Due to the short stay we had to...



fly.

you gotta take it any way you can get it bc!!!!have a nice couple of days!!!

 

[sharadoc]

We are at WDW right now. We came down for a last-minute, two-day birthday celebration. Due to the short stay we had to...



fly.

 

[nytimez]

I was not concerned about my daughter's legs dangling, should I be?

I've never worried about it, either. We stop frequently and she has a chance to use her legs anyway. She also sits cross-legged in her seat a lot, especially if she's coloring, but I've never heard that dangling legs in a long car ride could be dangerous... but I could just be ignorant.

 

[LisaNJ25]

Has anyone ever stayed at the

Quality Inn(SC255)
6014 W Jim Bilton Blvd.I-95 Exit 77, Saint George, SC,

I just booked that one as a back up incase we cant make it to GA

 

[happycamps]

Honestly, I don't see the big deal driving through Atlanta. It has never been a problem for us and we have done it several times. We have never hit a traffic jam but we don't drive through during rush hour. We have been through around 10am, 2pm, 9pm and no problems at all. Now Nashville is the place we run into traffic jams and lots of traffic no matter what time we go through. I think it is just bad luck there. lol

Hmmmm, Nashville, I hadn't thought about it. Mapquest puts us going a totally different way than AAA - I just want to get there in the shortest time possible. In the past we've driven to the coast through Mobile, AL and then across - this year we don't have as much time, so I'm trying to figure out how. A family member of mine suggested through chattanooga, then atlanta and then south - have you ever done this route?

 

[CharliNye]

Ok, so I've just realized we're heading out in 23 days and I'm freaking out. We've never driven down there before and while I have a place to stay going down, we don't have one coming home. We're in the Chicago western burbs.

I'm trying to figure out the best stop about 12 hrs BACK from Orlando. Even a little less. But preferably around 10-12. I can't quite map out where that would put us coming home. Any Chicagaons who have done this have an idea??

Also, why is it that some of the maps out there won't let me put in a preferred route? We want to take 57 as my stepfather and mum just drove it and said it was a million times better then 65 right now. All the online maps keep giving me 65, when I try to drag the route it won't stay on 57 it just reverts back. Annoying.

Anyways, I'm nervous about this trip as I hate driving long periods of time but my husband and oldest kid are psyched for it.

 

[mamapajama]

Those of you that have toddlers in car seats: Do you take anything that they can prop their feet on? I'm worried about DS's feet dangling for such a long time, but not sure what to use. I thought about a cooler but we don't have anything tall enough. I am going to look at Wal-mart when I get my last minute items tomorrow.

2.5 days to go!!!

I'm packing a carry-on wheelie for all the stuff we need for the night on the way down and we will be putting that in front of her legs.

 

[cruisingkat]

Ok, so I've just realized we're heading out in 23 days and I'm freaking out. We've never driven down there before and while I have a place to stay going down, we don't have one coming home. We're in the Chicago western burbs.

I'm trying to figure out the best stop about 12 hrs BACK from Orlando. Even a little less. But preferably around 10-12. I can't quite map out where that would put us coming home. Any Chicagaons who have done this have an idea??

Also, why is it that some of the maps out there won't let me put in a preferred route? We want to take 57 as my stepfather and mum just drove it and said it was a million times better then 65 right now. All the online maps keep giving me 65, when I try to drag the route it won't stay on 57 it just reverts back. Annoying.

Anyways, I'm nervous about this trip as I hate driving long periods of time but my husband and oldest kid are psyched for it.

Not sure of a stop 12 hours from Orlando as we usually stop just northwest of Chattanooga (we usually leave Disney around noon and we get there around 8 or 9 pm).
But you really won't have a problem needing a map to get you down 57 - just take (depending on where you are in Naperville) I355 to I80 to I57 to I24. Just stay on I24 until Nashville where the maps that take you down 65 have you meet up with I24. It is very simple routing - I57-I24 (pick it up just south of Marion, IL)-I75 (pick up I75 at Chattanooga) to Florida Turnpike (toll).
You might be able to fool the maps if you insert either Champaign or Marionm IL as a via point or mid-destination.
We do agree with your parents - we drive to FL several times a year from the Downers Grove area and have taken both 57 and 65. Even though the maps say 65 is shorter, we found that taking 57 takes the same amount of time as taking 65 and is definitely less stressful - way less truck traffic on I57.

 

[kidd_freeper]

Ok, so I've just realized we're heading out in 23 days and I'm freaking out. We've never driven down there before and while I have a place to stay going down, we don't have one coming home. We're in the Chicago western burbs.

I'm trying to figure out the best stop about 12 hrs BACK from Orlando. Even a little less. But preferably around 10-12. I can't quite map out where that would put us coming home. Any Chicagaons who have done this have an idea??

Also, why is it that some of the maps out there won't let me put in a preferred route? We want to take 57 as my stepfather and mum just drove it and said it was a million times better then 65 right now. All the online maps keep giving me 65, when I try to drag the route it won't stay on 57 it just reverts back. Annoying.

Anyways, I'm nervous about this trip as I hate driving long periods of time but my husband and oldest kid are psyched for it.

We drove to/from WDW last month. We had a bad experience by "winging-it" for our return trip hotel. If you plan to return on a Friday or Saturday night, you'd better have reservations somewhere. Hotels are booked solid on weekends.

If you plan to wing it, get a Garmin Nuvi 265. It has thousands of hotels, with phone numbers, built in. It was a life saver for us.

For maps: try Google Maps (the "Maps" option on the upper left of the main Google search engine page). When you use the get directions feature, there is a lot of flexibility. You can drag your start or stop points to anyplace on the map. You can right click on an intermediate point on your route and drag the intermediate point anywhere also...which allows you plan the route you want to go.

By dragging your end point, you can figure out how far you will get in 10-12 hours, and thus where to get a hotel.

 

[amtag]

Hmmmm, Nashville, I hadn't thought about it. Mapquest puts us going a totally different way than AAA - I just want to get there in the shortest time possible. In the past we've driven to the coast through Mobile, AL and then across - this year we don't have as much time, so I'm trying to figure out how. A family member of mine suggested through chattanooga, then atlanta and then south - have you ever done this route?

Don't know the area at all, but I have found mapquest to be very unreliable, and I always use google maps now, much better and usually will give you alternate route suggestions too! maps.google.com

 

[marius97]

Also, why is it that some of the maps out there won't let me put in a preferred route? We want to take 57 as my stepfather and mum just drove it and said it was a million times better then 65 right now. All the online maps keep giving me 65, when I try to drag the route it won't stay on 57 it just reverts back. Annoying.

I don't know which program you are using, but I've always liked mapquest. You should be able to just drag the route over to what you want. If that doesn't work, you could always try to find some address that is on that route, a hotel or something, and make your trip home to this hotel then your final destination.

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

We're driving (obviously) - anyone know the fastest route there? I'm not too hip about driving through Atlanta, though, but will if it's the fastest - suggestions, please!!!!

What does Google Maps say? From what I could find was that going through Atlanta wasn't the "fastest" route according to google.

Google Map - Springfield to Orlando

You can even play with the route on there to either bypass areas or force the route to go where you want it to go and you can even see the immediate change in drive time.

 

[chipper10]

Leaving in less than 12 hours!!!!


Thank you everyone for all your help! I will try to take notes and give you a report when we return.

 

[dvczerfs]

Leaving in less than 12 hours!!!!


Thank you everyone for all your help! I will try to take notes and give you a report when we return.

have a safe trip!!!

 

[Gowahoowa]

Leaving in less than 12 hours!!!!

Leaving in less than 7 hours! Last minute items in the car and then to bed!! Will try to report back on 95 South!! Safe travels everyone!!

 

[happycamps]

Don't know the area at all, but I have found mapquest to be very unreliable, and I always use google maps now, much better and usually will give you alternate route suggestions too! maps.google.com

Thanks so much!!! I'm going to go there and look at it - I guess I kind of forgot about google maps. Thanks!

 

[happycamps]

What does Google Maps say? From what I could find was that going through Atlanta wasn't the "fastest" route according to google.

Google Map - Springfield to Orlando

You can even play with the route on there to either bypass areas or force the route to go where you want it to go and you can even see the immediate change in drive time.

Thanks - I'm going to head there right now - I appreciate the input - we haven't driven in quite a while and with 2 children, I really would like to see us get there and not drag it out (except when they need stretch time)!

 

[BC1836]

Leaving in less than 7 hours! Last minute items in the car and then to bed!! Will try to report back on 95 South!! Safe travels everyone!!

May your drive tomorrow be uneventful...especially in southern MD/northern VA where folks wake up early to beat the greater-DC rush-hour traffic.

All the best.

 

[Fastpaks]

Ok, so I've just realized we're heading out in 23 days and I'm freaking out. We've never driven down there before and while I have a place to stay going down, we don't have one coming home. We're in the Chicago western burbs.

I'm trying to figure out the best stop about 12 hrs BACK from Orlando. Even a little less. But preferably around 10-12. I can't quite map out where that would put us coming home. Any Chicagaons who have done this have an idea??

Also, why is it that some of the maps out there won't let me put in a preferred route? We want to take 57 as my stepfather and mum just drove it and said it was a million times better then 65 right now. All the online maps keep giving me 65, when I try to drag the route it won't stay on 57 it just reverts back. Annoying.

Anyways, I'm nervous about this trip as I hate driving long periods of time but my husband and oldest kid are psyched for it.

I completely agree with Cruisingkat. Chatanooga is about where most folks I know stop. If you really wanted to push it, you could look at Murfeesboro, TN as well. Its an hour or two more north, but I wouldn't think you would want to go much farther than that. Check Kayak.com for both city and see what happens. Its a lot better to know where are going to stop then to be on the fly and have no place to rest a weary head.

Leaving in less than 12 hours!!!!
Thank you everyone for all your help! I will try to take notes and give you a report when we return.

I can't wait to hear the news when you get back. I'm only 70 days away now!!!! Please drive safe!

 

[nono]

but I've never heard that dangling legs in a long car ride could be dangerous...

Never heard dangerous either...but that it can increase the cranky factor. Theory is long drives with dangling legs can equal lower back pain for a little one.