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

[DVC4US]

Construction Alert for anyone traveling I-57 south through Illinois. There is a section of road construction from exit 71 to exit 65 that could be a potential problem. As we hit exit 77 there were flashing signs that said to expect 90 min delays and to take Alt A at exit 77. Because we were hitting this area around 8pm I decided to just stay on the interstate. Luckily we did not have a back-up but the speed limit in this area is 45mph and I could see where it might be a big problem during the day or on weekends.

Otherwise construction on I-74 and I-57 was not too bad.

 

[BC1836]

We just noticed that phase two of the "For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" thread topped 100 posts (and over 2,000 views).

Here we go again!

All the best.

 

[michael's mom]

I like this site... you plug in your city and destination city and it will give you how long it takes and how many hours away you are during the drive. It wil also give you hotels and stuff along the way.

So, if I know that I will want to drive 8 hours, I subtract it from the total and it will tell me where I should be...

http://www.freetrip.com/cgi-bin/autopilot2.pl

Hope this helps,

First of all...thanks so much! This definitely helped!


DH and I decided tonight that we'll be most likely driving down in April to avoid the very very high airfare to travel at Easter for my sis's Disney Wedding. This will only happen if I can get special permission to use personal days before the spring break.

Plan is to leave Wed. after I finish the day at work. Thought is to leave around 4 to miss the rush hour in NYC (we wouldnt get there until after 8). Based on the link above, we'd be in DC around midnight-1 o'clock a.m depending on #stops. We'd like to drive straight through if possible b/c sis's wedding is Sat. and we want to have Fri. to recoup! If we kept on driving, the link above puts us entering Georgia around 8:00 a.m. which, from what I've read, is a big NO NO! How long (driving I95) will rush hour be in Atlanta and...how far is Atlanta from the northern border of GA? Would a nice relaxing stop for breakfast do the trick? Is this the last place to worry about traffic?

As long as we make it to CBR by bedtime, I'll be happy! DH works an off shift (3am-noon) so we are thinking that I could drive the first leg of the trip, he could drive during his normal work hours (and then a few more ) for the second leg, and then I could try for the remainder of the trip (or switch off with him if need be).

Another idea would be for us to switch drivers every gas fill-up.
Any other MA travelers? How do you do this?

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

So I was talking to fiance and it sounds like we may be leaving on Wed instead of Thursday. Here's the new plan.

Leave NJ around 4:30-5pm....hopefully get to Fredericksburgh VA, around 10pm. Anyone know anything about this area? Is it safe? any good CLEAN hotels?

Then back on the road by 8-9am the next morning, get to Savannah, GA by 8-9pm, and then leaving the next morning for WDW, arrive on the 20th.

 

[dvczerfs]

We are from Lopatcong, NJ (near Phillipsburg, NJ/Easton, PA). We are planning a trip in August with four children ages 10,8,6 & 5. We have a check-in for The Dolphin on 8/19, transferring to CBR on 8/20 and checking out 8/27.

My dilemma is this; my husband and I cannot agree on when to hit the road. I want to leave around 6pm on 8/18 and drive straight through so the kids will sleep through a large portion of the trip. DH wants to leave around 8am on 8/18, stop for the night and resume the trip the next day. I am worried that if we follow his plan we will hit traffic and have "Are we there yet?" whiny kids which will result in a miserable "We are never doing this again!" trip.

Has anyone tried it both ways who can help us make our decision?

lopat!!! im across the bridge in nazareth!! anyway, we did both. the only problem with night driving is your four kids are going to be ready to go when you get there and you and dh are going to be ready for bed. we did that for a few year while dd was very small and it was ruff. if we drive straight thru anymore, we leave at 3am and get down there at 7pm. you have a big weapon as a parent in a car while driving to wdw,"dont make me fly you home to grammys"!! you will be amazed how well the kids travel. bring alot of dvds, games etc...

 

[dvczerfs]

So I was talking to fiance and it sounds like we may be leaving on Wed instead of Thursday. Here's the new plan.

Leave NJ around 4:30-5pm....hopefully get to Fredericksburgh VA, around 10pm. Anyone know anything about this area? Is it safe? any good CLEAN hotels?

Then back on the road by 8-9am the next morning, get to Savannah, GA by 8-9pm, and then leaving the next morning for WDW, arrive on the 20th.

not sure were in nj you are but 4:30-5pm heading in that direction sounds like you are going to sit in alot of rush hour traffic. fredricksburgh va is a nice area to stay. as far as clean hotels, we stick to hampton inns but i also there are alot of people who stay in others that have said they are nice. microtel is one name i hear people talking about.

 

[KnightFarms]

Anyone use/recoomend any of the online trip planners for driving down? I did a quick search and there are like 10 sites that come up...

Coming from Cleveland, OH down 77 before jogging over to 95

• Best truck stops?
• Any super yummy BBQ places that people have gone to?
• Best playgrounds on the way? Or fast food places with super cool play places?

Looking forward to planning this adventure with you all.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Anyone use/recoomend any of the online trip planners for driving down? I did a quick search and there are like 10 sites that come up...

Coming from Cleveland, OH down 77 before jogging over to 95

• Best truck stops?
• Any super yummy BBQ places that people have gone to?
• Best playgrounds on the way? Or fast food places with super cool play places?

Looking forward to planning this adventure with you all.

I actually picked up a book Drive I-95 By Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner. Got it @ Borders with my 40% off coupon. Has a map and what is right off that exit from Boston to Miami. Not sure at whatpoint you would be getting on 95 if it is even worth it for you, but it looks pretty good. I have been using it for research, looking up hotels that they have listed off those exits. GL!

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

not sure were in nj you are but 4:30-5pm heading in that direction sounds like you are going to sit in alot of rush hour traffic. fredricksburgh va is a nice area to stay. as far as clean hotels, we stick to hampton inns but i also there are alot of people who stay in others that have said they are nice. microtel is one name i hear people talking about.

We are coming from the shore (exit 98 on the GS parkway), I am thinking the closer we leave to 4 the better? what do you think?

I am just trying so hard to avoid the DC traffic

 

[BC1836]

We are coming from the shore (exit 98 on the GS parkway), I am thinking the closer we leave to 4 the better? what do you think?

I am just trying so hard to avoid the DC traffic

Greeetings from 31 mile markers away!

We have taken the WDW drive 19 times since 2002 and maintain one main rule: leave very, very early in the morning to avoid the greater DC (southern MD/northern VA) rush hour mess. A 4 a.m. departure is too late, except perhaps on a weekend. A 3 a.m. departure would be better.

All the best.

 

[sharig5576]

Not on a summer Saturday. It will be a parking lot from DC to Richmond by then !

We'd be leaving on a Friday (Oct 29th). I was hoping DC traffic would be letting up by 10-11am....

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Greeetings from 31 mile markers away!

We have taken the WDW drive 19 times since 2002 and maintain one main rule: leave very, very early in the morning to avoid the greater DC (southern MD/northern VA) rush hour mess. A 4 a.m. departure is too late, except perhaps on a weekend. A 3 a.m. departure would be better.

All the best.

we were actually thinking of 4pm (not sure we could get up and out @ 3am), stopping overnight @ Fredericksburg, VA, then going the next day til Savannah, GA, sleeping there, and then next morning up early for WDW.

How do you think leaving Jersey @ 4pm will be? I know we'll probably hit Jersey traffic, but thinking we should be in DC area around 7pmish?

 

[sharadoc]

We'd be leaving on a Friday (Oct 29th). I was hoping DC traffic would be letting up by 10-11am....

I agree! You should be just fine.

 

[BC1836]

we were actually thinking of 4pm (not sure we could get up and out @ 3am), stopping overnight @ Fredericksburg, VA, then going the next day til Savannah, GA, sleeping there, and then next morning up early for WDW.

How do you think leaving Jersey @ 4pm will be? I know we'll probably hit Jersey traffic, but thinking we should be in DC area around 7pmish?

What day of the week and what month are you leaving? Two important concerns.

If you are leaving during the summer, whether it's a weekday or a weekend, it's going to be a problem at 4 p.m.

Non-summer weekend departures at 4 p.m. are generally better.
Weekday departures at 4 p.m.?

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

What day of the week and what month are you leaving? Two important concerns.

If you are leaving during the summer, whether it's a weekday or a weekend, it's going to be a problem at 4 p.m.

Non-summer weekend departures at 4 p.m. are generally better.
Weekday departures at 4 p.m.?

It would be a Wed. around 4 Aug 18th.

 

[BC1836]

It would be a Wed. around 4 Aug 18th.

I-195 to the Turnpike, we assume. So that means some heavier traffic to the Delaware Memorial Bridge where you will arrive at rush hour. You've got to deal with the heavier-than-normal traffic heading into the Delaware toll plaza and then similar traffic heading to Baltimore. It's not exactly the best time to depart, but if you have no other alternative go with the flow [however, the "flow" will be slow].

All the best.

 

[KnightFarms]

I actually picked up a book Drive I-95 By Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner. Got it @ Borders with my 40% off coupon. Has a map and what is right off that exit from Boston to Miami. Not sure at whatpoint you would be getting on 95 if it is even worth it for you, but it looks pretty good. I have been using it for research, looking up hotels that they have listed off those exits. GL!

Thanks for the info about the book. I seem to remember getting it out of the library before.
We will won't jog on to I95 until over 2/3 of our trip is complete.

Any good books on driving 77? Maybe that's my ticket to the big bucks!

 

[mamaprincess]

Are there any folks from central Illinois that just take I-74 to I-57 instead of the map quest route of I-74 to I-55 to I-64 to I-57? Does staying on I-74 to I-57 take a lot more time and take me out of the way. The map quest way seems convoluted but we have never driven to WDW before so we don't really know which way is best. Thanks for your help.

 

[dvczerfs]

We are coming from the shore (exit 98 on the GS parkway), I am thinking the closer we leave to 4 the better? what do you think?

I am just trying so hard to avoid the DC traffic

bc the person to talk to. thats more her neck of the woods!

 

[pwdebbie]

As DH & I get older the drive down is still fun, because of the Disney rush we get, but the drive back seems to take forever. We have resorted a few times to take the Auto-train home unless we have 2-3 extra days to drive. The straight thru on the way home just isn't happening. The Auto-train does the driving for us and gets us to only about 4 hours drive to home w/ 16-20 of rest & relaxation on the train. We get a sleeper car because I have to sleep flat and also because I don't do well sharing a large space sleeping with strangers, as in coach.

I'm thinking about the Auto-train but have a few questions. Maybe you can help.
1) My dh is 6'3" and the largest "bed" is 6' or so. Will he be comfortable?
2) I would want to have a bathroom in our room since dh has cognitive issues and could get lost if he leaves the room. Is this the kind of room you used?
3) How is the sense of motion in the room and in the bed? Do you feel a lot of swaying that could bother someone with equilibrium problems?
4) How would a sleeper room be for someone with claustrophobia?
5) Walking to the dining car -- Is it easy to move from car to car? (I remember as a kid that you could see through to the tracks. My dh would definitely not like that!)
6) Prices seem high. How do you go about finding good deals (if you did)?

Thanks!