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

[Tweevil]

We are coming from St. Louis. I made a list of hotels that I would be willing to stop at past Atlanta. Mainly I picked Hampton Inns in Macon, Tifton, Valdosta, Adele, Lake City and Ocala (I think). I figure once we get past Atlanta we will have a better idea of where to stop. At that point, I will call and make a reservation or book one on the laptop.

Good idea! My GPS shows me hotels around so I could do that.
I love Hampton Inns, actually that's the one I want to stay at.

Thanks!

 

[amtag]

We are staying at a comfort inn I think, but it's further down in Georgia, almost to the Florida border. We are leaving around 3am on the 21st from Northern NJ and hope to make it there by 7pm (crossing fingers!)

 

[patclairesmom]

We are staying at a comfort inn I think, but it's further down in Georgia, almost to the Florida border. We are leaving around 3am on the 21st from Northern NJ and hope to make it there by 7pm (crossing fingers!)

If you're stopping in Kingsland, Ga, your timing should be right on. We left Central Jersey(takes us about an hour to get on to the turnpike) @4:30 and got to Kingsland at 8pm.

 

[BC1836]

We are staying at a comfort inn I think, but it's further down in Georgia, almost to the Florida border. We are leaving around 3am on the 21st from Northern NJ and hope to make it there by 7pm (crossing fingers!)

Indeed. A good time to depart from home. No rush hour traffic to contend with, just some beach-goer traffic to confront along the way. Perhaps 8:00 p.m. will be a more realistic arrival time.

All the best.

 

[amtag]

Indeed. A good time to depart from home. No rush hour traffic to contend with, just some beach-goer traffic to confront along the way. Perhaps 8:00 p.m. will be a more realistic arrival time.

All the best.

Thanks - I could live with 8pm

 

[cburek]

Hi Everyone~!
I am getting ready to head out Saturday am from NJ to WDW - check in on Sunday.

I figure if I drive 12 or so hours it should put me at the edge of SC or top of GA. Anybody have a good place to stay in mind? How about if I decided to go for it and just go to FL. Think I could find someplace to stay near Disney without a ressie? Should I make a couple?

I usually drive straight but this time work has beat me up so I think I am going to have to stop. Any suggestions when you want to stop but don't know where? LOL

We are leaving next Saturday. This is our 3rd drive down this year, I know, we are nuts but its cheaper to go to Florida than the Jersey Shore
12 hours no traffic, we have always stopped in Savannah. We live outside Philadelphia. I know leaving later on a saturday that we are going to hit some kind of traffic. thinking we are leaving around 11a this time. We normally leave early like 430a -500a. There are quiet a few places in Savannah right off 95. A new Embassy suites, Springhill suites by Marriot. Hilton Garden Inn. all right near the airport. about 4 1/2 the next day to drive.
If you run into traffic and stop sooner than Savannah, Florence SC is about a 10hr ride for us and again there are some real nice places there, Hilton Garden inn 3 Marriott properties right there also. If you are stopping in Florence its about another 7 1/2 - 8 hours the next day.
Safe travels

 

[cruisingkat]

I thought about this last night but I can give you what my family has done for years with gas. Our fueling strategy is to get gas in Peducah ,KY to avoid gassing in TN. Then, in GA before Atlanta. Then finally, the last couple exits before FL. TN and FL tend to be higher in price and we try our best to avoid filling in those other states as much as we can.

That was our strategy until the last year or so. But, I have to disagree with you based on our experiences over the past year (Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, and June). We have found the gas to be cheaper in TN than around Paducah, KY and even GA. And the price of gas goes up in GA as you get closer to the FL border.

 

[dvczerfs]

That was our strategy until the last year or so. But, I have to disagree with you based on our experiences over the past year (Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, and June). We have found the gas to be cheaper in TN than around Paducah, KY and even GA. And the price of gas goes up in GA as you get closer to the FL border.

i have a customer who has a huge motor home. he has a built in gps on his motor home. this gps gives him the current prices of gas along his travel route. i have a garmin nuvi but its a few years old. i wounder if there is a gps sold that will give you the gas price info? his is built into his dash. we seem to stop at the same stations in virginia, s.caolina, and ga. eveytime. virginia (warrenton) always seems to be a few cents cheeper than the rest. we basicly pay about the same within a few cents of each other. there was one time a stopped at a dif. one because we had friends following us and they had a big suv so we had to stop more, and the place we stopped at was 25 cents more. i didnt fill up, not that the 15 gallons at 25 cents more would kill me but i felt i was being racked over the coals because i was a tourist.i dont mind a few cents but dont try to rape me because theres another station at the next exit.

 

[dvczerfs]

We are leaving next Saturday. This is our 3rd drive down this year, I know, we are nuts but its cheaper to go to Florida than the Jersey Shore
12 hours no traffic, we have always stopped in Savannah. We live outside Philadelphia. I know leaving later on a saturday that we are going to hit some kind of traffic. thinking we are leaving around 11a this time. We normally leave early like 430a -500a. There are quiet a few places in Savannah right off 95. A new Embassy suites, Springhill suites by Marriot. Hilton Garden Inn. all right near the airport. about 4 1/2 the next day to drive.
If you run into traffic and stop sooner than Savannah, Florence SC is about a 10hr ride for us and again there are some real nice places there, Hilton Garden inn 3 Marriott properties right there also. If you are stopping in Florence its about another 7 1/2 - 8 hours the next day.
Safe travels

so true!!! its cheeper going to wdw than it is to long beach island!! cleaner too!

 

[Fastpaks]

That was our strategy until the last year or so. But, I have to disagree with you based on our experiences over the past year (Oct, Nov, Dec, Feb, and June). We have found the gas to be cheaper in TN than around Paducah, KY and even GA. And the price of gas goes up in GA as you get closer to the FL border.

That IS interesting. We leave in about 77 days or so. So I'm, curious to see what Chipper10's experience with gas going down is. I knew about the gas going up as you get closer to the border. Traditionally, we would fuel in Valdosta. Awesome information though.

 

[chipper10]

That IS interesting. We leave in about 77 days or so. So I'm, curious to see what Chipper10's experience with gas going down is. I knew about the gas going up as you get closer to the border. Traditionally, we would fuel in Valdosta. Awesome information though.

I've never even thought about the differences in gas. Here on the IL side we are always more expensive than MO. I'll try to keep notes of where we stop and what gas prices are at.

 

[BC1836]

We are leaving next Saturday. This is our 3rd drive down this year, I know, we are nuts but its cheaper to go to Florida than the Jersey Shore

Your third drive! Cool.

All the best.

 

[Marshay]

I'm planning our 2nd drive down to WDW for November, but this time we are doing it in 2 days. Current plan shows us stopping in one of the following areas. Any recommendations as to which is a nicer/safer/less expensive or overall 'better' place to stop?

1. Dillon, SC
2. Florence, SC
3. Manning, SC
4. Santee, SC

Many thanks!

 

[dvczerfs]

I'm planning our 2nd drive down to WDW for November, but this time we are doing it in 2 days. Current plan shows us stopping in one of the following areas. Any recommendations as to which is a nicer/safer/less expensive or overall 'better' place to stop?

1. Dillon, SC
2. Florence, SC
3. Manning, SC
4. Santee, SC

Many thanks!

we have stayed at each one but manning. we were at dillon in october, it was ok. we stay at hampton inns and we felt save at it. when we hit the hotel for over night, we pack a cooler and when we get in our room we shower, get our stuff ready for the next morning,3am, and eat what we packed in the cooler. we stop around 6:30 so its about 8-8:30 to we fall a sleep. if we fall a sleep. pending on the time of year, we dont even see the place in the day light.

 

[BC1836]

I'm planning our 2nd drive down to WDW for November, but this time we are doing it in 2 days. Current plan shows us stopping in one of the following areas. Any recommendations as to which is a nicer/safer/less expensive or overall 'better' place to stop?

1. Dillon, SC
2. Florence, SC
3. Manning, SC
4. Santee, SC

Many thanks!

Lots of choices, especially in Florence.
Dvczerfs, as usual, offers sound advice.
All the best.

 

[thumbalyna]

i am trying to plan our stop over and right now i am thinking Kingsland there seems to be a lot of hotels off this exit and suggestions - i am looking for clean and also not super expensive - i saw days inn and a red roof inn for around 50 any other suggestions - thanks

 

[Grendalynn]

We are a family of 5 who normally drives to Flroida from Northern NH every year... Generally we can make it non-stop to Orlando in roughly 22 hours or 2400 miles round trip... DH (a truck driver) likes to go comando-style... we eat on the road, only take "pit-stops" at gas stops and drive straight through... It costs a fraction of what flights would cost for a family of 5. Last april is costs us about $600 round trip, between gas and tollls... Granted we have fastpass, but that what we estimated.

We generally leave around 5pm, which puts us in NYC near 10pm or so and out of the rush hour problem... So far its worked in our favor and have only been hung up onceor twice in CT and/or NYC....

We will be making the treck again this fall to take advantage of WDWs Free Dining offer... i am trying to talk DH into flying, since we are only taking aweek for this adventure. But to save the money we will most likely drive and save 50%...

 

[cburek]

Your third drive! Cool.

All the best.

Thanks, good thing we like to drive

 

[kidd_freeper]

...DH (a truck driver) likes to go comando-style...

Does your husband prefer to go the I95 route or the I81 route through the mountains.

Truckers know the roads better

 

[LisaNJ25]

i am trying to plan our stop over and right now i am thinking Kingsland there seems to be a lot of hotels off this exit and suggestions - i am looking for clean and also not super expensive - i saw days inn and a red roof inn for around 50 any other suggestions - thanks

I booked the Comfort Suites in Kinsgland for Saturday. It was $80 but thats for 6 of us. I believe it was less if you have 4 people. If also includes breakfast so thats a plus for me.

I am, now trying to find something in South Carolina to book as a back up but have to look some more. If the room doesn't hold 6 than I want a place with exterior doors so we all dont walk thru the lobby