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

[BC1836]

New Jersey drivers: this is the thread to ask your questions!

All the best.

 

[Tanooki]

Driving home right now Day 1 of our 2-day trip. It's been a great vacation. Weather was perfect, clear skies all week long, although a little chilly sometimes but, hey, better than home, right?
Cheapest gas so far has been in SC, at 3.49$/gal.
We hit some major traffic when we got to FL on March 2nd as the I-95 was closed between exits 273 and 268 because of forest fires. Our GPS caught it in time as we were able to exit just before that but the other half of our traveling party waited 3 hours to travel 5 miles...
We are now on the I-26 and there's a car on fire on the eastbound side, around mile 142. It looks like it's a recent event as the firetruck was getting there when we passed by so it might cause a lot of trouble from now on...

Well, it looks like we picked the right dates to travel, just between the storms. We should be home tomorrow night, and the weather looks perfect again, dry and kind of warm (for us!). Dare I dream of a winter road trip that doesn't end in a snowstorm, for once?
Have a great day everyone, and stay safe on the road!

 

[OklahomaTourist]

Anyone here planning a drive from the midwest, eg Oklahoma/Texas/Kansas vicinity in the near future?

Have done it a few times, now...and looking forward to ours later this summer, just looking for road trip war stories from fellow travelers.

Our family loves the trip, I've got the drive all-but memorized....can hardly wait.

 

[discrazy2]

Have always flown to Disney in the past but drove last spring break (95 route)and I'm hooked! Thank you all for your suggestions and expertise. Driving again this spring break leaving Friday 3/22 after work at 5:00 (I know may not be the best time but too anxious to wait!). Having the 95/western route battle with husband. I think I may have him convinced to try the western route due to so much construction on 95. Any suggestions where to stop for the night (hoping to put in around 7 hours of drive time) or which route to minimize traffic.

 

[MarissaHershkowitz]

I thought this thread was closed. Im so happy its open. I'm trying to navigate thru the sight and just now figured out how to reply to a post from the iPad app. Well anyway we drove in October 2010, my kids were perfect in the car ages 5 and 3 at the time. In 2012 we flew in March and again at the end of April. My kids ears hurt so bad on the plane and I suffer from anxiety while my hubby sleeps the whole time leaving me to deal with it all. Anyway I have been planning my next trip since I returned home last May and I just booked the Wilderness Lodge for May 2014 and we are DRIVING.... so excited and I cant wait to read all of these post to get ideas on what to do different this time around. Even though it was great in'10. My kids are older now and will be 9 and 7 when we drive again from Long Island NY.
Is there another route besides 95? I look forward to reviewing the post.

 

[loveysbydesign]

I thought this thread was closed. Im so happy its open. I'm trying to navigate thru the sight and just now figured out how to reply to a post from the iPad app. Well anyway we drove in October 2010, my kids were perfect in the car ages 5 and 3 at the time. In 2012 we flew in March and again at the end of April. My kids ears hurt so bad on the plane and I suffer from anxiety while my hubby sleeps the whole time leaving me to deal with it all. Anyway I have been planning my next trip since I returned home last May and I just booked the Wilderness Lodge for May 2014 and we are DRIVING.... so excited and I cant wait to read all of these post to get ideas on what to do different this time around. Even though it was great in'10. My kids are older now and will be 9 and 7 when we drive again from Long Island NY.
Is there another route besides 95? I look forward to reviewing the post.

You can also take 78 through PA to 81 through the mountains of Virgina. Then pick up 77 to 26, then meet up with 95 in Georgia. We live near Allentown PA and thats the way we always drive.

 

[MarissaHershkowitz]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm going to map quest it out. Is this the only way you go because you live in PA or have you done 95 also

 

[MarissaHershkowitz]

You can also take 78 through PA to 81 through the mountains of Virgina. Then pick up 77 to 26, then meet up with 95 in Georgia. We live near Allentown PA and thats the way we always drive.

Am I suppose to hit quote to reply. Im new to this haha

 

[loveysbydesign]

Thanks a lot for the info. I'm going to map quest it out. Is this the only way you go because you live in PA or have you done 95 also

We could take the PA turnpike to the Blue Rte to 95 but we hate that route

 

[BC1836]

Am I suppose to hit quote to reply. Im new to this haha

Howdy...and welcome! You only need to utilize the quote function if you want to respond to something specific in a post, and even then it's not necessary.

The important thing is that you are among fellow folks who have driven or will drive (and in some cases are driving as we communcicate!) the 2,000+ mile round-trip WDW drive.

All the best.

 

[Disneyholic]

Well, I bit the Autotrain bullet. Sorry guys. Our trip in April will be Autotrain down, but driving back. As we get older, it is just a little too much driving to still be fresh to do the parks when we get there.

In November 2013 when we go down for our cruise we will definitely be driving down, but will decide closer to the time whether we will drive back. I am giving us 3 days to get home after both trips. We used to do it in 2 days, but it all depends on how we feel & how anxious we are to get home. I just like to build in an extra day leeway in case we are too tired.

Some day we may take the motorcycles down, but if we do we will need almost a week because we each ride our own, so can't spell eachother while the other sleeps. That will have to wait till we retire. In the meantime we are planning on doing some overnight roadtrips around PA to get used to more highway driving. That way we will find out how much driving we can take before we have to stop for the night. With the car you can tend to zone out. On the motorcycle you can't do that or you're dead.

 

[alenushka]

We are driving from NYC to Fl next week Thursday Anybody else?
It's been a year since we drove there...
Any advise/caution on new constructions areas?
I have heard there are new apps for most updated traffic reports - does anyone know the name of these apps
We will probably leave only around 7 am - should we take I-495 around DC or go straight through on I-295?
Thank you!

 

[Hasil72]

We are driving from NYC to Fl next week Thursday Anybody else?
It's been a year since we drove there...
Any advise/caution on new constructions areas?
I have heard there are new apps for most updated traffic reports - does anyone know the name of these apps
We will probably leave only around 7 am - should we take I-495 around DC or go straight through on I-295?
Thank you!

Woohoo! We won't be leaving until the following Thursday but I'm interested to see what everyone says about 495 vs 295.

Have a great trip!

 

[NJRRK]

You'll be in DC late morning, 295 should be fine. I prefer that to 495, you get a temporary reprieve from the trucks.

 

[sharadoc]

Woohoo! We won't be leaving until the following Thursday but I'm interested to see what everyone says about 495 vs 295.

Have a great trip!

You'll be in DC late morning, 295 should be fine. I prefer that to 495, you get a temporary reprieve from the trucks.

We have NEVER had a smooth trip when we chose 495 West. It usually happens when I'm not paying close enough attention and my DH suddenly asks Which way??? and it's too late to choose

We make sure we're prepared and never use 495. There's always either construction, traffic/lane closures, accidents, something - even at 6 AM on a weekend. Stay on 295/95 as long as it's not between 6 and 10 am or 2 and 7 pm, you'll be fine.

 

[alenushka]

Thank you so much!

 

[BC1836]

We have NEVER had a smooth trip when we chose 495 West. It usually happens when I'm not paying close enough attention and my DH suddenly asks Which way??? and it's too late to choose

We make sure we're prepared and never use 495. There's always either construction, traffic/lane closures, accidents, something - even at 6 AM on a weekend. Stay on 295/95 as long as it's not between 6 and 10 am or 2 and 7 pm, you'll be fine.

Sharadoc speaks words of wisdom. "Let it be."

Gas prices continue their s-l-o-w decline.

All the best.

 

[yespie]

Thanks to everyone who is sending along updates on traffic conditions and construction during their driving trip or soon afterwards. Hope to encourage others to do the same! We will be doing the I-95 drive from Pennsylvania to Orlando in June and we would love to have advance knowledge of construction projects or sections of I-95 on which to use extra caution. We will do the same.

 

[BC1836]

When do you begin your next 2,000+ mile round trip drive countdown?

There are many interpretations: some folks have counters on their posts; some folks begin a month ahead of time. Of course, when it's a week to go, the countdown is truly on.

So, when do you begin your countdown? [Ours has just begun....]

All the best.

 

[Mommee]

Hello We'll be making our third driving trip to Disney in August. While we usually fly, we're staying for two weeks offsite and taking half our home with us this time Just bought a roof-top carrier so we can take even more. I'm undecided about where we'll stop yet. The first time we drove from Michigan to Kentucky day one and had a long day two; the next time we did a long day one (just north of Fl border I think) and short day two. Not sure which was best. Then, of course, there's the option of not stopping as we'll have 3 drivers this time

Anyway, I plan on following along and gathering tips, etc. It's been two years since our last drive.