"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (Part V)

[dvczerfs]

Apparently the long-distance drivers on this thread are not familiar with this route. Perhaps dvczerfs might have a response.

All the best.

If I recall, 13 takes you up the coast. Last time I was out that way I was a kid. I recall going over and under the Chesapeake bridge,tunnel. Stopping for a few days in Philadelphia.
I stay away from the coast from Virginia north. Lol Where I live, near Allentown,Bethlehem,Easton Pa, I'm 5 minutes from I78 which turns into I81. I take what is called the inland route on here. Pending weather, I will take 81/66/17/95 but only if weather isn't good on I81/I77.
People say it's longer, miles are almost the same as going 66/17/95 to the mile. Time, the people who follow my adventures on fb can verify, I hit the Florida welcoming center in 13 - 131/2 hours. I just returned from a trip a few weeks ago and hit,seen or got held up in nothing. I hit Jax. and Orlando in the wee hours of Saturday morning and hit no traffic at all. We don't stop for sit down meals. Only drive thru,gas and restroom breaks and they're in and out.
Most of the speed limit is 70. I hang in the 75 range. I drive a 2016 crystler t&c loaded with my wife stuff so I'm not flying. Now when we took the glk350, that was a different story.lol
On Saturday March 11 we departed the poly at 3:15am, stopped for gas at the mk gas station. Drove 1194 miles and pulled up in front of the house at 7:30pm. If I would plan our stops a bit better I probably could shave some off but I'm getting old.lol

 

[Uncranky Donald]

Does anyone here have experience driving on Route 13 through VA/MD/DE? I will be driving to Northeast PA from WDW and have done I95 before. Just want to see if it's worth a little detour. TIA.

LAX

I've been on R 13 a few times, though only once coming back from Florida. If you have never been on it an want to experience the bridge/tunnel and views I would say go for it if you have the time. I'm assuming this is what you want as you said "detour" so you clearly know it's not a short cut I'm not entirely sure why we drove that way coming back from Miami that one time...I think I had handed over the Atlas to someone else while I was sleeping Maybe they thought Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold would be re-enacting True Lies on the Bridge!

 

[LAX]

I've been on R 13 a few times, though only once coming back from Florida. If you have never been on it an want to experience the bridge/tunnel and views I would say go for it if you have the time. I'm assuming this is what you want as you said "detour" so you clearly know it's not a short cut I'm not entirely sure why we drove that way coming back from Miami that one time...I think I had handed over the Atlas to someone else while I was sleeping Maybe they thought Jamie Lee Curtis and Arnold would be re-enacting True Lies on the Bridge!

It was a case of looking at Google map & see if I can find an alternate route between FL and PA. I am hoping traffic won't be so bad since it's not an Interstate highway. Plus, the bridge-tunnel complex sounds kind of cool after I did a little more more research. As long as the route doesn't have any significant downside, I don't mind driving an extra hour or two. Heck, I might get caught up in DC traffic for similar duration! Thanks.

LAX

 

[Uncranky Donald]

It was a case of looking at Google map & see if I can find an alternate route between FL and PA. I am hoping traffic won't be so bad since it's not an Interstate highway. Plus, the bridge-tunnel complex sounds kind of cool after I did a little more more research. As long as the route doesn't have any significant downside, I don't mind driving an extra hour or two. Heck, I might get caught up in DC traffic for similar duration! Thanks.

LAX

I honestly remember it more going down on the way to Virginia Beach than coming back, and funny enough I just had a conversation with a friend about her experience driving over the bridge at night and how terrified she was. It's a love it or hate it kind of thing...I love it, her, not so much lol. I love a good detour, and you're right, with a chance of traffic in DC you might as well be somewhere pretty on your drive...good luck!!

 

[Belle1962]

I85 in Atlanta is closed north and southbound. A portion of the road collapsed yesterday. The side streets are packed. 285 is also packed. GDOT just announced BOTH north and southbound lanes for SEVERAL MONTHS. I would recommend avoiding the Atlanta metro area. Take an alternate route, even if it adds more time to your travel. Use your GPS or use Waze.

 

[LAX]

I85 in Atlanta is closed north and southbound. A portion of the road collapsed yesterday. The side streets are packed. 285 is also packed. GDOT just announced BOTH north and southbound lanes for SEVERAL MONTHS. I would recommend avoiding the Atlanta metro area. Take an alternate route, even if it adds more time to your travel. Use your GPS or use Waze.

That's terrible. I heard on the news that there was no injury, which was a good thing. I hope it doesn't have much carry-over effect onto I95 through GA.

LAX

 

[nono]

OK, about Rt. 13. Just. Don't. When I go "up and around," I go I 95, not Rt. 13. When I take the ferry from Cape May, I do take Rt. 113 to Rt. 13, but it is way the heck down where it isn't light after light after light after...well you get the idea. My $0.02.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

We hit the road in 12 days. I can't wait!!! I so need a vacation!!!
We are thinking of leaving around 7pm.
According to DH ( he is the driving expert) we should arrive the next day around 3pm. That's of course if things go smoothly.

 

[LBHouse]

We returned home last week from trip #24. First driving trip was in June of 2013. Six kids and a Minivan. Driving from Southwest Michigan

 

[Buzzsgramma]

DH and I will be driving thur Atlanta in mid May to the World....Always use the HOV lane....now with the fire and closing of roads on I-85 what to do now...we usually hit Atlanta around 1 pm.....

 

[pmdeve]

Where is a good place to stop on the way from Philadelphia?

 

[pmdeve]

Are there any PH discounts at Disney Hilton Head

 

[Poohs Pal]

DH and I will be driving thur Atlanta in mid May to the World....Always use the HOV lane....now with the fire and closing of roads on I-85 what to do now...we usually hit Atlanta around 1 pm.....

We will be making the drive from Fenton in November. Driven countless times and occasionally fly. Depends who is traveling with us. All adults. the people in our group with kids fly. Which route do you take.

 

[nono]

Where is a good place to stop on the way from Philadelphia?

What time of day are you planning to leave?

 

[pmdeve]

We are planning to take 95 all the way down and leaving about 7:30 - 8:00. We are hoping that we will be after rush hour in Baltimore and DC.

 

[NH-to-FL]

Where is a good place to stop on the way from Philadelphia?

We are planning to take 95 all the way down and leaving about 7:30 - 8:00. We are hoping that we will be after rush hour in Baltimore and DC.

On our last driving trip south we had stopped in South Jersey to visit family and left about that time. We decided to break the trip south into two almost equal legs and stopped at the Best Western in Lumberton, NC. Nice place, pleasant people, with plenty of amenities nearby.

 

[pmdeve]

Thank you. Sounds like a great place to stop.

 

[sharadoc]

Where is a good place to stop on the way from Philadelphia?

Hi. I don't know if anyone answered this yet as I just jumped in lol.

If you want to stop at around 8 hours, Florence is a good option. It's a busy exit, has tons of fine hotels. Lumberton is a good place for us on the way home.

If you want to push your first day and just have a quick 2nd day, then Savannah GA is great, but it will be 11-12 hours depending on your speed and stops on the way. But then the next day is only 5 hours or so, which means you can get a good night's sleep.

For us, we need to stop at a reasonable time and arrive refreshed and ready for our vacation on day 2, so we don't push anymore. We're not as "enthusiastic" about the drive as we used to be, so we don't want to push too hard on the first day and then get frustrated or annoyed.

 

[ncc1701]

We live outside of Philadelphia in South Jersey.
When we drove we stopped at Walterboro, SC. It's about an hour or so north of Georgia .

 

[mdelano4]

Where is a good place to stop on the way from Philadelphia?

We don't live too far from Philadelphia. We always use the same route. 95 straight down to Florence, SC. We stay at the Hampton Inn, Civic Center. It's right off 95 and across from a strip mall with a Target for the things that the kids inevitably forgot (cell chargers anyone?). It's nice and clean and most important to us, has inside room entries (we don't do outside entries). It's 10 to 12 hours (depending on traffic) from the Jersey Shore. That leaves us a drive of about 7 hours to WDW. On the way back we stay at a Hampton Inn in Rocky Mount, NC.

On the next drive I am tossing around the idea of driving further south on the way down, maybe in the area of Hilton Head. I really want to minimize the time in the car on the second day and get the WDW as early as possible.