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

[sea nymph]

Gas Update......I heard the Pilot in Skippers, VA is $1.92.
Any suggestions for the best place to stop to gas up and stretch along 95.
Looking for safety as we'll be traveling through the night from SE PA to Orlando.

Last year at the end of April we paid $3.50 a gallon!

 

[amcnj]

One local station posted $1.99 per gallon, regular.

All the best.

Uh oh! Four of the stations that were $2.00 yesterday are 2.09 today! There was, however, still one at 1.99 and one at $2.00. But they will probably change by the ride home.

 

[Simba's Girl]

Uh oh! Four of the stations that were $2.00 yesterday are 2.09 today! There was, however, still one at 1.99 and one at $2.00. But they will probably change by the ride home.

Hopefully its just because of the holiday weekend and they'll be back down next week.

 

[pwdebbie]

Hey, BC, the trip is ON. Hubby said Tuesday morning that we are going, no ifs, ands, or buts. So now I (the driver) need to decide whether I am doing 81-77-26-95 or 15-17-95 (the route we used to take to Williamsburg in the pre-empty-nester days when we didn't want to venture to far from home). We hit the road on the 19th.

 

[BC1836]

Hey, BC, the trip is ON. Hubby said Tuesday morning that we are going, no ifs, ands, or buts. So now I (the driver) need to decide whether I am doing 81-77-26-95 or 15-17-95 (the route we used to take to Williamsburg in the pre-empty-nester days when we didn't want to venture to far from home). We hit the road on the 19th.

The 19th, eh? We hope to depart two days earlier than that. Once we cross the DE Memorial Bridge, it'll be I-95 for us until exit #260B in FL! If possible, we'll try to post some highway "news" for you prior to your depature.

All the best.

 

[specialkk77]

Where you coming down from? Just made the drive from MA, don't remember anything crazy in terms of construction.

Left just S of Boston around 4AM, made it to Jacksonville by 10PM so I feel like I made good time.

we're headed out from the albany area of ny. i'm glad there's nothing major!

 

[BC1836]

Hey, BC, the trip is ON. We hit the road on the 19th.

Gettin' closer....

All the best.

 

[jm106]

Any tips for timing leaving from NJ on a Saturday? Last time we left at 4 pm and drove straight through. This trip we are leaving in the morning and stopping around Florence, SC.
Also returning- we left Florence S.C. heading North at 7 am and GPS took us right through D.C. traffic which was horrible(DH and I were chatting and didnt realize it until it was too late.) We didnt get home until 7 pm, over 3 hours later then planned. This time we will be leaving from Charleston S.C.

 

[BC1836]

Any tips for timing leaving from NJ on a Saturday? Last time we left at 4 pm and drove straight through. This trip we are leaving in the morning and stopping around Florence, SC.
Also returning- we left Florence S.C. heading North at 7 am and GPS took us right through D.C. traffic which was horrible(DH and I were chatting and didnt realize it until it was too late.) We didnt get home until 7 pm, over 3 hours later then planned. This time we will be leaving from Charleston S.C.

Except in the summer, driving on I-95 from NJ to somewhere on the road to Lake Buena Vista and WDW should not be too much of a problem, since it doesn't involve weekday traffic. Now then, on your return, stay with I-95 but AVOID the northern VA area (Note: if you drive I-95 you will actually enter DC for several hundred feet on the Wilson Bridge) at/near rush hour if during the work week. I-95 can also generate slow downs on the weekend unless you drive in the pre-dawn hours. Bottom line: I-95 though southern MD/DC/northern VA is usually a crap shoot.

On our next drive, we will be departing at 6 a.m. on a Friday, expecting to hit VA after the rush hour. Our first day drive goal: Yulee, FL. On our return, we usually stay in Emporia or Petersburg, VA.

All the best.

 

[jm106]

Except in the summer, driving on I-95 from NJ to somewhere on the road to Lake Buena Vista and WDW should not be too much of a problem, since it doesn't involve weekday traffic. Now then, on your return, stay with I-95 but AVOID the northern VA area (Note: if you drive I-95 you will actually enter DC for several hundred feet on the Wilson Bridge) at/near rush hour if during the work week. I-95 can also generate slow downs on the weekend unless you drive in the pre-dawn hours. Bottom line: I-95 though southern MD/DC/northern VA is usually a crap shoot.

On our next drive, we will be departing at 6 a.m. on a Friday, expecting to hit VA after the rush hour. Our first day drive goal: Yulee, FL. On our return, we usually stay in Emporia or Petersburg, VA.

All the best.

Thanks. This will be the week prior to July 4th so summer traffic.

 

[nono]

Also returning- we left Florence S.C. heading North at 7 am and GPS took us right through D.C. traffic which was horrible(DH and I were chatting and didnt realize it until it was too late.) We didnt get home until 7 pm, over 3 hours later then planned. This time we will be leaving from Charleston S.C.

Wait. You left Florence, SC, and got to NJ within 12 hours, with bad traffic? Did you not have any bathroom breaks? Or do you live directly over the Delaware Memorial Bridge?

 

[jm106]

Wait. You left Florence, SC, and got to NJ within 12 hours, with bad traffic? Did you not have any bathroom breaks? Or do you live directly over the Delaware Memorial Bridge?

we are just over 9 hours from Florence on map app

 

[nono]

we are just over 9 hours from Florence on map app

Yeah, but as you noted, bad traffic AND bad routing. I think you should count that as a major win (even if it didn't feel like it at the time!)

 

[Cyrra]

Do any of you have a favorite app you like to use for directions and traffic conditions? I have a Garmin that does both but sometimes while I'm the passenger I like to refer to my tablet or cell instead. I'm still waiting for an all inclusive app that will also spew interesting or historical facts at me about the locations I'm driving thru, I love road tripping and think that would be a bonus.

 

[jm106]

Yeah, but as you noted, bad traffic AND bad routing. I think you should count that as a major win (even if it didn't feel like it at the time!)

I'll consider myself lucky then and try to adjust my expectations going in this trip. I find the time in the car pretty hard to handle so an extra 3 hours seemed like an eternity.

 

[patclairesmom]

Speaking of summer traffic...we plan on leaving central NJ @4am on Saturday Aug 15th and stopping overnight in Brunswick Ga. This should put us in Baltimore @7am and DC 8am. Will there be any beach traffic that we would run into?

 

[TandLMommy28]

HI! We haven't driven to WDW in a while (2010) but we decided to do a last minute trip and that means driving is our best bet. We are in Fort Wayne, IN. I believe it's around 2200 miles round trip. The trip is a surprise, and to throw my kids off we are going to my sister's house in Rittman Ohio the night before (roughly an hour south of Cleveland). From there it's MUCH faster to pick up 77 and head south so drive-wise it also works out. From our house the last time we drove, we drove quite a long time on back roads to pick up the main highway.

Our route will be 77 to 95. We plan to stop somewhere in the stretch from Savannah to Jacksonville to sleep. We road trip a lot and usually are ready to stop somewhere in the 11-13 hour range. Any suggestions? We prefer somewhere with a big breakfast.

Also, it seems like once we hit Jacksonville, there are several ways to go. Google Maps says to take 95 to 4. Is that the best way or is something else better/less tolls/less traffic?

 

[minnie mum]

Our route will be 77 to 95. We plan to stop somewhere in the stretch from Savannah to Jacksonville to sleep. We road trip a lot and usually are ready to stop somewhere in the 11-13 hour range. Any suggestions? We prefer somewhere with a big breakfast.

Also, it seems like once we hit Jacksonville, there are several ways to go. Google Maps says to take 95 to 4. Is that the best way or is something else better/less tolls/less traffic?

My advice- DO NOT drive thru Jax. Take the bypass. There are no tolls on the 95/4 route. But if you hit Orlando anywhere near a rush hour expect stop and go traffic all the way to the WDW exits. Also, they've started a major construction project on I 4 in Orlando that will make things even worse. Because of this we took the 417 bypass. Its a bit longer, and it is a toll road, but we probably saved an hour in rush hour traffic.

 

[stfam5]

Coming from Beaumont, we usually stop around Hammond, La. Pick bigger well lit stations. Most of the time we spend the night in Daphne, Al cause by then, we're both tired, and that tunnel traffic gets on our nerves. Gas up in Daphne, stop again arounD Tallahassee for a meal ( We stop at the Cracker Barrel, it's convenient). Gas up again, and the next time we stop is usually on the tollway in one of their gas stations. Gets us close enough to Orlando and gives us enough gas for driving around. We're going again in May but we're flying this time. Have fun!

We drive it from houston too and overnight- Husband works night shift so it works out great for us too We had breakfast at that cracker barrel in tallahassee, and we were pulling a travel trailer- great parking lot! We drove houston to tallahasse first leg then rested and finished it out. Making the drive again this june with our best friends, both families pulling trailers. Driving overnight again, both husbands work nights Can't wait to get back to the fort and WDW!

 

[pwdebbie]

My advice- DO NOT drive thru Jax. Take the bypass. There are no tolls on the 95/4 route. But if you hit Orlando anywhere near a rush hour expect stop and go traffic all the way to the WDW exits. Also, they've started a major construction project on I 4 in Orlando that will make things even worse. Because of this we took the 417 bypass. Its a bit longer, and it is a toll road, but we probably saved an hour in rush hour traffic.

Bypass around Jacksonville is 295, right? Which way is best -- around the west side of the city or the east side?
417 is definitely in my plans even though we will be hitting Orlando around noon.

Also, should I go straight through Charlotte or is there a route around? (We've always gone straight through.)