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

[sharadoc]

So we should leave by 2am or wait until 6am? Which is better?

On a Friday in August, the VA and NC shore traffic will be starting in the morning, so if you can, then leave at 2am. You might get stuck in traffic if you don't leave until 6.

 

[sharadoc]

Less than 24hrs till we depart. We decided to stick with I95. Our plan is to leave not later than 3am from Collegeville PA. This should get us down to Richmond, VA before the heavy traffic. We usually drive straight through but seeing we are leaving earlier than planned we will stop in Kingsland, Ga for an overnight stay. The best part of leaving earlier is now we have a whole extra day to plan!! Can you say Typhoon Lagoon!!

Have a great trip!!!

 

[cruisingkat]

Can someone tell me when I DON'T want to be driving through Atlanta? We were planning on leaving at 7am which would put us in Atlanta around 7pm. We just don't want to get stuck in crazy ATL traffic.

We have driven through Atlanta at various times during the day and evening. At 7pm you should be pretty good If there is traffic, we stay in the HOV lane, at least it moves a little faster than the other lanes of traffic during rush hour.

We drive from the Chicago western burbs and take 57 to 24 to 75 to Florida Turnpike. We have tried other routes and have found that to be the easiest and quickest for us. Hate taking 65 to 24 as that route is heavy with trucks.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

I just posted in another thread then found this one! We're driving from St. Louis and decided this time to stop halfway, which looks to be right outside of Atlanta. Any suggestions on what areas I should be looking at for a hotel?

 

[BC1836]

I just posted in another thread then found this one! We're driving from St. Louis and decided this time to stop halfway, which looks to be right outside of Atlanta. Any suggestions on what areas I should be looking at for a hotel?

The familar-named hotel-motel chains are usually your best bet.

It's probably best to make your reservation just after Atlanta instead of just before (a potential rush hour traffic concern).

All the best!

 

[patclairesmom]

Where does everyone stop for gas along I95? Traveling from NJ so I'm thinking somewhere @ Richmond area would be our 1st stop. Any places cheaper than others? Also I always forget, which state has the cheaper gas prices, SC or Ga?

 

[BC1836]

Where does everyone stop for gas along I95? Traveling from NJ so I'm thinking somewhere @ Richmond area would be our 1st stop. Any places cheaper than others? Also I always forget, which state has the cheaper gas prices, SC or Ga?

We depart with a full tank from the Jersey Shore. If our drive involves a nighttime section, we stop at one of the I-95 MD rest stops and fill up (even though we don't have to) because many post-midnight gas stations in VA and SC are not security-enhanced.

On our daytime June drive (#37 since 2002), we purhased regular gas in the Richmond area for $2.43, South of the Border for $2.65 and someplace in GA for $2.54.

Our return drive: Disney Hess (soon changing its identity) $2.57, GA $2.55, SC $2.71, South of the Border $2.65 and Emporia, VA $2.65.

All the best!

 

[jm106]

Just back from a 2 week road trip. We tried a new route this time and mostly worked out well.
We are close to PA in NJ. we took 78 to 81 then jumped on 64 through Charlottesville VA to Richmond, 288 to 95 S. Coming and going over the mountain around Charlottesville was terrible pouring rain, wind and going was very low visibility fog. My SIL used to live near and said its pretty common.
The rest was mostly good. Stopped just south of GA to sleep then drove over to St Augustine and followed A1A down to Daytona(nice drive) had lunch and put toes in the sand before heading to Orlando, After 5 days, we drove on to West Palm via FL turnpike (a whole lot of nothing on that drive!)
Stayed 4 days then drove on to Savannah on 95 N with bad storms in Daytona, then few days after, to Charleston. Home was fine other then VA, same route. Left at 7:30 am but didn't get back to NJ until 10 pm with meal stops. Unfortunately, I forgot to set my tripometer

 

[AaronInWI]

I just posted in another thread then found this one! We're driving from St. Louis and decided this time to stop halfway, which looks to be right outside of Atlanta. Any suggestions on what areas I should be looking at for a hotel?

We are partial to Drury Inn's (really good free breakfast; 5:30 "kickback" with free hot foods -- easily enough to make a meal out of -- and free alcoholic drinks if you are so inclined -- we never are; and free popcorn at night). There is an older but still nice one in Morrow, GA, which is just south of Atlanta. But as BC said, stick to the well known chains, south of Atlanta, and you probably can't go wrong.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

Thanks everyone! DH had a free night cert through Marriott so we booked a hotel in Macon. We're probably going to have to leave earlier than planned because my calculations will get us into Atlanta right at 5 pm

 

[nono]

Thanks everyone! DH had a free night cert through Marriott so we booked a hotel in Macon. We're probably going to have to leave earlier than planned because my calculations will get us into Atlanta right at 5 pm

Yeah. Based upon the ages of your children, I think your instinct is spot on. Sitting in traffic towards the end of the day is way worse than getting going earlier.

 

[Goofygirl17]

We're packing and getting ready to leave around 3 am. Bummed that we're not going to Disney this time but we're going to have a good time. We're heading to Locust Grove GA first to Noah's Ark animal sanctuary. Should take about 15 hours to get there. We'll stop for the night, go there the next day, then head south again to go to Hollywood Beach FL. Can't wait! Time to get busy!

 

[sharadoc]

On an OT note, just booked a trip to DC. What do you think the traffic is on a Sunday around 2 heading south on 95 to DC? I'm assuming the majority of the traffic is northbound on Sundays.

 

[Lilysmom]

Hi Everyone! Leaving in a couple of weeks for DW. We drive from central NJ and I usually do the overnight going straight through. If I wanted to break up the drive this time where would you suggest we stop? Our check in at DW is on 7/29. I'd like to do the bulk of the driving the first day but since we've never split the drive over two days I have no idea where the best place is to stop.

 

[BC1836]

Hi Everyone! Leaving in a couple of weeks for DW. We drive from central NJ and I usually do the overnight going straight through. If I wanted to break up the drive this time where would you suggest we stop? Our check in at DW is on 7/29. I'd like to do the bulk of the driving the first day but since we've never split the drive over two days I have no idea where the best place is to stop.

As someone who has done a "straight through" drive, make your goal at least to GA, perhaps Pooler. That gives you less than five hours of driving (not counting the time of day you decide to make that final leg of the journey). Of course, a stop at Yulee, FL (just over the border), gives you a three hour drive to Lake Buena Vista.

All the best!

 

[Lilysmom]

As someone who has done a "straight through" drive, make your goal at least to GA, perhaps Pooler. That gives you less than five hours of driving (not counting the time of day you decide to make that final leg of the journey). Of course, a stop at Yulee, FL (just over the border), gives you a three hour drive to Lake Buena Vista.

All the best!

Thank you! That was exactly the information I needed.

 

[sharadoc]

As someone who has done a "straight through" drive, make your goal at least to GA, perhaps Pooler. That gives you less than five hours of driving (not counting the time of day you decide to make that final leg of the journey). Of course, a stop at Yulee, FL (just over the border), gives you a three hour drive to Lake Buena Vista.

All the best!

You're singing my tune!!! We really like Pooler. Because we stay in WDW our first night, we arrive at check-in time after a nice breakfast and a stop at the Florida Welcome Center for the free juice.

 

[kittylady1972]

We just did another drive from MD to Florida just over two weeks ago. We left MD around 11:30am on Tuesday June 30th. My goal was Jacksonville so we could get to Disney even earlier the next day. I think we checked into the Comfort Suites in Jacksonville around 11pm and maybe made 3 or 4 stops, all quick ones. I think we only stopped for a late dinner at a Wendy's and even that was not a long meal. With a family of five, hotel rooms to hold all of us are hard to come by, but Comfort Suites was perfect. Despite it being off 295 in Jacksonville we did not find it out of the way really. We were able to get up the next morning, enjoy their free breakfast, and then be on our way and in Disney before 10:30am.

 

[amcnj]

Hi Everyone! Leaving in a couple of weeks for DW. We drive from central NJ and I usually do the overnight going straight through. If I wanted to break up the drive this time where would you suggest we stop? Our check in at DW is on 7/29. I'd like to do the bulk of the driving the first day but since we've never split the drive over two days I have no idea where the best place is to stop.

I am usually a one day driver, but stay off-site the first night. I definitely agree with the advice to do the bulk of the driving the first day. The first time I drove down we stayed in the Jacksonville area, as we weren't sure how far we would get and had made a reservation there. Later I used to use Altamonte Springs or Winter Park hotels, and now Orlando, just a few miles north of WDW. Last month I was just 4 exits north of WDW and had used online check-in and got the message saying the room was ready before I had even checked out of the hotel I was in!

 

[jcorco00]

Going on my second drive to Disney in 11 days. Will be the kids first. They are super excited. Its been 15 years since my last drive.