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

[nono]

Hi, fellow drivers! This is my first time posting on this thread because we usually fly. We have to decided to drive to Florida in November since plane ticket prices are outrageous. We will be driving from south central PA (Hershey area). We plan on leaving on Thanksgiving Day around 1:00-1:30pm after we eat Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house. We have done the more inland route when traveling to Myrtle Beach (81-77-?) but since we are leaving on Thanksgiving we are contemplating traveling I95. Do you think traffic will be an issue since it is a holiday? Ideally, we'd like to drive about 10 hours the first day. Where do you think that will put us for the evening? Are there any areas along I95 that you'd recommend that have nice lodging, etc.? Likewise, we'll be driving home on Saturday, December 5th. Would I95 be an okay route because of it being a Saturday or would you recommend the inland route? TIA!

Two years ago, we left the Chester County/Lancaster County border at 4:30 a.m. on Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) and had I-95 to ourselves the whole way to Lake Mary, FL. Thanksgiving Day was good too, coming from NJ up to that area - most folks are where they want to be by Thursday mid-day.

 

[BC1836]

Big drive today: from the Contemporary to the Grand Floridian Resort!

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

Today's most important WDW means of transportation: an XP-37!

All the best!

 

[theyoungs07]

Question for the drivers. One of my DDs tends to get a bit carsick sometimes, I do too occasionally. Do you all have any tips for dealing with this on our drive in 2 weeks? I am heading to Walmart this morning and may pick up some of the natural dramamine but in case that doesn't work.

For me I can pretty much stop it by closing my eyes or staring straight ahead and sometimes need to use the nausea pressure point on my wrists but DD doesn't always listen and tends to freak out over it.

You could try Sea Bands, http://www.sea-band.com/, they work for my wife and its the same idea as using the pressure point on your wrists.

 

[buzzmom12]

Hi guys we are leaving next Friday am. Any thoughts on how to avoid the dc/va traffic jams? Alternate routes on 95? Thanks!

 

[pwdebbie]

Hi guys we are leaving next Friday am. Any thoughts on how to avoid the dc/va traffic jams? Alternate routes on 95? Thanks!

Where are you leaving from? You might want to take the inland route and skip 95 in the DC / VA area.

 

[buzzmom12]

We are leaving from south jersey right by Philadelphia. Thanks

 

[LadyBeBop]

For those driving from Chicago, Milwaukee and the upper Midwest.

Looks like the I-57 route is the way to go. A portion of I-65 is closed south of Chicago. Sixty mile detour around it.

http://usat.ly/1NruL8h

 

[disneysteve]

Any thoughts on how to avoid the dc/va traffic jams? We are leaving from south jersey right by Philadelphia.

Hi neighbor. We're in South Jersey too. I take 95 to 895 in Baltimore to the Harbor Tunnel. Then 97 to 50/301. Take that to 301. Follow 301 all the way back to 95 just north of Richmond.

This will not avoid traffic completely as 301 can get fairly congested depending on time of day but it's nothing like the gridlock around DC.

 

[amcnj]

Hi guys we are leaving next Friday am. Any thoughts on how to avoid the dc/va traffic jams? Alternate routes on 95? Thanks!

I leave early (2:30AM) so have avoided the heavy traffic spots at the wrong times. From our area the inland route is too out of the way for my taste. So aside from what DisneySteve suggested to avoid the DC area (which I have never tried so can't comment on), some also take the bypass around Richmond to avoid that stretch of 95, depending on what time of day you will hit that area.

What time of day are you thinking of leaving?

 

[buzzmom12]

We are leaving around 530-6 am hopefully we get to dc after rush hour. Last time we drove we got stuck in awful Richmond traffic. Thanks!

 

[disneysteve]

hopefully we get to dc after rush hour

My experience has been that "rush hour" in DC usually lasts from about January 1 until December 31. LOL.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Hi everyone! Fabulous thread, thanks for all the contributions here. Our traveling party includes 2 elementary-aged kids, 2 teens, and 2 adults.

We'll be traveling from central Iowa just before Labor Day weekend. In fact, I moved our dates by one day so we could avoid Atlanta on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. We'll travel through on Thursday instead. However, I'm having trouble figuring out good timing for our journey. We will go through St. Louis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta along the way. The current plan has us leaving at noon on Wednesday (it would be a challenge to leave earlier due to a scheduling conflict) and driving to Oak Grove, KY (near Ft. Campbell). That's about 9 hours of driving, not including stops, so it'll be pretty late by the time we arrive at our hotel.

The next day we'll still have 11 1/2 hours of driving left (not including stops). It's difficult to figure out how to get to Atlanta at a good time. It's 4 1/2 hours from Oak Grove to Marietta, GA. If you add at least 30 minutes for a stop plus another 30 for a stop at Marietta (I don't want anyone to need a bathroom suddenly in the middle of downtown Atlanta!), we'll be going through downtown from 2:30-3:30 or so. I sure wish we could get that moved up another hour or so. What do you think? We really don't do traffic. Like, at all. My deepest wish is that we could drive through at about 2:00 in the morning! lol

Are there other hotspots we should be aware of? We'll likely hit St. Louis at 5 pm on Wednesday but we'll be going INTO downtown then rather than out of it so I'm hoping it won't be so bad. I think Nashville and Chattanooga will be on Thursday morning, after the morning rush so hopefully they'll be okay.

One last thing, for those of you who have done the "drive straight through" thing, what do you do about bathroom stops and such? Is there a website that can help me find reliable places that are open 24 hours along our route?

Thank you so much!

 

[patclairesmom]

With 11 days to go for our drive to Disney, my kids high school just scheduled Chrome book pickup and ID pickup for the day we are leaving. We were going to depart at 3am and now we have to push it up to 8:30am. Another benefit to driving!!! It does pose one issue in that we were going to stop overnight in Darien Ga. I'm wondering if we should push thru and stop there still or stop earlier in Walterboro. The thing is we got a really great rate of $47(including tax) at the Darien Inn which gets really good reviews from trip advisor. I can't find anything like that any where so I'm thinking we go for it and just check in later than we are are use to.

 

[BC1836]

Beginning our drive home from the Grand Floridian Resort tomorrow morning.

All the best!

 

[BC1836]

Good morning! It about 90 minutes or so, the second half of our 38th round trip drive will commence. [#39 is planned for October.]

All the best!

 

[LadyBeBop]

The current plan has us leaving at noon on Wednesday (it would be a challenge to leave earlier due to a scheduling conflict) and driving to Oak Grove, KY (near Ft. Campbell). That's about 9 hours of driving, not including stops, so it'll be pretty late by the time we arrive at our hotel.

The next day we'll still have 11 1/2 hours of driving left (not including stops). It's difficult to figure out how to get to Atlanta at a good time. It's 4 1/2 hours from Oak Grove to Marietta, GA. If you add at least 30 minutes for a stop plus another 30 for a stop at Marietta (I don't want anyone to need a bathroom suddenly in the middle of downtown Atlanta!), we'll be going through downtown from 2:30-3:30 or so. I sure wish we could get that moved up another hour or so. What do you think? We really don't do traffic. Like, at all. My deepest wish is that we could drive through at about 2:00 in the morning! lol

That doesn't always work. One of the biggest traffic jams I've been in was at 2 AM. A wreck, caused by a drunk driver coming home from a rock concert, shut down the interstate for an hour.

That said, you'll leaving Iowa at noon, and it's a nine hour drive. Allowing 1 1/2 hours for stops, you'll be at your motel by 10:30. Allow another hour to wind down, and you'll be asleep by 11:30.

Let's allow a full 8 hours of sleep. You're up by 7:30 and on the road by 8:30. Allowing your hour for stops, and you're leaving your Marrieta pit stop by 2. You should be through Atlanta by 3.

Can you push it up an hour (without breaking speed laws)? I'm think so. I padded rest times. I allowed a supper break the first night. You can always do drive thru and eat in the car. Same with breakfast. Grab your motel continental breakfast for the road. And when you hit your motel, you'll probably be too tired for a wind down, and you'll get to sleeping immediately. And with the excitement of going to WDW, you may not need 8 hours of sleep. Chances are good, you'll be on the road by 8. If not earlier.

However, just in case you hit Atlanta later than you want, know that the carpool lane is your friend. Good luck.

 

[BC1836]

Drive #38 completed this afternoon as we arrived home. Details to follow.

All the best!

 

[rotlex]

Climbing out from under my rock to re-engage with the thread as we leave this Thursday evening from PA to WDW! We are trying something a little different this year, and leaving after dinner Thursday night rather than our usual get up at 2am and hit the road method.

We always drive down 81/77/25/95. Anything happening along that route that we should be looking out for this trip? Been luck the last 10 years and have had clear sailing all the way down and back with no issues.

Here's to hitting the road again!

 

[bjschil]

Hi everyone! Fabulous thread, thanks for all the contributions here. Our traveling party includes 2 elementary-aged kids, 2 teens, and 2 adults.

We'll be traveling from central Iowa just before Labor Day weekend. In fact, I moved our dates by one day so we could avoid Atlanta on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. We'll travel through on Thursday instead. However, I'm having trouble figuring out good timing for our journey. We will go through St. Louis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta along the way. The current plan has us leaving at noon on Wednesday (it would be a challenge to leave earlier due to a scheduling conflict) and driving to Oak Grove, KY (near Ft. Campbell). That's about 9 hours of driving, not including stops, so it'll be pretty late by the time we arrive at our hotel.

The next day we'll still have 11 1/2 hours of driving left (not including stops). It's difficult to figure out how to get to Atlanta at a good time. It's 4 1/2 hours from Oak Grove to Marietta, GA. If you add at least 30 minutes for a stop plus another 30 for a stop at Marietta (I don't want anyone to need a bathroom suddenly in the middle of downtown Atlanta!), we'll be going through downtown from 2:30-3:30 or so. I sure wish we could get that moved up another hour or so. What do you think? We really don't do traffic. Like, at all. My deepest wish is that we could drive through at about 2:00 in the morning! lol



Iowamomof4, we always leave from SW Wisconsin, and drive 8 hours to stop in Paducah. The next morning, we are on the road between 7 and 8 am, and drive south of Macon, most times driving to Valdosta, arriving by 7 pm. Then,the next two day is an easy 3 hour drive to Fort Wilderness at WDW. We generally arrive in Atlanta by 1:30 to 2:30 pm, and the drive is easy. We generally stop and refuel, after leaving Paducah, west of Chatanooga, in the mountain(s), then again, about a bit before Atlanta, refueling,mbathroom, and a quick lunch driving a burger. Our plan is almost always to be in Atlanta, downtown, by 2:00. We are pulling a 41 foot fifth-wheel, so we have this plan "perfected"! Safe travels to you. This December 27 is our leave day, so the wonderful winter weather always makes departure an eye on the weather week! Enjoy.