For 2,000+ mile round-trip drivers only!

[Calle&Jakesmom]

Alright, we've just returned from our trip. The way down was great, we drove 17 hours (with a couple of stops along the way) to Brunswick. After our stop overnight at the Red Roof Inn- clean, but nothing special- we got up at about 7am and had 3 1/2 hours to the Beach Club. As I planned we were in EPCOT in England with a beer by 12:15. It worked out great!!
No problems with traffic or anything on the way down.
The trip home, as expected, was a little more depressing. On Saturday around 1:00pm, we hit a lot of traffic (for no apparent reason) on 95 just south of DC. We stopped overnight at my parents' house in Connecticut. We ended up driving back home in a snowstorm this afternoon.

Overall, Georgia has a lot of construction signs and slow downs, but not a lot of actual construction going on; DC is, of course, busy; otherwise the drive was great!

 

[BC1836]

Driving from the Philadelphia area this summer and would like to get to the Palm Coast area... I am very finicky about hotels... had a bad experience once with "extra guests" running across the night tables. Prefer Marriotts and Fairfields. Anyone familiar with any in that area??

Our two most recent drives (December and October of last year) included overnight stays in Palm Coast. We used the same Holiday Inn Express and found it quite satisfactory. And we would use it again.

No "extra guests" spotted anywhere during our overnight stay.

 

[huskies90]

Alright, we've just returned from our trip. The way down was great, we drove 17 hours (with a couple of stops along the way) to Brunswick. After our stop overnight at the Red Roof Inn- clean, but nothing special- we got up at about 7am and had 3 1/2 hours to the Beach Club. As I planned we were in EPCOT in England with a beer by 12:15. It worked out great!!
No problems with traffic or anything on the way down.
The trip home, as expected, was a little more depressing. On Saturday around 1:00pm, we hit a lot of traffic (for no apparent reason) on 95 just south of DC. We stopped overnight at my parents' house in Connecticut. We ended up driving back home in a snowstorm this afternoon.

Overall, Georgia has a lot of construction signs and slow downs, but not a lot of actual construction going on; DC is, of course, busy; otherwise the drive was great!

Thanks for the report. I hope you had an awesome week!! It is tough coming back, I know!!!

 

[PhotobearSam]

Well...Not a WDW trip but I am flying down to Fort Myers Florida and then driving home with my Mom. She's alone now and I am going to be her 2nd driver. I won't tell her that I plan on doing most of the driving. It's 36 hrs of driving. We plan on taking 4 days or maybe 5 and shop our way home.

My brother and my uncle are driving her down. Should be fun but I sure wish it was a Disney trip.

 

[kristytru]

We are leaving April 2nd for our first drive down in a 24ft motorhome from NJ. Still unsure about our route and looking for suggestions. We were thinking about 81S to 77S to 26 to 95, but would like to know what the drive is like throo the mountains. Is it very steep? We are not towing, but would like the most stress-free driving experience. No overpasses lower than 12 ft. and no tunnels that have rules against propane. Help!

 

[Tomh]

We drove down from NY last August with DS4, DD13, and DD19, as well as my mother, and my cousin. The two youngest kids had never traveled that far in a car either.

I too noticed that the Mapquest estimate is just for driving time, assuming no stops, and assuming no traffic delays. Figure on at least an extra hour or two depending on traffic, and add in for stops as necessary. I know that with DW, and three kids I was lucky to go two full hours between stops.

The portable DVD player is a god send for long trips like this. I hardly knew that the kids were in the van. They were great for almost the entire trip. My mother and cousin on the other hand, were not so great. They bickered and fought like a couple of 8 year old kids. I was ready to kick them out of the van by the end of the first day.

We broke the drive up into three days on the way down, and two on the way back. We spent our first afternoon doing a bit of sight seeing in Washington D.C., then drove into VA where we spent the night. The next day, we drove into GA, and stopped just short of the Florida border (like 10 minutes away). That left us with a fairly short drive the last day, and we were in Downtown Disney for lunch.

The traffic in and around DC can be a monster. We wasted four hours getting through that area on the way back. The Econolodge in Florence S.C. is NOT fit for human habitation, seriously, do NOT stay there. We got the rooms for less than $50 each, and they weren't worth half of that. I was seriously a bit scared to spend the night there.

One other thing, if you should find yourself on I95 South in GA, keep your eyes open for a piece of tailpipe lying on the road, I'm pretty sure that is where mine came flying off

All in all, we had a good drive, and may well do it again this summer (though the Airtran prices do look mighty tempting).

 

[vitfamily]

We are leaving April 2nd for our first drive down in a 24ft motorhome from NJ. Still unsure about our route and looking for suggestions. We were thinking about 81S to 77S to 26 to 95, but would like to know what the drive is like throo the mountains. Is it very steep? We are not towing, but would like the most stress-free driving experience. No overpasses lower than 12 ft. and no tunnels that have rules against propane. Help!

We have pulled a 30 foot travel trailer down 77 to 26 to 95 many times. We have never had any problems with the route.

 

[Frankiesmom]

Just booked a trip to the world May 3-10th; and we're driving! We have never driven before-I mapquested it and it looks like 21 hours down. We'd like to get to WDW around 12 on the 3rd. So, if we leave at 2am on the 2nd and drive till 5pm-where would that put us?
Any help from any upstate NY drivers would be great! Thanks!

 

[Funwith4kids]

Try Freetrip.com for trip routing and timings of your travel.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Try Freetrip.com for trip routing and timings of your travel.

Thanks. It looks like they will tell you where the gas stations are. That is good to know ahead of time.

 

[Jumba17]

Lucy, I am really excited to see how this goes...please post when you get back...we are doing the same drive in May and are anxious too with 3 kids under 5!! We are stopping overnight in Macon GA but I'm curous to see how the overall drive goes. Good luck and have fun!

When are you going Mookie? We are leaving VERY early in the morning on May 1st. I have 2 five year olds, so it will be interesting for us also. We drove down in Nov '07 when the kids were almost 4 and they did really well, so I am hopeful for this trip!

Lucy6 - I'll be interested to hear how your drive goes!

For all of you GPS lovers, make sure you bring an old-fashioned paper map as well "just in case". Even if you have printed off directions from Mapquest or Google or wherever, I have taken several trips where they have been WAY off.

 

[etoiles]

We are driving down for the first time in June. At 18 hrs and 1,100 it will be our longest road trip ever so far.

We did rent a car since it will be easier without putting so many miles on our car but made the gas cost better by cashing in our MyPoints for shell and BP gift cards.


Since we have never been to ATlanta or Nashville we decided to make that our stopping point to and from Orlando. Anyone have any suggestions of something to do during the evening in either of those two cities? Either way I'm sure we'll figure it out.

One good thing - last time we went on a long 14 hr. road trip we went with a lot of people who smoked and since we don't it was starting to get irritating stopping every 1/2 to hour to smoke. This time we are going by ourselves!

 

[mookie]

When are you going Mookie? We are leaving VERY early in the morning on May 1st. I have 2 five year olds, so it will be interesting for us also. We drove down in Nov '07 when the kids were almost 4 and they did really well, so I am hopeful for this trip!

Lucy6 - I'll be interested to hear how your drive goes!

For all of you GPS lovers, make sure you bring an old-fashioned paper map as well "just in case". Even if you have printed off directions from Mapquest or Google or wherever, I have taken several trips where they have been WAY off.

Well, technically we are leaving at 3am on May 2nd...but I always call it may 1st! We are hoing to be in WDW by mid afternoon on the 3rd...maybe we'll see you at the parks?

Good luck driving...if you need a support buddy....let me know...our kids will be 6, almost 2, and almost 3 when we go...I need all the help I can get!

 

[Laurabearz]

I keep flip flopping on something, so I thought I would ask everyone their thoughts...


We are driving to Atlanta from Chicago. It's a solid 12 hours of driving so that means 14-15 hours depending on stops. We are pretty good at keeping the stopping to the minimum.

If we left at 6 am we are looking at an 8-9 pm arrival. AKA One very long day of driving.

We can leave the night before and drive from 5pm-midnightish, get a hotel, and that leaves another 7 hour drive the next day. So two long days of driving....

Which is the lessor of two evils?

One really long day of driving...

Or dragging it out over two days?

Some days I am like One day, hammer it out, stop when needed, it's over and we are there... Then I think gosh 14 hours is long.... and I start thinking about leaving the night before... but how will it feel to get back into the car after a long night of driving....

back and forth I go...

thoughts?

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Laura I don't have an answer for you but I have been turning the same question over in my head for a week now! What to do?

We are driving to WDW from StL in June. We have done it both ways (straight through is about 16 hours). We have 3 drivers. I get sooooo tired of being in the car! But then the idea of getting in the car a second day doesn't sound good either!

 

[Nik's Mom]

We're struggling with the same decision. We are driving from the Kansas City area to WDW next week. A part of me wants to leave at night and head to St Louis, then spend the night. Then we'd head to Atlanta and spend the night there and finally head to WDW on the 3rd day.

I think we are going to go for it and drive straight through Atlanta. I want to get there as quick as possible. If it turns out to be too long of a drive, then we will know to stretch out that drive another day on the way home.

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Hay Nick's mom wave to me as you go past on 70!

I would go a bit past Atlanta to avoid the morning traffic. Maybe Macon - I think it is only about an hour outside of Atlanta.

Same with St Louis, you might try Mt Vernon IL. Only about an hour outside of St Louis but way less traffic to start your drive the next day. Honestly I wouldn't consider a 2nd night on the road. I don't think we would get enough sleep to warrant staying just a few hours from home. But I never sleep well in a hotel. Also be aware that 40 is still closed into Downtown stl. You will have to route around 70 to 270 (and wave to me) then to 64. Just be sure to google map it.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Hay Nick's mom wave to me as you go past on 70!

I would go a bit past Atlanta to avoid the morning traffic. Maybe Macon - I think it is only about an hour outside of Atlanta.

Same with St Louis, you might try Mt Vernon IL. Only about an hour outside of St Louis but way less traffic to start your drive the next day. Honestly I wouldn't consider a 2nd night on the road. I don't think we would get enough sleep to warrant staying just a few hours from home. But I never sleep well in a hotel. Also be aware that 40 is still closed into Downtown stl. You will have to route around 70 to 270 (and wave to me) then to 64. Just be sure to google map it.

I think you are right. 2 nights seems too long. I found a Holiday Inn near Macon. It received some good ratings on Trip Advisor.com. Plus, we will be out of Atlanta and won't have to deal with traffic the next morning. Thanks for that tip in St Louis. I have AAA directions and it looks like they want us to go on the 70, then 55North to 64East. Do you think taking the 270 would be better?

Thanks,
Sherri!

 

[FidlMom]

We drive from Connecticut (20 hours), and prefer to drive straight through. Last month, we left at 2:30 PM, and managed to miss all the traffic around NYC, Philadelphia, and Washington. Drove all night, hit Florida border at daybreak, got to WDW at 10:30 AM. We were in AK by Noon. That's the way I like it!

 

[Disneycrazymom]

I think you are right. 2 nights seems too long. I found a Holiday Inn near Macon. It received some good ratings on Trip Advisor.com. Plus, we will be out of Atlanta and won't have to deal with traffic the next morning. Thanks for that tip in St Louis. I have AAA directions and it looks like they want us to go on the 70, then 55North to 64East. Do you think taking the 270 would be better?

Thanks,
Sherri!

I didn't even think about 55 but it is the best choice. 270 has traffic 24 hours a day! I would go with 55.

Fidmom how was it driving all night? Are you usually a night owl?