For those folks driving!

[cranbiz]

Is 81 and 77 hilly? I like driving 95 because it's straight and flat but I'm concerned about driving 81 and 77 thinking that we will be driving up over and around mountains.

They are. Just did 77 from NC to WV. Up and down the mountainside. Includes 2 tunnels in VA as well.

 

[dkoerner27]

Is 81 and 77 hilly? I like driving 95 because it's straight and flat but I'm concerned about driving 81 and 77 thinking that we will be driving up over and around mountains.

It is hilly but we rarely ever hit traffic. Leaving at 7pm I'll drive through the night. We should be in Savannah by 7am or earlier, when DS and DW wake up, we'll switch drivers then it's 4 hours to wdw from there.

 

[Lsyves]

Anyone know what traffic is like heading into WDW on Easter Monday? Coming from GA and wondering how early we should leave if it will mean not sitting on I4 for hours...

 

[FLRes123]

Anyone know what traffic is like heading into WDW on Easter Monday? Coming from GA and wondering how early we should leave if it will mean not sitting on I4 for hours...

Edit: Just realized you said Monday and not just Easter. See last paragraph.

East or west? I75 (or 301) to Turnpike to 429 is best. No traffic until you hit the parking gates. From I95 to I4, your only concerns are backups around the outlet mall and other theme park exits.

As an I4 bypass, look into getting on the north end of 417 (toll) and the south end dumps you right into Disney. It's a big detour but is easy and keeps you moving. Deeper into Orlando, you can take the 408 (toll) to the Turnpike north a few miles to 429 then back down into Disney. I4 construction should be halted, but check here for updates and lane closures that can cause tieups: http://i4ultimate.com/. Your best bet is to have a copilot with a live traffic map that can help you adjust to current craziness.

Since Monday is not a public school holiday, state holiday, or anything other than a normal work day for most businesses add:
For I75, light delays around Gainesville/Ocala during rush hour.
For 301, traffic will slow through the old speed trap towns. Warning: Lawtey and Starke still have their own PDs. Waldo and Hampton PD were disbanded, but county mounties are still doing strict traps on occasion. Watch out for poorly marked school zones.
For Turnpike, possible minor slow downs due to two lanes and heavy traffic, but no major on/off points til you hit the 429. 429 is open sailing to Disney.
For I95, expect major delays in Jacksonville from 6:30-9:30. Try to get updates or use GPS with traffic, but taking the western half of the 295 beltway is usually best.
For I4, Orlando will be hell from 6:30-10:00 both in the northern business half and in tourist town. Avoid at all costs using info above.

 

[Lsyves]

Edit: Just realized you said Monday and not just Easter. See last paragraph.

East or west? I75 (or 301) to Turnpike to 429 is best. No traffic until you hit the parking gates. From I95 to I4, your only concerns are backups around the outlet mall and other theme park exits.

As an I4 bypass, look into getting on the north end of 417 (toll) and the south end dumps you right into Disney. It's a big detour but is easy and keeps you moving. Deeper into Orlando, you can take the 408 (toll) to the Turnpike north a few miles to 429 then back down into Disney. I4 construction should be halted, but check here for updates and lane closures that can cause tieups: http://i4ultimate.com/. Your best bet is to have a copilot with a live traffic map that can help you adjust to current craziness.

Since Monday is not a public school holiday, state holiday, or anything other than a normal work day for most businesses add:
For I75, light delays around Gainesville/Ocala during rush hour.
For 301, traffic will slow through the old speed trap towns. Warning: Lawtey and Starke still have their own PDs. Waldo and Hampton PD were disbanded, but county mounties are still doing strict traps on occasion. Watch out for poorly marked school zones.
For Turnpike, possible minor slow downs due to two lanes and heavy traffic, but no major on/off points til you hit the 429. 429 is open sailing to Disney.
For I95, expect major delays in Jacksonville from 6:30-9:30. Try to get updates or use GPS with traffic, but taking the western half of the 295 beltway is usually best.
For I4, Orlando will be hell from 6:30-10:00 both in the northern business half and in tourist town. Avoid at all costs using info above.

This is awesome. Thanks so much!!!

 

[213Dittohead]

We're driving from Illinois. I'll be stopping halfway in Tennessee before moving on.

 

[pastorels]

HI! Driving down from NJ next week. I understand that SC is a terrible tragic mess right now and much of 95 is closed. Any tips on how to get through this area?

 

[nono]

HI! Driving down from NJ next week. I understand that SC is a terrible tragic mess right now and much of 95 is closed. Any tips on how to get through this area?

http://www.sc511.org/ It's being kept up-to-date. You click on the message sign and read the update in the left-hand frame. There are camera links too. I know a day or so ago, they were routing folks out through I-20W.

 

[Caia]

DH, DS(16) and I will be driving from Illinois in February. First time either of us have driven it and I'm a little concerned about the weather in February. Because of that I have made our trip longer than it needs to be I guess. I believe our route is basically I-57 to I-24 to I-75. We will drive for about 7.5 hours and stop in Nashville,TN and the next day drive 7.5 hours to Valdosta, GA and the third day drive about 3.5 hours into WDW.

I know we could get a lot further if the weather is good but I am really concerned about the weather turning snowy and icy on the way down. Am I being too concerned?

 

[jimmytammy]

Good news for folks driving too WDW, I-95 Southbound has re-opened today. Northbound still closed, but I imagine if they got SB back that quickly, NB will follow soon

 

[BC1836]

HI! Driving down from NJ next week. I understand that SC is a terrible tragic mess right now and much of 95 is closed. Any tips on how to get through this area?

If you live in NJ, you need to see the "For 2,000+ Mile Round Trip Drivers Only!" Thread. You qualify.

All the best!

 

[CherylA]

DH, DS(16) and I will be driving from Illinois in February. First time either of us have driven it and I'm a little concerned about the weather in February. Because of that I have made our trip longer than it needs to be I guess. I believe our route is basically I-57 to I-24 to I-75. We will drive for about 7.5 hours and stop in Nashville,TN and the next day drive 7.5 hours to Valdosta, GA and the third day drive about 3.5 hours into WDW.

I know we could get a lot further if the weather is good but I am really concerned about the weather turning snowy and icy on the way down. Am I being too concerned?

We've driven from Connecticut in February and the best advice I can give is to be flexible. Go into this drive with the expectation that you may have to leave earlier than you planned or you may have to leave later. (days even) Know that you may need to make your overnight stop sooner than you planned (If you pre-book a hotel make sure it can be cancelled last minute without penalty). February weather can be nasty but you wont know what to expect until a day or two before you leave. If a storm is headed your way you may want to leave a day earlier to beat it, or if you can't leave earlier you need to make the call to wait until after the storm passes and it clears. Don't drive into a storm, don't leave home in a storm, not only is it dangerous but it takes forever and when you're making that long a drive you don't want to add on to it for bad weather. If there is any part of your trip that you will not be able to cancel last minute I highly recommend travel insurance. You don't want to be making a decision based on the "I paid so much for this trip I don't wan to loose it" factor.

 

[Caia]

We've driven from Connecticut in February and the best advice I can give is to be flexible. Go into this drive with the expectation that you may have to leave earlier than you planned or you may have to leave later. (days even) Know that you may need to make your overnight stop sooner than you planned (If you pre-book a hotel make sure it can be cancelled last minute without penalty). February weather can be nasty but you wont know what to expect until a day or two before you leave. If a storm is headed your way you may want to leave a day earlier to beat it, or if you can't leave earlier you need to make the call to wait until after the storm passes and it clears. Don't drive into a storm, don't leave home in a storm, not only is it dangerous but it takes forever and when you're making that long a drive you don't want to add on to it for bad weather. If there is any part of your trip that you will not be able to cancel last minute I highly recommend travel insurance. You don't want to be making a decision based on the "I paid so much for this trip I don't wan to loose it" factor.

Thank you. We do have travel insurance just for that reason and have also made each travel day only 7 hours so if it happens to take longer it's not that big of a deal (we are use to the 14 hour drive west to Colorado in one go). So I will go with my instinct of better safe than sorry. Thanks!

 

[mthds]

Has anyone driven on Christmas day? Was wondering if anything is open such as gas stations and restaurants (fast food) Will be leaving Orlando on Christmas morning to return home. Will take I-95 north. Need to be home by Saturday night and thought Christmas Day traffic might not be as bad as the day after. But concerned about finding gas stations. We are from rural SC where everything is closed on Christmas day.

 

[hearts8701]

I drove on Christmas morning from chicago to Orlando a couple of years ago a few gas stations were open certainly not a lot I packed snacks thinking fast food places would be closed very few restraunts were open I finally found one open for dinner in a truck stop not sure how it is on the east coast but I would not do it again

 

[LuvEeyore]

I have lived near 64 and 95 in Virginia and traveled home on Christmas day most years. Sheets is always open as are a few other places. Most other places were closed. Knowing this helps and I planned accordingly.

 

[ustasmom]

I have lived near 64 and 95 in Virginia and traveled home on Christmas day most years. Sheets is always open as are a few other places. Most other places were closed. Knowing this helps and I planned accordingly.

And I think that the coffee is free on Christmas Day at Sheetz, too.

 

[cranbiz]

And I think that the coffee is free on Christmas Day at Sheetz, too.

Not sure about Christmas day but it always is free on New Years day.

 

[cruisingkat]

DH, DS(16) and I will be driving from Illinois in February. First time either of us have driven it and I'm a little concerned about the weather in February. Because of that I have made our trip longer than it needs to be I guess. I believe our route is basically I-57 to I-24 to I-75. We will drive for about 7.5 hours and stop in Nashville,TN and the next day drive 7.5 hours to Valdosta, GA and the third day drive about 3.5 hours into WDW.

I know we could get a lot further if the weather is good but I am really concerned about the weather turning snowy and icy on the way down. Am I being too concerned?

We live in IL and drive down to Disney several times a year for the past 9 years-once in February- usually driving the same route as you. We usually do it in 2 days, driving about 12 hours the first day stopping in Byron or Perry, GA and then the shorter drive the second day.
I think you are being very conservative in your plans. When driving down especially in winter, we always make sure we book hotel rooms that are cancellable that day-by 6 pm we usually can figure out if we will make it to our hotel stop that day.
As far as snow and ice, going north or south on either I57 or I65 during snow can be a bit tricky as blowing and drifting snow across the farmlands on either side of the interstate (since the wind usually comes out of the west) can get quite bad. And in TN and especially GA, snow and/or icy conditions can also cause havoc in your driving time as drivers there really aren't used to driving in those conditions. That being said, luckily for us the weather hasn't played a major part in our driving delays. Most of the time delays are caused by accidents shutting down the road or traffic even in very good weather.

 

[Caia]

We live in IL and drive down to Disney several times a year for the past 9 years-once in February- usually driving the same route as you. We usually do it in 2 days, driving about 12 hours the first day stopping in Byron or Perry, GA and then the shorter drive the second day.
I think you are being very conservative in your plans. When driving down especially in winter, we always make sure we book hotel rooms that are cancellable that day-by 6 pm we usually can figure out if we will make it to our hotel stop that day.
As far as snow and ice, going north or south on either I57 or I65 during snow can be a bit tricky as blowing and drifting snow across the farmlands on either side of the interstate (since the wind usually comes out of the west) can get quite bad. And in TN and especially GA, snow and/or icy conditions can also cause havoc in your driving time as drivers there really aren't used to driving in those conditions. That being said, luckily for us the weather hasn't played a major part in our driving delays. Most of the time delays are caused by accidents shutting down the road or traffic even in very good weather.

Thanks! Some people think I'm being silly taking such a long time to get down there but if the weather turns nasty I've dealt with that and I don't want to be struggling trying to get through its just not safe. So we are just having a slow go and enjoying a good road trip!