For those folks driving!

[Mickey's Sister]

So in trying to plan our drive down I am thinking(ambitiuosly) that we will make it to SC. But in looking at the dis section for lodging along I95 in SC seems like we will really have to drive through most of it to find a decent place to stop. So am I wrong any good clean places to stop in the upper section of SC along I95? We usually only make it to NC and stay at a Fairfield Inn- but I think we are leaving much earlier than usual so we should get to SC.

On our trip In Nov/Dec 2005 we stayed at the Holiday Inn in Florence (exit 164) and it was quite nice. Our room was on an inner courtyard nicely landscaped with a pool. (Though we couldn't take advantage of the pool since it was in the 30's, LOL.) Plus they had a security guard patrolling the grounds, giving directions. Not that we've ever felt unsafe in Florence, but I thought it was a nice touch. We've usually stayed at the Comfort Inn in Florence - it is no frills but clean. We never had a problem there but I wanted take advantage of my Priority Club membership, which is why we switched to Holiday Inn. Both places offer free continental breakfast, plus have fridges & microwaves in the room. Plenty of gas stations and restaurants right there as well. Florence is a big tourist stop, there are rows of hotels. We've also stayed in the Sleep Inn - very clean & the most comfortable beds, BUT it is right next to the train tracks. Several times it woke us up. Trains don't normally bother me, but this sounded like it was coming right in the hotel.

If you're looking specifically for a Marriott property, there is a Fairfield at the next Florence exit, #160, where my brother & his family stayed & they rated it highly. Though I can't comment on gas & food availability at that exit. Plus I think you have to take a spur off of the highway to get to the hotel, if I remember correctly. But I'm sure they would provide directions.


Hope this helps.

Jessica

 

[java]

Thank you Jessica!! I forgot all about Florence! Great idea! Thanks again.

 

[elf]

Hi just thought I'd join this thread because we are doing the unthinkable driving down during Easter Break. Been to Disney 30 some odd times and have driven for quite a few of them, but never during an actual holiday. I know to expect traffic but I'm willing to do some extra's to work around the busiest traffic areas.

I've looked at about 23 pages on this thread and I haven't seen what those from LI New York have done.
Anyone have any suggestions. We want to leave Friday at 1:30pm, we'll pick up kids from school (that's their dismissal time for the holiday) and hope to be out of Staten Island by 3:30. I'm willing to do the scenic routes. Anyone have good ideas from LI.
I was checking out the route 81 to 64 back to I95 in Richmond that looked interesting but is it worth going so far out of the way to 81?

Two years ago we drove down to Va. on the Friday of Memorial day weekend on I95 it was a nightmare. Traffic starting at the Belt, through Staten Island and all of NJ.

 

[SomePixiedust]

That's going to be a really tough time to travel. The Friday before Easter is Good Friday, and most schools around here are off that day, sorry your's isn't. Just trying to get off the island and through Staten Island is a nightmare on a normal day. Many people get off from work early that day due to it being an unofficial holiday and the start of a holiday weekend, so you may really get stuck with heavy traffic-especially if the weather isn't good. We usually try to be on the Southern State by 5:30 AM to avoid the traffic. Unfortunately any time we've left later in the day we've encountered heavy traffic. If there's anything you can do to leave earlier, that might work better. Or maybe try later at night, but I don't know how you feel about driving at night. I'm sure you want to get there ASAP with Sunday being Easter. Sorry I'm not much help but good luck.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We drive in from Buffalo, NY area to WDW every year. We usually take I-95 to I-4, then to exit 67....AAA always gives us this route.

However, this year, I mentioned that I considered the AutoTrain to my cousin, who is a CM, and she told me to do it, that I-4 had become a nightmare in the last year, even more so than usual.

We have decided (well DH did) to drive, and I contacted AAA to see about taking in our TripTik to have the current construction updated, since we leave 4/29 from Buffalo.

Now they said that they are starting to recommend 417 rather than I-4, a little longer, but better on the traffic headache front. Better on my nerves too. I HATE I-4. LoL

Does anyone else go this way?? We have not done our update yet, isn't 417 basically an exit off I-4 closer to I-95, then circles around Orlando and dumps back into I-4 near WDW???

Should we bother?? I know there are 2 major events in the area on 4/30, our arrival day. And like I said, I-4 gives me the willies.

 

[cranbiz]

417 is exit 101B in Sanford and it takes you to the Osceola Parkway. It's about 50 or so miles doing this (and about $6.00 in tolls)

A lot depends on the time of day you will be passing thru. This week I traveled to Disney and Sea World using I4 exclusively. I was on it between 9 and 10 AM and had no troubles. The only construction is at the John Young Parkway (between Deltona and Disney) There is I4 construction between Daytona and Sanford but 417 won't help there. If you are planning on rush hour commuting times then 417 is a must.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

Thanks. we'll be coming through on Sunday about noon-ish. We may try 417, because somewhere on here (I can't find it now) someone posted that there is a concert, starting at 1 in Orlando, so I am thinking it may be crowded with cars at that time. Attendance is something like 25000 at this event.

Anyway, the extra time and the tolls are no big deal for us, just don't want to get stuck in traffic, we will have DS 11, DD 2, and DS 1 in the truck and after 20 hrs of traveling and a stop in SC, they will be raring to get to WDW.



So will I, of course. Hehehe

 

[momofdbsdc]

We are driving to Disney next week Friday. We are leaving from Buffalo in the mid to late morning after hubby gets out of work. Last time we drove straight through. We plan on stopping this time. Does anyone have any good suggestions? TIA!

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

That is quite a drive you will have Momofdbsdc (and A)! I would try to do the biggest part of it that first day if I were you. Try to stop for some dinner and then get the kids comfy and drive as far as you can drive that night, but stop at a decent hour, like by 1am. That way you and your DH at least get several hours of sleep in before heading out again. I would think you would make it at least through WV before you had to stop. Good Luck!

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We are driving to Disney next week Friday. We are leaving from Buffalo in the mid to late morning after hubby gets out of work. Last time we drove straight through. We plan on stopping this time. Does anyone have any good suggestions? TIA!

Hey!! We are leaving Buffalo then too!!

We are stopping in Orangeburg, SC for the night. We have found that leaving Buffalo at 3 a.m., going til after dinnertime and then staying over works best. We can avoid the major metro areas (Pitts, Charleston, Charlotte) during normally heavy drive times. We used to stop in Rock Hill, SC, but this year are venturing further to orangeburg. I just didn't want to push DH any farther than that.

 

[mrstomrice]

The 301 route around Baltimore and DC was pretty good! we had some stop and go at lights near the end of 301, but it beat the traffice we had in DC on the way back, as well as the cost of the tolls. let me know if you want to have the route again!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

The 301 route around Baltimore and DC was pretty good! we had some stop and go at lights near the end of 301, but it beat the traffice we had in DC on the way back, as well as the cost of the tolls. let me know if you want to have the route again!

I took 301 up to Baltimore for a job interview last year and I would definitely recommend it over the traffic in Northern VA and DC. There may be some heavy traffic south of Baltimore but at least it moves.

Just curious -- did you take US 301 all the way down to the I-295 bypass around Richmond or did you take Route 207 from Bowling Green over to I-95? Part of that stretch of 301 in Hanover County is only two lanes and hilly, but 207 is 4 lanes and gets you over to I-95 faster.

 

[dmaz]

Does anyone know of a clean, safe hotels mid NC off I95?
We've had some really gross ones on our past trips.
It almost makes me scared to stop.

 

[mrstomrice]

Does anyone know of a clean, safe hotels mid NC off I95?
We've had some really gross ones on our past trips.
It almost makes me scared to stop.

Going to Disney, we stopped in Rocky Mount at the Courtyard by Marriott...very nice, but only had non smoking rooms and no continental breakfast. On the way north, we stopped in Lumberton NC at the Holiday Inn. it was also clean, but no bfast...Denny's is onsite but it was packed(spring break weekend) Do not to to the Huddle House to eat...yuck! The is not even a no-smoking area available and the food is terrible.

 

[mrstomrice]

we took 301 to Bowling green.

 

[dmaz]

Thanks for the suggestions. I will check them out.

 

[Littlemotherhaywood]

What is my best bet for getting directions from Cleveland? We don't have a AAA membership, but we're thinking about getting one. I know how to read maps (stepfather was a trucker), but I don't know what roads are going to more congested, etc... We're marathon drivers, but if we drive, we'll want to stop I suppose. Our typical trips are sixteen hours including stops so this is going to be just a bit longer. I calculated it at about 1100 miles or so. We could probably leave here at noon on Thursday. I would like to get the majority of the trip in before stopping, but I don't want to stop too late either. I also don't want to have twelve hours of driving left for Friday. Any thoughts?

 

[LauraAnn630]

We are driving from Cleveland too! This will be our first time driving down. We plan to drive straight through.

 

[Littlemotherhaywood]

My dh thinks we could drive straight through too I don't know though. That is such a long time in the car. My neighbors did it last year though so I know it can be done.

 

[LauraAnn630]

Well be excited to get there! Coming home well stop.