For those folks driving!

[DriveI95Man]

Just to let you know that the book itself, as you know, goes only to the bottom of Georgia , but within the next few weeks I'll be putting out an e-booklet that has 130 exits in Florida, finally .
Stan

 

[carissanboys]

I bought the book that I think you recommend in your book for Florida. It's set up just like yours. Do you think the ebook will have different info than that one?

 

[taterbaby]

Hey New Friends-My family and I will be driving in from northest Mississippi around the first of the year. We are expecting a 13-14 hour drive with our 8,10, and 12 year olds. We are looking for a good place to stay the night maybe only a couple of hours from Disney (so we won't have a long drive before a full day in the parks). We are thinking possibly Gainesville? Any good ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ahead of time.

 

[DriveI95Man]

My eBook maps will be very up-to-date, but they will only go down 95. Dave's covers all of Florida's highways, and you can use it right to WDW.

Also, our slant is a bit different, as you'll find while using them both: we're more into fun, humor and good food, and we show more on the exits than he does. Dave is more into history. but his level of detail is amazing.

Stan

 

[lyeag]

Hey New Friends-My family and I will be driving in from northest Mississippi around the first of the year. We are expecting a 13-14 hour drive with our 8,10, and 12 year olds. We are looking for a good place to stay the night maybe only a couple of hours from Disney (so we won't have a long drive before a full day in the parks). We are thinking possibly Gainesville? Any good ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks ahead of time.

We drive from OK, stop in Hattiesburg and then drive to Gainesville. We get up at a reasonable time and arrive at the resort by noon. It makes for a much better start for the trip if you aren't exhausted.

I will say one thing, we have only driven once, and were on I 75 on a Sunday evening around 5. It was the weekend before Christmas, so I am sure that was a huge factor, but the driving was INSANE. Semis were going like 85. I don't think a single car was driving anywhere close to the speed limit, and it was fairly nerve wracking. The morning portion was much better, but that could be because we were fresh.

 

[Millermouseketeers]

Does anyone know if the I-10 Pensacola bridge is fixed? We are driving from Dallas on Dec. 28th and need to plan around this bridge and try not to get stuck in traffic there.

 

[Tinksmom5]

We are planning to drive down for the first time [driving that is ] from NJ . Any suggestions on what way to go and what routes to aviod . We are figuring it to take around 20 hours . Are we in the right ball park on that or way off base ? Any suggestions will be helpful as their are 7 of us in a caravan . Any pitstops we should make ? Food joints that are clean and friendly ?
Thanks

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

We are planning to drive down for the first time [driving that is ] from NJ . Any suggestions on what way to go and what routes to aviod . We are figuring it to take around 20 hours . Are we in the right ball park on that or way off base ? Any suggestions will be helpful as their are 7 of us in a caravan . Any pitstops we should make ? Food joints that are clean and friendly ?
Thanks

That's a decent guess. We've driven from Richmond to WDW in about 13 hours, and from Richmond to NJ in about 5-6.

A lot of people on here mention going through PA to get to I-81 through western VA to avoid the DC/Baltimore traffic. It could add some time to your trip, but so could traffic backups on the DC Beltway. Also, there are about three ways people mention getting back to I-95 -- US 17 from Winchester to Fredericksburg, I-64/Route 288 from Staunton to Richmond, and I-77/I-26 from south of Blacksburg through Columbia, SC.

 

[adisneynut]

We are leaving next Friday hopefully arounf 5 pm and it it about a 3 drive to Jacksonville FL. Spending the night and then completleing the drive on Sat. the 23rd. Worried about how bad traffic will be and about constructrion. Any natives out there thay can chime in?

 

[hiddenmikey]

I have made the Drive to Orlando many times. (my parents have a Winter home in the Orlando area so I drop them off in October and pick them up in May)
I personnaly like the I-95 route ,of course it depends on what time you leave.

because i am a nut i usually leave at 9:00 pm on a friday night and drive non- stop (except for gas and bathroom breaks) to either Disneys Hilton head resort resort or i stay in savannah ga. either stop is approx 15 hours (coming from eastern massachusetts)(however i am a steady 70-75 mph) i also prepack food in the car and keep it in a cooler.
The drive from the Savannah the next day is an easy 4 1/2 -5 hours.

A couple of areas of caution:

The Cross bronx xpress is a horror (loop around I-287/Tappen zee to garden state and back to the Turnpike.)

the DC area can be a problem but it has much improved (half of the new wilson bridge is complete so that helps)

When you come into the greater orlando area watch out. the road is filled with a 50/50 mix of Slow elderly drivers that drive 50 mph and just plain nuts that drive 90 mph and will squeeze into the tighest spots on the highway (It is the only part of the trip where i keep Both hands on the wheel all the way to WDW.)

Good luck and have a safe trip

 

[adisneynut]

Thanks for your advice!!

 

[hiddenmikey]

No problem,

I-95 going through Georgia and Florida have improved a lot since most of the highway has been or is being widened. (most construction zones have very little problems including the I-10 project in jacksonville)

The only time i ever encountered some sluggish trafffic in the jacksonville area would be if there is either a college football game on Saturday or NFL on Sunday (maybe check the football schedule and make sure a game is not occuring on your travel day. If there is no game then stay on 95 otherwise loop around Jacksonville on I 295 and rejoin 95 well past the downtown.

Have fun .....

 

[Tiggerific04]

We are planning to drive down for the first time [driving that is ] from NJ . Any suggestions on what way to go and what routes to aviod . We are figuring it to take around 20 hours . Are we in the right ball park on that or way off base ? Any suggestions will be helpful as their are 7 of us in a caravan . Any pitstops we should make ? Food joints that are clean and friendly ?
Thanks

DF and I have driven from NJ three times so far. I did have a list of the exits we liked (lots of gas/food choices, clean bathrooms), but of course I lost it. I printed out all of the pages for the "Important I-95 Exits" from this page: http://www.wdwinfo.com/Transportation/Driving_to_Florida.htm, and we've never really had a problem. We tend to stop at the more populated exits that are easy-off/easy-on. We also stay overnight in Florence, SC, which is a little more than halfway for us.

The first trip down took us about 21 hours, but the last two have been more like 17. Have fun!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

My local library lets me keep books on tape or cd out over the allotted time but I am one of their very best customers and they have known me for over 30 years.

I highly reccomend listening to books on a long drive. It can save a marriage and makes the miles go so much faster. Only problem is that we came home and still have 6 hours left on a book and the only equipment I could 'hear' it on was the car. Naturally that is when gas was $3 a gallon.

Slightly Goofy

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

We always drive down so here is my input FWIIW.

Western Way is awesome but watch out cause the speed limit is a whole lot lower than one might think and many tickets are being reported in that area.

Pick up the coupon books at the rest areas for some really good deals on motel rooms BUT always ask to see a room first.

Fill your car up with gas in Geogia and save enough money to buy a couple of Mickey bars when you get to DW. Gas on site is much cheaper than that to be found just off site but is still more than in Georgia.

Try to avoid Atlanta at rush hour and drive stright through on 75, stay in the middle lane and pray and you will be through in about ten minutes or so, long minutes though. I have not tried the carpool lane yet but am considering it the next trip as I looked at it well on the last trip because of info gained on this site. Not sure I would want to be boxed in with no place to go and someone in a hurry behind me though.

Safe travels everyone!!

Slightly Goofy

 

[DaisyD]

Who has the book the I-95 Exit Guide? We got that one a few years ago and that was great. It went the entire 95 route north to south. I went to their website today to order a new book for our June trip but you can only download it now. I really wish you could still get the actual book, Here is the one I'm talking about: http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

 

[Mickey's Sister]

Who has the book the I-95 Exit Guide? We got that one a few years ago and that was great. It went the entire 95 route north to south. I went to their website today to order a new book for our June trip but you can only download it now. I really wish you could still get the actual book, Here is the one I'm talking about: http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

Wow, that's very disappointing! I wonder why?

Jessica

 

[becca011906]

Ok i need some ideas here... we are driving to the world in about 5.5 weeks and are still debating a route. we will take highway 41 south out of indiana, and then 24 into Nashville, TN this is where we aren't sure what the best route is... mapquest says take 24 onto chattanooga then 75 on south.....

but my grandparents said they have always taken 24 into nashville, then 65 out of nashville down to montgomery, AL then take 231 into Dothan,AL then 84 to Valdosta, GA and then hit 75 into FL...

Any one have any opinions we've taken the direct 75 down and went through atlanta and it doesn't bother us much at all, but it's been 9pm and 4am when we've went through before...
Thanks

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

becca011906, we live near Columbus, IN and have taken both ways.

We mostly go 65S thru Louisville and then to Nashville, 24 to Chattanooga and then 75 S thru Atlanta to the Florida Turnpike just past Ocala and into DW taking the new Western Way exit which takes you out between Coronado Springs and the All Stars and avoids the interstates.

Last time we ran into some bad stuff in Louisville and ended up taking 65S to Lexington and then getting on 75 there and avoided Mount Eagle and its curves and such. It was a bit longer mileage wise but pretty good.

If the weather is coming in bad we might take 65S all the way to Florida and then taking 10 over to 75. It is a long way out of the way and you can catch 75 earlier if you need to but it is a way to avoid snow and ice in order to get to the 'Promised Land".

I am willing to ride along with you and guide you if you need it.

Have a safe and wonderful trip.

Slightly Goofy

 

[Joy4Ron]

I have driven through Atlanta several times at all hours, and I have found that staying on I75 is the best. The bypasses are almost always worse. In fact, one year, we were travelling alongside an RV pulling a conversion van, they took the bypass and we took I75. Traffic slowed way down, and I thought I picked the wrong one. We ended up right next to them when the bypass came back.