For those folks driving!

[Ham Ham]

we are going to be driving our RV down to Fl from Morris County, NJ for the first time. B/C of propane tank, would like to avoid Chesapeake tunnel and WDC beltway. does anyone have a map of these alternate routes? For the life of me, I can't figure out where I would pick up rte 64!

Here's my suggestion take I-287 South, I-78 West, I-81 South, I-77 South, I-26 East, I-95 South, I-4 west.

Google Maps Route
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=...633208,-77.211914&spn=19.260444,38.320312&z=5

What's the problem with propane on the DC belt way and the Cheaseapeak Bridge/Tunnel?

Are they forbidden?

Here's the Cheaseapeak bridge/tunnel restrictions page.
http://www.cbbt.com/hazmat.html

 

[ToddyLu]

Skipsmom, We live on the Miss. Gulf Coast and always stay in Lake City, after getting off I-10, going south on I-75. It is about 5 hours for us, straight drive time. Next day WDW is 150 miles away.

 

[belle231]

okay so i live about 30 minutes from harrisburgh PA and i would really like to drive to florida (trying to talk my husband into it, i hate flying and he hates car rides) How much money do you consider for gas? I wouldnt need to worry about hotels really i work for one so i get cheap prices and we would probably pack a cooler for snacks and stuff. So how much do u think i would need to consider for gas. I think its about 17 hours and i have a ford explorer. any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[belle231]

here is a great website that might help its areaguides.net when you get on the site enter your city then hit next. If you then click on hotels there is somthing called road trip planner. Here is the link maybe you could just click on it and bypass the other stuff http://ephratapa.areaguides.net/road_trip.html

you enter your starting place and ending place how many hours you want to drive then it will also show you things in the area like hotels and site seeing places. Play around with it. I think its wonderful

 

[pilferk]

okay so i live about 30 minutes from harrisburgh PA and i would really like to drive to florida (trying to talk my husband into it, i hate flying and he hates car rides) How much money do you consider for gas? I wouldnt need to worry about hotels really i work for one so i get cheap prices and we would probably pack a cooler for snacks and stuff. So how much do u think i would need to consider for gas. I think its about 17 hours and i have a ford explorer. any help would be greatly appreciated

You're roughly 1000 miles away.

You get about 20 mpg highway.

So you're gonna need roughly 50 gallons of fuel, each way...plus probably some "driving around" gas while there.

So, I'd figure something close to 110 gallons of fuel...then it's all about what the price per gallon is when you leave.

I'm figuring 4.75 per gallon in my "guesstimate" for this December. I HOPE it will be a lot less, but we're at about 4.30 a gallon up here, now, so....figure best to be safe.

I'd budget somewhere around $500 for gas.

 

[belle231]

wow very accurate thank you. It might be too high for us though depending on if we can get a cheap flight price. I guess we will have to see. but thanks so much

 

[pilferk]

wow very accurate thank you. It might be too high for us though depending on if we can get a cheap flight price. I guess we will have to see. but thanks so much

If it's JUST the two of you, you can probably fly cheaper.

We drive with 5 of us......normally, we can't fly out of anywhere close by for less than we can drive.

I just found a deal with Air tran, out of white plains NY (about an hour and 40 minutes from us) that finds the 5 of us flying for less than $1000 (and no first checked bag fee, either). We're now contemplating that....

It's still cheaper for us to drive (even with food and hotel) by about $300 (I'm including long term parking and the price of a rental car in the flight total...because we use our car a LOT down there). But now we're starting to encroach on my "convenience vs $$$" limit. If I could lower that by even $100, we'd probably be flying, I think.

 

[Ham Ham]

okay so i live about 30 minutes from harrisburgh PA and i would really like to drive to florida (trying to talk my husband into it, i hate flying and he hates car rides) How much money do you consider for gas? I wouldnt need to worry about hotels really i work for one so i get cheap prices and we would probably pack a cooler for snacks and stuff. So how much do u think i would need to consider for gas. I think its about 17 hours and i have a ford explorer. any help would be greatly appreciated

Try this.

http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/

 

[belle231]

We have a three year old as well. So it would be flight for 3 of us and so far we cant find anything under 250. So my son and me and my dad (are whole family is going) are thinking of driving saving my husband and i two plane tickets an splitting the cost of gas with me dad. Plus we would take the luggage so family flying wouldnt need to worry about it. We are still thinking about it all though.

 

[RH22]

Three of us drove down in May from Long Island. Left at 8PM and rolled into Grand Floridian at 1PM next day. Flights were just too expensive at the time for us.

 

[wezee]

I apologize in advance, if this question has already been asked and answered.

My in-laws are driving down, to meet us in Sept., from Ohio. They wanted to know where to find a map of the roads in and around WDW. Or should they just go online and purchase an orlando map?

 

[tinkerbell615]

I apologize in advance, if this question has already been asked and answered.

My in-laws are driving down, to meet us in Sept., from Ohio. They wanted to know where to find a map of the roads in and around WDW. Or should they just go online and purchase an orlando map?

If you or they belong to AAA they have really good maps for any area that you are looking for. I got several maps from them last year for our Disney trip.

 

[wezee]

Thanks.....I'll pass that info along. Not sure if they belong to AAA but DH and I have wanted to join for awhile...so this may be a good time. DH and I are flying down for a longer trip, but MIL hates flying, so they are driving and making a few pit stops to visit old friends. I told FIL we will just take WDW bus, boat etc., while they are there. I know my FIL's driving and don't want to risk getting lost!

 

[tinkerbell615]

Thanks.....I'll pass that info along. Not sure if they belong to AAA but DH and I have wanted to join for awhile...so this may be a good time. DH and I are flying down for a longer trip, but MIL hates flying, so they are driving and making a few pit stops to visit old friends. I told FIL we will just take WDW bus, boat etc., while they are there. I know my FIL's driving and don't want to risk getting lost!

AAA also allows you discounts on rooms when available as well as other discounts. With the discounts that we have gotten from AAA on room rates, etc... it has certainly paid for itself.

 

[schaery]

I apologize in advance, if this question has already been asked and answered.

My in-laws are driving down, to meet us in Sept., from Ohio. They wanted to know where to find a map of the roads in and around WDW. Or should they just go online and purchase an orlando map?

Type in Disney maps under search on the DIS site, and you can pull up maps of the different areas plus an overview of the whole resort. Also, under the transportation link (at the top), you can put in starting and ending locations at WDW and it will give you directions.

 

[Flyerfan]

We have a three year old as well. So it would be flight for 3 of us and so far we cant find anything under 250. So my son and me and my dad (are whole family is going) are thinking of driving saving my husband and i two plane tickets an splitting the cost of gas with me dad. Plus we would take the luggage so family flying wouldnt need to worry about it. We are still thinking about it all though.

Just my two cents. DH and I have driven the last two times and prefer it to flying. We flew a few years ago and from the time we left our house to the time we got to the resort it was 10 hours. We could have been more than 1/2 way to Florida. We like the idea of having our own car, not having to worry about packing and security....all the hassle. You said you are near Harrisburg. We are about an hour northeast of Hbg and it takes us about 17-1/2 hrs drive time. Add in stops for food and rest areas and it's a total of maybe 19 hrs. Of course, we don't drive straight thru. I don't know how people do that. We stay one night down and one night back. Our route is 81-77-26-95. It's really a nice drive and what seems the longest is the drive through Virginia...seems like you are there forever. IMHO better than 95all the way. As far as the gas, it depends on what gas mileage your car gets and the price as the pilferk said. We figured it's still cheaper than flying for us. Have fun whichever way you get there!!

 

[Dawn68PA]

We are from Harrisburg, well just outside Harrisburg, and it takes us 17 hours to get to WDW. We drive it straight every time. Once we leave, we can't wait to get to the magic! We usually leave in the afternoon so we are driving through the night (less traffic) and really enjoy the time together in the car with the family. The kids are teens and we take no electronic devices for use in the car (this is a staple for any car trip whether it be 30 mins or 17 hrs). The kids groan at first but after a half hour, we're communicating, playing games, telling stories and laughing. It's wonderful.

 

[Mickey's Sister]

Just my two cents. DH and I have driven the last two times and prefer it to flying. We flew a few years ago and from the time we left our house to the time we got to the resort it was 10 hours. We could have been more than 1/2 way to Florida. We like the idea of having our own car, not having to worry about packing and security....all the hassle. You said you are near Harrisburg. We are about an hour northeast of Hbg and it takes us about 17-1/2 hrs drive time. Add in stops for food and rest areas and it's a total of maybe 19 hrs. Of course, we don't drive straight thru. I don't know how people do that. We stay one night down and one night back. Our route is 81-77-26-95. It's really a nice drive and what seems the longest is the drive through Virginia...seems like you are there forever. IMHO better than 95all the way. As far as the gas, it depends on what gas mileage your car gets and the price as the pilferk said. We figured it's still cheaper than flying for us. Have fun whichever way you get there!!

Hi Neighbor! I'm from Lehighton. I saw your post & just had to say "hi". In all my years on the DIS, I've never seen a post from someone in a nearby town.

In the past we've always driven to Disney, (which is why I subscribe to this thread, LOL), but we've done the straight 95 route - I've heard the route you take is nice. This year we're trying the auto train, since my car is getting old. I get extreme motion sickness on a plane, so don't fly unless absolutely necessary.

Enjoy the gorgeous PA weather today!

 

[Flyerfan]

Hi Neighbor! I'm from Lehighton. I saw your post & just had to say "hi". In all my years on the DIS, I've never seen a post from someone in a nearby town.

In the past we've always driven to Disney, (which is why I subscribe to this thread, LOL), but we've done the straight 95 route - I've heard the route you take is nice. This year we're trying the auto train, since my car is getting old. I get extreme motion sickness on a plane, so don't fly unless absolutely necessary.

Enjoy the gorgeous PA weather today!

Hey there! Weather is gorgeous today. Wish I wasn't stuck inside an office.

 

[spalady]

We are driving down also from Pittsburgh. We've done it before and it was just fine, we have 2 DD that are in there teens and like people have posted before it is nice family time together we chat, listen to books on cd, play some game, etc. This time we are driving to Colubmbia, SC then driving straight through the next day, staying outside the park for 2 days and then checking into the WL. This year will be a bit of a challenge since my dh is having a little bit of back problems but his doctors said to go so he still wants to go!!! Oh by the way we leave in 2 wks.