For those folks driving!

[ErinInCT]

Just found out school doesn't start until after Labor Day so thought maybe we'd plan a trip the last week of Aug/1st week of Sept in the hopes that it won't be too crowded as everyone will be in school. Trying to save money so thinking about driving from Detroit. Seems like most posters are driving from the east coast. Any advice on the I75 route? My kids are older (12 and 15) and able to ride for long periods in the car but we still would prefer breaking it up into a 2 day drive. Do we just head down I75 until we are exhausted and find a hotel or should we plan for a half way point? What is the traffic like on I75? I95 showed as an option on mapquest. Would that be better?

 

[nono]

Just found out school doesn't start until after Labor Day so thought maybe we'd plan a trip the last week of Aug/1st week of Sept in the hopes that it won't be too crowded as everyone will be in school. Trying to save money so thinking about driving from Detroit. Seems like most posters are driving from the east coast. Any advice on the I75 route? My kids are older (12 and 15) and able to ride for long periods in the car but we still would prefer breaking it up into a 2 day drive. Do we just head down I75 until we are exhausted and find a hotel or should we plan for a half way point? What is the traffic like on I75? I95 showed as an option on mapquest. Would that be better?

Some folks on this thread can probably help you out: http://www.disboards.com/threads/for-2-000-mile-round-trip-drivers-only-part-v.3351891/

 

[Original Amber]

Do we just head down I75 until we are exhausted and find a hotel or should we plan for a half way point? What is the traffic like on I75? I95 showed as an option on mapquest. Would that be better?

We're further west than you, in eastern IL. Three years ago we went to Indy and south from there. We spent the night in Chattanooga without a reservation. This time we have reservations in Chattanooga.

 

[halssister]

Just found out school doesn't start until after Labor Day so thought maybe we'd plan a trip the last week of Aug/1st week of Sept in the hopes that it won't be too crowded as everyone will be in school. Trying to save money so thinking about driving from Detroit. Seems like most posters are driving from the east coast. Any advice on the I75 route? My kids are older (12 and 15) and able to ride for long periods in the car but we still would prefer breaking it up into a 2 day drive. Do we just head down I75 until we are exhausted and find a hotel or should we plan for a half way point? What is the traffic like on I75? I95 showed as an option on mapquest. Would that be better?

We are driving from northern Indiana this summer, and we are stopping in Chattanooga, it's about the halfway point for us. We did that on the drive home on our first trip and worked perfectly, there are many hotels off 75 around Shallowford Rd./Hamilton Place area that are also right near a mall, Walmart and other shopping, in case you are like us and want to get out and stretch your legs a bit, and maybe eat at the food court etc.

 

[halssister]

We're further west than you, in eastern IL. Three years ago we went to Indy and south from there. We spent the night in Chattanooga without a reservation. This time we have reservations in Chattanooga.

Curious, where in Chattanooga are you staying? We stayed at a nice Microtel five years ago, but this time are thinking of a Comfort Suites or Sleep In because we can get rewards points through our Choice Rewards program.

 

[Original Amber]

Because of past experiences, IF we stay, we're staying at a Residence Inn. I've been too disappointed by Choice that I doubt if I ever stay at one again. Residence Inn is a Marriott property. I also get points for staying through MyPoints.

 

[halssister]

Atlanta question.....rush hour. We are driving down July 29-30 from northern Indiana, plan is to stay overnight in Chattanooga, as we just can't handle much longer than 9 hours or so of driving a day. That puts us about 2 hours from Atlanta. We are early risers, but are we better off waiting until about 8 a.m. to leave Chattanooga so we hit Atlanta closer to 10, or will it make any difference with the horrible traffic on a Thursday morning? Otherwise, we will probably be showered and ready to go by 6:30 or so, and assuming the free breakfast begins at 6, we can be ready to go by 7 and hit our room at POR that much sooner

 

[Stitch808]

We are driving down from Omaha through St Louis, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. Where is a good place to stop after Atlanta? We are looking at stopping for the night and finishing up early in the morning so we can arrive at Pop around lunchtime.

 

[scrappinmom]

Tolls? - We're driving from the northwest Chicago burbs....I know I can use my IPass most of the way ...but what about Florida? how do you all handle that?

 

[Minniedap]

We just returned to WI last night from our 2 week vacation in Florida. On our way down we drove through Alabama as we spent 2 nights in Fort Walton Beach before heading to WDW for 10 nights. We usually drive through GA.

Tolls: the only tolls which the IPass did not cover was the Florida Turnpike. the first one was $3.00, then there were 2 more for $1.50. There are cash lanes and lanes with attendants.


Lodging: We make this trip yearly. We usually drive to just south of Atlanta stopping in Stockbridge,GA at a Holiday Inn. It is a nice area and the drive the rest of the way from here is very easy, about 7 hours.

 

[Original Amber]

Tolls? - We're driving from the northwest Chicago burbs....I know I can use my IPass most of the way ...but what about Florida? how do you all handle that?

Which burb? We're from Champaign, but between us, we know the burbs.

 

[scrappinmom]

Which burb? We're from Champaign, but between us, we know the burbs.

We live in Crystal Lake - about 3 hours north of you. I drive to Champaign a couple of times a month the company I work for is based there.

 

[kimatigger]

Driving down late August from NJ with our 4 kids. Any tips for bypassing the DC area. Or best times to hit it. I used to live in Northern Virginia and I know it can be a mess. Thanks in advance!

 

[CherylA]

Driving down late August from NJ with our 4 kids. Any tips for bypassing the DC area. Or best times to hit it. I used to live in Northern Virginia and I know it can be a mess. Thanks in advance!

What day of the week are you leaving. We left at 4am on a Saturday morning from CT and had a flawless drive. If you get started at 6am or 7am on a Saturday morning you'd be golden (based on my experience)

 

[java]

Leaving next Tuesday from Western NJ having the same dilemma I have every drive.
Do I
-go through PA down I 81 over 77 back to 95.

Or
- just go 95 the whole trip

It is longer mileage wise to go the PA route but the traffic on 95 in that DC area and in South Carolina scares me.
The facts. I plan to leave at 4 am. Had toyed with the idea of the auto train but talked myself out of it. HELP! First stop is not Disney either heading further south to Fort Meyers first! Then Disney. So it's 19 hours at best!

 

[CherylA]

Leaving next Tuesday from Western NJ having the same dilemma I have every drive.
Do I
-go through PA down I 81 over 77 back to 95.

Or
- just go 95 the whole trip

It is longer mileage wise to go the PA route but the traffic on 95 in that DC area and in South Carolina scares me.
The facts. I plan to leave at 4 am. Had toyed with the idea of the auto train but talked myself out of it. HELP! First stop is not Disney either heading further south to Fort Meyers first! Then Disney. So it's 19 hours at best!

Try Google maps or an app like waze to show you the traffic delays at the time you expect to be going through those places. If you can avoid the times between 4pm and 6:30 pm to be in those heavily congested area that would be ideal, even if it means stopping for a long dinner or some shopping to stretch your legs at some point before the congestion.

 

[Cando86]

Just found out school doesn't start until after Labor Day so thought maybe we'd plan a trip the last week of Aug/1st week of Sept in the hopes that it won't be too crowded as everyone will be in school. Trying to save money so thinking about driving from Detroit. Seems like most posters are driving from the east coast. Any advice on the I75 route? My kids are older (12 and 15) and able to ride for long periods in the car but we still would prefer breaking it up into a 2 day drive. Do we just head down I75 until we are exhausted and find a hotel or should we plan for a half way point? What is the traffic like on I75? I95 showed as an option on mapquest. Would that be better?

We drove from the Detroit area in January. It took us about 18 hours total with stops. We left metro-Detroit at 7am and stopped in Macon, GA for the night at 8pm. The next morning we left at 8am and arrived at WDW at 1:30pm. I would definitely recommend stopping - I don't think we could have done it straight through. Make sure you're not driving through Atlanta ANYtime near rush hour. The 75 route is very easy. I would suggest plugging in your route to Google Maps and then figuring out how long you're comfortable driving the first day, then move the little pin to about where it would be if you drove that distance and see what city you are near and stop there for the night. I do recommend Macon if you're comfortable driving about 12 hours the first day. I don't know anything about I95-we just took 75 the whole way and it was very easy.

Good luck We loved driving - we're doing it again in September!

 

[Original Amber]

We start step two of our vacation and driving. We'll check out of the hotel here in Huntsville, AL and head to WDW via Chattanooga tomorrow. We're going through Chattanooga to pick up the last member of our party. He's a WDW virgin!

 

[java]

T-3 days! At the stressed part of vacation planning. Can't wait to get on the road. Still unsure of direction. There is a lot of construction on I 81 and I am fearful of our early departure time. So which route will we take I 95 or I 81..........?
Want to book a hotel near savannah I think for the drive down. I'm guessing that is as far as I can go day one being the sole driver. Car snacks ideas? Today today is food shopping for trip and for those I'm leaving behind for a few days.

 

[Original Amber]

So, of course, I hit Atlanta about 4pm edt Thursday. It wasn't too bad. I would not recommend it for your first-ever rush hour traffic, though. We finally got to AoA at midnight.