For those folks driving!

[hearts8701]

Driving from chicago ohare to Disney world for the 4th I read i65 has a lot of traffic due to construction anyone have any input
Here http://www.jconline.com/story/news/2015/05/16/travel-nightmare-coming-soon/27453447/

 

[Original Amber]

Driving from chicago ohare to Disney world for the 4th I read i65 has a lot of traffic due to construction anyone have any input
Here http://www.jconline.com/story/news/2015/05/16/travel-nightmare-coming-soon/27453447/

Yes, too much traffic and construction on 65, and that was just Nashville today. We took 24 from one end to the other.

 

[missbrooke06]

Any advice on dealing with a rear facing child and forward facing with DVD/iPad. The rear facer will only be 11 months and while I limit his screen time significantly, 15 minutes of Oso often chills him out when he's restless. I will not be worrying about screen time limits during our 18 hour drive but not sure how to navigate without a significant electronics investment.

 

[disney-inspired]

It'll be our first time driving down from Columbus, GA and currently it looks like we'll be taking the 520 East to I-75 South. It might be wishful thinking on my part but I'm hoping we can make it to Valdosta, GA before our first stop.
Anyone know of any good food/rest stops near Valdosta or Tifton, GA?

Thanks for your help.
I'm trying to keep it to only one stop but with a little one I don't think that's gonna happen.
We'll probably end up stopping again somewhere between Gainesville and Ocala.

If I could, I'd have us leave at 3am and have her sleep for the most of the drive.

 

[Momma2PrinceNPrinces]

Driving from St. Louis! Looks like about halfway is right outside of Atlanta. Anyone have suggestions on where to stay?

 

[hearts8701]

just returned from disney world last night on the way down we took 57 south thru illinois due to what i read here on the Dis i am so glad i did driving home we choose to take 65 north thru indiana since we had more time the traffic on 65 south was terrible many traffic jams due to construction i witnessed at least 4 going south on 65 we had no delays headed north on 65

 

[eeyorej79]

Driving from St. Louis! Looks like about halfway is right outside of Atlanta. Anyone have suggestions on where to stay?

We usually stay off the highway in Cartersville. Before Atlanta. No problems there. It has a decent little gas station with I think it's like 4 fast food restaurants attached so everyone has a choice. It's nothing spectacular but a decent place to rest your head for the night and easy to hop back on the highway for the rest of the drive.

 

[DizDaD7]

We usually stay off the highway in Cartersville. Before Atlanta. No problems there. It has a decent little gas station with I think it's like 4 fast food restaurants attached so everyone has a choice. It's nothing spectacular but a decent place to rest your head for the night and easy to hop back on the highway for the rest of the drive.

Is this just to park on the side of the road? & sleep in your vehicle, or an actual motel/hotel that you check into. The latter of the 2 is what I'd be looking into, because the 1st one sounds kinda dicey.

 

[eeyorej79]

Is this just to park on the side of the road? & sleep in your vehicle, or an actual motel/hotel that you check into. The latter of the 2 is what I'd be looking into, because the 1st one sounds kinda dicey.

In a hotel/motel. There are a few to pick from.

 

[DizDaD7]

Ok.. Wheeew .Got me for a minute.

 

[Judique]

On the way home we left Disney about 10:30 am stopped for a sit down dinner at a Fatz in Florence, SC .

Did you get to try the peach cobbler with ice cream?? Yummy! I get it as a takeout snack from Fatz. Usually we go to the fast food chicken place down the street (Zaxby's) and then I have my treat at Fatz then we stay at Country Inn and Suites across the street. Sure way to blow the diet!

 

[ibcnu]

If you can leave Fayetteville around 6:45 a.m., without a huge traffic snag, you could make the 2:45 Cape May-Lewes Ferry, which would have you arriving in Cape May, NJ at 4:15 p.m. This route and timing would land you at the NJ/NY border* of the Garden State Parkway around 7 p.m. (assuming no traffic jams, and just driving the speed limit - ). In the winter I wouldn't do it as there are so few ferries per day, but April - October...it's something you might want to try once to see if you like it.

*Obviously only if you need to avoid the GWB, but you'll have a couple hours to decide which bridge to take on this route..

We did this one year on the ride home. We left Disney at 7 p.m. and drove through, it was about 6 a.m. when we saw traffic around the Richmond and Washington DC area so we bypassed those cities, drove over by Norfolk, took the Cheesapeake Bay Bridge and up to the Cape May ferry. What was ideal was that after we purchased our tickets we were able to get our car in line and doze off for a 1/2 hour before we had to move the car onto the ferry. Once on the ferry, we again fell asleep for entire time and by the time we were in New Jersey, we were alot more freshened up.

The Washington DC, Baltimore and Richmond areas are notorious for traffic. You need to hit these cities between 8 pm and 6 am, otherwise, expect delays.

 

[klazaro12]

Driving down from Union County, NJ at the end of August. Due to work schedules, we won't be able to leave until around 2-3pm on Friday August 21. I'm getting really nervous about Baltimore/DC/Richmond traffic. Is there any way to avoid that traffic besides the Ferry? TIA.

 

[sticker231]

Driving down from Union County, NJ at the end of August. Due to work schedules, we won't be able to leave until around 2-3pm on Friday August 21. I'm getting really nervous about Baltimore/DC/Richmond traffic. Is there any way to avoid that traffic besides the Ferry? TIA.

If you leave at that time on a Friday, you will be probably be hitting all sorts of shore traffic in NJ. Are you driving straight through or stopping? We are in the LBI area and always leave around 7pm, this way we avoid the DC traffic. A later departure time also helps with the kids, they sleep for most of the trip.

 

[klazaro12]

If you leave at that time on a Friday, you will be probably be hitting all sorts of shore traffic in NJ. Are you driving straight through or stopping? We are in the LBI area and always leave around 7pm, this way we avoid the DC traffic. A later departure time also helps with the kids, they sleep for most of the trip.

We plan on stopping at night, but we want to drive as far as possible on Friday night before we stop so we will have less driving to do on Saturday. There are no kids, just 3 adults.

 

[DizDaD7]

Driving down from Union County, NJ at the end of August. Due to work schedules, we won't be able to leave until around 2-3pm on Friday August 21. I'm getting really nervous about Baltimore/DC/Richmond traffic. Is there any way to avoid that traffic besides the Ferry? TIA.

Bergen County here...

We've done the drive twice on a Friday after work...But we left at 415 roughly to get to DC after rush hour ( like a pp stated ) We didn't have to deal with shore traffic, for it was April....I'd try and leave earlier if possible or later, because you'll just be staying in traffic I'm thinking.

 

[mollyandsam]

Hi! We're driving down from the Boston area next week - leaving Thurs AM and stopping overnight somewhere. I've seen a bunch of routes listed (down 95, further in through PA ..), but since traffic and construction changes over time, does anyone have any recent insights? Thanks!

 

[dkoerner27]

Hi! We're driving down from the Boston area next week - leaving Thurs AM and stopping overnight somewhere. I've seen a bunch of routes listed (down 95, further in through PA ..), but since traffic and construction changes over time, does anyone have any recent insights? Thanks!

We are leaving from northeast pa next Friday. We have made the drive several times and always take a route other than 95. I prefer the 81-77-26-95 route. We pick up 95 north of savannah.

 

[ibcnu]

We are leaving from northeast pa next Friday. We have made the drive several times and always take a route other than 95. I prefer the 81-77-26-95 route. We pick up 95 north of savannah.

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.

 

[CherylA]

Did you get to try the peach cobbler with ice cream?? Yummy! I get it as a takeout snack from Fatz. Usually we go to the fast food chicken place down the street (Zaxby's) and then I have my treat at Fatz then we stay at Country Inn and Suites across the street. Sure way to blow the diet!

We discovered Zaxbys on this trip too but no I didn't try the peach cobbler at Fatz. I wasn't really thrilled with the Fatz, wouldn't do dinner there again but I sure would try the peach cobbler!