Getting to Florida from New York

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Hi all!

Hopefully this is the right place to ask this!

We are planning our Christmas trip next year (December 2010) to see the parks decorated for Christmas, and we thought it would be nice to combine this with a few days in festive New York.

Originally we were planning on flying between the two cities, but now am giving thought to driving a) because the internal flights will have a massively reduced weight limit than our international flights, and I don't think I could cope with less clothes , and b) because we have always fancied a "road trip" USA style!

I have spent hours on the internet, but I can't find anything firm about driving times between Manhattan and Orlando - I have seen estimates from 17 - 24 hours! Has anyone done this who could give me a firmer answer? We could spilt it over either two of three days (one of two nights). Washington looks like it might be on the route which would make a nice stop as my DH as never been there? What other places are along the way, and where would be good places to stop? If it could be done over two days / one night, what would a mid-way point be?

Any advise would be very gratefully received!

 

[GranddadTom]

I think an automobile trip would be a fantastic idea – and I would definitely stop in Washington. The whole trip would be around 1,100 miles – all of it on high speed highways. I would say that you could do it in 17 hours but you only made quick stops for gasoline and bathroom breaks. Here’s how the legs would break down:

New York City to Washington 230 miles and 4 hours of driving
Washington to the Virginia/North Carolina border 180 miles and 3 hours of driving
VA/NC Border to NC/South Carolina Border 185 miles and 2 hours 45 minutes
NC/SC to SC/Georgia Border 200 miles and 3 hours of driving
SC/Georgia Border to Florida Border 110 miles and 1 hour 30 minutes of driving
to WDW 185 miles and 2 hours 45 minutes

We have made the trip from Washington to WDW in one day but it’s a long, long day. We’ve made it in as little as 12 hours 30 minutes but 13 hours is more the average. If you have the time, a stop in Savannah, GA would be nice. The roads are mostly 65 mph north of Virginia and 70 mph south of there - all multilane, divided highways - and toll-free once you get south of Maryland.

 

[NJBILL]

Hi all!

Hopefully this is the right place to ask this!

We are planning our Christmas trip next year (December 2010) to see the parks decorated for Christmas, and we thought it would be nice to combine this with a few days in festive New York.

Originally we were planning on flying between the two cities, but now am giving thought to driving a) because the internal flights will have a massively reduced weight limit than our international flights, and I don't think I could cope with less clothes , and b) because we have always fancied a "road trip" USA style!

I have spent hours on the internet, but I can't find anything firm about driving times between Manhattan and Orlando - I have seen estimates from 17 - 24 hours! Has anyone done this who could give me a firmer answer? We could spilt it over either two of three days (one of two nights). Washington looks like it might be on the route which would make a nice stop as my DH as never been there? What other places are along the way, and where would be good places to stop? If it could be done over two days / one night, what would a mid-way point be?

Any advise would be very gratefully received!

You could also take a train from NYC to Orlando or Drive from NYC, stop in DC for a few days, and board the Auto Train just outside of DC, which will take you and your car to Sanford Florida which is an hour from Disney..
1-800-usa-rail for Amtrak Train Information or www.amtrak.com

 

[mskayjay]

I live in New York State (waaaay up north.....on the edge of Lake Ontario) and have family in Florida I visit regularly. I think both of your options sound lovely but I would really hesitate about planning a driving trip during that time of year. The weather can be tempermental and honestly, yes the decorations in NY are WELL worth the trip, but seeing a gray, slushy, nasty eastern US highway for a whole day of my trip is not what I call nice! I realize you will get penalized with your clothing weight but I would grab a JetBlue flight and go from NY right to Orlando and save the road trip for a time when I was going to be here in kinder weather.

Just my humble opinion.....

Driving time.....It takes me 20 hours to get to Orlando and I am 5 hours north of NYC. I would allow for at least 15-17 hours to allow for stops, traffic, weather, etc. We are pedal to the metal (very few stops! and a *tad* over teh speed limits!!! lol) and wanting to just get there when we do drive. We much prefer flying now.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

This is all SO helpful, thank you!

I hadn't considered the weather to be honest - does it tend to be quite snowy early December? If so I wouldn't want to drive, so we may consider the train option, which we hadn't thought of before - does a train go from New York to Washington? Then after some time in Washington we could get on again until Sanford airport . . . I like that idea!! Do they have luggage restrictions on trains?! Sorry, complete train novice!!! Would that journey be quicker than driving?

Thanks again, I knew I would find more help on here than anywhere else!!

 

[NJBILL]

This is all SO helpful, thank you!

I hadn't considered the weather to be honest - does it tend to be quite snowy early December? If so I wouldn't want to drive, so we may consider the train option, which we hadn't thought of before - does a train go from New York to Washington? Then after some time in Washington we could get on again until Sanford airport . . . I like that idea!! Do they have luggage restrictions on trains?! Sorry, complete train novice!!! Would that journey be quicker than driving?

Thanks again, I knew I would find more help on here than anywhere else!!

From NYC to orlando is around 22 hours. You can travel coach or get sleeper cars depending on how much you would like to spend. The train stops in Washington,but if you were going to stay there for a few days you would need to buy tix from NYC to Washington, then from Washington To Orlando.
If you purchase sleepers, your meals are included. You can bring your own food or purchase it on the train if you ride coach. I have done both several times.

You cannot get off at Sanford unless you ride the auto train,you would have to go to Orlando or Kissimmee

 

[NJBILL]

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...ak_Index_Page&c=Page&cid=1080072922215&ssid=6

 

[CPT Tripss]

My first thought was OMG it will snow for sure if they plan that. Failing snow, you will (even worse) experience a Nor'easter and freezing temperatures providing a lovely coating of ice on everything.

My second thought was a 1200 mile (2000 kilometer) drive on the wrong side of the road.

If you don't want to fly, the train is the way to go. And, should you decide to do that, you can easily make a couple day stopover in Washington DC on the way.

 

[Tink113sMom]

Hi Sonya...

As soon as I tell you it will be fine driving the East Coast in early December, we will have a blizzard... But that being said... We usually have one cold blast before Christmas and that is ordinarily in late November. Our weather in early December can be pretty nice. Certainly not anything you would call warm but pleasant, sunny, and 40-50ish. It would absolutely be a crap shoot at any time as our weather around DC is very changeable... One of the things I like about here is we see all sorts of weather. This week they had softball sized hail 50 miles south!

I can understand you wanting to be able to load the car at the airport and not having to worry about dragging luggage all over!

I just checked and last year the White House was decorated by December
3rd. You should definitely catch the Rockets at Radio City Music Hall in NYC...

Just a little more to think about...
Love ya,
Carole

 

[shafke]

This is all SO helpful, thank you!

I hadn't considered the weather to be honest - does it tend to be quite snowy early December? If so I wouldn't want to drive, so we may consider the train option, which we hadn't thought of before - does a train go from New York to Washington? Then after some time in Washington we could get on again until Sanford airport . . . I like that idea!! Do they have luggage restrictions on trains?! Sorry, complete train novice!!! Would that journey be quicker than driving?

Thanks again, I knew I would find more help on here than anywhere else!!

Snow is possible but not likely in Dec. Usually if it does snow it is only a couple of inches. At most you you might have to wait a day to travel as the road are cleared pretty fast. Also, if there is any kind of storm it will also affect airlines (airport delays and possibly flight cancellations) and possibly the trains.

Driving NYC to Orlando is about 17-20 hours depending on traffic.

If you will be driving on a weekday you want to get on the road real early (3-4 am at the earliest) or after 8-9 am to avoid the rush hours in the big cities of NY, Baltimore, DC and a bit of Philadelphia. Dont get on the road too late in the day (after noon) for the same reasons.

As for the train you can take a train (Amtrak) from NY to DC and then again from DC to Orlando. Total time for the train is about the same as driving except that you are not driving and will arrive relaxed at your destination. If you take Amtrak's Acela service from NY to DC you might save an hour or so over the regular service.

 

[MAH4546]

a) because the internal flights will have a massively reduced weight limit than our international flights, and I don't think I could cope with less clothes ,

No they won't. Domestic airlines in the U.S. are two bags, 50lb/23kg, just like 95% of international airlines.

Florida to New York can be fun during the summer, but in the winter you risk snow storms, heavier traffic, ugly scenery and, due to it being winter, some of those quirky roadside attractions are closed.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Wow, op you are so brave! I'm 2 hrs south of NYC and just the thought of driving in NY, or even North Jersey for that matter nauseates me. People drive like loonies.

I'd pay to fly from NY to Baltimore, Maryland then Baltimore or Dulles to Orlando. Southwest Airlines allows 2 bags free per passenger checked, no more than 50 lbs each and will begin service to LaGuardia Airport in NYC soon. Also you can bring a carry on besides your purse/small bag/camera bag, etc.
http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/routemap_dyn.html

I searched 2 random midweek flights in Oct just to give you a roundabout price. NY to Baltimore is only $49 pp + tax. Baltimore to Orlando is $67 + tax. All other airlines charge $15-25 per bag which really adds up if you have a lot of luggage.


I have other suggestions of places to stop along the way to break up the long drive but in mid winter none of these would be very appealing: Williamsburg, Virginia or Myrtle Beach, S. Carolina.
Good luck!

 

[WillCAD]

Driving up and down the east coast of the US along I-95 is a tricky and unpredictable thing. Traffic varies according to the time of day. day of the week, and time of year, and also with the weather and any special events like sporting events, public holidays, concerts, etc. Traffic collisions on any major road can also cause major delays.

Quite frankly, the drive from NYC to Orlando is an advanced road trip. I would not recommend it to folks from the UK who are not familiar with the I-95 corridor and its many peculiarities.

I recommend that you fly. If you must, you can have some clothes shipped from home to your WDW resort, and ship your dirty laundry home. Or, you could actually do a load or two of laundry when you arrive at WDW. Sure, I know that doing laundry on holiday is a horrible, horrible thing, but think of it this way:

Option 1: Drive from NYC to Orlando
22hrs on the road (probaboly with an overnight break, so it will take you two days)
Potential traffic delays
Potential for getting lost in unfamiliar territory
Potential for massig weather-related delays
Driving on the right side of the road with millions of INSANE American Christmas drivers

Option 2: Fly to Orlando and do some laundry
3hrs early arrival
3hrs flight time
1hr transit from MCO to WDW resort
1hr doing laundry at a WDW resort
Total 8 hours

Of course, I have to warn you that even with Option 2, there is always the possibility of a weather-related delay in your flight in December. And You'll notice that I put in 3 hours early arrival instead of the usual 2 hour, because US airports during the Christmas season are very busy and you may need the extra time to get through security, even for a domestic flight. The airports in NYC are particularly busy, any time of year.

Even so, I would still recommend Option 2 over Option 1, any day.

Trust me, I've made the drive from Baltimore to Orlando many times; there is nothing great about the scenery along I-95 that would compell me to make that drive if I didn't have to.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Thanks everyone - this has been a great help! Between tales of crazy drivers and bad storms we are firmly back on flying!!!

Can you tell me, which airport is best to go from in NewYork - I believe there are 2 or 3. Which is closer to Manhattan? Thanks again!

 

[shafke]

The three closest are Laguardia, JFK, and Newark which is in New Jersey.
I think Laguardia is the closes but probably the most difficult to get to is you do not have a car.
Newark and JFK are about the same distance wise and both can be reached easily via train.
If you are driving JFK is probably the longest trip time wise. I don't think I have ever seen the main road to JFK ever move along better than a fast crawl. Whether you drive or take the train to JFK allow at least an hour to get there. If you take the train you can hop on the LIRR at Penn Station and then transfer at Jamaica for the AirTrain shuttle to the airport.
Newark may be a little easier to drive to if you are not leaving Manhattan during the evening rush hour. Again you can also take a train from Penn Station (NJ Transit or Amtrak) and transfer to the airports shuttle.

No matter which airport you fly out of allow a minimum of an hour travel time whether driving or by train.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks everyone - this has been a great help! Between tales of crazy drivers and bad storms we are firmly back on flying!!!

Can you tell me, which airport is best to go from in NewYork - I believe there are 2 or 3. Which is closer to Manhattan? Thanks again!

In looking at mapquest.com, it looks like LaGuardia is closer but it's only 11 miles between LaGuardia and JFK.
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/8-ISVWxA0xZmx0

I only suggested Southwest Airlines out of LGA b/c of their very generous luggage allowance. Even if it's just the 2 of you, you can check 4 bags for free up to 50 lbs each. That's 200 lbs of stuff.

Have a great time!!