Have you / would you drive 1000...

[FreeTime]

miles with one driver? It would be me and 2 kids with my DH flying later in the week. The other thought is that the kids and I would fly down and DH would drive on his own.

 

[jasko5990]

It can be done. If you think you're going to need or want to stop overnight, I'd pick Alexandria VA, Florence SC, or Savannah GA since they seem to be nicer areas with better hotels. With the exception of taking Amtrak's Auto Train in 2008, we have driven from the Philadelphia, PA area every trip since 2002. My current strategy is to wake up around 6am the day we are leaving, then go back to bed around 4-5pm and sleep until about 11pm. We leave around midnight and drive straight through on I-95. My wife & kids stay awake that day until we leave, then they sleep in the Avalanche and don't wake up until we are in North Carolina where we stop for gas and a Cracker Barrel breakfast around 7am. We then hit the road again, only stopping for one more gas stop and when bathroom breaks are needed. The trip lasts 16 hours, + or - 1/2 hour. By leaving when we do we miss all of the morning traffic in the northern section of I-95 (especially around the Washington DC area), and when we stop for breakfast we avoid a lot of the traffic during the morning rush. I have tried other departure times, routes, and also stopping for sleep along the way, and have found this current strategy to be the best for us. The long drive and hours aren't a problem for me since I work rotating shifts and spend up to 13 hours a day in a vehicle and am used to being awake all night in a car. I only needed a power nap on two trips and my wife drove for a short time (less than 30-45 minutes) so I could rest. I also drove round trip alone once, and that wasn't bad at all. We get to do it again in 2011.

 

[DOOM1001]

I once drove 1200 miles straight,(won't do that again),I think 600-700 miles in a day is what I can do comfortably.

 

[NJFireman22]

I make the trip from South Jersey 3 Xs a year, South & North bound, I usually try to leave for the south bound trip around mid-night. I usually take a power nap at the NC/VA rest area , then maybe again at the Sc/Ga rest area.
I do the same thing heading North, but dont leave till 3am. I also try to travel the weekends too. Usually the trip takes me 18+ hours as a single driver. When DW and I drive together we stop for gas and driver switch only and make it in 15 hours. SO Yes it can be done , but be careful and stop if you get tired, Disney will be there.

 

[tami82]

I suggest going to bed early to get a few hours of sleep in and leaving 2 or 3 in the morning. From experience it is rough trying to drive at night even if i had some sleep. This way you only have a few hours of darkness and pace yourself, you dont have to do it in one day.

 

[disneymom06]

I have to ask how old are the kids? I have thought about doing this, the trip is about 1100 miles. DH usually does most of the driving and I pick up the tough times when he is tired. I am thinking of doing the trip myself, but know now that my son is capable of picking up the tough times and the thought of a second driver is a comfort. Would I do the trip with 4 kids, yes, but mine are a little older (with the youngest 8).

Are you used to driving long distances, are the kids good in the car, especially with occupying themselves when you are doing the driving, (I remember the days when EVERYONE had to find the babies dropped binky, I laugh now but it wasn't funny then)

I would plan both options and see what works best for you. How is DH with driving down himself? THe kids are a big factor.

 

[nytimez]

I do it with my daughter all the time. I do it over two or three days, though.

 

[patclairesmom]

I also find that when you're the only driver, you tend to make more stops since you tire out. If I ever drove by myself with just my kids, I would stop overnight 2xs.

 

[Anniegirl]

This past spring break I drove from Tampa to NJ, about 1160 miles. It was myself and my 3 sons (9,7 & 5). We took the Autotrain for the trip back home. The first day I left at 7am and stopped for the night at 10pm. 15 hours of solo driving with stops for lunch, dinner, bas and bathroom breaks. That was harsh. The boys held up well until the last 2 hours. The next day's driv was about 5 hours.


I leave again for another roadtrip back to NJ later this week. I'll drive both ways this time, just me and the boys. I plan on stopping a lot earlier, probably only after 9-10 hours of driving.

The boys had their mp3 players, each had a lapdesk (from Michaels) with pencils, activity books, crayons etc. We had a portable DVD player but the battery died & we never used it. The little guys had their Leapsters, and my oldest had his DS. I brought snacks which I kept in the front with me and tossed back as needed. I let them talk to family & friends on my cell phone.
We had a little in-car celebration whenever we crossed a state line.

It's doable. 2 out of my 3 boys have ADHD, one of them quite severe. I am very in tune with them and although it wasn't a walk in the park, it was manageable enough to be willing to do it again.

Enjoy our trip!

 

[weluvdizne]

I took a trip with just me and the kiddos (4.5 and 8 years old) back in February. We went from Chicago-ish to Grand Isle, La (South of New Orleans) to visit my parents. It was almost 1200 miles. I'm not a morning person, so we got a late start, around 11:00 am and then we ended up driving in the dark at night. Fine with me, until I saw a bunch of deer on the side of the road
I pulled over to spend the night right away. I had planned to drive a ways more, but on that trip, I realized better to drive early in the day and call it an early night. I would say, weather traveling with or without kids, you definately can do it and definately must stop over overnight with a trip that long.
Have a great time. Drive safe!

 

[walkdmc]

I've done it when DH couldn't join us. I think it's fine as long as you stay on main roads, take a break when needed and have a reliable car.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

miles with one driver? It would be me and 2 kids with my DH flying later in the week. The other thought is that the kids and I would fly down and DH would drive on his own.

Would not, could not. Even with 2 drivers. Guess I'm a wimp. I could barely stand the 6 hr drive to VA 2 weeks ago. I'd fly to PHL if I could.

I'm glad we are all free to choose the option we like best.

 

[bdoyledimou]

as per my sig, i have driven 7 times!!! SO doesn't drive, and tends to sleep, while the kids sit in the back and play games or watch movies. completly doable. but if you find your self nodding. get off the road. its not safe for anyone to sleep while driving.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

We live 1145 miles from the Mouse, and have driven many, many times; at first, it was my DH who did all the driving. After he decided he was done with Disney, I did it alone, until my kids got old enough to help with the driving. We stop at least one night, sometimes two, each way. Leave home early, early in the a.m. and stop late evening on the first day. I prefer to get to WDW in the morning, so if we don't get close enough, we stop for a second night around Tallahassee or Lake City, FL.

Sometimes, we make the stops on the way part of the vacation. For instance, if we drive along the Coast, we stop in a coastal town for dinner and sightseeing before getting some sleep. The kids looked forward to the beach almost as much as WDW!

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I drove to FL from the NY/CT area & back years ago with my Mother, who was legally blind due to Macular Degeneration and 2 children under 3! Did I enjoy it? Nope but I did it. We drove right thru too.. there was a hurricane coming & it was slated to hit the VA area... I want to say it may have been Hugo. I wanted to get home before that storm hit... I made it to the Jersey Turnpike and had to pull over at a rest area for a while. I was getting tired. I actually fell asleep for a short bit while there. My mom stayed awake & watched for me... So while I didn't really have another driver, I did have someone next to me to help me out at that point.