HELP, 22 hrs straight for $2100?

[1stvisit0909]

Our Honda Odyssey is really bad on gas,

Really? ours is in town, but awesome on highway

 

[baldy6060]

My wife & I don't fly & SHE doesn't even drive so I always drive the 17 hours plus breaks from Indiana. It's sometimes the highlight of our trip. The kids are well behaved, it's good quality family time and they all particularly enjoy watching daddy lose his mind somewhere around Georgia. Especially last year when we left home at 9 pm and when they all woke up the next morning daddy was dancing, singing, laughing and saying all sorts of nonsensical things. Good times, good times.

 

[budafam]

We drove on our first trip (22ish hours from Wisconsin). The drive wasn't bad but it did eat up the park time. Since that trip, I've flown everytime. I've been lucky and either found low fares ($78 non stop flights) or I used my rewards from opening the Southwest credit card (so they were completely free!) I would probably drive if the only flights we could find were that expensive. The most I would pay would be $1000 for flying my family of 4.

 

[Suzanne033]

I vote for driving. We have driven the last two years. Our drive is 18 hours. The first year it was my husband, myself and my DD. This year it was just me and DD. We make it all part of the vacation. We bought a road trip game that lasted for the drive down and back.

 

[skeettafic]

We're going next year and with the cost of tickets are most likely going to drive as well. We're looking at 16 hours most likely. We do plan on getting a room for one night each way plus gas and food so we're thinking approximately $600 for the road trip. If airfare is similar to this fall, it would probably cost us about $1400-$1500 to fly.

As much as DH and I would prefer to fly to save the time with driving, we've agreed that unless we can get our flights for under $1000, we'll be driving.

 

[DizzyStitch]

We have driven the last two times. We leave about 6pm and drive commando, well at least I try lol! Our drive with stops was about 18 or 19 hours. I plan to keep driving to save money as long as I can. It helps that my commute is only 2 miles one way so my overall car milage doesn't get too affected by the 2,000 mile or so round trip. The big plus is packing what I want and having my car. Oh and I invested in an xcargo Gordon the next trip.

 

[DanInMN]

For 7 years I had a company car where they paid for gas, and I was allowed unlimited personal use. We drove to Florida from Minnesota a few times nonstop for free!

I own a small airplane (Beechcraft Bonanza) that will make the trip in about 8 hours each way. But the cost of fuel has skyrocketed, so it's not competitive to a discount airfare. (16 flight hours * 11 gallons/hour * $5/gal = $880)

I booked Sun Country for our trip in January at $98 each way per person. For 3 of us the total cost is just under $600. I couldn't drive for much less than that (gas, meals, and possibly hotel).

Airfares change hourly, so if I were the OP I would plan on driving, but keep checking airfares. You might get lucky.

 

[disneysmyhappyplace]

Did you look into getting the SW visa card? You and your husband could each each separate cards and that would give you 100,000 rapid reward points (pretty sure it is 50,000 points right now) you could fly for FREE! We have done this and it was great!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[hsmamato2]

Well, we have talked about it using everything posted by all you wonderful Disers and we have decided to drive. We talked to the kids and they are excited to drive and see the country. even my DH seems to be excited about the trip now. he even decided to take the 15th off so we can add an extra day for the drive. I'm super excited now.

that sounds like a plan I think driving is a different experience than flying, but it can be part of the trip,if you go in with the right attitude! good music, video games for kids, audiobooks, car games, tons of snacks in coolers.... when I do a LONG drive like that,I stop approx. every 3 hours at a rest stop/gas station- We stretch our legs, use the bathroom, gas up(yes, I fill up at every stop I prefer it that way) sometimes buy a fun snack or two ,or a comic we see on a shelf,usually takes about 10 mins a stop- then it's back in the car, we eat on the road- I make really good time this way, as when we stop we take 10 mins to 'do it all'-
And you're saving SO much money this way! so have fun!

 

[lucyem]

We drive straight through from NH. So like you we are looking at 22 hours plus a couple extra. We drive 2xs a year. I have done the drive myself with the kids but I take longer.

IME straight through is very doable on the way down with two drivers. My DH & I take turns and make sure to nap as much as we can. But that being said we always give ourselves 2 days. Say we leave on Friday and have check in on Sunday. Saturday night we have the option of stopping anywhere from GA to Orlando if we need a break. If we make it to Orlando I call a Mousesavers discount hotel near DTD when we get to FL. If we stop in GA we do the last couple of hours Sunday am.

The way home we always do in 2 days. We stop somewhere between NC & VA. We are just too tired after the vacation to safely go the whole way.

We have the guide to 95. I like to mark where we have stopped or anything interesting off the highway. Like the rest stop with 500 mangy cats (well it looked that way) or the Good Earth Peanut Company. One trip we detoured through Gettysburg. The more interesting the trip the more fun it is. My kids have it down now and we know what to expect.

 

[tink576]

For that money I'd be tempted to drive. That said my mom ALWAYS said it was worth the money to fly. It really depends on your kids (and you) for how well you are on long road trips. As a person who get's car sick consistently in extended car trips, I plan how I travel based on the distance it is from home. I know my body can handle about 4-4.5 hours w/ stops in the middle and I feel crummy, although not sick. Once you hit the 5 hour point my body is done so I don't consider driving that far, but that's me and my body. If you think your family can handle the drive I say do it and put the money saved toward your next trip and explain that to the kids. I would think they would tell you they would want to drive it meant they were halfway saved towards their next trip already.

 

[tlh0726]

Drive it straight thru on the way down, but plan on 2 days to drive home.

Learned that from experience!

 

[mrsap]

Drive it straight thru on the way down, but plan on 2 days to drive home.

Learned that from experience!

We are the complete opposite. We will take two days to get down but will go straight through for the ride home! At the end of vacation, all we want to do is get home!!!! Lol

 

[FINFAN]

Well that's not exactly true, because it's 22 hours down and 22 hours back, so $50 an hour, unless of course they just decide not to go home.

-Astrid

I stand corrected, lol....that large of a sum distracted me, apparently. I would still choose to drive, even at $50 an hour, when it is that amount of hours.

 

[TnTWalter]

You can pack so much stuff in your car plus you don't have to rent once you arrive!

We always make the drive part of the vacation. I find great stopping points with cool restaurants and parks to stretch your legs. And hit lots of redboxes along the way!

We drive from Indy so it's around 15 hours.

Here's a place in Chatanooga we stopped.
http://ridetheincline.com/
ate here...cool joint
http://www.mojoburrito.com/

Another time we stopped in Chatanooga at this park with a wooden carousel.
http://family.go.com/travel/things-to-do/tennessee/chattanooga/poi-282767-coolidge-park/

In Nashville, the Centennial park is wonderful!! A pretty lake to walk around, playground, cool train to look at and planes. Lots of food choices in Nashville.
http://www.nashville.gov/parks/locations/centennial/

In Marietta:

Take exit 269 B (Hwy 5) off I 75 towards Marietta

Follow the road for about 2.5 miles

The road will lead you directly to the square.
http://mariettasquare.com/

There is a nice, shady, grassy area for picnicking and a train themed play area.

Grab Pizza @ Marietta Pizza Company and spread out on the grass or at table on square. You could even call ahead and it will be waiting for you when you arrive! What a charming little town.

 

[danielle79]

We have driven twice from just south of Buffalo NY and we look at the drive down as part of the vacation! Games, videos, great music and our family entertains each other. My kids are 7,8 and 15 and we leave at around 4p.m. so the kids will sleep for a big portion of the commando driving we do. We always book a hotel the night before somewhere outside of Orlando usually near Daytona so the kids can see the ocean. That way we can nap and catch up on sleep and them go stock up on groceries before we hit the road bright and early for Orlando. We have always driven straight home but next vacation we may change that and spend the night in VA. Nobody is as excited to drive home as they are to drive to Disney and we are exhausted from our trip. Hope this helps!

 

[maggs1035]

I just checked Albany NY is are closest, after that it is Buffalo, La Guardia, and Boston, they are all saying cheapest 2500. It looks like driving is going to win.

I don't know what airline you looked up, but we are flying JetBlue out of buffalo ny nonstop flights for 5 people and its only $1325? When is your trip?

 

[tink576]

Wow so many people in Buffalo, who knew we were so popular?

 

[tink576]

We have driven twice from just south of Buffalo NY and we look at the drive down as part of the vacation!

Where out in Eden are you from, did you grow up out there? It's a small world, my Dad's grew up in Eden.

 

[disneychic33]

I don't know what airline you looked up, but we are flying JetBlue out of buffalo ny nonstop flights for 5 people and its only $1325? When is your trip?

I looked up Southwest, it is the only airline my DH will fly on. We are also traveling in mid-March. The fairs are a little higher due to spring break probably. It's ok though because we are now looking forward to the trip and are researching points along the route.