How long is too long to drive for a weekend trip?

[ForTheLoveofDisney]

I was just wondering what people's opinions were regarding hours in a car for a weekend trip?

When I was growing up, it was nothing for my mom to pack us up in the van at 5p.m. on a Friday and head out to Ohio, an 8-9 hour drive, to see really good friends of hers. Sometimes we even had the company of another family who were all mutual friends. So, we'd leave on a Friday night at 5ish, make a stop for dinner and get out there around 2am. We'd get a liitle sleep then spend the day Saturday and most of the day Sunday together and then head home around 2pm to arrive around 10 or 11pm. It made for a tired Monday morning but visiting the friends was nice.

As I've gotten older, I almost think 4 hours is as far as I'd like to drive for a weekend trip (of two days off from work. Not a long weekend). But now, I'm only about 8-9 hours from Disney and there have definately been times I've thought, "Well, we used to do it."

So, what are your thoughts?
Thanks for sharing.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I put down 3-4, but depending on the spot, I might only consider 2-3 tops, honestly.

I need my sleep.

 

[Rachie0507]

I'm the crazy person who just voted 8-9 hours We drove to Northern Virginia from Massachusetts two week ago for the long weekend--it took about 8 hours to get there. We did 5 hours Friday night and finished up Saturday morning. We did the entire drive home on Monday (Presidents' Day). We have good friends that moved there a few months back. It was MORE than worth it to visit with them. I'd do it again DH did say it would be worth watching for cheap airfare into DC next time, but the drive wasn't too bad.

 

[freckles and boo]

My kids get super antsy after about three hours in the car so I answered 4-5 maximum.

 

[SondraC]

I'm gonna go with 5 hours.

 

[Tazicket]

I voted 1-2. I might be ok with 3-4. I just really really hate being stuck in a car for long periods of time. I tend to get fidgety.

 

[Angelhalo]

I put 5-6. I'd prefer something shorter but if we were going somewhere really really good, I'd do 5-6.

 

[ericamanda01]

I voted for 3-4 hours because that's how far my inlaws are. But just as I hit the vote button I thought about Disney. I would drive 8-9 hours for Disney.

 

[Beth76]

I put 5-6 because that's how long it takes to get to Chicago and we've gone there for a weekend a few times before. That's leaving early on Friday though. If we had to wait until after work or school on Friday, I would have to say about 4.

 

[mickeyboat]

I chose 3-4 for the standard weekend trip. I might do longer with a long weekend, but I hate for the kids to spend half their time cramped in a car seat.

We did a 9 hour trip in December for a wedding. We left Friday night and came home Sunday afternoon. It was quite a haul, but my kids behaved so well, I would not hesitate to do it again.

Denae

 

[Charade]

Well being that I often spend 4-6 hours driving in SINGLE day for work, I'd vote for that for a weekend.

 

[photobob]

I voted for 4-5, but i think it depends on how badly you want to go.For example (this was not a weekend trip but it wasn't much longer), my wife and I went to WDW just the two of us and drove down on Sunday and back on Wednesday. It's 550 miles but we had little traffic and had the speedometer pegged on 80 most of the way. We made there in 8 hours and back in about 8 1/2. I wouldnt make that long of a trip for that short of a period for many things other than WDW..

 

[Disneycrazymom]

It takes us 4 hours and 15 minutes door to door from our house here in StL to our lake house at Table Rock. We do all the time, no problem. If we stop at Wendy's we add a 1/2 hour to the total. So worth it to be on the lake for a Saturday!

To the OP if I was 8 hours from Disney I would do it!

 

[SandraVB79]

4 hours is about my maximum. It's what I need to get to Disneyland Paris. A longer drive than that would just not be worth it. I can't imagine driving all day to have dinner, spend the night someplace and then having to drive all the way back. No dinner or bed can be worth that many hours of travel

 

[java]

Normally I would say 3 hours.
BUT I have driven to Miami from NJ for the weekend(yes about 19 hours!!) my brother was getting married and I had just had my third child- like 2 weeks before so I wasn't getting on a plane)
And we do go to see that same brother every once and a while and it is about 5 hours to get to them.

But besides those times I average around 3-4.

 

[live4christp1]

I prefer 2-3 hours but we are centrally located in Tennessee and can get to Knoxville, Nashville, Atlanta, the Smokey Mtns, in about that time frame.

Have been driving 4-5 hours (each way) every couple of weekends to visit DH on post and when I get home I'm wiped out.

 

[dzneprincess]

4 hrs tops for me even though it only takes me 6.5 to 7 hrs to get to wdw it is not worth it.. I have to have at least 4 days off to consider trekking to wdw...anything more then 4 hours just feels like I spend the whole weekend driving

 

[CheshireVal]

For a long weekend, I'd say 3-4 hours tops. If it's a regular weekend (Sat-Sun), I wouldn't want to drive more than 2. Otherwise it's really not worth it, and I'm too tired for the work week!

 

[ChrizJen]

I put 5-6 because that's how long it takes to get to Chicago and we've gone there for a weekend a few times before. That's leaving early on Friday though. If we had to wait until after work or school on Friday, I would have to say about 4.

That's EXACTLY how I voted, and for the same reason. Chicago is the farthest I've ever gone for a quick weekend.
(We're actually planning a DAY trip up to Chicago to shop at Ikea once we get moved into the new house...We're planning to leave St. Louis at around 5am on a Saturday, shop all day, then come back late Saturday night. Should be fun! )