How Planned Out Are Your Road Trips

[joedplumber]

Hey All,

So just curious how much planning people do for long distance road trips to WDW.

For us I am a plan-aholic and plan the road trip start to finish. Luckily my DW approves of my planning and absolutely loves it.

So here is what I did for our last road trip in July 2012.

First I assume an average speed of 68 mph for the entire trip. (Figure 99% of the drive is highway)

Then I determine that I want each driving leg to be 4-5 hours each (me and my DW switch drivers at each stop)

So based on a 68 mph speed I can determine what rest area we should be near and add it to my trip. (Google Maps is used a lot in the planning)

Once I plan out all the stops for food/bathroom/fuel i then determine what our arrival times at each stop should be. I also typically pad each leg 15 - 30 minutes in case of traffic or an unplanned stop.

I also pre-program the car nav with each stop so while on route I have an idea when we should arrive and compare it to what is planned.

Our last trip we were about 30 - 45 minutes ahead of my planned time tables. We literally hit no traffic.

Here is a sample of it.
Day 1

04:00am Leave Home (CT)
07:00am Arrive at Clara Barton Service Area (NJ) FUEL
07:30am Leave Clara Barton Service Area (NJ)
12:15pm Arrive at Subway (Hopewell, VA) FUEL
12:45pm Leave Subway (Hopewell, VA)
04:30pm Arrive at South of the Border (South Carolina) FUEL
05:00pm Leave South of the Border (South Carolina)
05:45pm Arrive at Sonic Drive-In for Dinner (Florence, SC)
06:30pm Leave Sonic Drive-In (Florence, SC)
09:00pm Arrive at Holiday Inn Express (Savannah, GA) FUEL


Day 2

07:00am Leave Holiday Inn Express (Savannah, GA)
11:30am Arrive at Disney World


I know a little overboard. But it made for a very smooth road trip! Our family just absolutely loves road trips.

 

[NJRRK]

If that works for you great. But OMG, please don't ever travel with me.

Enjoy your trip and I hope you don't hot any traffic.

 

[joedplumber]

If that works for you great. But OMG, please don't ever travel with me.

Enjoy your trip and I hope you don't hot any traffic.

Lol!

Actually that was from our 2012 trip next road trip is in 2014 perhaps as flights for 2013 were super cheap for us so we are flying.

We actually didn't hit any traffic on the 2012 trip to my surprise. And I did feel sheepish as I kept on telling my DW that once we hit DC at 8:30/9:00 am the traffic was going to be just awful. Well I guess no one in DC works on Fridays in the summer as we flew right on by...

 

[CPT Tripss]

Maybe it's me?

The two day drive straight to WDW just doesn't seem like a road trip. We leave early a.m., switch drivers every couple hours and gas, eat and potty stop as needed at these switches, keep going until we are tired and find a place to sleep right before we get too tired.

Road trips to me involve multiple overnight stops with some specific sights to see, some confirmed places to stay, but also a certain amount of freedom to see what there is to see and stay wherever you end up. Not planned out to the day, let alone to the hour.

Some place like Yellowstone, I'll make all my lodging reservations in advance, but won't plan out much else in advance. But two weeks, or so, driving through Quebec, I'll just book my first couple nights in Montreal and the last couple in Quebec City. The rest we leave open and flexible.

Once went to CA with first two nights and last night ressie in SF. The initial plan when we left home was to go to Napa and wine country . . . ended up in Monterey and down PCH to Hearst Castle and Paso Robles area.

 

[sam_gordon]

There is no way I'm planning where & when to stop. What if I'm feeling ok when it's time for a scheduled stop and want to keep going? What if I need to stop before a scheduled break (food or bathroom)? What if there's traffic? Car trouble?

On long distance (ie: overnight), I'll set a 'goal', but won't book a hotel until I know we're going to make it to that goal (about an hour or so out).

I personally budget 60mph. That usually takes care of bathroom/quick food stops.

 

[monorailsilver]

DH & I used to drive in his Fiero for car shows from CT to the mid west (usually).

What we used to do was figure out where we wanted to stop for the night & try to make it there.

We also only stopped for a potty break when we got gas & if we were getting gas & it was meal time we had to do that as well.

We just drove from CT to Ft. Myers (next year Auto train is already booked for April...).

Our plan was to make it to Savannah or heck the FL border or close to on Day 1. Boy were we surprised.

We left my moms (she is an hour closer then us to the NY border) at 6am, made it thru NY, over the GW with no traffic problems. Got close to rest stop #1 on the NJT & asked if anyone needed to go-11, 9 & 7 yo plus my mom & everyone said no..continued on. I'd say with in about 10-15 min the 9 yo decided he needed to poop.

So we stopped at the next rest stop & I want to say it was around 7-7:30 (I know it was before 8). My dh took him in the bathroom & he decided he didn't have to poop. So us girls did our business & waited & waited & waited. Really it was a minimum of 15 min if not closer to a 30. Finally out comes dh & he said he had to go & my son decided he didn't have to go when they got in there but as soon as my dh was done, my son decided yep he had to go. I know my dh would not of left that rest stop until he went!

So that tied us up 30 min. Then we hit traffic south of DC that I swear was an hour of time.

Then my son decided to throw up in the car, luckily in a bag in SC. We only made it to Santee, SC that first day & still had another 9 hours to go..yawn...

So basically we stick by the same rules. We have a target that we want to make it to & we only stop when we need gas & at that time we go to the bathroom/eat.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We've gone well over 400 miles on a tank of gas, so needless to say potty breaks are more frequent than that LOL.

We MIGHT choose a meal location (especially if Paducah is on the route - love Raferty's), or maybe the overnight stop. Everything else is played by ear.

 

[joedplumber]

Maybe it's me?

The two day drive straight to WDW just doesn't seem like a road trip. We leave early a.m., switch drivers every couple hours and gas, eat and potty stop as needed at these switches, keep going until we are tired and find a place to sleep right before we get too tired.

Road trips to me involve multiple overnight stops with some specific sights to see, some confirmed places to stay, but also a certain amount of freedom to see what there is to see and stay wherever you end up. Not planned out to the day, let alone to the hour.

Some place like Yellowstone, I'll make all my lodging reservations in advance, but won't plan out much else in advance. But two weeks, or so, driving through Quebec, I'll just book my first couple nights in Montreal and the last couple in Quebec City. The rest we leave open and flexible.

Once went to CA with first two nights and last night ressie in SF. The initial plan when we left home was to go to Napa and wine country . . . ended up in Monterey and down PCH to Hearst Castle and Paso Robles area.

Was using road trip in the literal sense.

Road Trip - Any journey taken on roads, regardless of stops en route. Typically, road trips are long distances traveled by automobile.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If that works for you great. But OMG, please don't ever travel with me.

It's good to be organized, but it's nice not to be so rigid.

 

[joedplumber]

Oh No!!

I think you misunderstand. This is a plan and by no means set in stone. We actually did make one additional stop as we all knows what happens when you drink to much coffee.

The itinerary is nothing more then a middle of the road estimate of where we would like to be at certain times. If we make it great we are on schedule if not than hey we are on vacation. Plus the travel times for each leg where significantly padded so you would have to hit some pretty serious traffic through the whole trip to arrive much latter then estimated.

We just like to have a good idea of what is ahead of us....

 

[scjo68]

OP, I like your plan!

I would call it a road trip.

We almost always drive. I don't plan every single stop, but I definitely make reservations wherever we are going to stay overnight. I can't imagine driving off through multiple states with no idea where we would be sleeping. I am particular about where I stay. Also, there are stretches along our route where there is really no where to stay.

My in-laws can't believe I make reservations. They just like to drive and stop wherever. They have also been known to drive a long time and not find a place to stay.

And while I don't plan every stop to the minute or hour, I do like to know where good stops are, and plan around that. Otherwise, we could end up starving, needing to use facilities, and no appropriate stops anywhere near.

For those who like to drive off into the night with no plan whatsoever- good for you-have fun!! I could never travel with you!

 

[Desnik]

I plan out our road trips but not as much as you do! I am a planner but for the road trip, I like to stop whenever we want/need to.

I plan the time we leave, the hotel we stay in overnight (I book it in advance & do the same for the trip home) and the time to leave the hotel the next morning and aprox. arrival time at WDW.

 

[nono]

Dude, that's lightly planned around here!

How about what's going to be done in the car to entertain the kids? I already know what books and entertainment I will pack for the kids and when we're likely to use them during the day! My kids love a checklist, so for the next trip I may actually print it out for them.

We have favorite stops (including rest stops) so we put those on the schedule. If you are really good at planning and taking your family's rhythm into account, a good plan won't feel rigid, it'll feel easy. Now, we can and do totally rearrange the schedule at will, esp. when the road throws us curves!

To plan out my time, I use Streets and Trips, and I can schedule the stops down to the minute (10 min per rest stop and half hour for eating breaks). It's been very accurate over a bunch of trips in estimating arrival times.

Have fun planning!

 

[luvmy2babies]

Generally on a trip I plan to stop every 2 to 2.5 hours if we are going at least 4 hours to a destination.

We are driving down next week for the first time and I am dividing the trip into 2 five hour drives. I am planning to stop in Savannah, Georgia. I did make a reservation for each stop going there and returning because I have two small children and don't want to risk not knowing where we will stop since I've never stayed in that area before. Found a good deal on each room too.

We're leaving here in the afternoon and will stop for dinner around the time we usually eat. I hope to make it to the hotel by the children's bed time. The plan for the Next day is to get back on the road after breakfast. I picked a hotel with a free breakfast for each stop. 2nd one has a nicer pool and is 10 miles from the ocean. Since we will leave Pop Century around 10am I am hoping for some beach time on that stop. We'll soon find out how my crew handles driving to Disney.

 

[darkwing818]

Oh No!!

I think you misunderstand. This is a plan and by no means set in stone. We actually did make one additional stop as we all knows what happens when you drink to much coffee.

The itinerary is nothing more then a middle of the road estimate of where we would like to be at certain times. If we make it great we are on schedule if not than hey we are on vacation. Plus the travel times for each leg where significantly padded so you would have to hit some pretty serious traffic through the whole trip to arrive much latter then estimated.

We just like to have a good idea of what is ahead of us....

OP you're a little more detailed than I am. But one thing we do in addition to you, is we always get a updated trip tic from AAA, ususally shows updated construction areas as well as other tips.

 

[hsmamato2]

WOw Op you are so organized! I like to plan out my route carefully when driving myself, have paper maps plus the digital nav. stuff ready, We stop for gas approx every 3 hours,and do a restroom break at the same time. On most interstates there are plenty of places to stop, so it averages out. For an overnight,I need to stop driving before dark,so I plot out a timeline i.e. it will take me 13 hours to get to xxxxx..... then book a hotel there,and plan for a good hour of leeway in case of traffic,etc. (my big thing is being at my hotel by dark)
so it's planned, but very general.

 

[maxiesmom]

Wow! When we road trip, we have a general idea of when we will stop, but no way do I plan it to the hour, or plan bathroom breaks. You are one super organized individual!!!

 

[loveswdw]

If that works for you great. But OMG, please don't ever travel with me.

Enjoy your trip and I hope you don't hot any traffic.

This made me LOL and I'm totally with you! I'm a planner as far as Disney itinerary but not when it comes to road trips. But then again, we've not driven to WDW, only flown. If airfare doesn't drop for our October trip, we may be driving for the first time. Boo!

 

[bdcp]

When our kids were young we did trips to FL, TX and AL. We give ourselves two days and stop for meals and potty/stretch breaks, and to switch drivers ever 3-4 hours but that's about it. The only schedule is we know we plan to be at our destination by a certain time, but beyond that, no way.

Hitting traffic slowdowns must make you nervous

 

[NJRRK]

This made me LOL and I'm totally with you! I'm a planner as far as Disney itinerary but not when it comes to road trips. But then again, we've not driven to WDW, only flown. If airfare doesn't drop for our October trip, we may be driving for the first time. Boo!

We're lucky, there's only two of us now, so I got airfare for both of us about $500 Rt from EWR. Cheaper than driving, for two.