MA to FL Thanksgiving week... ideas?

[jfoofj]

This is a cross post... I originally posted it on the Budget Board before I even realized there was a Transportation Board, hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting it here too, but I thought I would get more specific info from this board.

SO, my inlaws are retired and living in southern FL. We are invited to come down for Thanksgiving this year, and we would really like to do so since we haven't been down to see them at their new home as of yet. The issue is how to get there. I have been pricing out airfare for Thanksgiving week, and it is looking like it will be quite expensive (we are willing to take the kids out of school the Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, we can leave the weekend prior to Thanksgiving, even still, it is big bucks to fly and flying home the weekend after Thanksgiving is outrageous airfare). Southwest hasn't released their airfare calendar yet, but I'm thinking it won't be too much different than Jet Blue.

We were just in FL in January and went to Universal Studios. I purchased the annual passes (the limited one, with blackout dates, though blackout dates don't occur over Thanksgiving) because they made more sense for our length of stay in January. I'm now thinking that if we drove down to FL we could stop in Orlando and do two nights at Universal and see the completed WWOHP then continue on down to the inlaws house. This would break up the trip, and the kids would LOVE to stop at Universal for a couple of nights (as would I, and DH.... if I can get him on board with driving to FL).

SO- convince me, or more to the point, tell me how to convince DH that driving from central MA to southern FL is not an insane idea, especially during the week of Thanksgiving. I am looking for any advice, travel tips, routes, places to stop (I'm thinking we will need to stop for an overnight somewhere on the way down and up.... not sure that we can drive through).

Mods, if this is the wrong forum for this please feel free to move it.

TIA!

Jfoofj

 

[goofy4tink]

Hello fellow central Mass'er!!!! No rules being broken at all. Glad you found us.
Anyway..yes, flying that time of year is going to be pricey. The cheapest airfare I have ever found at that time of year was actually on Thanksgiving morning!!! And we flew home the following Wednesday!
I would drive! For what it will cost you to fly the family down, you can spend two days driving, with an overnight each way. And if you can start the drive the Friday night before T-day? Even better. The only issue will be the drive back. If you plan on having the kids back in school on Monday, you are going to have to start the drive back on Saturday....12 hrs driving each day.

I would love to make the drive someday. Dh isn't nearly as inclined to do that though!!

 

[Detailor]

Just some thoughts on flight costs at Thanksgiving time...

If you look at the prices, I think you'll find that the high cost spike day is for a flight pretty much anywhere on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Our experience has been that flight cost is significantly reduced on Saturdays of that weekend. Not sure if that would prove out for Southern Florida (either greater Miami area or Ft. Myers) but it's worth looking at.

I'm also wondering if it might make sense to fly down to Orlando and rent a car from there for the southern Florida part of your trip. Depending on what days you're committed to being with your in-laws, that might give you a day or two at Universal at the beginning of you're trip and then possibly some more theme park time at the end as well.

Either way you go - drive, fly, fly & drive - you'll have to weigh your family commitment, time and expensive equation. Good luck with that!

If I remember correctly, Rutland is dead center in Massachusetts - does that place you in Rutland?

Dick Taylor

 

[Greysword]

I'm also wondering if it might make sense to fly down to Orlando and rent a car from there for the southern Florida part of your trip. Depending on what days you're committed to being with your in-laws, that might give you a day or two at Universal at the beginning of you're trip and then possibly some more theme park time at the end as well.

Dick makes an excellent point! Your search area should be as broad as possible, and since you plan to drive some in FL, you can look at flights into/from Orlando, Tampa, Melbourne, Daytona, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and other FL cities as desired. It sounds like you were planning on renting a car for the trip, anyway, so this cost will be about the same.

there is the Autotrain from the Northeast, as well (there is a large thread on this board for it). It takes a while, but may prove less expensive in the long run.

Of course, there are other ways to mitigate airline travel costs, such as credit card bonuses. Info on this is available on other websites.

As for driving, it is the All-American mode of travel for vacations and family visits. Unfortunately, the more recent reduction in airfare has pulled people away from car trips. With today's technology, the trip itself is a lot easier than thirty years ago. There is a thread on this board for people who make 2,000+ mile car trips to Orlando, which may be of some help.

In the end, driving from MA to FL isn't too bad. Pick a place near the middle of the route to stop and have a good time! of course in your own car, you could stop at Universal both on the way to your parents and on the way from your parents

 

[debster812]

Driving both ways is going to cost you 2 days at each end. Where you don't mind the kids missing school, I'd look into flying to MCO on the Friday night before Thanksgiving or Saturday morning, and head to Universal. I'd book a rental car as a one-way, with a return to your home airport or a local agency.

After Universal, drive south to your inlaws. Enjoy your visit.

I'd plan to drive home, but keep stalking return flights home. If a price you can live with comes up, book it, and you can re-do/shuffle your rental car plans.

 

[goofy4tink]

Driving both ways is going to cost you 2 days at each end. Where you don't mind the kids missing school, I'd look into flying to MCO on the Friday night before Thanksgiving or Saturday morning, and head to Universal. I'd book a rental car as a one-way, with a return to your home airport or a local agency.

After Universal, drive south to your inlaws. Enjoy your visit.

I'd plan to drive home, but keep stalking return flights home. If a price you can live with comes up, book it, and you can re-do/shuffle your rental car plans.

I like that idea!!

 

[LadyBeBop]

Driving both ways is going to cost you 2 days at each end. Where you don't mind the kids missing school, I'd look into flying to MCO on the Friday night before Thanksgiving or Saturday morning, and head to Universal. I'd book a rental car as a one-way, with a return to your home airport or a local agency.

After Universal, drive south to your inlaws. Enjoy your visit.

I'd plan to drive home, but keep stalking return flights home. If a price you can live with comes up, book it, and you can re-do/shuffle your rental car plans.

Might it be cheaper to do it the other way around? Rent the car in MA, and drop it off in Florida?

I would think the rental agencies would be repositioning their fleet from New England to Florida that time of year.