Nh to orlando fly or drive?

[jlkkdk]

We will be going to disney world in may of next year ( yes still a while away) and my husband and i have been talking about driving or flying and which would be better. We will be going with 2 children ages 5 and 9 and staying from May 1-11. We went last year and took Amtrack and although very cheap not something i want to do again. Has anyone drove from new England to orlando and what are some of the things to factor in? Where would we stop for the night or can in be done in a straight shot with one driver. Thanks for any input.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

I know a lot of people around me do it, but I would never even think of driving from MA to Disney. Okay, maybe if I had plenty of time and could make stops along the way and still have lots of days left once I got there. My understanding is it's about 24 hours from here--of course depending on the number of stops, traffic, construction, etc.

You're probably going to need to stop and sleep at least once, so that's the cost of a motel, dinner, breakfast, etc. Times two, because you need to do it each way. Now, are you going to be able to lengthen your trip or is that time going to cut into your Disney time? And count on some time to recover once you get there.

Now add gas (which isn't cheap!) and wear/tear on your vehicle. Tolls.

If you watch the airlines closely, you can usually get a decent deal at some point. Would you be flying from Boston? Would you consider driving to Providence and flying from here? (Not sure how far up in NH you are!) It's just that we often see much cheaper flights from Providence, since we have a choice between Southwest and Jet Blue. Both fly direct to Orlando. You get on the plane and you're there in less than 3 hours! We're going end of August, returning the Sat of Labor Day Weekend, and still got flights for 4 for $871. To me, it's worth it!

 

[martikus]

Flying without a doubt if it were me. I would be willing to drive to boston if flights were cheaper. I dread that drive. We've driven Charlotte to Maine twice and I hope to never repeat it. You kill 2-3 days easy each way and I'm exhausted when I arrive. While the ease of having your car would be nice, I just find a drive with kids that far too long.

 

[jlkkdk]

Yeah we would fly out of Manchester with a direct flight for about 800 so i think that is the way to go. It adds like 2 days of fun to the vacation. Thank you tou have finalized this aspect of our trip for us. Even if it is more expensive the time saving factor is way worth it

 

[jrsmom]

Flying all the way! Another thought was to check jet blue out of Boston? Sometimes they can be a lot less than southwest. We found that for our last trip. We do have family in MA so we were able to leave our car at their house instead of paying to park at Logan.

 

[sara mom]

We will be going to disney world in may of next year ( yes still a while away) and my husband and i have been talking about driving or flying and which would be better. We will be going with 2 children ages 5 and 9 and staying from May 1-11. We went last year and took Amtrack and although very cheap not something i want to do again. Has anyone drove from new England to orlando and what are some of the things to factor in? Where would we stop for the night or can in be done in a straight shot with one driver. Thanks for any input.

We have flown and driven from upstate NY. Our driving trips have been last minute where the airfare was too expensive (one was decided on 3 weeks before and the flights were $650 pp). With that said- you have time to search for cheaper flights ahead of time Some things to consider...are you staying on property where you would not 'need' a car? If you are staying off property, consider the daily parking fees that can get pretty steep.

This past November we drove straight through and both adults were exhausted. (picked up kids from school at 3pm and were in Florida by 12n the next day) It was not pretty. Kids wanted to go, go, go and neither of us could function. We should of stopped in Rocky MT, NC. Next time! You could probably even get a bit more south (maybe Georgia) depending on what time you leave.

We do drive straight home. I can handle be exhausted and cranky at home better than in Disney.

BTW...our kids have grown up doing car trips (all over NY, CT, PA, and Mass and are used to being in the car and think of everything as an adventure).

 

[Dsnyfireman]

We drove every year as a kid from maine and it was ok but took about two or three days. It takes about 24 hours of drive time and you really only average about ten hours a day at best when you figure in stops. We hauled a camper so it slows you down some too. Now I fly with the wife and kids. This past trip in February we really looked at flying vs. driving. Flights for four were about $1300, and driving came out about $1100. But we figured one flat tire would take away any savings and with the time and stress, flying was better. We will drive someday just so the kids can see more of the country. Have a great trip!

 

[deb010305]

We just drove from southeastern MA this past April. We usually fly, but because it was April school vacation, airfare was obscene ($2,400 for 3 people), so driving was much less expensive.

It was our first time driving, and yes we would do it again. It was myself, DH, and DS15.

The cost was much less than flying, and it only added a day each way.

We had an SUV that got reasonable gas mileage, I came in under budget for gas by about $100. We also stopped in North Carolina both ways, at a Holiday Inn friends had recommended.

And the best parts were that we had a car to use at Disney and I didn't have to worry about packing or groceries - there was plenty of room for everything.
We left

 

[MinnieForMe]

FLY! It's 3 hours from Manchester to Orlando. The only way we would ever consider driving is if we had a month. Get a Southwest Visa while they are having their 50K reward and you can fly for free!

 

[MinnieForMe]

Jet Blue is also starting flights to Florida out of Worchester, MA in November. It's a delightfully small airport. Check fares there too!

 

[NurseKim]

My parents drove once and my mom said she would do it again. I have never driven...not sure I could tolerate it but I do want to do it once!...the furthest I've driven in Williamsburg, VA.

I just scored flights for under $200 pp for next month. The inexpensive flights are out there...you just have to hunt for them and have flexible dates.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I for one if given the choice and could do it would be , fly.... But it's not an option I'm willing to take... I don't fly! I've flown twice and hated it so bad, even with medication it's just not worth it, for me..

My alternatives, from northeast Ohio, drive or Amtrak....I have no problem with using the train, I'm calm, relaxed and in a pleasant mood... My problem with Amtrak, is the 8 hour layover in DC... Really adds to the trip for no reason other than just sitting in the station waiting for time to pass... Once on board, it's a pleasant ride south..

Other travel realm... Driving... We've done quite a few road trips to WDW.... More in the past than recent. With 49 trips to WDW, we've used a lot of different means of travel...

Last 4 trips have been by car... They are not bad... Sort of indifferent... I really hate the mountains , but we're only in them for 3 hours and then clear sailing.... We have stopped mid way and driven straight thru but as the years get on us, we do need at least a 3 hour rest stop, cat nap...

It's a 16 hour drive... We like to push that first day... We like getting into the Florida Welcome Center around 10-11 pm...that means we've come 12 hours and can have a peaceful nap and head back out and arrive in WDW about 4-5 am...

We used to stop at a motel but thought, heck we came in late and want to get to WDW early in the next am and what, sleep 3-5 hours and take off... Blowing 100.00 for the motel.. We asked at the Florida Welcome Center is we could nap for a few hours, they said no problem, there's on site security , we parked a few slots from his truck... He makes frequent rounds and returns to his truck... Throughout the whole night... It was great... We rested... Got back on the road and made it they Jacksonville and Orlando in the wee hours with hardly any traffic to speak of ... We were going to jump off I4 in Sanford and take 417 which everyone recommended but traffic was so light we breezed right down I4 to the Disney exit..

Checked in by 6am... Wandered around POFQ until the food court opened... Had the biggest breakfast they serve.... explored and got to EPCOT early for the last day of the Flower Garden show.... Room was ready by the time we left EPCOT around 11am... It was like an extra day getting in that early, a park, breakfast ....beautiful Florida sun... Hit the pool, went for groceries and adult beverages and had it all put away in our room by 1 pm.... Got to love it!

 

[suffieldhockeymom]

With some careful planning, I got a $56 each way rate form Providence for late July on Southwest. The farthest that I would drive is VA, especially with kids that young.

 

[MAYNARDS99]

"can in be done in a straight shot with one driver" Yes, your DH and the kids can drive down AFTER they drop you off at the airport. You can meet them for breakfast the next day.

You have to factor in the amount of money you would earn if you worked instead of driving. Flying usually wins out.

 

[jakenjess]

We've done the drive from Maine four times now, the last time just this past April. We do a straight shot (about 24 hours) but my DH and I alternate driving and sleeping. It's not ideal, I'd much rather fly, but since we've been tied into school vacations now that the kids are older the airfares are just way too high. We have a minivan, so it's very comfortable, and RT gas and tolls are around $500. We also save the expense of a rental car (we always like to have a car at WDW).

There's a great thread on this board titled For 2,000 mile RT drivers. Check it out, I've gotten some great suggestions there.

 

[Pooh2]

We have driven it a few times, including with twin toddlers the first time and pulling a camper. The way back of course seems twice as long!

As much as I hate to fly, three hours direct from Manchester just might tempt me next time if the price is right..

 

[kandb]

Fly, fly, fly and this is from someone who doesn't like to fly. We have driven before and it is long, long, long. We had 17 hour drives each way and it gets real boring. Flying is soooooo much easier.