Rest or Welcome Areas along Route 81?

[happily single]

We leave in 6 days for our 2nd annual roadtrip This year we are taking Route 81 hoping to avoid traffic and tolls. We plan on stopping in Shenandoah, VA for the night. I haven't made hotel reservations yet cause I'm not 100% sure how far we will make it driving.

I know driving Route 95 there are Welcome and Rest Areas at least at every State line. Does Route 81 have something similar that will be able to help with locating a hotel?

 

[ccstrickler]

When you cross the WV/VA line there is a rest area. Woodstock, VA--about 40+ miles from WV/VA line (county seat of Shenandoah County) has several hotels (chain, but can't remember which ones). Also a pretty decent Cracker Barrel and a Mexican place in the Exxon Plaza. Woodstock is a pretty town. My late husband was born and raised there. The rest of the way down 81 has rest areas randomly like any other interstate.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

welcome centers in Pa, Wv,Va,and Tn. we also travel to Tn often going down 81. trip thru Va gets long seems like you are never getting out. most rest areas have a 2 hour limit but seem to get crowded with 18 wheelers at night. lots of chain hotels near 81.

 

[ToyStory]

I travel have traveled along this route several times. There are plenty of rest stops. I recall a nice one on the boarder of NC and VA.

We usually stay at Mariott hotels. You can search for hotels along your route. http://www.marriott.com/search/default.mi

We have stayed in Harrisonburg VA and like it.

 

[happily single]

Thanks for the replies. Now, someone help me!!!!! I cannot, absolutely CANNOT decide on a hotel in the Shenandoah, VA region for Friday, April 15th. We will probably arrive right about dinner time or a bit later. Spend the night and hit the Caverns in the morning. I'm not looking to travel 30 miles past the caverns to backtrack (I'm driving enough). Any suggestions for under $100 a night?

Also, since I have your attention, my DD13 has informed me that she NEEDS to stop at South of the Border on the way down to FL If I am reading my map correctly following Rt 81 I won't hook up with Route 95 until past South of the Border. Is there any route which won't add a ton of driving to our schedule which would get us to SOB?

 

[ccstrickler]

OK, this is what I know (not much!). In Woodstock there is a Holiday Inn Express, a Hampton Inn and a Comfort Inn--all just off the interstate. If you continue to Luray (locals say Loo-ray)(40ish miles) there is a Days Inn and a Best Western. The advantage of Luray is that's where the Caverns are. There's also fast food places in both areas. As far as SOB (the name says it all!)--why? I don't think you "can get there from here" without doing a lot of cross country driving. When I drove to WDW on 81 I think we cut across on 77 and then took 26 around Columbia over to 95. It's been 20 years!! Hope that helps.

 

[happily single]

OK, this is what I know (not much!). In Woodstock there is a Holiday Inn Express, a Hampton Inn and a Comfort Inn--all just off the interstate. If you continue to Luray (locals say Loo-ray)(40ish miles) there is a Days Inn and a Best Western. The advantage of Luray is that's where the Caverns are. There's also fast food places in both areas. As far as SOB (the name says it all!)--why? I don't think you "can get there from here" without doing a lot of cross country driving. When I drove to WDW on 81 I think we cut across on 77 and then took 26 around Columbia over to 95. It's been 20 years!! Hope that helps.

Thanks soo much. I think I've narrowed it down to staying in Luray, now off to quaduple (is that a word) Tripadvisor for a decent hotel review in the area

 

[izzy]

No easy way to get to South of the Border if you are taking 81 to 77 thru Charlotte and then picking up 26 thru Columbia. It will bring you out far too south of the NC/SC border on 95. An alternative, which I don't think would take a tremendous amount of extra time, would be to take 81 to I64 East near Staunton, VA (about 30 minutes south of Harrisonburg). When you are just west of Richmond, take 288S which goes around the southwest of Richmond. It dumps you off on 95 just north of Petersburg. Then just take 95S as normal and you'll go right past South of the Border. It think this would take you about 1/2 hour extra as opposed to going the other way - say about 30 miles or so.

Luray Caverns is really nice. If you end up taking 64E, you will go through Charlottesville and could always visit Monticello, too, which is really nice.