The Long Drive Home

[Mrs~Incredible]

Hi friends, we are considering driving from NJ (Philly area) to WDW this November- DH, 11yo DD and myself. Airfare and car rental is crazy right now and we would easily save a couple thousand.

I’ve been reading about the trip down and I think we will leave the night before and drive straight through, taking turns.

What worries me is the drive BACK. We could work it so we can stretch it out and do an overnight or 2….. but it sounds dreadful.

The auto train on the way back is interesting, but honestly so expensive we’d probably just decide to fly at that point.

How do you survive the way back?

Where do you stop?

Appreciate any advice to help me get my mind around this!

 

[AnnaS]

We drive more than 50% of the time.

Driving straight through times are pretty much over. No reason to push it.

We usually stop in Santee, SC on the way down (but we have changed this up a bit usually driving further down/we find this stop is the best).

Driving home, we stopped in Ashland, VA a few weeks ago. It is always somewhere in VA.

We make plenty of rest stops/gas/food/restrooms.

Always allow extra time for accidents, bad weather and work on the road. Safe travels.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We always think we're going to stretch the drive home out a bit, but once we're on the road, we don't want to stop anywhere for any length of time. We will stop for an hour or two at a rest stop if we feel we can't go on, but nothing more.

When our kids were younger, we would plan an overnight about 2/3 of the way home but we found they weren't tired because they slept all day while we were driving. It was just a waste of time and money because they had a hard time settling down, so we didn't get much sleep.

 

[shafke]

Here is the problem with stopping on the way home... if you stop south of DC you will need to deal with the traffic approaching DC (assuming you take I95). If you leave about mid morning (10-10:30) and drive through you will miss most traffic. I think South Carolina is a pain during most times of the day. You would probably be home around 2am or so.

We just did this drive last Sunday... not by choice though. When we got to norther GA, waze sent us through Savannah saying it was going to save us 1 hour travel time. I can only assume that merging from 3 lanes to 2 lanes at the GA/SC border was a huge mess.

 

[Toolulu22]

Hi friends, we are considering driving from NJ (Philly area) to WDW this November- DH, 11yo DD and myself. Airfare and car rental is crazy right now and we would easily save a couple thousand.

I’ve been reading about the trip down and I think we will leave the night before and drive straight through, taking turns.

What worries me is the drive BACK. We could work it so we can stretch it out and do an overnight or 2….. but it sounds dreadful.

The auto train on the way back is interesting, but honestly so expensive we’d probably just decide to fly at that point.

How do you survive the way back?

Where do you stop?

Appreciate any advice to help me get my mind around this!

You need to leave very early, to get past Philly, Baltimore and DC. We drive from Long Island and stop overnight in North or South Carolina. We have family in GA, NC and VA and usually stop in one or two places on the way back just to break up the driving. I don’t like being in a car that long and need to stop and relax. We walk around and check out every location, so don’t look at it as throwing away money. It’s just an added stop.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Here is the problem with stopping on the way home... if you stop south of DC you will need to deal with the traffic approaching DC (assuming you take I95). If you leave about mid morning (10-10:30) and drive through you will miss most traffic. I think South Carolina is a pain during most times of the day. You would probably be home around 2am or so.

We just did this drive last Sunday... not by choice though. When we got to norther GA, waze sent us through Savannah saying it was going to save us 1 hour travel time. I can only assume that merging from 3 lanes to 2 lanes at the GA/SC border was a huge mess.

Good thoughts. Honestly driving straight through and driving with stops both sound tough for the way back.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Hmm now I’m thinking about maybe finding a route through 81 instead of 95 on the way back- I’ve heard it’s more scenic and relaxing even though it’s longer?

 

[Toolulu22]

Hmm now I’m thinking about maybe finding a route through 81 instead of 95 on the way back- I’ve heard it’s more scenic and relaxing even though it’s longer?

This is the route my husband just drove back in February and he did enjoy the drive. He mentioned that there were many 18 wheeler trucks on that route.

If you’ve never done such a long drive, you’ll see what it’s like on the way down and then decide on stop/no stop going home. You may just want to keep driving, or be exhausted from your vacay and need some rest. We’re used to being super planners, but stay open to options. And as someone mentioned- keep Waze on, it is your friend!

 

[Toolulu22]

Hmm now I’m thinking about maybe finding a route through 81 instead of 95 on the way back- I’ve heard it’s more scenic and relaxing even though it’s longer?

Oh- 81 may be longer in distance, but 95 in VA can take forever. I don’t know about next November, but last summer we drove down to the outer banks down 95 and hit horrible traffic from DC to Richmond.

 

[nw6675]

This is the route my husband just drove back in February and he did enjoy the drive. He mentioned that there were many 18 wheeler trucks on that route.

If you’ve never done such a long drive, you’ll see what it’s like on the way down and then decide on stop/no stop going home. You may just want to keep driving, or be exhausted from your vacay and need some rest. We’re used to being super planners, but stay open to options. And as someone mentioned- keep Waze on, it is your friend!

This. There are so many trucks on I81! It is a nicer drive and not as crazy as 95, but the trucks can be a bear.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Hmm now I’m thinking about maybe finding a route through 81 instead of 95 on the way back- I’ve heard it’s more scenic and relaxing even though it’s longer?

you will find more 18 wheelers on 81 but most times I prefer them to other 4 wheelers

 

[PittPantherfan]

We drive more than 50% of the time.

Driving straight through times are pretty much over. No reason to push it.

We usually stop in Santee, SC on the way down (but we have changed this up a bit usually driving further down/we find this stop is the best).

Driving home, we stopped in Ashland, VA a few weeks ago. It is always somewhere in VA.

We make plenty of rest stops/gas/food/restrooms.

Always allow extra time for accidents, bad weather and work on the road. Safe travels.

Second Santee on the way down! If we plan on driving straight thru - we ;eave so we can stay the first night at a Disney Springs hotel, go to bed early and then go to Disney resort early next morning, then off to parks.
We tend to drive straight thru on the way back but if we do stop - Fayetteville, NC

 

[PittPantherfan]

We drive more than 50% of the time.

Driving straight through times are pretty much over. No reason to push it.

We usually stop in Santee, SC on the way down (but we have changed this up a bit usually driving further down/we find this stop is the best).

Driving home, we stopped in Ashland, VA a few weeks ago. It is always somewhere in VA.

We make plenty of rest stops/gas/food/restrooms.

Always allow extra time for accidents, bad weather and work on the road. Safe travels.

Second Santee on the way down! If we plan on driving straight thru - we ;eave so we can stay the first night at a Disney Springs hotel, go to bed early and then go to Disney resort early next morning, then off to parks.
We tend to drive straight thru on the way back but if we do stop - Fayetteville, NC

Hmm now I’m thinking about maybe finding a route through 81 instead of 95 on the way back- I’ve heard it’s more scenic and relaxing even though it’s longer?

I'd say no to 81 - son goes to Virginia Tech and it seems a bear with traffic, tractor trailers, accidents. I hear the VT families giving tons of warnings about 81 - back and forth to NOVAs - they seem to dread that drive.

 

[HerRoyalHighness]

Hi friends, we are considering driving from NJ (Philly area) to WDW this November- DH, 11yo DD and myself. Airfare and car rental is crazy right now and we would easily save a couple thousand.

I’ve been reading about the trip down and I think we will leave the night before and drive straight through, taking turns.

What worries me is the drive BACK. We could work it so we can stretch it out and do an overnight or 2….. but it sounds dreadful.

The auto train on the way back is interesting, but honestly so expensive we’d probably just decide to fly at that point.

How do you survive the way back?

Where do you stop?

Appreciate any advice to help me get my mind around this!

We stop on the way down because the kids always wanted to do stuff when we arrived and breaking it into 2 days was less tiring. We marathon it (near Louisville, KY) on the way back because, when we get home, we just unload the car and go to sleep. Leave like 4 am or so.

 

[amcnj]

I started out an hour and ten minutes from the DE Memorial Bridge. I left early morning (by 2:30 AM), getting through the DC area by 5:30 AM, and arriving in the WDW area between 5:30 and 8:30 PM, depending on stops, weather, traffic….

On the trip home we used to stop in southern VA, often in Emporia. But that second day drive just always felt so long to me, so we started just going straight through on the return too, arriving back home around midnight.

 

[Mrs~Incredible]

Thank you dis friends for the advice- this truly is the best board!!

 

[erinch]

We are auto train riders after driving a few times. For the return trip you might keep an eye out for sales. Especially if you can survive coach, it can be cheaper to take the AT than pay for gas, and definitely so if you would be factoring in an overnight an meals along the ways.