Travel timing advice- towing from Mid-MI

[erbeaman]

I just booked our first trip to the Fort for April ! I am so excited, but I'm struggling to figure out how to time the drive for our trip home. We are coming during the kids' spring break, so we are limited on time, and want to maximize our park time. We will leave early on Friday (4 or 5 a.m.) and get there early afternoon on Saturday with a stop south of Atlanta Friday night.

The trip home is what is getting me. Usually we will leave early on Saturday morning, and get back Sunday evening (with an overnight stop in TN), and return to work/school on Monday. I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around having to pack up camp before heading home. We camp often, and it usually takes us about 2-3 hours for tear down (we have a pop up). Should we leave Friday night instead of Saturday? Pack up Friday morning, go to the parks, and take off in the evening? I don't want to lose a day of vacation though! Is there anyone else out there that tows from 20ish hours away? How do you time it out?

Also, those who tow a pop up and stop over night on your drive, is it hard to find a motel/hotel that will allow you to park the camper? we don't plan on setting it up for our trip down/up.

 

[bjschil]

We drive from Wisconsin, and also have a long drive, about 22 hours. We drive down as you do, and have left both early, and late. This fall, 73 days, we are leaving to come home around 7 to 8 pm, and will drive through tennessee, into Kentucky. We have also stopped between Chatanooga and Nashville, in Manchester, tn, at a Holiday inn Express, attached to a convention center. We called ahead to make sure they could accommodate a 5th wheel/truck. We have also stopped in Dalton, Ga, but had to park on a side street. Although you may not drive this route, Paducah Ky also accommodates our rig. Lately, i have been using google maps to view the area, and the size of the parking lots to make this fall's trip easier. I just put in the address of the hotel. Have a great planning trip time, and an even greater time at WDW.

 

[Teamubr]

We tow from St Louis. It's about 200 miles less than your trip, but 2 weeks ago we just drove down to St Pete (with a day trip to WDW). It's about 17 hours.

Normally going down, I try to drive 2/3rds of the way on the first day and have an easier drive the 2nd. This also gets us to the Fort earlier in the day and we can hit a park for dinner and the evening fireworks (MK fireworks our first night is kind of a family tradition)

Coming home, we generally drive straight through. Leave early Saturday morning (6am or so). Get home very late, but have Sunday to unpack and rest in to go back to work.

I'm not sure how old your kids are. When my DS was younger, he didn't travel as long as he does now. I don't know if I'd try a 20 hour drive straight through, but doing 12-14 on the first day with 6-8 on Sunday doesn't sound bad.

I don't know that I would leave on Friday. You miss a whole evening in the parks. My family also likes to finish the trip off with Wishes at MK on Friday night. We spend Friday morning packing up as much as we can and head to the parks for the afternoon and evening. We had a popup for a year and if everything else was packed up, we could close up the camper in 30 minutes or so. Get up at 0530 or so, hitch up and head out between 6-7. (I normally get up between 0530-0600 for work, so this isn't early for me)

Even if you drive 12-14 hours the 1st day, that gets you off the road by 9 pm. This would get you home mid afternoon on Sunday.

j