Travel tips driving from Halifax to WDW

[TheBigUke]

Anyone have any travel tips e.g. routes, accomodations, tourist sites, restaurants, driving from Halifax to Orlando? Leaving late April and want to ensure it's a smooth and fun drive there and back.

George

 

[tribus121]

I can give you the rte that i have used in the past

Take the transcanada to Woodstock NB

Take prov Hwy 95 to border

After crosin boarder becomes I 95

Just this side of Boston Merge onto I-495 S via EXIT 59 toward WORCESTER

Merge onto I-90 W / MASS PIKE / MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE via EXIT 22 toward SPRINGFIELD / ALBANY (Portions toll).

Merge onto I-84 W via EXIT 9 toward HARTFORD

At Scranton, PA Take 81 south

Just past Harrisonburg, VA Take 64 east toward Richmond Va

Back on 95 south At Richmond Va

At Daytona Fl take I 4 West to Orlando

This may not be the shortest route but it avoid's all the Big Citys & Has very few tolls . and as a bonus is very scenic .

From Halifax I would Suggest making the trip in 3 days
stoping in portland Me and Around Richmond Va

Peter

 

[roxwithears]

I agree with the last poster about avoiding the cities. We drove from Hfx about 10 years ago and ended up going through Washington DC during evening rush hour. It was very intimidating but we made it. We stopped in Bangor, Virginia, and Georgia. Our trip took a little longer because we drove in November and the days were much shorter. We prefer taking the crossing at St. Stephen/Calais and taking the airline route to Bangor.

 

[TheBigUke]

Thanks for the replies ... any suggestions as to accommodations and places to eat, rest spots etc.

Mucho appreciated!

George

 

[tribus121]

One tip i used when driving south is to stay on our time this way if you stop for lunch at 12 it is actually 11 no line ups works at supper too . Although i usually eat fast food for lunch i never get takeout the 1/2 hr to eat is a good brake from being in the car all day .Allmost all of the states have clean well lit restarea's which are good for pee brakes ( most post how far to the next )

 

[akfan]

We've stopped in Hershey, PA. As a recall, the theme park is only open during the summer months, but the tour through the Chocolate world (open year round) is a nice diversion. It can be a fun drive as long as you are willing to take your time, and stop frequently.

 

[Bea]

We always use triptiks from CAA. They show the upcoming exits and what is available at each exit (ie. Gas/Lodging/Restaurant). The interestates are so well marked with upcoming exits and specific to exactly what restaurant and gas station is at the exit-very handy when you are searching for a coffee (which btw, it is hard to find good coffee while driving...we always look for Duncan Doughnuts ).

We love eating at Cracker Barrel . They are usually easy on-easy off exits and cater to drivers so food doesn't usually take too long.

We have a plug in cooler which works great for drinks/snacks etc for the kids. I wouldn't travel without it.

Once you start seeing the "South of the Border" tacky bilboards..you know Florida isn't too far off. Once we see our first sign we are rejuvinated.

 

[akfan]

I remember stopping at a large discount store last trip - that was probably about 7 years ago. I can't remember where it was - possibly North Carolina. The name of it was JR's or something? Sometimes it is nice to get out and stretch your legs, and this was a large and fun store.

 

[Canucky]

I can give you the rte that i have used in the past

Take the transcanada to Woodstock NB

Take prov Hwy 95 to border

After crosin boarder becomes I 95

Coming from Burton that's faster, but not from NS. Coming down through Saint John and going through the Calais/St. Stephen border would be faster, even with the new connector between Moncton and Fredericton.
-Canucky-

 

[mbb]

Coming from Burton that's faster, but not from NS. Coming down through Saint John and going through the Calais/St. Stephen border would be faster, even with the new connector between Moncton and Fredericton.
-Canucky-

Take us with you!
We'd be loads of fun and entertainment - make your trip feel like only 2 days instead of 3!

Let us know how it goes - we're thinking about the Ontario drive with the kids as a test run...but, what's one more day to get to the Mouse..

It's the coming home that would really hurt!

 

[Canucky]

Sorry, I'm only going as far as Bangor this sunday, flying the rest of the way!
-FordSVT-

 

[dandee00]

I hope you have a safe trip. I'd recommend a triptik form CAA, and ask for one that avoids major cities. We did our trip in January with a trip tik and it was good. We didn't like going through Hartford, but everything else was fine.

Stop at the Welcome Centers for hotel coupons, clean bathrooms and a safe place to stretch your legs. I'd recommend bringing your own snacks and liquids.

I kept a journal on our expenditures on the way down and I couldn't believe how much we spent on snacks, hotels and buying little things in gas stations so we could use the washroom.

So, on the way home we used hotel coupons, washrooms at welcome centers, and I had bought snacks and liquids form WalMart.
I couldn't believe how much money we saved. It cut the price down to half of what it was when we came down.

Cracker Barrell is an awesome place to eat.

Hope this helps.

 

[langin]

With 3 kids (age 12 & two 9 yr olds) AND our AC konked out a week before leaving and all our cash was tied into this trip so.....

We went and took 3 days (2 on the way home) and it was great, we bought a personal DVD player while we were there for the drive back, it was hot and we couldn't talk much with the windows being all the way down all the time, LOL but we survived and we would all do it again (with AC and more things to entertain), maybe Aug 2008. On the way there, we stopped in West Haven , Conn (yuck!) and then again in SC (south of the border , yuck!), then we arrived at our hotel (Doubletree) in Downtown Disney and it was all behind us for the next 11 days.

 

[mbb]

With 3 kids (age 12 & two 9 yr olds) AND our AC konked out a week before leaving and all our cash was tied into this trip so.....

......

We were sitting on the plane on our last trip, and the air thingies overhead weren't working right - well, mine wasn't . So no "refreshing" air blowing on me

Anyway, all I could think about was your trip last summer..and I had to chuckle