Where r the big mountains driving to WDW?

[domesticdiva]

We r planning on driving and I'd like to plan on driving at a time we are through the mountains in the daylight. My question is where are the doozies and how long does it take to get through them? Google maps tells us it would be faster to go across at Niagara, is this also a better route as far as terrain?

 

[laura001]

The mountains are in West Virginia mainly......you come through Niagara, cross the Peace Bridge (fort erie) into New York then into Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania to Virginia, then West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and then Florida.

When we have driven we usually leave around 3 am., hit Virginia for breakfast and are through the mountains and into North Carolina around lunch....we picnic at the North Carolina rest stop for our lunch.

 

[Questforthemouse]

We r planning on driving and I'd like to plan on driving at a time we are through the mountains in the daylight. My question is where are the doozies and how long does it take to get through them? Google maps tells us it would be faster to go across at Niagara, is this also a better route as far as terrain?

My 2 cents...

(Disclaimer: I always offer more information than people ask for. My wife tells me it is an illness )

You have two routes to choose from leaving from Toronto...

401, I-75 (crossing the border at Windsor or Sarnia): Driving time @ 25 hours. Most people take this route in the bad winter months as you stay on I-75 all the way and there are more exits for hotels/restaurants etc...Also, the mountainous area is more brief so it is believed you'll encounter less inclement weather. Those with young families often suggest this route as there is more for kids to see while driving and more places to pull off and experience.

QEW, I-190, I-90, I-79, US19, I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 (crossing the border at Lewiston or Fort Erie): Driving time @ 22 hours. If the weather looks like it will be fine then this is a quicker and more scenic route.

Timing the mountains on the second route...

The mountains are mainly in W.VA and VA. While you begin heading into the mountains as soon as you hit Morgantown your real ascent into the mountains begins at the US19 (1000ft elevation). By the time you get to Beckley you're at a 2300ft elevation. At Bluefields (this is where the two big tunnels through the mountains are) you're at about a 2500ft elevation and by the NC border you're down to about a 1300ft elevation. It's the drive between Beckley and the NC border where you notice the mountains the most.

We live in Burlington at the QEW. It takes us 7.75 hours to the US19...8.75 hours to Beckley...10.75 hours to the NC welcome center. We cross the US border when there's no traffic. We stop twice before the NC border...once for lunch/gas and once for gas only. We don't have kids...

If you leave from Toronto, presuming you cross the US border when it isn't busy and presuming you make minimal stops along the way, I'd expect you to be in the main mountains between the 8.5 hour mark and the 11.5 hour mark.

Enjoy your trip

 

[domesticdiva]

My 2 cents...

(Disclaimer: I always offer more information than people ask for. My wife tells me it is an illness )

You have two routes to choose from leaving from Toronto...

401, I-75 (crossing the border at Windsor or Sarnia): Driving time @ 25 hours. Most people take this route in the bad winter months as you stay on I-75 all the way and there are more exits for hotels/restaurants etc...Also, the mountainous area is more brief so it is believed you'll encounter less inclement weather. Those with young families often suggest this route as there is more for kids to see while driving and more places to pull off and experience.

QEW, I-190, I-90, I-79, US19, I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 (crossing the border at Lewiston or Fort Erie): Driving time @ 22 hours. If the weather looks like it will be fine then this is a quicker and more scenic route.

Timing the mountains on the second route...

The mountains are mainly in W.VA and VA. While you begin heading into the mountains as soon as you hit Morgantown your real ascent into the mountains begins at the US19 (1000ft elevation). By the time you get to Beckley you're at a 2300ft elevation. At Bluefields (this is where the two big tunnels through the mountains are) you're at about a 2500ft elevation and by the NC border you're down to about a 1300ft elevation. It's the drive between Beckley and the NC border where you notice the mountains the most.

We live in Burlington at the QEW. It takes us 7.75 hours to the US19...8.75 hours to Beckley...10.75 hours to the NC welcome center. We cross the US border when there's no traffic. We stop twice before the NC border...once for lunch/gas and once for gas only. We don't have kids...

If you leave from Toronto, presuming you cross the US border when it isn't busy and presuming you make minimal stops along the way, I'd expect you to be in the main mountains between the 8.5 hour mark and the 11.5 hour mark.

Enjoy your trip

First of all, thank you!!! I love all the information!! Some people may call it an illness....lol...teehee, but I'm appreciative whatever the case.. We live between the Niagara and Kingston border crossings so we would take either of those. We are going in October, so I'm hoping weather won't be an issue. We are pulling a small RV and haven't had much experience with mountains...eeekks We did drive to Lake Placid and it wasn't as scary as we thought. How are the mountains in West Virginia compared to the Adirondacks in NY? I would love any and all advice you'd care to share!!!

 

[dancin Disney style]

My 2 cents...

(Disclaimer: I always offer more information than people ask for. My wife tells me it is an illness )

You have two routes to choose from leaving from Toronto...

401, I-75 (crossing the border at Windsor or Sarnia): Driving time @ 25 hours. Most people take this route in the bad winter months as you stay on I-75 all the way and there are more exits for hotels/restaurants etc...Also, the mountainous area is more brief so it is believed you'll encounter less inclement weather. Those with young families often suggest this route as there is more for kids to see while driving and more places to pull off and experience.

QEW, I-190, I-90, I-79, US19, I-77, I-26, I-95, I-4 (crossing the border at Lewiston or Fort Erie): Driving time @ 22 hours. If the weather looks like it will be fine then this is a quicker and more scenic route.

Timing the mountains on the second route...

The mountains are mainly in W.VA and VA. While you begin heading into the mountains as soon as you hit Morgantown your real ascent into the mountains begins at the US19 (1000ft elevation). By the time you get to Beckley you're at a 2300ft elevation. At Bluefields (this is where the two big tunnels through the mountains are) you're at about a 2500ft elevation and by the NC border you're down to about a 1300ft elevation. It's the drive between Beckley and the NC border where you notice the mountains the most.

We live in Burlington at the QEW. It takes us 7.75 hours to the US19...8.75 hours to Beckley...10.75 hours to the NC welcome center. We cross the US border when there's no traffic. We stop twice before the NC border...once for lunch/gas and once for gas only. We don't have kids...

If you leave from Toronto, presuming you cross the US border when it isn't busy and presuming you make minimal stops along the way, I'd expect you to be in the main mountains between the 8.5 hour mark and the 11.5 hour mark.

Enjoy your trip

That is the most thorough and to the point info I've seen on the 'drive' topic. If I drive in June I'm PM'ing you before I go.....I'm in Oakville.

On the 'illness' remark...my DH thinks I have a vacation planning illness. It must be the Halton water.

 

[iluveeyore]

We do the drive through the mountains every time - I live just 5 min from the Fort Erie crossing, so it takes us about 19 hours to get to Mickey's House
Our favourite thing about the mountains are the two big tunnels that go under the mountains - they are long and very cool - one is the Big Walker Mountain tunnel - DH is the driving expert and not here to give exact locations and names, sorry!
We have done this drive in the winter, summer and fall. Fall is my favourite because the colours are amazing. If you see a sign in the daylight that says scenic overlook, stop for a minute and enjoy, very beautiful.
Have a safe trip!
And if you drive on the US19, please heed the speed limit exactly - they will pull you over for one mile an hour over the limit there! - very strict!

 

[cottontail]

Hi: We just came back on friday travelling that route from wdw. It took us 19 hours from Hamilton to get there. Coming home we had to watch for the big snowstorm. We ended up driving from wdw to grove city pa, 15 and a half hours then 4 hours home the next morning. We do not usually do that many hours the first day but had to watch for the storm. It had just started at 7>30 when we awoke.

The mountains are beautiful, we love that drive. i would leave some time in the early a.m. between 4 and 5 ish. We usually pick a place to overnight and put a credit card hold on it. Usually a hampton inn. I always check tripadvisor.com to find out the better hotels in the town that we will be staying.

For bathroom stops we usually stop at a wendys (there are signs on the side of the highway telling where the wendys are) and they hae 99cent lunches chilli, burgers, side salads etc.
You do not want to eat heavy on a long driving trip. We always have snacks and drinks in the car as well. My hubby loves how the U.S. has these highways set up. Two lanes one way witih a large medien of grass or trees to buff the lights of the other two lanes travelling in the opposite direction.

Bye,

Deb.

 

[Questforthemouse]

Hi: We just came back on friday travelling that route from wdw. It took us 19 hours from Hamilton to get there. Coming home we had to watch for the big snowstorm. We ended up driving from wdw to grove city pa, 15 and a half hours then 4 hours home the next morning. We do not usually do that many hours the first day but had to watch for the storm. It had just started at 7>30 when we awoke.

The mountains are beautiful, we love that drive. i would leave some time in the early a.m. between 4 and 5 ish. We usually pick a place to overnight and put a credit card hold on it. Usually a hampton inn. I always check tripadvisor.com to find out the better hotels in the town that we will be staying.

For bathroom stops we usually stop at a wendys (there are signs on the side of the highway telling where the wendys are) and they hae 99cent lunches chilli, burgers, side salads etc.
You do not want to eat heavy on a long driving trip. We always have snacks and drinks in the car as well. My hubby loves how the U.S. has these highways set up. Two lanes one way witih a large medien of grass or trees to buff the lights of the other two lanes travelling in the opposite direction.

Bye,

Deb.

Hey Deb,

That's awesome time from WDW to Grove City! How many times did you stop and for how long. It usually takes me 17+ hours including two 1/2 food stops and an extra gas stop to do that stretch. I'm impressed