Where to stay on the way (East Coast)

[SRUAlmn]

We will be travelling in late September from Baltimore, MD and were planning on driving straight through (about 14-15 hours from what I have heard.) However, we are thinking that we would possibly like to stay somewhere in GA or northern FL so that we aren't totally exhausted when we get there because then we will waste one day of our UPH sleeping. We are thinking probably somewhere 4 hours (or less) north of Orlando, and we'd like to stay as close to I-95 as posssible. Does anyone have any suggestions for a place that was relatively nice and within the $50-$60/night range? We literally will only be staying there for about 10 hours just to sleep, so it doesn't need to be a super nice place, just safe and decent and on the cheaper side. Thanks for any help anyone can provide.

 

[cynsaun]

I would suggest Jacksonville along the water! It is a beautiful city, we stayed there last year on our drive down to WDW.

You can dine right on the water, it's beautiful! From there you are only 3 hours from WDW.

 

[Patio]

I just got back this morning and on the way down we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Brunswick, Ga. It is right off of I-95 and very nice. We didn't make a reservation, so we got there at about 11pm and paid $69 + had a free breakfast the next morning. it's about 3 1/2 hrs to WDW from there. Have fun!!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks so much for the input. It's so hard to decide. We obviously will only be there to sleep so we don't want to spend a lot, but I also don't want to stay somewhere that is just asking to be the setting for a Steven Spielberg movie either! Patio...I checked out the Hampton Inn in Brunswick, but for our dates, the cheapest rate is about $80-$90. Cynsaun....I have been looking at Jacksonville. Where in particular did you stay?

Thanks for the help!

 

[chell]

Check out Savannah too. I had a Comfort Inn off of exit 94E there 2 years ago for about $50. I am a member of their program and was able to get that discounted rate. There are several others off that same exit that also had good prices.

 

[my3kids]

I was going to suggest Brunswick, GA also.

Once you decide on a city to target, use Priceline and get that $50-60 hotel for $25 or so!!!

 

[SRUAlmn]

My 3 kids,

I forgot about Priceline!! Yeah! I've never used it before, but this would be the perfect time to try because it really doesn't matter, for the most part, how nice of a hotel it is.

 

[Nancy]

We stopped in Savannah also. We stayed at a that ran abot 80.00 a night, but there are 5 of us so we needed the extra room. We also got free breakfast with that. The name had Country and Inn and Suites in the name...can't remember it exactly. There are alot of places to stay right off of 95.

 

[SRUAlmn]

I found it. It's called Country Inn & Suites You basically had it Looks cute, but, unfortunately, it's un-available Thanks for the help!

 

[grinningghost]

Another vote for Savannah. Lots of hotel/motel choices there. Just make sure to call ahead to reserve a room, they get pretty booked up there.

 

[Antonia]

The only place to stay on the way down is St. Augustine!! Then you'll really feel like you're in Florida. The Matanzas Bay is beautiful. The Bridge of Lions is fantastic and it's fun to see the draw bridge go up. Stay at the Bay Front Inn and you're right on the bay - hey, that's why they call it the Bay Front Inn! Hahaha

St. Augustine is only about 30 miles or so south of Jacksonville and - just off I-95 on A1A. Just across from the Bay Front Inn is the Santa Maria restaurant and down the street is a place called O.C White's. I know you're only there to sleep, but Bay Front has a nice little pool and jacuzzi. In the morning, you'll get complimentary coffee, juice and muffins and a newspaper. Rooms are clean and comfy - even what you'd call modern. There are seats that you can sit in to look our over the bay and all this for around $80 - maybe less depending on when you're going. I've stayed here twice and you just can't beat it. Why be on the interstate or in Savannah when you can be in St. Augustine?

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks for the tip. For the night we would be there the cheapest rate is $109, and I really don't know that we will have the time or energy to appreciate all that place has to offer. When we arrive there we will just have spent about 13 hours on the road and it will probably be about 11:00pm. I think all we will want to do is hit the sack. I am, however, searching through the other St. Augustine hotels. Is it pretty accessible off of 95?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Steffi]

We stayed in a Best Western in Kingsland, GA (near the Florida border) a couple of years ago. It was $59.00 a night and very clean. There were a lot of other motels in the area, also, and a Super Wal-Mart right up the road.

 

[Karel]

We drive all the time from NJ. We like to stop on the Georgia/Florida border. I think one of the towns is St. Mary's and there's another one right there too. From there it's about four hours to Orlando, depending upon traffic.

After our first trip down, we don't make reservations anymore. (We blew right by the exit where we were suppose to stop but it was early and everyone wanted to keep going)

We usually stop at the welcome center to get a hotel coupon book and plan to stop around 5 pm. There are a lot of hotels right off of 95. We've never had a problem getting a hotel except the one time there was biggggg biggggg college football game and we had to drive around Jacksonville to the St. Augustine area to find an empty room. So we don't wait too long to start looking.

I think there was once an online hotel coupon magazine. Check to see if the hotels and exits are listed on the 95 website.

 

[Karel]

Kingsland ! That's the other town.

We like to make sure that there is a pool and a hot tub so the kids can work off some energy and there has to be a restaurant within walking distance. (Nobody wants to get back into the car)

 

[SRUAlmn]

OOh! I didn't even think about looking at the I-95 website! That's a great idea! I also just 'remembered' that I have my Orlando entertainment book so right now I am looking at the site to see which hotels are eligible for the 50% off rack rates in Jacksonville and southern Georgia. Anyone else interested in what I find? I can post

 

[Antonia]

St. Augustine is very accessble off I-95 and when you wake up in the morning and look outside. . . .aaahhhh.....

There's also a new Holiday Inn there and a LaQuinta. Those may be cheaper.

 

[tinatark]

St Marys/Kingsland have the cheapest gas, too. Of the two, I'd pick Kingsland, there's a Holiday Inn right off the expressway. Lots of fast food, and a Winn Dixie VERY close to I-95. You're about 30 minutes north of Jacksonville, so an easy drive on into Orlando the next day. Savannah is about 1.5 hr north of Kingsland, we've stayed there, actually at the Country Inn and Suites, there are a TON of hotels at that exit. We always eat at "Shell" Seafood at that exit - yum - all steamed seafood!

If you drive on to Jacksoville, at the airport exit there is a Holiday Inn (it has a cool indoor/outdoor pool).. also Hampton Inn and a couple other suite-type national chain hotels. Lots of local hotels I'd stay away from.

We always get the hotel guide from the welcome centers as soon as we get into the state, they have the best rates, I've checked!

 

[SRUAlmn]

Thanks for all of the suggestions for Kingsland. It looked like such a small place in the atlas that I didn't really think there would be many choices there, but I actually found a couple that look fairly decent for under $70/night. The Holiday Inn Internet rate was $63.00 & the Best Western internet rate was $62.00 (both not including 13 % tax.) Do you think the state coupon book would make it cheaper than that or should I reserve before I go? Thanks again for the help everyone! Kingsland looks like a great choice.

The only other thing I was considering was possibly holding off and doing Jacksonville on Priceline. On www.betterbiding.com all of the hotels in the 3 star category that people have gotten are really nice and Priceline will accept a bid for them for $40. I've just never used it before and it makes me nervous. Plus, I'd rather not have to drive through an un-familiar city to try to find a hotel when I could just get right off 95 and have it be right there. I just thought it might be nice to stay in a nicer hotel on the water

 

[barbeml]

We drive from NJ and stay at Hampton Inn in Richmond Hill, and it is about 4 hours from WDW. This is a fairly new HI with interior corridors (which we prefer), and is close to gas stations, shopping center with grocery store and chain restaurants. Easy off/on to 95.

Also, each room has good size fridge with freezer (we re-freeze our ice packs) and a micro, so we bring and nuke our supper.

Around $69 per night.