"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (IV)

[chepic]

we miss each other by about three weeks. that's ok, you don't want to meet me anyway.

Sure I do......and I want to move to Disney too!

 

[joedplumber]

Just curious.

Do most people that drive just hit the road with directions from point A to Point B and just stop when ever the need arrives?

or

Plan the entire ride down including breakfast, lunch and dinner stops?

 

[starwart]

The first time we travelled we booked 2 hotels. If we make it past the location of the 1 st hotel early enough to cancel the reservations without penalty, we will just keep on going until we make it to the 2nd hotel. Now that we have driven 13-14 times, we know now where we will stop and call it a day.

 

[dvczerfs]

Just curious.

Do most people that drive just hit the road with directions from point A to Point B and just stop when ever the need arrives?

or

Plan the entire ride down including breakfast, lunch and dinner stops?

we leave at 1am......... pull into wdw 4 4:30pm

 

[mjmyers10]

Just curious. Do most people that drive just hit the road with directions from point A to Point B and just stop when ever the need arrives? or Plan the entire ride down including breakfast, lunch and dinner stops?

I plan out ever stop and meal ahead of time. I use has buddy to find the best exits to stop for gas even if I can make it further down the road. From Philly, I stop for gas in Richmond, take a break at a NC rest stop (Selma), get gas at Florence SC, lunch at either a SC rest stop or GA Welcome Center, gas before I get into FL, the FL Welcome Center for OJ, then straight to WDW. Leave around 1 am and we're there around dinner. I plan it all out with AAA TripTik. Never goes exactly to plan, but we keep it close.

 

[joedplumber]

So here is an excel sheet I use to plan my drive to & from Disney.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/pm10d9dppt66alm/Florida%202014%20Driving%20Itinerary.xlsx

 

[dvczerfs]

where I have home to i81. that would be your starting point when you cross the nj/pa state line on i78.

home to i81................... 1 hour 1 min. 71 miles
i81 to ma....................... 1 hour 19 min. 87 miles
ma to wv ..................... 10min. 12 miles
wv to va ...................... 22 min. 25 miles
va to i77 ...................... 3 hours 23 min. 241 miles
i77 to nc ...................... 26 min. 32 miles
nc to charl. nc .............. 1 hour 44 min. 97 miles
char to sc..................... 11 min. 12 miles
sc to i26....................... 1 hour 13 min. 88 miles
i26 to i95...................... 49 min. 53 miles
i95 to ga...................... 1 hour 07 min. 53 miles
ga to fl........................ 1 hour 44min. 111 miles
fl to i4 ......................... 1 hour 42min. 119 miles
i4 to exit 68.................. 54min. 62 miles

now keep in mind, these times include gas stops and rest stops. this is the 16 hour drive. a bit slower pace. time and mile includes exits. entrances etc....
this is a good idea with stops, no sit down meals, how long from point to point.

I also use 78/81/66/17/95/4 but that's is during the winter months.

here is mine. I go a different way then you but I did this a few years ago while we were driving. it seems to work out this way every time some how.
I also have one for the way home from point to point.

 

[cruisingkat]

We only plan out our stop for the night. On our first couple of drives down, we usually stopped in Chattanooga. But we found that was too early in the evening, so we then ended up going on further to Atlanta. When that started seeming like it was too early, we ended up stopping in McDonough, GA, then Forsyth, GA. after a few trips with that stop, we ended up stopping in Byron, GA (around Macon). We always booked a room that we could cancel and would set our phone alarm to go off an hour before the cancel time limit. By that time. we could figure out whether we would make it to our destination or if we would need to stop elsewhere.
Now that our youngest daughter has moved to Clarksville, TN, we can leave a little later in the day, stop there, and then the next day make it to Orlando. However, we do not book a Disney resort that night just in case of delays. We book a cancellable room in Orlando and then switch to the Disney resort the next day - that way we won't end up paying for two rooms for the same night if something comes up.

 

[cruisingkat]

It's always good to read posts by the record-setting (see page one, post number one) cruisingcat from the Chicago area.

All the best.

BC- We're catching up with you - so far I have counted 23 drives in 7 years (2007-2013) and I still have a few more boxes to go through looking for key cards. .

 

[ParrotBill]

Can anyone tell me what to expect in terms of traffic in the DC area.

If you can hit the area in the wee hours of the night you may do well. But we try to avoid the area. Consider sliding west across NJ to I-81 and bypass all the metro areas. Many including me prefer it ... more miles but faster and far less chance of traffic delays!

 

[chepic]

Just curious.

Do most people that drive just hit the road with directions from point A to Point B and just stop when ever the need arrives?

or

Plan the entire ride down including breakfast, lunch and dinner stops?

We leave RI at 3:00am Saturday; stopping only for bathroom/gas. We bring food in the car. We have stopped in the past South Carolina at around 6pm for the night. Last 2 trips we have left earlier (midnight) and drove straight through to Disney arriving at night.

We usually cruise 95 south the entire way, sometimes going right through the major cities. We only divert if it looks like something is really backed up.

cheryl

 

[amcnj]

Just curious.

Do most people that drive just hit the road with directions from point A to Point B and just stop when ever the need arrives?

or

Plan the entire ride down including breakfast, lunch and dinner stops?

We just wing it, but using the same vehicle and thus the same mileage and gas tank size, you end up having to make gas stops around the same exits every time!

 

[Kenziema]

Doing our 1st drive down to WDW May 17-24 from NYC. I am really excited, DH not so much.

 

[amcnj]

Can anyone tell me what to expect in terms of traffic in the DC area.

Traveling I-495S to I-95S on a Friday morning during April break around 9am.

In July 2012 We traveled the same route on a Friday at the same time and there was no traffic at all.

Just wondering if this was a fluke.

Thanks

I am usually passing DC around 5:30 AM so haven't had any problems at that hour! I know I have seen postings about the DC rush hours and thought they were like 6-10 AM and 3-7 PM, but don't quote me! That is great you had such a trouble-free ride at 9 AM. I would have thought that time was in the danger zone!

 

[loveysbydesign]

just got back from the accountants from having our taxes done tonight........ man did I get a beatin!!!

and

im moving to florida............... no state income tax!!

You are???

No way! So jealous!
Keep trying to talk dh into applying for a job at Lockheed Martin down near WDW!

 

[dvczerfs]

You are???

No way! So jealous!
Keep trying to talk dh into applying for a job at Lockheed Martin down near WDW!

I wish!!! we still have a few years to go yet.
I thought my dd would have to file pa state income tax along with fl. state income tax return being she lived and worked in fl. for eight months last year.................... nope....... my accountant said fl. has no state earned income tax.couldnt file one if you wanted too. I cant wait to get out of taxilvania!!!

 

[dvczerfs]

Mike...mike... (camel walking thru the office) mike..........

Guess what day it is tomorrow?


Come on, guess???????



Anybody??????????

 

[dvczerfs]

first day of spring!!!!!

 

[BC1836]

first day of spring!!!!!

Tomorrow, March 21, 2014 at 12:57 p.m. And it can't arrive soon enough, especially since we got the brunt of the last two snow storms here at the Jersey Shore.

Hmm. April? That rings a bell. We have to check our schedule. Perhaps we booked a stay in WDW? Could drive #31 be far off?

All the best.

 

[taychase1015]

I have driven many times between 1997 and 2012 and always drove from Frederick,MD via i95. We then started flying. However, this year we are going back to driving. I have never had an issue drivinv and normally drive more than DH on the trips.

On June 12 I am driving from Chambersburg to AKL with my niece 16 and nephew 15. We are leaving right after school at 3pm. I am thinking that it would be easier to go 81-77-26-95-4 then going to I95 in DC as we would hit Rockville around 4:30 and be in rush hour traffic.

Is this a more relaxing route, I drove it once in winter and didn't like it very much as it seems more isolated then 95.

What would you do? Thank you for your thoughts and suggestions.