Driving from CT to FL.

[htfdwlfpack]

If and this is a BIG IF.
If i go to florida in September i will be going with my sister. She is retired and dont think she will be working then either. lets assume she wont be for this :0

So i just mapquested from where i live in CT to Orlando Florida and is 19 hours and 38 mins . I know i have NO probelm driving almost 8 hours straight just myself. So with us getting 7 hours in each for driving (total 14) where that might put us? Or is there a program online that can help with this.? Im assuming mapquest has you driving 60 MPH too.(as the times they have given for trips in ct have been much shorter.)

Or we can go another way lol. Wheres a good safe place to stop? What id ultimately like to do is get into orlando around 9AM but thats just me dreaming LOL, so we might end up there at night

 

[MaryJaneP]

Drive from from NE PA multiple trips, various departure times, and prefer to stay outside Savannah, GA. Sometimes we have to push a little extra to make it but it makes next day drive a piece of cake. CT to GA may be a stretch, but if you can make it, we highly recommend it.

 

[Huglife]

I've driven from New Haven, ct to WDW twice. The best advice I can give is to drive as far as you can the first day. The second day is always harder. Also, don't try to plan your stops ahead of time. It's impossible to know how far you can get so stop at the welcome center in the state you plan to stay in and get a coupon booklet for good hotel deals.

 

[WDW_Emily]

I've driven from New Haven, ct to WDW twice. The best advice I can give is to drive as far as you can the first day. The second day is always harder. Also, don't try to plan your stops ahead of time. It's impossible to know how far you can get so stop at the welcome center in the state you plan to stay in and get a coupon booklet for good hotel deals.

Also get AAA. It has saved us tons on hotels(and saved us once when we got a flat in GA)

 

[htfdwlfpack]

I know my Sister has AAA.

Now im looking at trains if this doesnt work out the way i want it to.

Anyone ever taken a train? Maybe not to florida but and overnight trip? Im not rich, hell right now im out of work(hope to be working very soon though ) but was thinking for ok its about 240 by train not cheap at all, but still anyone rode a train? Id like to hear your experiences if you have

 

[Mikester71]

Can't help you with the train info, but just wanted to "second" what another poster said earlier in the thread about going to AAA and getting the TripTik map. We usually go the day or two before our trip and the AAA associate will stand there with us and mark all the detours and construction off on the pages as she tells us what to look forward to on the drive down that day. They are always right up to the minute with all their road info and even mark off where State Troopers like to set up speed traps and the likes!

Can't beat it really! If you aren't a member, you could have your sister go in and get one done for you.

 

[htfdwlfpack]

oh ive used em before, and im sure my sisters wont let me forget to use AAA again IF i do drive down.


If im still living up here in CT then, i can guilt her to come see her aunt and other family for a day or so and we can leave from here.
At least thats how this plan works out so far lol

 

[Mikester71]

I hope everything goes according to plan for you, whatever plan that ends up being! (planes, trains or automobile) :lol:

 

[htfdwlfpack]

i just want to go damit lol

We talked about this during the summer of 2010 and ive had to cancel it three times now because of hours being cut at work and now no work.

 

[Mikester71]

i just want to go damit lol

We talked about this during the summer of 2010 and ive had to cancel it three times now because of hours being cut at work and now no work.

I hear ya...hope you are finally able to go here. And hopefully 2011 will be a better year for the both of us. Sounds like we both had a pretty crappy 2010! I know my March 2011 trip pulled me through some rough stretches last year. :brick:

 

[Buzz2001]

It can be done but the traffic in the VA/DC area is terrible if you hit their rush hour.

 

[AJScooch]

We left a little later than I would have liked to because we were travelling with another family. We left Long Island around 6:30am, on a Saturday morning. We had breakfast on the Jersey Tpke. around 8:30am. We got as far as Manassas, VA until we hit major traffic and stopped for lunch around 1pm. Traffic was really bad getting through to Fredricksburg, VA. Once we got past there, we were fine. Unfortunately, it hurt our driving time. We stopped in Rocky Mount, NC for dinner and then got to our hotel in Florence, SC around 10:30pm.

This August, we're just going to be by ourselves so I'm hoping to leave somewhat earlier. Maybe around 4:30am. Hopefully, that will get us to northern VA by breakfast.

 

[mickeysshoes]

We have driven from southern NJ to Disney many, many times.

Word of advice is that getting around in Jersey any time except sunday morning and late evenings can be rough.

Depending on the day of the week and the time you plan to be going through the Jersey/Baltimore/Washington area, traffic can be brutal.

We have taken Rt 301 for the past 5 years and love that calm drive. We get of 301 right after the Delaware bridge(actually Rt 13 to 301) then we pick up 95 again just below Richmond. Just an idea.

We used to leave about 3am and drive to Brunswick GA. From there it's a 3 hour trip to Disney the next morning.

I have never taken this route but living off of 95 in Norther VA it sound like a really good idea to me. Stay away from 95 at all costs!!

 

[MICKEYEARSFL]

It can be done, years ago my aunt and uncle and i drove from florida to southern mass in 22 hours straight threw, stopping for gas restroom breaks and food of course. (very tiring) I dont recomend doing it! I would buy a TomTom or Garmin to take along with you they are great at determining were u are or where the next food stop will be. depending on trafic it should take you to South of the border in South carolina, it is a tourist trap but the signs are VERY entertaining! Hope this helps you!

 

[wdwfanatic4yrs]

Just a word of advice - do NOT take I-295 or 9A around Jacksonville. Even in rush hour, with heavy traffic, it's still faster to stay on I-95! The only exception would be if either the Fuller Warren bridge is blocked, or there is a problem at the I-10/I-95 interchange.

we drove from ohio in january of 2010 and we'll be coming back through this july. does jacksonville still look like a bomb went off?? there was construction EVERYWHERE. on top of the traffic. :brick:

 

[GOT2SAMMIES]

I know my Sister has AAA.

Now im looking at trains if this doesnt work out the way i want it to.

Anyone ever taken a train? Maybe not to florida but and overnight trip? Im not rich, hell right now im out of work(hope to be working very soon though ) but was thinking for ok its about 240 by train not cheap at all, but still anyone rode a train? Id like to hear your experiences if you have

The train is a great idea! But there are two things to consider:
1. Are you going to take the "regular" train? I believe the route take you to Daytona and then to Orlando by Bus. There is a station in Deland which is small and there are no rental car facilities. That would be an 1.5-2 hr drive to Orlando (if memory serves me correctly)
2.Have you heard of the autotrain? The best way to travel on the train! You can drive from CT to Lorton Va. Not sure how long that is for you but then you and your car can travel to Sanford, Fl. You leave @4pm and get to Sfa around 9:00 the next morning. You pay extra for the car and you can get sleepers, but your meals (dinner and breakfast) are included with a coach seats. Once at Sanford, it's only two rights out of the station and the 95 and Disney around an hour away!

 

[slappy magoo]

I know my Sister has AAA.

Now im looking at trains if this doesnt work out the way i want it to.

Anyone ever taken a train? Maybe not to florida but and overnight trip? Im not rich, hell right now im out of work(hope to be working very soon though ) but was thinking for ok its about 240 by train not cheap at all, but still anyone rode a train? Id like to hear your experiences if you have

I've flown down and driven back once (a hurricane closed the parks and the airports the day before our trip was supposed to end, so we drove our rental back to the Philly airport where we had originally flown.

After that we've driven down 3 times - two times we drove straight down, starting driving in the evening and arriving the following afternoon. And one time, we left in the morning, drove till late at night, got a chain hotel room on the outskirts of Savannah, left the next morning and arrived at noon. Living art the time on the Jersey Shore, it took us about 20 hours when we'd drive with only stop for fuel, food and leg stretches...

Our last trip, we had our baby with us, not quite 5 months old. Didn't want to fly (she was too young for flu shots), didn't want to drive - we'd have to stop so many more times, I couldn't imagine even doing it without stopping for 2 nights each way. So we opted for Amtrak's Auto Train. 4 Hour drive to Lorton, Va. Train goes non-stop to Sanford, Fla, about an hour from WDW. You travel with your car in storage, so it's a little more than just traveling on the train in coach seats. But depending on how long your trip is, it can be a comparable price or even less than renting a car for the length of your trip. Plus, you can stock your car with groceries, extra clothes, things you think you might need, without paying for an airline's extra baggage fees. Dinner and a continental breakfast is included. There's a lounge car for drinks or snacks. Plenty of AC outlets. I liked it more than my wife, and I'd do it again. We booked with a private room, but it's not necessarily necessary for two adults and no kids. Sure, you're sharing a toilet with strangers, but by driving, you're sharing toilets with strangers all across America anyway. I figure, in those close quarters, where you'll keep going back to the same restrooms, everyone has an incentive to be on their best bathroom behavior. :lookaroun

 

[htfdwlfpack]

Those are all awesome ideas, and i never knew there was such a thing as the auto train THANKS you two,or was it three,

I will be able to look at that again come the time i hope to be booking the trip.

Only problem with that is i dont have a car right now, kinda died on me and with no job ,well you know how it goes lol

 

[slappy magoo]

Those are all awesome ideas, and i never knew there was such a thing as the auto train THANKS you two,or was it three,

I will be able to look at that again come the time i hope to be booking the trip.

Only problem with that is i dont have a car right now, kinda died on me and with no job ,well you know how it goes lol

Wait, I'm confused, the whole point of the thread is about driving. Were you planning on going down in your sister's car, or borrowing a car from somebody? If so, the Auto train is still something to consider. If you're borrowing a car, the Auto train is an even better idea, because you're not adding all those extra miles on to the car. You're still driving to Virginia, but that's still about 1500 miles roundtrip less than driving to WDW.

Were you planning on renting a car? In that case, that's a lot of extra money, the cost of the rental PLUS the cost of the Autotrain. It'd be more viable to drive the rented car to Florida, or take any train to Orlando or Kissimmee and just pay for a cab to and from WDW.


And if you have no car at all...then why the thread?

 

[htfdwlfpack]

Mostly for ideas i guess. My aunt has a car for me that she never uses, where my cousins let her buy one ill never know. That being said its waiting for me i just got to get some money behind me.

Saying im taking a flight is easy, im looking for alternative suggestions and driving, well sounds like fun

And youll notice most of my posts happen when any normal person would be in bed so theres that too

 

[Phonedave]

I've flown down and driven back once (a hurricane closed the parks and the airports the day before our trip was supposed to end, so we drove our rental back to the Philly airport where we had originally flown.

After that we've driven down 3 times - two times we drove straight down, starting driving in the evening and arriving the following afternoon. And one time, we left in the morning, drove till late at night, got a chain hotel room on the outskirts of Savannah, left the next morning and arrived at noon. Living art the time on the Jersey Shore, it took us about 20 hours when we'd drive with only stop for fuel, food and leg stretches...

Our last trip, we had our baby with us, not quite 5 months old. Didn't want to fly (she was too young for flu shots), didn't want to drive - we'd have to stop so many more times, I couldn't imagine even doing it without stopping for 2 nights each way. So we opted for Amtrak's Auto Train. 4 Hour drive to Lorton, Va. Train goes non-stop to Sanford, Fla, about an hour from WDW. You travel with your car in storage, so it's a little more than just traveling on the train in coach seats. But depending on how long your trip is, it can be a comparable price or even less than renting a car for the length of your trip. Plus, you can stock your car with groceries, extra clothes, things you think you might need, without paying for an airline's extra baggage fees. Dinner and a continental breakfast is included. There's a lounge car for drinks or snacks. Plenty of AC outlets. I liked it more than my wife, and I'd do it again. We booked with a private room, but it's not necessarily necessary for two adults and no kids. Sure, you're sharing a toilet with strangers, but by driving, you're sharing toilets with strangers all across America anyway. I figure, in those close quarters, where you'll keep going back to the same restrooms, everyone has an incentive to be on their best bathroom behavior. :lookaroun

My brother and his family are driving down in September and are planning routes, etc right now.

I looked at autotrain prices - holy mackerel. They might as well fly.

I understand you do have you car with you, and you can pack it full of stuff. But it also takes 19 hours longer each way.

I think it is a great idea, but price wise it is a no-go.

And why does it cost more for your car to go from Florida to DC than from DC to Florida ? Are people taking the train down to Florida to buy cars and then ship them home ?


-dave