Flying vs Driving

[ETDub]

We are booked on Breeze February 9. Now when the wife and I cruised last year for our honeymoon it was just us and Southwest had 200 roundtrip. Now there is 4 of us well 3 that need seats and airfare from Chicago to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale is just rediculous upwards over 400 roundtrip. We have a baby and that means car seats strollers to check and bring on the ship with us and take up room not to mention extra checked items. If we drive we can leave most stuff in the car and just bring the umbrella stroller. Any one prefer one over the other on a trip like this for a family.

[falkcor]

if you can drive, do it.

 

it's a far more pleasant experience in my opinion. i don't know what driving time for you would be to say new york or baltimore for carnival (currently), or other lines out of say bayonne or the same ports, but if it is reasonable and you think you can do it, it may be a viable option.

 

that said, a baby on long road trips may be problematic. same as with flights and the coordination therein so that may be a wash.

 

in general, if you can drive, do it. if you have your heart set on a particular itinerary, then perhaps you have to fly to it.

 

i'd always prefer driving, though. it is so much more convenient. also to be considered, is if you have to fly, you may have additional costs in terms of a hotel room and transport to consider if 'total' price is a consideration.

[bride123105]

Driving adds the expense of gas and a per day parking fee. So after you factor that in see if it is still less than a flight for everyone. Do you have enough Southwest frequent flyer points that you can cash in to help?

[mikel24m]

We are booked on Breeze February 9. Now when the wife and I cruised last year for our honeymoon it was just us and Southwest had 200 roundtrip. Now there is 4 of us well 3 that need seats and airfare from Chicago to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale is just rediculous upwards over 400 roundtrip. We have a baby and that means car seats strollers to check and bring on the ship with us and take up room not to mention extra checked items. If we drive we can leave most stuff in the car and just bring the umbrella stroller. Any one prefer one over the other on a trip like this for a family.

 

February is a tough time some times for us up north and the weather doesn't always cooperate with our plans :) If mother nature isn't cooperating the cruise line really doesn't care that your stuck in Virginia

 

Paying to park for the week, tolls, gas ,food ,maybe a night in a hotel.

 

Some people have extra time off work so they can take their time .I have done the 20 hour drive and it sucks.If I could have stopped after 8 hours of driving and had dinner and had some sleep at my hotel it may have been different but it would have been more money and hassle than that 3 hour flight

 

If I were you I would check prices at airports other than the one you travel you may find a deal

[Krunu15]

It'd be a very long trip - but might I add the alternative option of train? I love traveling long distances by train and feel like with the ability to get up and walk around makes the experience better and more interactive than driving for the kids.

[dmarie1623]

We just drove from DC to Miami (we board the Liberty in few hours :D). It's a 16-hour drive. I would suggest selecting a midway point and getting a hotel.

 

We stayed-overnight in Savannah, GA. If you have hotel points, use them.

Our room on the trip here was free. No charge on the return trip either.

 

Even with gas and food breaks this was cheaper for us than flying.

[bigcraig]

Like another poster mentioned check other Florida airports, Tampa Orlando Ft Lauderdale Palm Beach, might get a decent fare and rent a car one way to Miami.

I just rented a car with Priceline one way from FLL to MIA getting there and visa versa at the end, it was less then half what my corporate rate is.

I would never ever do that drive again.

[RWolver672]

In February of this year, we drove from Michigan to Fort Lauderdale. I will never do that again. FLL is the worst for traffic and expressways. By the time we got to FLL, I was a nervous wreck. Construction all over the place, cars going 60-70 in a 45 zone, lanes becoming exits and you can't get over so you wind up going 20 miles out of your way to get back on.

 

Then you have to factor in that after you get off the ship relaxed from a vacation, you now face the long drive back home.

 

We said we'd never drive it again and we're retired and have all the time in the world. We may have save a few bucks over flying but it wasn't worth it.

[Tapi]

We travel with two kids also, one who is still an infant in arms. Do yourself a favor if you choose to fly: DONT BRING CAR SEATS, BIG STROLLERS, OR ANYTHING BULKY. You won't need them. We just brought an umbrella stroller and it was sufficient.

 

Check local regulations, but in the most part, hotel and tour buses don't require a car seat. Plan your transportation accordingly and you will save yourself a lot of hassle.

 

We just did an Alaska cruise, where we flew across the country, spent two extra nights sightseeing in Seattle, and took several tours at the various ports of call, all with our son and daughter in tow and just the umbrella stroller. It can be done! :)

 

If you choose to drive: Only you know your kids. Can they handle a long drive twice in one week? No worse way to end a cruise vacation with two screaming kids having a meltdown in the backseat, begging to stop or get off the car for hours and hours and hours. Our son is very good with long distance driving but our daughter isn't. We limit our long distance driving to 7 hours with multiple stops along the way, every 2-3 hours.

[ata1976]

With kids you can definitely see the pros and cons to both. My kids are 2 and 7 and we are actually driving to Jax, then Orlando, then back to Atlanta next month. I am dreading the back part, which is a horrible way to end a vacation.

 

Pros: You can pack as much stuff as you can fit in the car and don't have to worry about overweight luggage fees. We could stop along the way for all the emergency pottybreaks my 2 yr old needs.

 

Cons for us: The long car ride. The price to fly for 4 of us. Airport Parking. Hassle for renting a car, getting a car seat that doesn't fit DD, returning car, cruising, getting another rental car, etc.

 

If we were just cruising this vacation I think we would fly, but since we are doing Orlando too, we are just driving. Of course our 8 hour drive back is nothing comparted to the 16 hr drives, posters are talking about.

[larkz]

I'm near the Illinois - Wisconsin state line. I would hate driving this far (especially the way back, which takes forever). I've done a few drives to Orlando, straight through, and that was long. Add the distance to Miami and I wouldn't do it.

 

I recommend checking flights from Milwaukee and Peoria, various nearby Iowa cities, and even Indianapolis. I do this normally just to avoid feeding money to the ugly beast known as O'Hare. And if you ever cruise out of Tampa or Port Canaveral (accessible from Orlando), check Allegiant Air, which has very reasonable prices from Rockford, Peoria, and several other airports that are within a few hour's drive.

[Eliot Ness]

As others have said there are pros and cons both ways. I used to love flying but I hate doing it now but that is a looong drive.

 

If you can stop halfway for at least a night coming and going it might not be as bad, especially if you can plan a fun activity on the way home like a movie night, children's museum, etc..

 

Just be sure to factor in your other driving expenses like gas, motels, parking, meals, extra vacation days, etc. before you decide that flying is more expensive. One year we took a budget airline to Tampa for a Miami cruise. After paying for baggage (back then luggage was still free on most major airlines), rental car to Tampa and back, extra hotel & meals, and extra vacation days I doubt that we really saved any money, but it was a fun trip ;) .

[wrigley80]

We are booked on Breeze February 9. Now when the wife and I cruised last year for our honeymoon it was just us and Southwest had 200 roundtrip. Now there is 4 of us well 3 that need seats and airfare from Chicago to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale is just rediculous upwards over 400 roundtrip. We have a baby and that means car seats strollers to check and bring on the ship with us and take up room not to mention extra checked items. If we drive we can leave most stuff in the car and just bring the umbrella stroller. Any one prefer one over the other on a trip like this for a family.

 

We are like you....our home airport is Chicago and flights are often more expensive than the cruise. As others mentioned you may wanna look into other cities and other airports. I just bought our airfare yesterday for our cruise in December. But instead of flying out of O'Hare or Midway we are flying out of Greater Rockford Airport to Fort Myers and then renting a car to drive to Miami. Our flight was $156.00.

 

Orlando/Sanford airport would also be a good option for ya.

 

Plus weather in Chicago in February can always be a toss-up

[askimdog]

We do both with our family. We cruise out of ports we know friends in. This way we can spend a day or two with them before and/or after the cruise. (Galveston/Long Beach/ Tampa). We need to drive 5-6 hours to the nearest airport (Minneapolis/St. Paul) we can use, then we fly to the port of choice. So for us, it's always both :(

[MISS_Wanda]

Honey do the drive. You are going when the heat aint going to be a problem and all the time together you is going to be good family time. Dont be in no hurry and enjoy the trip. Take an old womans word for it. Thank you and God bless.

 

if you can drive, do it.

 

it's a far more pleasant experience in my opinion. i don't know what driving time for you would be to say new york or baltimore for carnival (currently), or other lines out of say bayonne or the same ports, but if it is reasonable and you think you can do it, it may be a viable option.

 

that said, a baby on long road trips may be problematic. same as with flights and the coordination therein so that may be a wash.

 

in general, if you can drive, do it. if you have your heart set on a particular itinerary, then perhaps you have to fly to it.

 

i'd always prefer driving, though. it is so much more convenient. also to be considered, is if you have to fly, you may have additional costs in terms of a hotel room and transport to consider if 'total' price is a consideration.

[ETDub]

I have a route maped out. We would stop just past Nashville for the night. Im 40 minutes west of Rockford for those from this area. Thanks for all the advice. I was unaware not needing carseat for hotel transportation. That was a concern having to lug something around we did not need.

[txmom11]

We drive when there are more than just the two of us cruising, but (big BUT here) we don't have small children any longer. However, I've flown with them when they were little and honestly, I'd rather drive. You can always make up the "car kits" to keep them busy.

[riclop]

Anything but flying.

[ETDub]

And today I told my wife getting there is half the fun.....Huge National Lampoons Vacation fan.

[ETDub]

We are like you....our home airport is Chicago and flights are often more expensive than the cruise. As others mentioned you may wanna look into other cities and other airports. I just bought our airfare yesterday for our cruise in December. But instead of flying out of O'Hare or Midway we are flying out of Greater Rockford Airport to Fort Myers and then renting a car to drive to Miami. Our flight was $156.00.

 

Orlando/Sanford airport would also be a good option for ya.

 

Plus weather in Chicago in February can always be a toss-up

 

 

I noticed your town is Kirkland...as in Kirkland Hiawatha. Played up there in my football playing days. And met a cruiser from there on Valor last year.

[wrigley80]

I noticed your town is Kirkland...as in Kirkland Hiawatha. Played up there in my football playing days. And met a cruiser from there on Valor last year.

 

Oh wow!!!!! That's a small world. Well not much has changed.....we are still a farming town and our football team still sucks. Do you remember the name of the person from the Valor??? Our town is so small....it's probably a neighbor....lol

[wrigley80]

I have a route maped out. We would stop just past Nashville for the night. Im 40 minutes west of Rockford for those from this area. Thanks for all the advice. I was unaware not needing carseat for hotel transportation. That was a concern having to lug something around we did not need.

 

I see that you live in Dixon. I have an uncle that lives in Dixon....too crazy

[mudscraper]

I see that you live in Dixon. I have an uncle that lives in Dixon....too crazy

I live east of Kirkland and go to Dixon every year to shoot at the police firing range.

[ETDub]

I dont remember her name at all. I bet she never imagined someone would know where the hell Kirkland was in the middle of the Caribbean. I would say she was probably in her 30s.

[luvsviola]

We are a family of 5 (kids 6, 4, 2) and we are driving. I don't trust the flights to get us where we need to be, and it just isn't worth the expense. We are going to try to drive as much as we can at night.