Should I drive the whole 18 hours?

[ducklite]

Well gee, I wouldn't call my SIL stupid. I actually think she is pretty smart! But thanks for that. She knows what her limits are and she is a nurse that works a lot of hours. She actually only sleeps a few hours a day and travels to FL 3 times per year. My brother is in the car too and is a retired law enforcement officer, so I'm pretty sure if anyone got tired, they would stop driving. But anyway....

 

 

Just another statistic waiting to happen. Hopefully I'm not nearby when it does.

[skf]

Yes, do break into halves +/-. We have gone 12 hours a few times and even with 2 drivers it is too tiring. We were once only 18 miles from home after a 600-mile drive & nearly wound up in the Merrimack River. I expect you don't want to be in the morning news?

Steve

[Ceblake]

I do not want to be a statistic! That is why I posted on here to see what people thought. I am going to do the drive half way and pick up in the morning.

[GTO-Girl]

Pay no attention to some who are so rude and dramatic!

 

I believe stopping part way is a great decision on your part and I think you will have no problem finding accomodations around the Jax airport as I had suggested earlier.

 

Not sure what your plans are once you get to the port, but there is a Park & Go right at the port that charges half of what parking at the port will cost. We used them in November and had a great experience. To get the cheaper rate you do have to book online.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise with your family!!

Edited March 5, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[Ceblake]

Thank you for your kind comment! I did read about the park n go and plan on parking there.

[GTO-Girl]

Thank you for your kind comment! I did read about the park n go and plan on parking there.

 

Since you are cruising Easter week which is prime time I would check into that and book ASAP. They have been known to fill up so if that happens also check the Park & Fly also near the port.

 

Don't hesitate.....its peak season....;)

Edited March 5, 2014 by GTO-Girl

[Ceblake]

Thanks for the advice! This is all new to me.

[GTO-Girl]

I won't fly so we drive to all our ports...:o

 

We have sailed out of Jax four times, multiple times from Port Canaveral and a couple of times from FLL.

 

If there is anything i can do to help just ask......remember we were all first time cruisers at one time.

[suzski]

Definitely wouldn't do a straight-thru but stopping half way is perfectly fine. I live in Virginia and have done the trip down there a few times when my now-DH was stationed in Florida. Just be well-rested before starting out.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

[RSLeesburg]

I"m pretty sure I'm not the only one that chooses to drive from Maryland to Florida instead of flying. If I get tired, I surely will stop and not put anyone's life in danger.

 

Again I was just seeing what everyone thought of driving straight through or stopping somewhere along the way.

 

Have you priced out the Auto Train from Lorton? It might be more expensive than driving, but less than flying.

[dkjretired]

I drive to Florida three or four times a year from Pa. I would break it into two days but with one change. If at all possible I would leave a day early and get into FLL the night before the cruise. I just would not trust perhaps having a breakdown on the day of the cruise. Having an extra day would makes things much easier. Also, to let you know, I have done the figures for flying and when you get to having three or four people, you are absolutely right, it is cheaper to drive. Just do the speed limit, put the cruise control on and stay to the right.

[Nukesailor]

From Jacksonville to my house in Palm Beach Gardens it's a 5-hour+ drive (drove it in January). Fort Lauderdale is slightly less than an hour from my house (drove it a few days ago). That's a total of 6+ hours. Be advised that there are a couple of stretches of I95 with construction and a reduced speed limit of 60mph.

[navybankerteacher]

One option might be Amtrak $275 round trip per adult, less for children and seniors. Of course, you would spend one night on the train and need to spend the nights before and after the cruise at a Fort Lauderdale motel - more time involved,, but it could be seen as stretching the vacation. It would cost more than driving, but well cheaper than flying.

 

If you do drive, you definitely want to break the trip - Jacksonville, or some place just a tad north makes sense.

[RetesGirl3]

We have traveled from Massachusetts to Florida many times since 1991, when our daughter was 3. Don't know where I got this hint, but we would give her a roll of dimes to start the trip. Anytime she misbehaved or got fussy, she would have to give me a dime from her roll. When we arrived at our destination, she could spend the rest any way she wanted! As she got older, it was quarters then dollar bills! It worked great every time! A few times I never had to ask her for any money!:) you might want to try something like this to keep things under control on the trip! Hope it helps!

Jane

[Lerin]

Aaahhh so much drama and fear in this thread.

 

With 2 drivers I'd just plow all the way through stopping as needed(which potentially may be overnight at around the 11 hour spot). I did a 16 hour once. If I'd been with my husband we easily would've driven the entire way, but since I was alone, I stopped about the 12 hour spot.

 

However I notice you also mention a young child along.

A pre-schooler + 18 hour drive=yuck. No way would I do that.

[CheckersMidwest]

I'm looking at this from a different perspective and definitely in the minority here, but if you needed to, you could drive it. Stop & get out every hour. Pack hard candies & suckers. A blow pop lasts me 30 minutes. I use them when I get sleepy.

 

We drove ONCE straight through from northern Missouri to Myrtle Beach. We'd planned to stop but husband got to driving and just kept right on going. It was about 22 hours. I always said people should do a driving vacation ONCE. :)

 

However, even though we usually fly - (one for convenience and two because it gives us more vacation days at the destination instead of spending it on the rode going/coming home.) we are driving to Galveston this summer. It will be between 14-17 hours and we're driving all in one day.

 

Airfare for our family of 4 is almost always $300 each plus. Destination doesn't seem to matter much. The last few times we traveled, we paid $1600 to fly. Plus the $25 for each suitcase - both ways and airport parking. In my opinion, that's a lot. Makes that 'cheap' cruise not so cheap afterall.

 

We can drive, eat on the rode, have 2 nights hotel, and pay parking for under $1000. In fact, depending on the gas prices, we may be able to do it for $600.

 

We do have 4 drivers though. We're going to start out with our 17 yr old driving first and close to home. She probably won't drive much after that. The other 3 of us will rotate every couple of hours.

 

It's not my first choice to get to Galveston, but people do it all the time. Make a plan, work out the pros & cons, and be prepared to pull off for the night if it just doesn't work out. When we went to Myrtle Beach, the kids were small. I got inexpensive 'prizes' and wrapped them. When they got fidgety, they got a prize. It was usually stuff to do. Both got a new Gameboy game at some point during travel too. (This was the trip we brought tiny live turtles home in little aquariums.) :)

Edited March 5, 2014 by CheckersMidwest

[jaybird from SC]

During Easter week traffic is going to be much heavier, hotel rooms are going to be fewer and more expensive. I would check the airlines again. That is a long, hard trip even from South Carolina. Kind of ruins your cruise afterward when you know you're facing that long drive home. The price of fuel, the increased rates at the hotels, extra meals, etc., are all reasons why we have decided to never drive it again. Keep checking those flights every few hours. Maybe something wil open up. Good luck and safe travels.

[T&Dcruisers]

We drove from Chicago straight through to Orlando, 17 hours, with 2 children (18 months and 5)! It was totally fine! We left at about 8 PM, kids were in PJs, they fell asleep about 45 minutes into the drive. I slept while my husband drove. We stopped about 3 AM for gas/bathroom. Kids woke up for pitstop, fell back asleep about 30 minutes later. My husband drove until about 8 AM, we stopped for breakfast. Changed the kids, refeuled and then I drove for 3 hours while my husbnad slept. Kids fell asleep again for most of that. Stopped again for gas and snacks and continued on. Kids were awesome! And this was with no DVD player in the car! It can be done. We plan on doing it again in a couple weels when we drive to Galveston.

[Torbiemart]

Ceblake- I've driven from Jersey to Tampa in 20 hrs, but not in one shot. Yes it is easier, safer and more relaxing to split it up into 2 days and as one poster suggested try to leave a day early and not have that last leg on the same day as the ship leaves.

 

One suggestion I haven't seen yet, use the welcome centers at the beginning of the state to find a hotel. Sometimes the centers will even make the reservation for you. Of course you need to be at the center during business hours, but it is worth a try. Good luck!

[ducklite]

Keep in mind that traffic will be much heavier during that time frame and add at least a couple of hours to your estimated drive time.

[Athankfulheart]

We are a family of 10 who drives everywhere ( except Hawaii and San Juan ;)). We drive from home to port or to visit relatives all the time and we usually drive straight. This last time driving from SW MO to Florida we stopped in Tallahassee which was unusual, but the hotel rates in PC were really high. We decided to stay the pre-cruise night in Tallahassee instead to save money.

 

We generally will drive up to 20 hours in a straight run ( we have gone coast to coast several times while living in CA). My personal preference is less than 10-14hrs in a run just because I get tired of being in the car. You can safely and comfortably travel 10hrs with one driver if you sleep at night and leave first thing in the morning. You can do it overnight if you have two drivers. You may have special circumstances that change those numbers.

 

 

All the worry about driving with kids long distance makes me wonder what kind of kids you guys all know ;) We pack snacks and activities and expect our children to entertain themselves .... and they do ! Life is hard and requires much patience at times. I figure my kids will be better off for learning how to cope before much is required of them as adults.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Regarding drive example above (Chicago-Orlando): that's about 2300 miles round trip. At federal mileage rate of 55 cents/mile (again, a much more realistic and conservative cost of operating a personal car than is the cost of gas alone), the drive alone is $1268. I just randomly searched some April flights and found many fares either side of $300/person round trip. So airtix for a family of four would be $1200.

 

That said, there is nothing wrong with a family road trip. We've done a coast-to-coast drive and it was very enjoyable. But, we didn't have to be at a specific place at a specific time. However, some folks automatically believe that driving is cheaper than flying, particularly when they only count the cost of the gas or forget that the "$100/night" hotel may also have taxes, parking charges*, etc.

 

*though high in a national comparison, hotel parking here in SF can often exceed $40/night and even the long term lot at SFO runs about $19/day.

[Ceblake]

Regarding drive example above (Chicago-Orlando): that's about 2300 miles round trip. At federal mileage rate of 55 cents/mile (again, a much more realistic and conservative cost of operating a personal car than is the cost of gas alone), the drive alone is $1268. I just randomly searched some April flights and found many fares either side of $300/person round trip. So airtix for a family of four would be $1200.

 

That said, there is nothing wrong with a family road trip. We've done a coast-to-coast drive and it was very enjoyable. But, we didn't have to be at a specific place at a specific time. However, some folks automatically believe that driving is cheaper than flying, particularly when they only count the cost of the gas or forget that the "$100/night" hotel may also have taxes, parking charges*, etc.

 

*though high in a national comparison, hotel parking here in SF can often exceed $40/night and even the long term lot at SFO runs about $19/day.

 

Searching for flights from bwi to ffl, leaving on 4/11 and coming home 4/20 was at least $600-700 per person round trip and the hotel with tax was $109 to stay in Jacksonville at the hampton Inn. Parking at the park and go is $70.

[Ceblake]

We are a family of 10 who drives everywhere ( except Hawaii and San Juan ;)). We drive from home to port or to visit relatives all the time and we usually drive straight. This last time driving from SW MO to Florida we stopped in Tallahassee which was unusual, but the hotel rates in PC were really high. We decided to stay the pre-cruise night in Tallahassee instead to save money.

 

We generally will drive up to 20 hours in a straight run ( we have gone coast to coast several times while living in CA). My personal preference is less than 10-14hrs in a run just because I get tired of being in the car. You can safely and comfortably travel 10hrs with one driver if you sleep at night and leave first thing in the morning. You can do it overnight if you have two drivers. You may have special circumstances that change those numbers.

 

All the worry about driving with kids long distance makes me wonder what kind of kids you guys all know ;) We pack snacks and activities and expect our children to entertain themselves .... and they do ! Life is hard and requires much patience at times. I figure my kids will be better off for learning how to cope before much is required of them as adults.

 

Funny thing is now plans have changed. The other half of my family is leaving in afternoon. We are going to follow them and drive thru the night. My son will nap and sleep thru the night so he will be fine. I have a DVD player and the fun stuff to keep him occupied. Now we have 6 drivers between 2 cars.

When I was little I remember all the trips to Florida and remember having fun with my family. Now with my son, I can have memories with him!

[notentirelynormal]

I guess it's all what people are used to. We have done the drive from LA to Vancouver and back on a long weekend. We were young then. For the past 40 years I, my brothers and mom having been doing it. As we got older we've had to stop at a hotel (younger we plowed through or used rest areas) but it's like a long drive for us but totally doable. Now, I have friends that think driving from their house to San Diego (145 miles) is so far they wanted to hire me as a driver. He panics having to drive to San Pedro for his cruise - a mere 45 miles. They could no more do a long drive even as a passenger then fly to the moon.

 

Last year I took my 8 and 5 YO grandchildren up to Vancouver. We got up early, stopped for potty breaks and then for the night. Snacks and entertainment in the car. They swam, had pizza and were happy. We picked up the 2 and 4 girls in Seattle and headed out again. The kids only complaint - they needed more snack food. Of course, I live 45 miles from their house, the zoo is 60 miles, Disneyland is 70 miles and that is just part of LA living. My parents are 200 north or 250 south and brother is 160 miles away. A simple day trip for my family.

 

My point is - you know your limitations and what you're comfortable doing.

Edited March 6, 2014 by notentirelynormal