Driving to Miami from Toronto

[cessnabmw]

Anyone here planning to drive down in Dec for a cruise? Looking at the prices for flights and car rentals and it would be cheaper to have our own car with us! 

[Fouremco]

I've looked at this possibility in the past, but by time you add up the cost of hotels on the way down and back, meals, gas, parking for a couple of weeks, etc., the savings just didn't seem to outweigh the inconvenience of a long drive. I might consider it for a summer cruise, taking a very leisurely holiday drive down and back, with a cruise thrown in at mid point, but not in winter.

[broberts]

For more than two people it can be less expensive, especially if driving can be shared and everyone is willing to spend a day in the vehicle. 

 

Every time I consider driving I come up against the fact that if I am doing it to save money I'm faced with an exhausting two days before the cruise, worry about leaving my vehicle unattended for a long period, and another exhausting two days to get home. What then is the point of the cruise?

[Magicat]

If you're retired you can include it as part of your trip.  Leisurely drive down, take a different route back.  Stop off at places you always wanted to visit, things like that.  But if you are just going to the cruise and back yes it would be stressful.  We did the Grandeur out of Baltimore and drove from Toronto.  The return was only 1 day but still it was starting to wind the spring that we released on the cruise. 

[mom says]

Better hope for good weather down and back. We've driven to and from Florida many times in winter, but only because we were doing an extended trip, with stays in multiple places.  Several times we've had to depart a day early or late due to snow storms. Or, on one memorable trip, encountered an ice storm en route. If we're just going down for a cruise, driving just isn't worth the hassle. We fly.

[loman]

I dont mind driving if its under 2 hours , so Florida is out .

I fly , takes 3 hours with a direct flight ( I wont do stop overs ).

I coudnt imagine being in a car for days and i have a decent car.

[xcell]

Should be a nice drive but I think many of us wouldn't do it (don't have the time and my wife would divorce me).

 

The flights are really expensive, and I knew I had to do it last minute, so I ended up getting the Westjet CC which has a bonus $450 WSD sign up and companion ticket for free (just pay the taxes).  That ended up putting the price of the plane tickets to about 50% (2 for 1).

 

How about points? Aeroplan? 

[lx200gps]

FWIW, one very compelling reason for having driven down for a cruise in your own car would be in the unlikely event  of a positive COVID test after disembarkation. Flying back is out for possibly up to two weeks, but you can definitely drive home as long as the positive test is a PCR and not Antigen.  That being said, as has been pointed out, the cost and complexity of driving all the way down and back for a single cruise makes it very onerous compared with biting the bullet and flying down.  I so envy all you lucky snowbirds who drive down to Florida for a few months and are SO close to the cruise port you can see it from your condo. Heck, we'd be cruising twice a month  ;o)

[K_e_short]

I used to drive down to Florida every March Break with my family.

 

Some years it took us 2 1/2 days, one time it took 4 days, and another time it took 2 days. 

 

As long as you take that into consideration from a cost perspective (extra hotel, food, etc).

 

[DirtyDawg]

On 11/12/2021 at 12:54 PM, broberts said:

For more than two people it can be less expensive, especially if driving can be shared and everyone is willing to spend a day in the vehicle. 

 

Every time I consider driving I come up against the fact that if I am doing it to save money I'm faced with an exhausting two days before the cruise, worry about leaving my vehicle unattended for a long period, and another exhausting two days to get home. What then is the point of the cruise?

We drove down to Florida lots of times when the kids were young and with 5 of us it was definitely cheaper than flying. Driving down wasn't too bad as we had the cruise or other vacation to look forward to. But the drive back was always a bugger because there was only work and school to look forward to.  

 

One huge positive of driving for two days down and 2 days back with kids is by the time we got back to Canada I would know the lyrics to every Barney the dinosaur song, and the script of every Scooby Doo cartoon ever made. 🥴

 

OP, Flying out of Buffalo is cheaper than from Pearson sometimes by about $100 each. The downside is there are no direct flights. Also flying into Fort Lauderdale or West Palm can sometimes be cheaper. 

 

Edited November 14, 2021 by DirtyDawg

[cessnabmw]

Thank you all! We've decided to fly from Buffalo. Cheapest we can find is with Southwest to Miami for the dates we want. Now to find hotels and car rentals! 

[Bluemoose]

we're planning to drive mid Feb, subject to weather forecast (and avoid the W Virginia mountains section), mainly because we're retired and have the time and the money ! LOL but  also, we have 2 cruises booked, but with 14 days space between, so we're flying to Cancun for a 10 day period as well.... I think, with hotels, it's a little more expensive than flights, but I actually enjoy the road trip....

[Land&Sea_Cruiser]

We left SW Ontario on Monday and are now parked near Savannah, Ga. I love having the freedom a car gives you and we rigged our SUV to have a comfy bed in the back so no hotels for us. Taking our time and visiting a few outdoor sites along the way. Only 25% of folks are wearing masks indoors so we stay focused on staying safe.

[willing292]

we are thinking about driving from Ontario, but I'm having a difficult time trying to find somewhere i can get a PCR test for my return to Canada.  the drug stores such as CVS and Walgreens, want proof of US residency.

[ladysail2]

7 minutes ago, willing292 said:

we are thinking about driving from Ontario, but I'm having a difficult time trying to find somewhere i can get a PCR test for my return to Canada.  the drug stores such as CVS and Walgreens, want proof of US residency.

Are you returning into Canada  after Nov 30?

[Fouremco]

39 minutes ago, willing292 said:

the drug stores such as CVS and Walgreens, want proof of US residency.

There have been lots of posts from Canadians who had no difficulty getting their tests with no need to prove US residency. You might want to continue looking into it.

[ladysail2]

And…some people were using hotel addresses as their address.  The drugstore didn’t seem to either notice or mind. 

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, ladysail2 said:

Are you returning into Canada  after Nov 30?

It makes no difference whether this is before or after Nov 30, because it will be more than 72 hours out of Canada, which still requires a PCR test to return.

[willing292]

2 hours ago, ladysail2 said:

Are you returning into Canada  after Nov 30?

Yes.  In january, by car (hopefully)

[willing292]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

There have been lots of posts from Canadians who had no difficulty getting their tests with no need to prove US residency. You might want to continue looking into it.

I have looked online at the major drug stores and even made some appointments.  In the end, they all want state i.d., as ah5 is how they get paid.  Free tests are necessarily so! 

[#55worktoplay]

It was like that until the border opened. Blame it on all the people on the news saying how easy it was to get one.   I suspected this would happen.

[Fouremco]

21 minutes ago, willing292 said:

I have looked online at the major drug stores and even made some appointments.  In the end, they all want state i.d., as ah5 is how they get paid.  Free tests are necessarily so! 

As I said, other Canadian posters have been successful in getting free tests, but perhaps their approach was different.

[DHP1]

If your driving back to Canada after a cruise, get tested from the cruise line as you disembark from the ship.  The test is free for international passengers.

Edited November 21, 2021 by DHP1

[Fouremco]

7 minutes ago, DHP1 said:

If your driving back to Canada after a cruise, get tested from the cruise line as you disembark from the ship.  The test is free for international passengers.

A great idea if the circumstances are right. Unfortunately, not all lines offer PCR tests for the international passengers. And some provide the test in the morning of the last full day aboard, leaving you less than 48 hours to drive home. Quite doable, with a couple of b2b 10-hour driving days, but not what a lot of people would look forward to after a nice relaxing holiday. And assuming, of course, that Mother Nature cooperates with good driving weather.

[ladysail2]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

It makes no difference whether this is before or after Nov 30, because it will be more than 72 hours out of Canada, which still requires a PCR test to return.

True!  Thanks…guess it was wishful thinking!!