Driving from Mass to Florida.

[JTRose123]

I'm cruising on the Carnival Freedom on Jan 17th with my girlfriend. To save some money, and add some adventure to our trip, we decided to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale. (Ok, I'll be honest, we both hate flying.)

 

Posting here to see if any of you can office some god advice, funny stories, and anything that might make my trip that much better.

[scottinnh]

I drove from Nh to FL in April. Rt 95 had the worst traffic I've ever seen, at the strangest hours, no less. I mean it stunk from Southern CT all the way to VA. A four hour backup through Delaware at midnight was the worst. I'd go through PA, it's a bit longer but that's the way I'll go this April.

 

Bring stupid car games and a sense of humor and have a backup plan ( extra time ) for auto related mishaps. I've done it a bunch of times and I don't mind the drive at all. Have a great trip, hope it's light on the adventure part.

[lanoitarus]

My best advice: if you want adventure, jump off the interstate and take US 13 down through delaware and the delmarva peninsula, on through norfolk, rather than taking 95 through DC. This skips traffic, takes about the same time, saves gas (its shorter but slower), and passes through some absolutely beautiful country.

 

Taking the Cape May-Lewes ferry as well from southern jersey to deleware is pretty fun too (and makes atlantic city an easy, cheap, fun overnight stop), but perhaps not as fun to be in a ferry on the delaware bay in january as it was for me last june.

 

This is the route I took. It was amazing. Its not quite as long as google maps says. In my opinion by skipping DC and philly traffic this is actually faster.

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=boston,+ma&daddr=39.027719,-74.838867+to:US-13+to:fort+lauderdale,+fl&hl=en&geocode=%3B%3BFQLHPgIdynJ8-w%3B&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=7&via=1,2&sll=37.866181,-75.443115&sspn=6.685078,9.887695&ie=UTF8&ll=39.176917,-74.641113&spn=1.641529,2.471924&z=9

[margaritaville momma]

Here is a funny story...(to us anyway) We usually always drive from Virginia to Florida because we like to drive, hate to fly and with 6 of us it's usually cheaper. Three cruises ago DH, DS(16) other DS(12) and I started down the road having a good time. Well it started to get late and we were coming up on Florence, SC and my husband asked the kids if they were tired or should we keep going and try to make it on to Florida. My kids would have nothing to do with stopping, they assured us they were wide awake and wanted to keep going. Basically if you don't stop in Florence it is really hard to get a hotel late at night on down 95. So we continued on down the road. I swear to God we could still see the lights of Florence in our rearview mirror when my 12 year old asked when we were planning on stopping. If my husband could have gotten in the back seat of the car we would have boarded that ship one passenger short. By the time we found a hotel we were in Georgia.

[L2J]

I'm cruising on the Carnival Freedom on Jan 17th with my girlfriend. To save some money, and add some adventure to our trip, we decided to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale. (Ok, I'll be honest, we both hate flying.)

 

Posting here to see if any of you can office some god advice, funny stories, and anything that might make my trip that much better.

 

The only thing that could make that trip any better is to not make it. It took me 20 hours non stop and I didn't have to go nearly as far as you did. Worse was coming back...lack of sleep etc etc.

 

My advice would be cough up a few extra bucks and deal with the flight. (a couple Crown and Cokes and 5 mg of valium works wonders) I too hate to fly but will never make that drive again.

[LizaMM]

The only thing that could make that trip any better is to not make it. It took me 20 hours non stop and I didn't have to go nearly as far as you did. Worse was coming back...lack of sleep etc etc.

 

My advice would be cough up a few extra bucks and deal with the flight. (a couple Crown and Cokes and 5 mg of valium works wonders) I too hate to fly but will never make that drive again.

 

I considered driving as well ..... and then I thought about the RIDE HOME!!!!

 

To the OP.....if you are planning on stopping don't forget to add that into your budget.

 

You also might want to check out Amtrak

[L2J]

I considered driving as well ..... and then I thought about the RIDE HOME!!!!

 

To the OP.....if you are planning on stopping don't forget to add that into your budget.

 

You also might want to check out Amtrak

 

That was the WORST...surviving on 3 or so hours of sleep per night and then having that drive....no thank you.

 

I checked out amtrack too and at the time it was more expensive than flights...go figure...

[gail811]

Plan your trip so that you are no where Washington DC on I-95 or I-495between 0500 and 0900 on any weekday (although weekends are not much better!) or in the afternoons between 1530 and 1930. Traffic is HORRIBLE and HOV lanes are for 3 or more passengers around DC.

We make the drive from northern VA every year and share the driving between 4 or more adults...a little more people then you will have....but we always have a great time. We make the drive overnight and find a nice place on the beach for the day before we cruise...a nice way to unwind!

Books on CD's, music, snacks, portable DVD player....lots of ways to keep entertained for the non-driver!

[meldam]

My DH used to be in the Army. As a matter of fact he used to be in Aviation but since he had 2 b2b horrible and scary commercial flying experiences he swore he would never fly again. Therefore, we will be making a scary 25 hour drive from Ft Drum (which is approx. 30 miles from the Canadian border) all the way to Miami. The good thing is, both of us have family in different states along the way so, we'll be breaking up the trip and saving on hotel expenses by visiting relatives for a few days along the way.

 

If you like stand up comedy, try buying a comedy CD to listen to along the way. Excellent for a few laughs, passes the time quickly and it breaks up the monotony of listening to just music or feeling like you have to talk to eachother the entire time. I highly recommend Mitch Hedberg. He does clean observational comedy with only a few curse words here and there. Also, John Pinnette is another clean comedian favorite. He has no cursing in his act in case you have little ears in the car with you.

 

If you have different tastes in music you can bring mp3 players with you so you can listen to your own music without fighting over the cd changer.

[margaritaville momma]

Plan your trip so that you are no where Washington DC on I-95 or I-495between 0500 and 0900 on any weekday (although weekends are not much better!) or in the afternoons between 1530 and 1930. Traffic is HORRIBLE and HOV lanes are for 3 or more passengers around DC.

We make the drive from northern VA every year and share the driving between 4 or more adults...a little more people then you will have....but we always have a great time. We make the drive overnight and find a nice place on the beach for the day before we cruise...a nice way to unwind!

Books on CD's, music, snacks, portable DVD player....lots of ways to keep entertained for the non-driver!

 

We are from Front Royal and you are right the traffic is a mess. We go the back way and head to Fredericksburg and then hit 95 from there. I think that driving is fun and you can have some pretty awesome conversations with the people you are with. You just have to sit back and relax and go with the flow.

[L2J]

Traffic is HORRIBLE and HOV lanes are for 3 or more passengers around DC.

 

2 or more ;)

[LemurCat]

My family drove from PA to Miami this summer. The ride down wasn't terrible, but the ride home nearly (literally) killed me. I think it took me a good month and a half to get my back to stop aching from it.

 

Anyway, as a few tips, I recommend satellite radio, as you don't have to both with trying to find a new radio station or changing out CDs. Sirius-XM was a lifesaver on our trip. I also recommend checking the construction schedule around DC and try to crossing that area around that time.

[MadManOfBethesda]

I'm cruising on the Carnival Freedom on Jan 17th with my girlfriend. To save some money, and add some adventure to our trip, we decided to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale. (Ok, I'll be honest, we both hate flying.)

 

Posting here to see if any of you can office some god advice, funny stories, and anything that might make my trip that much better.

 

Okay, I'll give you some God advice. You better pray to God that it doesn't snow anywhere on the East Coast in the middle of January as you attempt to drive to Florida! :D

[LHP]

We just did a 16 1/2 hour drive straight from Fort Lauderdale to Memphis.

 

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be....but then..I wasn't driving..but I did not snooze either.

 

We had free airline tickets...this is how much I hate to fly.

 

Hubby does it every week and it does not bother him..but I just can't deal with it.

[L2J]

Okay, I'll give you some God advice. You better pray to God that it doesn't snow anywhere on the East Coast in the middle of January as you attempt to drive to Florida! :D

 

ROFLMAO...I'd forgotten all about that but mid January is typically when we get crapped on.

[JTRose123]

My DH used to be in the Army. As a matter of fact he used to be in Aviation but since he had 2 b2b horrible and scary commercial flying experiences he swore he would never fly again.

 

I'm in the Army as well, Air Assault and Airborne qualified. And I hate planes. Ha.

 

To those saying don't do it. It's a difference of about $700. I can handle the lack of sleep. That 700$ goes a long way.

[L2J]

I'm in the Army as well, Air Assault and Airborne qualified. And I hate planes. Ha.

 

To those saying don't do it. It's a difference of about $700. I can handle the lack of sleep. That 700$ goes a long way.

 

Airborne by choice, Air Assault by assignment. :p (I can say that...did a good amount of time at bragg :p)

[spikester]

2 or more ;)

 

no, they are 3 or more going through DC and down 395 to 95.

I would recommend skipping 95 all the way from Phil to Richmond. Anytime of the day or night.

 

I always think about doing this, driving to the port, but then I remember the drive home.

I usually drive to MA/NH for holidays and going back home is the worst.

[cb at sea]

While you'll be all excited on the trip TO the ship, I can't even imagine ending a great vacation with a 2 day drive!

[L2J]

no, they are 3 or more going through DC and down 395 to 95.

I would recommend skipping 95 all the way from Phil to Richmond. Anytime of the day or night.

 

I always think about doing this, driving to the port, but then I remember the drive home.

I usually drive to MA/NH for holidays and going back home is the worst.

 

Ok, gotcha. I make it a habit to stay FAR away from 395 ;)

[bleuiz]

I'm cruising on the Carnival Freedom on Jan 17th with my girlfriend. To save some money, and add some adventure to our trip, we decided to drive down to Ft. Lauderdale. (Ok, I'll be honest, we both hate flying.)

 

Posting here to see if any of you can office some god advice, funny stories, and anything that might make my trip that much better.

 

We have been driving from NY to Florida for 2 decades....first to visit family and friends..........in the past decade, for cruises.....

Recently we've taken autotrain........consider that.....it's nice to sit back for 18 hours while getting on your way........

My advice? Don't drive when you are tired.....

Also, we never know when we want to stop....but we have seen when people didn't have reservations, they didn't get rooms (depending on the time of year)..........we have planned where we would stop at the 6 hour mark, 12 hour mark and 18 hour mark...........we make reservations at those marks and if we don't need to spend the night, we call and cancel as we pass..............

AAA will give you a book of hotels they recommend.........

[Humarocker]

Have done it many times, would never do it with kids, be flexible and know possible alternative routes if you hit traffic, try and get thru NYC at midnight and around Washington by 4am, it's down hill from there. It's the not the ride down, but the ride back that sucks its all up hill GL

[EastTex]

OK, if I understand the majority of folks correctly, the drive down really stinks plus there's the winter weather to worry about, so here's a work around. Get a job in East or Central Texas real quick like and move.

 

***IMPORTANT*** Make sure your new boss understands that you're going on this cruise so you'll only work a couple of days before taking your first vacation.

 

Take I-10 east bound. Except for maybe Houston and Baton Rouge, you can set your cruise control and never have to take it off not counting fuel stops and those ever necessary and too frequent bathroom breaks all us married men are familiar with.

[hbrote]

I usually drive through Scranton and head down the Blue Ridge Interstate 81. When you get to NC head down Interstate 40 and pick up 75 in Knoxville. Follow Interstate 75 straight down into FL and if you are going to FL or MI take the turnpike in Ocala. If your going to Tampa just head rightdown I75.

 

No troubles with NYC or DC or I95

[goingagain]

i used to take the drive from long island NY down to orlando often when I was in school there. Its definitley mind numbing... I've done it every way... by myself, with 1 other person, as well as full carloads all going together. They all were tough trips... the only way it was tolerable was when i drove to va.. put my car on the autotrain with amtrack... got a cabin, on the train, and ate, watched movies , relaxed untill i arrived the next day just outside of orlando.. i'm thinkimng it was called flanders, fla. it took about 16 hours on the train from Va but not having to drive was priceless. check out the current prices for putting you car on, as well as seats or a private cabin on the train... it can be cost effective compared to driving/flying.(maybe not with such low gas prices now) but for me, anything to skip the drive is on the table!