Driving from Mass to Florida.

[steveaaaaa]

I wish you luck! If it were in the summer, I would say go for it... but in the winter, especially in the winter we are having, it is going to be tricky... we NEVER have bad weather in the south at this time of year and we have already in NC had snow twice and sleet once... I would suspect by January things could be much worse and things SHUT DOWN in the south when bad weather hits (seriously, here we have 3 snow plows... interstates will shut down for days and travelers are stuck here for days)... so while you might think it's great to drive, Interstate 40 has been completely closed several times during winter over the past few years... as has I-95. We are just not equipped for winter. Now, we are also laying off about half of our our DOT staff right before winter... we had a freak snowstorm several years ago, 2 feet of snow.. might not seem like a lot to you northerners... but I couldn't leave my street for 4 weeks... if that gives you a clue how slow things are around here. SO... if there HAPPENS to be snow around the southern regions when you travel, expect to spend the night somewhere... the interstates will likely be closed because we tend to get ice first and the DOT will close the interstates... they are calling for a bad winter around here. If you are willing to risk it, I would at least suggest getting a dummy insurance policy that pays for anything.. I'm not sure there is one that would cover this situation so you may want to check... but driving in the height of winter time might not be covered... you northereners may have winter covered, but when we get it here (in January and February), we are ill equipped and the cities literally come to a stand still... we are actually ridiculed on the weather channel for how ill-prepared we are...LOL So you take your chances!!!! It is FAR different around here in Jan and Feb than up there... anyone will tell you that... when bad weather hits, you can be stuck for days.. we don't know how to handle it and we will gladly admit it (we love our good weather, LOL... but they are telling us this is a sign of bad things to come, we have already had record lows several times this season)... so if you are coming through the south, which you will be, in January, just know that you need to plan for a few extra days, just in case...

 

Welcome back!:D

I guess that means our friend ccc will be back today as well.I hope you all had a good time.;)

 

OP, she is right about it could get tricky if the weather does its thing.

 

Might I suggest you check rates for the autotrain.You drive to DC put yourself and car on the train and get off in FL.

Steve

[wentworth]

OP It sounds like your going to try to drive right thru and not stay

overnite anywhere. I'm not sure how many fun things you'll be able to

fit in on your drive other conversation and music.

 

We live in NH and the thought of the drive, not stopping overnite, and

the January weather all along the east coast in January would surely

put too much stress on a long awaited vacation.:eek:

 

Not matter your choice I hope you have a great cruise and thanks for

your service in our military!!:)

[JTRose123]

Maybe you could try not be a dick to people offering suggestions.

 

Where's the fun in that? Especially when people don't take the time to read what they are responding to. Thanks for playing though.

[JTRose123]

I wish you luck! If it were in the summer, I would say go for it... but in the winter, especially in the winter we are having, it is going to be tricky... we NEVER have bad weather in the south at this time of year and we have already in NC had snow twice and sleet once... I would suspect by January things could be much worse and things SHUT DOWN in the south when bad weather hits (seriously, here we have 3 snow plows... interstates will shut down for days and travelers are stuck here for days)... so while you might think it's great to drive, Interstate 40 has been completely closed several times during winter over the past few years... as has I-95. We are just not equipped for winter. Now, we are also laying off about half of our our DOT staff right before winter... we had a freak snowstorm several years ago, 2 feet of snow.. might not seem like a lot to you northerners... but I couldn't leave my street for 4 weeks... if that gives you a clue how slow things are around here. SO... if there HAPPENS to be snow around the southern regions when you travel, expect to spend the night somewhere... the interstates will likely be closed because we tend to get ice first and the DOT will close the interstates... they are calling for a bad winter around here. If you are willing to risk it, I would at least suggest getting a dummy insurance policy that pays for anything.. I'm not sure there is one that would cover this situation so you may want to check... but driving in the height of winter time might not be covered... you northereners may have winter covered, but when we get it here (in January and February), we are ill equipped and the cities literally come to a stand still... we are actually ridiculed on the weather channel for how ill-prepared we are...LOL So you take your chances!!!! It is FAR different around here in Jan and Feb than up there... anyone will tell you that... when bad weather hits, you can be stuck for days.. we don't know how to handle it and we will gladly admit it (we love our good weather, LOL... but they are telling us this is a sign of bad things to come, we have already had record lows several times this season)... so if you are coming through the south, which you will be, in January, just know that you need to plan for a few extra days, just in case...

 

 

Good to know. I'll have to keep a close eye on the weather leading up to the trip. If things look like they're going to get a bit sketchy, I'll re-evaluate the situation. If I don't take 95 the whole way, I'm considering this route - 91-84-684-287-78-81-77-95, any insight on to how well those are maintained in the event of inclement weather?

[margaritaville momma]

Good to know. I'll have to keep a close eye on the weather leading up to the trip. If things look like they're going to get a bit sketchy, I'll re-evaluate the situation. If I don't take 95 the whole way, I'm considering this route - 91-84-684-287-78-81-77-95, any insight on to how well those are maintained in the event of inclement weather?

 

I can only comment on 81-77-95. They usually try to keep them pretty clear. Obviously, if the weather is really bad use common sense. Just be careful and watch the weather. It really is alot of fun driving, taking your time and spending time with your family or loved ones. Have fun and be safe.

[agusto1999]

OP: We (husband & 13 yr old son) are driving to Tampa next week, from Ohio. Yep, snow here..but we're used to it.

 

We have XM radio in our car. I love it! The all Bruuuuce station will be on a good portion of the trip. Hubby has his iPod with old time radio shows on it. Son is in the back, playing football on his game system, watching movies, and he'll have this cell phone for texting. I've told him to get it out of his system, because there is NO texting on the cruise!

 

Our "car" game is the ABC game. You have to find a word that begins with each letter. We usually have to skip the letter "x". I remember driving through a car wash just so I could use the letter "q" in the word quarter!

 

Then there is the My Father Owns a Grocery Store game. Again, using the alphabet, you start. My father owns a grocery store and he sells.....apples. Next person, my father owns a grocery store and he sells apples and beer. Each time, you have to repeat all the items in the grocery store. It's pretty funny sometimes, how crazy we can get. When someone messes up or forgets an item, they're out. I guess the adult version of this store might be, My Father Owns a Porn Store and he sells.... OMG...that's just wrong! My FATHER????

 

Have fun!

[IHATESNOW]

I’ve done the Florida drive from Mass several times in the past and I will never do it again! I drive to the Outer Banks every summer and that is now my current threshold. Given the time of year, how much you’ll pay in gas, tolls and parking, I’d try to find a way to fly and forget driving altogether.

[estella15]

I'm originally from Miami and went to Boston Univ for college and grad school, so I've made the Boston to Miami drive a number of times. After grad school, I moved to NYC and made the NYC to Miami a number of times as well. Now, I live in NC, and DH and I drive to Miami a few times a year.

 

DH likes to listen to audio books on the drive (he especially likes the Harry Potter audio books). My advice is to sleep as much as you can while the other person is driving. Also, bring lots of pillows in the car...I like to have one for my lower back, one to rest my head when I'm not driving, and after about 10 hours I find I need to sit on one for extra cushion as well.

 

You may also want to consider renting a car for the drive. It's not as expensive as you may think (we just rented one for 9 days over Thanksgiving for $140 including unlimited miles). It may be worth it when you consider the wear and tear on your car that you'll be saving. I've found that rental car prices are usually their lowest about 3 weeks before the trip, and you can usually get better deals if you check out the specials on the company's website.

[winkman]

I live in Tampa, and have taken a few trips to NH. I have gone a few different ways, but by far the fastest way with the fewest tolls and big cities to go through is:

 

91 South-->

95 South-->

81 South in New York-->

77 South in Virginia-->

26 East in South Carolina-->

95 South-->

Ft. Lauderdale

 

Check aaa.com or your gps for traffic congestion, and check the trip builder in gasbuddy.com to see where the cheapest gas is along the way. As a rule, do not enter NYC anywhere near the afternoon, Go AROUND Jacksonville during afternoon rush hour, and plan on hitting the Ft. Lauderdale area at anytime before 4:00pm or after 7:00pm if possible.

 

Good luck!

 

PS: You can get from MA to SC in about 14 hours (specifically, we went from Peterborough, NH to West Union, SC in 16 hours (1100 miles)). So, if you can make it to SC in that first day, alot of cheap gas and hotels are to be had. Hope this helps.

[rlj1010]

$800 round trip for the both of us. Add in the fact I'd have to pay for a hotel for the night before, because I wouldn't trust taking an early flight, and not having some sort of delay. Plus cab fares. You're looking at 950+.

 

Taking my car, packing a bunch of food and snacks that I already have in my house, paying only for gas and tolls, and a snack here or there. I'll also get an oil change in Florida before driving back, and we're still talking less than $200. (It cost me $17 to fill my tank, and I get 400 miles a tank).

 

 

 

Don't forget that all that extra mileage will depreciate the value of your car.

[vacation24-7]

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 are driving down for a cruise 1-17-09 out of Port Canaveral from Central Illinois, Lets hope for no snow or ice!! Glad to know we aren't the only ones.

[dan40]

Just to give you an idea of what I-95 traffic can do. Normally we could make the northern border of Ga. in 6 hours. Last year we were going to go to PA. over a holiday [ the 4th] We left Vero, 23 hours later, we hit the northern border of Ga. 3 hours later we turned west toward Columbia, 3 hours later, we got off the I at 301 and went back home by the back roads. 29 hours and we didn't even get 1/3rd of the way.

DO NOT cut it close on time!!!

 

Dan

[vacruizer]

Good to know. I'll have to keep a close eye on the weather leading up to the trip. If things look like they're going to get a bit sketchy, I'll re-evaluate the situation. If I don't take 95 the whole way, I'm considering this route - 91-84-684-287-78-81-77-95, any insight on to how well those are maintained in the event of inclement weather?

 

Most of I-81 and I-77 will be fairly well maintained unless it is actively snowing or icing. Then they can really become a mess from about Winchester, VA on down 81 and on 77 most of the way down to Charlotte. Ice and steep mountain grades don't mix well. I-81 generally has lots of tractor trailer traffic (way more than I ever saw on i-95) and they often cause wrecks in bad weather. As I mentioned before I think, if it's rainy you could also hit very bad fog on I-77 just before the North Carolina line - there are no fog lights on that stretch either. I'm talking the kind of fog where you can't see the end of your car or your headlights. :eek: Just something to be aware of in case the weather looks sketchy.

 

Still, I would definitely take this route so you can miss the Philly/DC/Richmond corridor on i-95. I've never thought driving I-95 in SC or FL was too bad.

 

We'll be doing the same as you are in a few weeks - watching the weather and headed out the same route down 81 and 77 south. :D

[MAO]

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.

 

Hey Neighbor!!

We have driven from Gill (near Greenfield) MA and it is a long drive but there is alot to see. We sail out Jan. 18th on the Valor, but we are flying to FL on Jan 17th. Good luck with your trip!

[MonaCK]

JTRose: Looks like we'll be on the road at almost the same time. We are going to be driving to MIA from Long Island, NY for a cruise on the 18th. There are 6 of us packing into a minivan. We are planning on stopping once in each direction - and since there are 5 drivers, we are not worried about driver fatigue.

 

We picked up a book called "Drive I-95" and it seems kind of neat - gives points of interest not far off the beaten path of 95, including restaurant suggestions and stuff. We're looking forward to using that for our trip.

 

We are planning on leaving -really- early in the morning on the 17th (and if there is a call for inclimate weather, even potentially expanding the trip to leaving the night of the 16th). We are planning right now to have one stop in each direction - the bulk of the driving for the first day on the way down, and the second day on the way back. It's costing us a LOT less money than flying would have, especially since we are using one of our own personal vehicles.

[sjcruiser]

The drive from the South Jersey area through to Manasses can be murder. We always leave plenty of time just for the delays from Delaware Memorial Bridge to this area. Taking Route 13 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a lot slower (speed limits), but it is around the same time, without the traffic. If you want to save time and frustration, I would try to get out of the NY/NJ/DE area before rush hour, and then decide which route (Route 13 or I-95) to take from traffic reports. If taking Route 13, OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT! Most of the small towns along 13, are speed trap magnets for out of state plates, and they won't cut you any slack. This is how they make their money. If you're not a lead foot, or want to drive and enjoy the scenery, this is the way to go. Even though I like driving straight through to my destinations, I would do it over 1 1/2 to 2 days. Now I find it easier to catch some zzzzzzzzz's at the VA/NC Border Rest stop once were out of the traffic. We normally hit this area after 1am, and then restart around 5 or so.

[VABeach]

Oh thanks, I never considered those other options. I was not aware that I could fly to Florida. Hm. Thanks so much for recommending them. Maybe I should completely re-do my plans in light of these new and thoughtful suggestions.

 

Actually, My suggestion to fly was based on just getting back from a Thanksgiving weekend road trip from Detroit to Virginia. The 680 mile trip ended up taking almost 22 hours to drive because of TRAFFIC and WEATHER. If you spend two whole days driving 25 miles per hours like we did, you are going to miss your boat.

 

But you seem like a real nice guy so I hope it all works out for ya! :)

[bleuiz]

The drive from the South Jersey area through to Manasses can be murder. We always leave plenty of time just for the delays from Delaware Memorial Bridge to this area. Taking Route 13 and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge is a lot slower (speed limits), but it is around the same time, without the traffic. If you want to save time and frustration, I would try to get out of the NY/NJ/DE area before rush hour, and then decide which route (Route 13 or I-95) to take from traffic reports. If taking Route 13, OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT! Most of the small towns along 13, are speed trap magnets for out of state plates, and they won't cut you any slack. This is how they make their money. If you're not a lead foot, or want to drive and enjoy the scenery, this is the way to go. Even though I like driving straight through to my destinations, I would do it over 1 1/2 to 2 days. Now I find it easier to catch some zzzzzzzzz's at the VA/NC Border Rest stop once were out of the traffic. We normally hit this area after 1am, and then restart around 5 or so.

When we wanted to drive 12 hour days, we would leave NY around 4AM (last stop would be for hubby to get a fill up of coffee in his thermos.....getting out of NY before rush hour, getting to Washington DC around 10AM.........always hitting some traffic in that area because of construction, or was it Virginia? And spending the night in Lumberton NC, which is about half way............

[elkranger]

Wife & I will be driving from the Philly area to FFL at the end of Jan ( 27th )

Heading out on a B2B on the Freedom on Jan 31st thru Feb 14th

 

We make this drive just about every year during the winter months to get away from the job for a month in warm weather

We leave here about mid-nite so we can be way below the DC mess, and hit a Flyin "J" truck stop in Carmel Church Va on the way thru, take a lil nap, get breakfast there, then head on down 95

 

We use the Flying "J's for our total pit stops ( fuel-food-potty)

--> http://www.flyingj.com/flyingjPortalWebProject/flyingjPortal.portal

 

This time around were doin one of our timeshares pre-cruise for a few days, then the B2B, will visit for a few days with friends in Fla, then stop in North Myrtle beach on the way back for another week of TS fun

 

Happy Cruisin & Be Safe

Tom

[rosemont5380]

Just a couple of weeks ago we drove from Michigan to Miami for our cruise. It was a nightmare! I thought it would be worth not having to fork out the extra money for airfare, but with hotels gas, and food for four of us it might have been worth flying. We were in a couple of traffic jams for hours and will never do that again.

[amyh1028]

Best suggestion I have is to go see your local AAA office. Not only do they have those books someone mentioned with the hotels, restaurants, and the points of interest all along they way, also will tell you road construction along any route you pick.

As far as fun things to do, we rented books on cd at Cracker Barrel. We rented at one and returned it at another, that way when you finish one, you can get another. Upload plenty of new songs for your MP3 or Ipod, and perhaps have your girlfriend read a book about the ports you are going to be in to you as you are driving. Unless she gets car sick when she reads in the moving car like I do....then that would be a

baaaaaad idea:D

We are doing the drive from STL to NOLA in January about 10 hours and bought a portable dvd player (ho ho ho merry christmas dd) and plan to stop at a couple of Red Boxes on the way down. I'm not good with the games thing but hope maybe those are a couple of ideas for you. Have a safe trip and Happy Cruising.

[mcsd63]

Speaking from experience here as far as looking out for the weather forecast in NC. When we had "the big snow" in January of 2000 they were expecting a dusting to 3 inches. Before 10pm that night there was 6 inches on the ground. When I woke up at 7am the next morning there was almost 26 inches on the ground and we did not have power for almost 2 weeks. With that being said if there is a chance of snow through central NC within a few days before you leave you should pack the car and hot the road early.

 

Also, in January 2004 we had a 1/4 inch of freezing rain followed by 2 inches of sleet followed by a 1/2 inch of freezing rain in the same night. I don't care how many plows or how much salt you have in these two conditions when it gets dark its nasty.

[vacruizer]

Speaking from experience here as far as looking out for the weather forecast in NC. When we had "the big snow" in January of 2000 they were expecting a dusting to 3 inches. Before 10pm that night there was 6 inches on the ground. When I woke up at 7am the next morning there was almost 26 inches on the ground and we did not have power for almost 2 weeks. With that being said if there is a chance of snow through central NC within a few days before you leave you should pack the car and hot the road early.

 

Also, in January 2004 we had a 1/4 inch of freezing rain followed by 2 inches of sleet followed by a 1/2 inch of freezing rain in the same night. I don't care how many plows or how much salt you have in these two conditions when it gets dark its nasty.

 

 

LOL - the same is true in Virginia. The mountains do strange things to the weather patterns and they are wrong more than right on the winter weather forecasts. We've woken up to 11 inches of "flurries" before. :eek:

 

We also don't handle snow like they do in the North - if it's a big storm roads could be closed for days. And a big storm for us is anything over a few inches.

[UCSD]

I was thinking to drive down to save the cost (I used to drive between DC and socal). After reading many helpful messages here, I found it is not that fun to do it for FLL. There must be better idea out somewhere.