We are driving from St. Louis to Orlando in December. We'll be leaving on a Thursday after school, and our Disneyworld reservations begin on Friday. We'd like to stay in Valdosta, GA briefly overnight Thurs night before heading in to Orlando Fri am. Any ideas for cheap, clean rooms there? Has anyone ever done this drive? I have to say that more than anything I need support, as I had my heart set on flying but we can drive so much cheaper. We'd also like to stop through Atlanta on the way back (we're leaving Orlando on a Sat), but this will be the day before Christmas Eve.
Thanks for any suggestions/iteneraries/support!!

We stay regularly at a Holiday Inn Express in Lake Park which is just south of Valdosta. Nothing fancy, but definitely clean and pleasant. I think we pay about $90 for the night.

Not sure how far/long your drive is from St. Louis, but I totally dreaded the drive from D.C. to Orlando in Dec. '04. It turned out to be fine. I was w/my 11 yr old daughter on the way down and we were joined by my 13 yr odl son on the way back. It was fine, as it is just straight, flat, boring driving.

There is a website for I95 drivers and I found that very helpful for hotel info. Be careful adn pick hotels on I95 carfeully. Many of them are dives and not the safest feeling. That wensite helped me pick the ones that had well-lit parking close to the hotel (we had a car full of Christmas gifts) and just generally the better hotels on the route. I'll llok for the link and post it. You'd get good response on that board re your route.

You cannot drive cheaper than you can fly. 55c per mile is the current estimate (from AAA) for operating a car.

Thanks for all of the responses so far. I estimated our fuel cost for the roundtrip on AAA's website, and it shows about $226.00 for gas. I figure we can drive for about $500-$550 (gas, meals, lodging), and it's not looking like we'll be able to get airline tickets even under $200/person, and we'll need 4. It seems to me that it will be cheaper to drive - am I missing anything?

ala, besides the cost of gasoline there is the "wear and tear" on the car. That is why the IRS allows business use cars a deduction. The more mileage you have on your car the sooner you have to replace tires, get oil changes, perhaps other work on the car, brakes etc. So it is good to figure over and above the cost of the gasoline. Clarkgriswold posted that AAA now estimates it cost 55cents a mile to operate a car (that would include the cost of gasoline) so for the heck of it figure out the mileage for the round trip times .55 cents. AAA is pretty reliable with their figures.

ala, you're right, I don't think you'll find airline tickets at that time of year for less than $300 each, so with a family, driving is probably your best bet. Just give yourself time cusion to get through any weather situations. About the drive itself, I did New York state to the Daytona/Cocoa Beach area for about 10 straight years (not in winter though). Always dreaded it, but once you get in the car and get underway and psych yourself up, it's not so bad. You might even consider getting some books on tape, maybe your local library lends them. If you find something that interests everyone, it really makes the time in the car fly by.

You are only saving $250. I wld fly. You shd be able to get flights for 4 if you book now. Start w/ expedia.com & see what you come up with.

If time permits drive. You will see something besides the Orlando or Sanford Airports. The Orlando area is big and spread out, your car will come in handy. Its nice driving from a cold area and getting into the Florida area and being able to turn off the heater and roll the windows down. A car is a depreciating asset, don't let it set home and depreciate.

Everyone's left out another piece of the puzzle...if you fly, how do you get around when you get there. A rental car (mid size) for the length of your visit will cost about $300-325 including the taxes and fees, but not gas. If you're staying at Disney, you can get a transfer from the to/from the airport, forgot the price but about $20 pp. I'm fairly confident that you won't be finding air for less than $325 pp for Thursday/Saturday. Do the math vs. your AAA figures. Driving saves several hundred more than $250 however you look at it. If money is an issue, there doesn't seem like any other option. If it isn't, sure fly.

ala1873 - we drove from Michigan to Orlando about 3 years ago. At that time, with the cost of flights and a rental car, it was much, much cheaper to get 4 of us down there.

If you can, try to get a portable DVD player, or if that's not possible, books on tape/CD. If everyone has different tastes, headphones come in real handy. Bring activity books (even for older kids), regular books or magazines, snacks, drinks, pillows & blankets.

You'll be surprise at how quickly the time will pass, plus you'll get to see towns you wouldn't have otherwise. Don't be afraid to detour if something captures your attention. Enjoy the trip!

Sounds like cost is your main concern and flying is definitely cheaper unless you're talking Christmas week when fares are $300...then it's a tossup. The 50c per mile AAA estimate does not include hotel and food....and if you have car trouble or anything, who knows what it will cost to get it fixed or how long it will take. Not to mention that flying is safer.

You'd also have a day or two extra at Disney if you fly...and usually when you buy a multi-day ticket for Disney World, it only costs $4 or so per person to add the sixth or seventh day.

Hello ala1873,

With a family, driving is cheaper. We regularly drive from Tallahassee up to Michigan because our kids are both too old to sit in our laps : ) and we cannot fly anywhere for less than about $300/person. Plus, we have to rent a car when we arrive. So for us, using AAA's figures, it's $550 for our car, let's say $100 for a motel for a night (sometimes less, but being conservative), and another $50-75 on food (we pack a lot of snacks) -- $700 to $725 to drive. That's using a round number of 1000 miles driving, which is probably not too far off what you will be doing. To fly and then rent a car is probably about $1400.

Now, if we were going to a location where a car were optional, e.g. New York City, the advantages of flying would be clearer and, for me, would outweigh the smaller savings. You can "do" Disney without a car as long as you don't mind relying on their transportation system, but then you will have less flexibility.

For the ride, I agree with the books on tape/CD suggestion. My older son has been listening to kids' books on tape (short stories) since he was about 3. As he got older we switched to chapter books, and last summer we listened to three of the Harry Potter books. It really makes the time go faster, not just for the kids, but for the drivers!

As far as finding a place to stay...Valdosta is on I-75, not I-95. We usually try to get further up the road than Valdosta but we have not had trouble anywhere along I-75/24/65 and the other lovely roads we know so well if we stick with chains like Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, etc.

Have a fun trip and don't forget to check out some of the many suggestions you'll find online for making the most of your time at Disney (that is, avoiding lines whenever you can).

We have been driving to Florida annually for the last 7 years, from Minneapolis, MN. We drive the same route you will be on from Southern Illinois to Florida. With 4 people and all the other associated costs, it will be cheaper to drive and can be more fun. Here are my tips for you:

- if you have a car top carrier available to you, use it. Create as much room as possible in the car while still having everything within reach that you need for everyone to spread out a little and stretch.

- pack a cooler with drinks and snacks in the car

- pack a separate overnight back with just the items you need for your 1 night stay on the road so you don't have to unpack the whole car

- try to avoid going through Atlanta anytime close to morning or evening rush hour

- You might want to consider staying further north than Valdosta on your first night. St Louis to Valdosta is at least 12 hours. You say you are leaving after school (? around 3 pm or so??, this would put you into Valdosta at 3 am. Car trips are not fun when everyone is tired and cranky. Stop for the night before everyone is tired and cranky. You should still have plenty of time for driving on Friday since most hotel don't allow you to check in until 3 - 4 pm. Looks like Macon, GA could be a good stopping point for the night.

- Expect delays on I-75 in Florida. We have never in 7 years driven this stretch of highway without an accident or some unseen event to create a traffic jam. It is usually temporary however you can be sitting in traffic not seeming to move for 30 - 60 mins.

- The hills in Tennessee are beautiful especially driving around Chattanooga.

- As others have mentioned, bring a DVD player, books on tape and other activites to keep everyone attention in the car.

- stop as often at rest stop as everyone needs

- if you are on the road at all on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, you may find that there are not alot of places open. Gas stations will be open but little else, so plan for food if you need to.

- Have a map for the front seat and one for the back seat. Getting everyone involved in reading the map will eliminate the questions of "Where are we?" and "Are we there yet?"

Road trips can be some of the most memoriable times. So get everyone excited about it and have fun!

I don't understand the aversion to road trips -- they can be as exciting as you make them. Get off the interstate some and check out towns along the way. SO much more interesting than staying on the highway. I'd much rather just get in my car and go vs. sitting in an airport having absolutely no control over my travel destiny! Have a great trip!

"Road trips can be some of the most memorable times. So get everyone excited about it and have fun!"
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True, how so very true.

Hi ala1837 - We frequently drive to Litchfield, Illinois, from our home, which is about 1 1/2 hrs. north of Orlando. Atlanta is a six-hour drive from us on I 75. It seems to me that you don't need to push as far south as Valdosta.

We alternate our routes but you would want to drive the shortest and quickest via Nashville/Chattanooga/Atlanta. Just a word of caution, we did this drive last month and it was vastly more pleasant than during the holidays when there's much more traffic and you'll need to keep an eye on the weather, obviously. There's minor construction in lower Georgia, which seems to be a continuous event.

We like to stay at Hampton Inns and stayed once at Tifton, Ga. on an unrelated trip. Even on this last mid-August drive, we found hotels filled up early in the day. Be sure to make reservations. Books on CDs or tapes make for a much faster ride, especially after dark. Have a safe trip!