Tandoori_Girl

I made this drive from NY to Tampa in 2 days in July. We left Brooklyn at 9A and were in South of the Border at 7 or 8. But we travel with a cooler and drinks, sandwiches...and a laptop computer to watch DVDs. The next day we left after a nice breakfast at Waffle House and got into Tampa around nightfall. I can't remember exactly how long it was, time wise -- I think about 18 hrs. NOt bad at all.

Personally, I prefer the non-stop Delta 7:00 flight from LGA to Tampa. It takes 3 hrs.

SamH

nytraveler, why dont you just have him leave a couple days early and then pick you up at the airport it Tampa? Everyone's happy.

In all seriousness, I would have no trouble driving that route in 2 days. Of course the Waffle House would ba about as upscale as I'd get on a trip like that.

LN

It's really NOT that awful!!

We've made the trip 4 times so far this year as we're remodelling our house below Tampa and we're generally taking a load of supplies down with us in the van. Our trip takes us from east of Washington DC to just south of Tampa. We NEVER take I-95 around DC as we have driven it for years to and from work (but if you do have to drive around DC on I-95 click on AM radio to 1500 and they will tell you where the road blocks, construction, and accidents are and whether to take the north side around or the south side. Our choice is using 301 where the traffic always moves along.

Savannah and brunswick are nice little towns to stay in and Country Inns, Red Roof Inns, and most Comfort Inns are decent and quite clean.We've stopped in Charles, Savannah, Rocky Mount, Florence, lots of these smaller towns.

We stayed recently (4 weeks ago) in a Comfort Inn in Dunn NC (I believe) and there was a really nice restaurant (Brass Lantern) across the highway. The sign said 2 prime rib dinners for $21.95 - we tried it and were pretty pleased. It was much better than most interstate food.

Our cooler is always packed with goodies, and we've got lots of tapes and books along to pass the time. Too bad we couldn't put the van on auto drive!!

Hope this helps!
From New York you should be able to get into North Carolina and arrive in Tampa on the second day. If you're coming from NYC - it might take about 17-18 hours.

nytraveler

Thanks for the car rental tips - finally one seems to rent Porsches - which may be enough to convince him to risk the plane delays/hassle.

Also, I';m now a little less concerned about the time if we do end up driving - except the hotel/food situation sounds dire - but I guess we can do anything for one night.

Thanks again for all the help. Now just to organize some non-cancellable time off.

rkkwan

If you decide to drive, here's an alternative. Take I-78/81/77 instead of I-95. About 80 miles longer, but you bypass Baltimore and DC, and it's more scenic. Charlotte, NC is about half-way, and you can definitely find 4* hotels there or better. Book ahead, and even if you run late, you know you'll have a nice room waiting for you and there's always room-service if you get in so late that the restaurants are closed.

I drive extremely fast myself, and even I would have trouble averaging 70mph in the Northeast. And remember that radar detectors are illegal in DC and VA.

crazydazy

I'm surprised no one is mentioning weather delays -- although it would be unusual, March is a typical month for wet snowy weather and ice storms. I-95 can get slowed down REAL QUICK. Anywhere between NYC and VA could be a real nightmare if the weather turns on you.
Otherwise, we do this trip a couple of times a year (retired so no time restrictions) and it's just the way we go due to dogs.

nytraveler

Weather should not be an issue. We're both long experienced in driving in ice and snow. Of course, if the roads are closed - or there's a blizzard we would need to rethink - but I assume we'll be OK by mid March. (And a blizzard would shut down the airports anyway.)

soccr

Driving in ice and snow is not the same as driving in a pure ice storm, which is horrific for the most experienced drivers (even with the forbidden studded tires). These happen most often in Dec.-Feb. in the Carolinas, but it would be worth keeping a weather eye out as you go.

MikeT

This dude is too high maintenance for his own good. Think about what your future would be like with someone who has this many issues and such a high need for control <g>

GoTravel

soccr, North Carolina gets the stuff but we rarely get ice or snow down the I-95 corrider. Upstate maybe because of the elevation but I can't remember the last time we got any frozen stuff. Also, South Carolina doesn't have snow or ice removal equipment outside of maybe Greenville.

nytraveler

Well, I can;t complain - I have a lot of control issues too. Nor am I exactly low maintenance. And his good points (incredibly smart, funny, laughs at my jokes and has a really good heart) far outweigh any minor inconvenience.

shaz60

I don't think it's awful at all and I've done it with 5 kids. It should be a breeze with just the two of you. Since you already drive in NYC and Boston, the gridlock around Washington is something that you're used to. I can understand your beau's reluctance to fly. The waiting and checking and delays are so frustrating because they are so out of your control. At least any problems on a driving trip can be solved in numerous different ways by you.

picky

I'm a native of NYC.Now live 60 miles south of Tampa for 20 years. Have driven the route many times in these past 20 years. From NYC to the Virginia boder is the worst part of trip. Thereafter on I95 usually just straight & boring but usually can average 60 miles per hour. I have figured it out many times and it costs almost the same to fly as it does to drive. Meals, gas, lodging come out almost exactly the same. Fly if you don't need the car.

repete

nytraveler,
if you're truly experienced with snow and ice, that's great, but that's not the issue.

any time the weather gets bad in the midatlantic on south, the roads are filled with people who aren't.

as someone who grew up in the northern tier (and also spent years in alaska), it's downright scary to be on the roads with some of these folks. and south of Pa., the road crews can't handle snow or ice worth a darn.

GoTravel

repete, out of curiousity, where are all of the 'other' people from driving south on I-95 south of the Mid Atlantic? Wouldn't you venture it a good guess that they are from the northeast?

repete

well, gotravel, locals just hopping on and off on 1-95 on short trips can foul things up mightily.

... or they could be southern drivers struggling home from a trip up north.

Cassandra

OK just did this yesterday. We went door to door, Triangle to Sarasota, in a bit over 12 hrs., but we could do this because there were no accidents, not such bad weather (some driving rain around South of the Border -- seems appropriate), and we avoided rush hour in all areas.

But here's the deal: I-95 is MAJOR trucking alley, first of all. Trucks really don't have many good N-S options. Second, much of the route is 2 lanes in either direction -- not much get-around room in case of a crash up ahead. Third, it's also a major snow-bird route, so yesterday I would say 60+% of the vehicles on the road soutbound were either semi's or RV-coaches, or SUVs or trucks with attached trailers. The closer you get to Easter, the more the northbound traffic will be returning snowbirds.

So just imagine yourself trapped behind a semi and a creeping snowbird who doesn't quite have the oomph to pass the semi.

And yes, there's plenty of "local" intrastate travel (easy to check via license plates). And yes, ice is a completely different thing to navigate than driving in snow. With decent tread on tires, driving in snow is just a matter of knowing how to accelerate, stop, and judge distance. Driving in an ice storm is for the terminably foolhardy, even with studded snowtires. There is a difference.

Final recommendation: if you are heading to the Gulf Coast, go around Jacksonville and don't take the I95/I-4 route. Go west on I-10 to 301 to Ocala cutover to 75. Just be careful of speed traps (courteously noted on giant warning billboards) in Lawtey and Waldo (where's W....), and enjoy the beautiful country around Cross Creek.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, all!