sumplanner

Now that the year is coming to an end, we are thinking to get away from this NJ cold weather. With the weather, really hesitating to get on a flight which will be time effective, but not cost effective. Where can we drive in one day, stay there for two days n come back in another day. Looking for ideas.........looking for warm weather.....
Thanks

clarkgriswold

Myrtle Beach is a 9-10 hour drive, check the weather forecast.

Fra_Diavolo

Sounds like you're dreaming to me.

Airplanes, awful as they are, might bail you out.

Daniel_Williams

With stamina, about as good I think you could do when driving close to due south for a LONG day would be Charleston SC, perhaps made ok by switching drivers. Checked the high today: 61 F. Not exactly what people seek for warmth, but perhaps you'll appreciate the mere fact that it will be warmER than NJ. And it's a quite worthwhile destination being a charming, historic southern port city with some pretty terrific food options. I enjoyed when I went in late December being able to explore in reasonable comfort in a sweater/fall jacket rather than winter jacket with gloves.

sumplanner

Thanks for all the replies. Yes reading some posts. It's about 11+ hrs drive. A lot of annoying traffic around Richmond, VA and Washington area even on Saturdays. We can not drive that long. May be a night stay/stopover would be required for us.

Am checking Amtrak. Not looking good at all. Apart from the weather, the airlines are expensive also this time of the year.

garyt22

You need to grab a self contained resort and spa with an indoor pool, restaurant, and entertainment... Atlantic City or a Native american Casino complex might be an answer...

You don't mention kids, but if it's a Family, look into a Hotel/ waterpark indoor combo...

garyt22

You need to grab a self contained resort and spa with an indoor pool, restaurant, and entertainment... Atlantic City or a Native american Casino complex might be an answer...

You don't mention kids, but if it's a Family, look into a Hotel/ waterpark indoor combo...

Daniel_Williams

I priced Amtrak Trenton-Charleston actually before advising thinking that might be an option. It's $224 round trip economy class per person on the Palmetto (leaving 7 am from Trenton).

I think you might have hit the best solution with your night stay idea; drive as far south as you can Day 1 and stay at a motel in let's say North Carolina somewhere. Then Day 2 if you have 4-5 hours left to get to Charleston, you'd arrive perhaps around midday and have most of Day 2 there and also some of day 3, giving yourself 4-5 hours to get back to that North Carolina motel. I recommend that if you DO pick Charleston for what would be one night, spend the extra money for the one night and stay in the Historic District. You could walk everywhere along what are truly atmospheric streets, which might be an enjoyable change after driving for such a long time.

Best wishes, Daniel

gail

For about $200 mid-week you can fly LGA to Ft Lauderdale. That is almost as cheap as driving. There really is no place that is truly warm that meets your criteria

msteacher

It will be cold outside anywhere in driving distance, so consider a place with lots of great indoor activities. Washington DC would be my first choice, as it has loads of great (warm) museums. Boston, NYC, Baltimore or Philly have lots to do indoors too. It's snowing again in NJ today. If you want warm outdoor temps you'll need to fly.

msteacher

Another idea if you are willing to fly is New Orleans. You can sometimes find inexpensive flights from EWR. We went a few years ago over Christmas week and found the travel very convenient from NJ, and enjoyed temps in the 60s and 70s. Fabulous food and a perfect city for a short visit.

NeoPatrick

How far are you from Trenton/Mercer airport? Frontier flights to Florida (Orlando, Tampa, Fort Myers, or Fort Lauderdale) are as low as $69 each way in March.

sumplanner

Thanks again for your kindness!
We decided to drive this time. It's just two of us. We will take turns. The kids are busy with their friends.

Daniel, yes we will stay in Charleston. The paved streets look awesome for walking.
I am reading about a lot of ethnic restaurants. Looking forward to our trip!!

Yes New Orleans is also on our list. We need to get a good airfare for that. May be next time.
Happy holidays to all of my friends!!

suewoo

OO not a lot of ethnic restaurants in Charleston, but you WILL find many restaurants that serve local food.
Wear sensible shoes, since those cobblestones can get tricky.

The sun will be strong, but the wind off the water can get chilly, so don't expect tropical breezes. I recommend you take carriage or walking tour so you can get your bearings and learn about what you are seeing. It really is beautiful, especially at Christmas.

Daniel_Williams

I'm so excited for you sumplanner and hope you'll share your thoughts on Charleston and your trip in general on Fodor's Forums after your trip. Here's hoping that the traffic will be relatively painless moving south.

By car and given your 4 day timeline, really Charleston is about as warm as you'll get, but as suewoo mentions, it'll probably be more like "fall weather" than over 70F.

I want to encourage you to have Low Country cooking, the name of the regional cuisine, while you're there. I really liked the Hominy Grill for this, but there are many options in the city. Other than general exploration of the historic peninsula (there are some beautiful homes like the Nathaniel Russell House and the Aiken-Rhett House that do tours if you're interested), one of my favorite activities was taking the National Park Service's boat trip out to Fort Sumter,to see first hand a place of great historic importance in the Civil War. When I went December 2011, it was a beautiful day in the mid 60s and dolphins were doing acrobatics to the side of the ferry; also, seeing the city from the vantage point of the Cooper River was just beautiful.

Best wishes, Daniel