How is I-95 for traveling?

[cleblanc]

My husband and I are going to share the driving from CT to Disney. I do not like congested busy highways. I was wondering what 95 was like down to florida.

[FatCat]

If flying is an option I always got great deals out of LGA.

I personally hate I-95.
With all the trucks I think it is one of the most dangerous routes in the country.

[goofyfan4466]

my family and i have driven i-95 5 times.it is a busy crowded highway,but if you leave early enough to get thru washington dc before rush hour you will be fine.we leave about midnight friday night from outside phila.one tip is to checkout i-95 travel sites for weather & traffic updates.also take water & snacks so you only stop for bathroom breaks. have fun & don't fret it's a great drive.i had to cancel my last 2 trips to the world because i got hurt at work and i'm going thru roadtrip withdrawl !

[Buttercup]

I've never liked I-95 - not because of traffic, but because there are long stretches without a rest-stop or gas station... or anything else for that matter.
It's kind-of out of your way, but I prefer the I-75... much more "tourist friendly".

[King Triton]

I-95 can be a problem depending upon when you hit cities (Baltimore, Washington...). Once you get past Richmond, its a pretty clear shot...

[GAN]

All true. But it beats taking US-1!

[wjrhw]

On our last trip, we tried a route that I picked up here on Intercot. We took 81 to 77 to 26 to 95. It was so easy and the roads were much more enjoyable. I’ve taken 95 before and form now on this is the route I will take. I didn’t even need a map or Mapquest or anything. It was also quicker. It looks like it’s out of the way, but it is not.

[Donald Duck]

You could take the Auto Train.
It leaves from Lorton, Va (just past DC) at 4pm and arrives in Sanford, FL (30 miles North of Disney) at 8:00 AM the next morning.
It will save you a lot of driving.

[Lehman Family]

We've made the trip using I-95 a few times now and we like it better than flying. You have to time the traffic. We live about 3 to 4 hours from DC, so we leave around 4PM and we always hit there after rush hour. I agree that after Richmond it's a pretty easy shot. Because of where you're coming from I'd think that you're planning a rest along the way. If you can plan to get past Richmond you should have a pretty nice drive the second day (if that's how you're doing it). We find that driving through the night is definitely the easiest way to do it, but we usually have more than 2 drivers and don't live quite as far away as you do.

[NJGIRL]

We drove down once after 9/11 from NJ. It was a piece of cake. As mentioned above the DC area is bad so plan your trip so you don't hit morning or afternoon rush hour. Other areas that were a little crowded but not bad were Delaware, Richmond VA, and Jacksonville FL. We bought an interstate book that lists all the exits and what is at each exit specfically. It listed restaurants, gas stations, restroom stops and hotels how far they were from the exit and in what direction. This was a very big help and I suggest that you pick up one. One note..Not too many stops in GA so make sure you stop at the last exit in SC for food and restrooms.

[PrincessEmmasMommy]

My suggestion is to take 301 from Delaware Memorial Bridge to just above Richmond. We take this route and it cuts off both Baltimore and DC which are typically the big traffic places. If you want the specifics pm me. Good luck!
Jen

[tigger24601]

i actually live in s. florida however we frequently travel to and from s. carolina. we take the turnpike half way up florida then switch over to 95 around jupiter.

but i'm posting this because on our last trip north alot of the construction in jacksonville was done so it's alot easier than it was still a little congested but nothing like it was. and fill up at the last exit in GA i think it's exit 5. the gas jumps once you cross the border.

[McGoofy]

fill up at the last exit in GA i think it's exit 5. the gas jumps once you cross the border.

I was going to mention this as well except that it is exit #3--Kingsland/St.Mary's, GA. If you turn right when exiting (going south bound), there is a Raceway and a few other stations that are cheaper than those that you see if you turn left. The gas is anywhere from 10-20 cents cheaper than the gas stations when you cross the state line into Florida. We always fuel up there. Then, FYI, if this will get you to Disney, the Hess stations on Disney property are cheaper than stations off property.

We make the 6 1/2 hours Disney drive down I-95 about 4 times a year. We pick up I-95 near the very tiny town of Walterboro, SC. Here's some things that we have learned: The area between Harleyville, SC and Hilton Head, SC is patrolled very well by police officers. You will always see them in that area and they do not tolerate speeding!! We have learned to avoid Jacksonville, FL during rush hour. Also, we try to time it so that we are not entering Orlando during rush hour. Once passing Jacksonville, you will come into St. Augustine, FL. At the outlets on the left side (when you are driving south-bound), there is a Disney outlet store. We have picked up many cheap Disney souveniers there. (Once got a Pal-Mickey for $13.00 there!!) It's pot luck on what they will have in stock, but it is half the price of what the parks sell things for! Shortly past St. Augustine is Daytona Beach. This makes me smile because I know we are getting ready to hit I-4 and will be seeing Mickey in approximately 45 minutes!

Traffic is hit and miss depending on what time of day it is. We last went down the week of President's Day, and there were several cars on I-95 with New York tags. I later found out that the state had winter break that week. However, even though there seemed to be more cars than usual, the traffic flowed well. We left our home in Charleston, SC and made our trip in 6 hours and 15 minutes--arriving in time for our 2:25 lunch ADR at Liberty Tree Tavern!

Enjoy the drive!

[KevinJ]

We drove 95 from Virginia for the first 3 years. We left at night and arrived the next morning. Wasn't too bad at night but made the first day there rough. Coming back we drove during the day. Wasn't a car full of happy campers. Too many accidents one year and it took us 8 hours to get to Savannah, GA. We have flown ever since. Cost of flight vs. aggrivation and additional time impact was an easy choice for us.

[ParrotheadMinni]

I have no vested interest in this site, but it is very helpful to us for restaurants, hotels, construction, exits, etc. We always drive I-95, getting on in Emporia, VA.
http://www.usastar.com/i95/homepage.htm

Be sure to take I-295 around Richmond VA, don't go through town.
Exits 95-97 in NC are good stopping places for the outlet mall and food. So is exit 5 in SC. I think I've heard about a better possible way around Jacksonville in the last couple of years. Maybe someone from that area can elaborate on that. You can also get off I-4 before Orlando and take a toll bypass around, which deposits you right at WDW. The absolute worst traffic of our last trip was 5pm Friday in Orlando!! So close, yet so far away!!!

If you don't like congestion, be sure DH drives the more northern parts. You'll do better between Richmond VA and J'ville FL.

[CarolinaWDWFan]

We are coming from South Carolina and I can give you a few tips from there:
1. Definitely make a pitstop in the Savannah area. Once you get south of Savannah, gas and rest areas are few and far between until you get close to Jacksonville.
2. I have met a little bit of congestion in Jacksonville where I-10 meets I-95. Try to time it to not be in that area at the morning rush hour. Evening rush hour is not too bad.
3. After St. Augustine until you get to the Daytona exits, the rest/gas areas are pretty infrequent, so take care of business, if necessary, before you hit this area.
4. Buy a Florida map. A few years ago, we got caught in a traffic jam on I-4 and needed to find a way around it. With the use of a map, we saved a couple of hours in stand still traffic.
5. I agree with the previous post of trying to time your drive through downtown Orlando around the rush hour times. This is a bottleneck during non-rush hour times and becomes even more congested during the peak hours.
6. Beware of I-95 traffic at anytime. We have had two trips where we were in stop and go traffic heading back to South Carolina. But, this was when some construction was going on south of Jacksonville and it has not been an issue over the past couple of years.

Have a great trip!

[dogzrus]

Hey Wjrhw:

Is the alternate route really quicker. On a map it sounds out of the way. I would get on the PA turnpk at Wilow Grove or 95 at Newtown/Yardley. All said and done, I'm leaning towards the Harrisburg route.

[r4kids]

We ALWAYS fly! I can't imagine driving 14-16 hours. It sounds like pure **** to me. Anyway we live 45 mintues from I-95. DH has to travel up and down this road several times a week. It is madness around this area. Lots of construction around Springfield,VA and there are so many big trucks. It can be really frighting. I really feel when all is said and done it may cost $100/$200 more to fly but I know there is no traffic in the sky. At least I hope not.

[homeschool mom]

We live just north of Allentown, PA and head down to I 95 every time we head to FL. Personally, I don't mind the drive at all and enjoy the road trip. If you can leave on a Saturday or Sunday it would be best. That way you avoid the rush hour traffic which can be a real bear around Baltimore and DC. Other than that, it is a great trip. We have driven it 8 times in the last 10 years and are going to do it again soon. In fact, we usually have such smooth sailing that we make it at least to Savannah, GA or Jacksonville, FL our first full day. This trip, after a stopover in MD (to drop the dog at Grandma's) we plan on getting as far as St. Augustine, FL. We're headed to the World again and will be there in 70 days! We can't wait.

Diane

[rockydek]

I also like the Auto Train. The ride to Lorton Va from CT is short. Hop on the Auto Train and relax and sleep while someone else does the driving. If you book 11 months in advance it is very reasonable. My car and 4 adults was only 780.00 round trip. Meals are included. The earlier you book. The less expensive it is.
www.amtrak.com
Check it out.