Driving from NJ - Questions

[tcmorano]

A couple of questions for those of you who frequently drive 95. We will be leaving for WDW on a Friday in early May and the earliest my husband can get out of work is 3:30.

How is the traffic on 95 b/w NJ and Washington at that time on a Friday? Is it better to leave later and drive straight through the night?

If we do drive through the night I will need to stop frequently b/c I will be 6 months preganant :) Are there alot of places open 24 hours and are they safe - we will also have our 3year old with us.

Any tips/advice???

[DisneyPrincess21]

A couple of questions for those of you who frequently drive 95. We will be leaving for WDW on a Friday in early May and the earliest my husband can get out of work is 3:30.

How is the traffic on 95 b/w NJ and Washington at that time on a Friday? Is it better to leave later and drive straight through the night?

If we do drive through the night I will need to stop frequently b/c I will be 6 months preganant :) Are there alot of places open 24 hours and are they safe - we will also have our 3year old with us.

Any tips/advice???

On our last trip we left at 12:00am (monday morning) to insure that we would'nt run into any traffic around dc and baltimore. We didn't have any problem. We drove through the night and stopped at florence south carolina for an early check in and left the next morning around 6:30 am (tuesday morning) to head to orlando.
As for the bathroom's it depends on your meaning of "a lot" :) because at 6 months preganant I can imagine there is Never enough bathrooms. We did stop very often because I have a new puppy who at the time was only 6 months old and had never been in the car on a trip before, So we stopped a lot as to avoid accidents. I would suggest the maryland house's they are always well light and have alot of people. We stopped at one restop that just had bathrooms, I can't remember exactly where, It was alittle sketchy at night, So we parked the car where my Father could see me and my Mother going in and out of the bathroom. There was a bathroom attendant cleaning so it wasn't that scary, But outside was alittle sketchy. So I would just suggest staying with the full servie reststops (the one's with restaurants) because they would be safer. Or if you don't mind pulling off of 95 you could always stop at places like mc donalds or somewhere open 24hrs.
Hope you have a magical vacation at WDW! :tink:

[Katarch]

We've done that drive several times - the traffic is awful until you get past DC, I would leave later. Bathrooms shouldn't be a problem.
Have a great trip:mickey:

[Cinderella's Lady in Waiting]

Any tips/advice???

It may be none of my business but...why not FLY!
Bathroom very close.
Only a 2 1/2 hr flight.(from PHL)
Southwest is fairly inexpensive.
:twocents:

[Dulcee]

I'm also from Jersey and for the first 18 trips I've taken to Disney we've always driven. First off, traffic around DC can be BRUTAL. You don't want to hit it on a friday anytime between 4 and 6. We did that a couple of times and learned from our mistakes.

We've never had a problem finding places to stop. Mind you my parents started driving when my sister was under a 1 and I was under 5 so bathroom trips were frequent. Most McDonald's and the like are open 24/7 in the small interstate towns that are right off I-95. We always felt more comfortable/safe in those restrooms as compared to gas station/convience stores.

However! We only attempted driving straight through to florida once. (It sounds as if your going to attempt that). I will be honest and tell you that was miserable and no one was ready for the happiest place on earth by the time we got there. With you being 6 months pregnant at the time I'd imagine your back/ankles will not be happy with 24 straight hours in the car. My suggestion, if you can swing the extra time/money, is stop overnight. We've always stopped in Pooler, Georgia. Its an interstate town with just a few hotels and lots of fastfood but its easy as its right off the interstate and we've never had any problems. I'd recommend the Best Western. We always got good rates and clean rooms. The rest of the drive to WDW from there isn't too bad.

This year, against my wishes, my DBF and I are flying. To be completely honest I've never disliked the ride, its always been part of the vacation. Again I suggest staying somewhere overnight so no one is too cranky by the time you arrive and pack lots of entertainment for the 3 year old.

Have fun!

[statrai]

My wife and I live in central NJ and we drove down through through the night. We left Thursday at 4pm the traffic in South Jersey was very bad. We stopped at Maryland house for dinner. When we got to DC there was no traffic. We each drove 4 hours at a time. We had a GPS and set it to where we would change drivers. The GPS also helped us find places to stop and eat. I went on the EXXON web site and listed the station on the 95 corridor. We picked stations open 24 hours and the ones with a store. We crossed into Florida at 6 am. Our daughters then 8 and 9 slept through the night. We visited my father-in-law so we had a chance to rest up. We went to DISNEY on Sunday morning and an hour drive. My wife found the trip back much harder to keep awake so I did most of the driving. Left DISNEY at 2pm Saturday did some sightseeing were home Sunday at 8am We will be doing this again in August we have a land and sea package and with the free dining plan we just added another 5 days before the package.

[ilovemyjj31]

You outa ya mind???
I would wait and leave till later or something...the b/w is murder at that time!!! But, once ya get out of it...you will be in the clear!!
All i can say is good luck, drive safe!!

[tys_mommy]

There are several routes around 95 for rush hour but honestly all of them are congested as well. Maybe plan to stop for dinner on the road and take your time.

[wdwfansince75]

Leaving at that time, you may find a long delay getting through the Deleware toll booth....but you will be hitting the end of the Baltimore and DC traffic....and during daylight hours.....that time of year, you should be able to get to Fredricksburg by dark.... The rest to the trip should be smooth....just dull!

If you have (or get) an in car GPS, they usually can get you enroute stop info....

Also, there is a good I-95 info website: http://www.i95exitguide.com/

Particularly if you are a first timer, consider printing out key pages...rest stops in VA, NC, SC,
Gas stations and fast food for anticipated needs.....

For late night/early morning stops, I look for Pilot truck stops....well let parking, clean facilities, and usually several choices of food...Racetrack is an alternate...

When we make long trips, I just use the Cracker Barrel map to plan our stops!

There is an alternative to I-95 BUT be aware that the stretch on 301 from Bowie MD to LaPlata MD is heavily traveled by commuters....and has lots of traffic lights....
BUT Walls Wigwam bakery in Waldorf has some of the best baked goods on the entire east coast! (On the right as you go southbound through Waldorf....)

1) From Delaware I-95 Exit 1 (DE896, Newark, Middleton) take DE896 south to Middleton. (15 miles)
2) From Middleton, take US 301 south into Maryland, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge (toll) to Annapolis. (68 miles)
3) From Annapolis, continue south on US 301 thru Waldorf to LaPlata. (47 miles)
4) From LaPlata, continue south on US 301, over the Governor Nice Memorial Bridge (toll) into Virginia and on to Bowling Green. (45 miles)
5) From Bowling Green, continue south on VA 207 to I-95 exit 104. (11 miles)
Trip Totals:
Total miles for this alternate route is 186 miles. Total miles if using I-95 is 188 miles.

[tys_mommy]

BUT Walls Wigwam bakery in Waldorf has some of the best baked goods on the entire east coast! (On the right as you go southbound through Waldorf....).


For anyone interested Walls has moved - first to Calvert County and now back to Waldorf - off of old Route 925.

[kathiep]

We've driven from central Jersey for quite a few years running. We've left are many different times. One year we left about 1pm due to work as well. The traffic in DC was terrible. That being said, we decided to stop and have a sit down dinner. Which was a good plan. By the time we got out, things had eased up a bit.

I personally don't recommend driving straight through. You're just not ready to be at WDW after a trip like that. (we do it on the way home and crash the entire next day)
The year we left at 1pm, we drove until about 10. We spent the entire next day driving but got to WDW in time for a nice dinner at our resort and a swim in the pool. We didn't start our park tickets until the next day after we had some time to regroup.

What we've found works best for us is leaving at 6am. We'll normally drive until about midnight then stop and get some sleep. No rush to get up too early the next morning. That puts us in Disney right after lunch. We usually stay that first night at a value and relax and enjoy the pool. That way the next morning, we're refreshed and ready to go.

As for your stops, some exits are great. Some, we pull off 95 and get right back on and go to the next one. If you get one you don't like, there's usually another choice not too far ahead.

[baldburke]

It may be none of my business but...why not FLY!
Bathroom very close.
Only a 2 1/2 hr flight.(from PHL)
Southwest is fairly inexpensive.
:twocents:

But they didn't ask about flying. We're planning to drive this year for the first time in a long time. Frankly, we think we'll pass on the excessive fees, delays and hassles and go for the flexibility and (don't laugh) family time together. We did road trips all the time as kids.

[DisneyPrincess21]

Frankly, we think we'll pass on the excessive fees, delays and hassles and go for the flexibility and (don't laugh) family time together. We did road trips all the time as kids.

My family drives from NJ every year also, I consider it part of the vacation. I love to get to see things on the way and stop at favorite spots. One of my family's favorite stop's is the first vistor's center you come to when you first get into florida. They have tons of palm trees and serve fresh orange juice and grapefruit juice, And have TONS of brochures on everything in florida. And nice clean bathrooms which is always a plus. We always stop there because it makes us feel like "We have finally made it" I look forward to it every trip.
:cloud9: I can't wait till our next WDW trip in December! :cloud9:

[Cinderella's Lady in Waiting]

But they didn't ask about flying.

As my post stated, the OP did ask for "tips and advice". No one agrees more then I that a family road trip can be loads of fun....however, being 6 months pregnant puts a whole different spin on a road trip. Again just my :twocents:

[Tinksalot]

I live just outside of DC and drive into that area every other week. Traffic on 495 can be a mess around the time you will be traveling through. Lately they have had construction on 495 and traffic comes to a complete stop at times, Fridays being even worse than the rest of the week. As far as bathrooms along the way, try www.i95exitguide.com, it will show you where all the rest areas are, plus restaurants and gas stations. Hope this helps! :mickey:

[wdwfansince75]

I live just outside of DC and drive into that area every other week. Traffic on 495 can be a mess around the time you will be traveling through. Lately they have had construction on 495 and traffic comes to a complete stop at times, Fridays being even worse than the rest of the week. As far as bathrooms along the way, try www.i95exitguide.com (http://www.i95exitguide.com), it will show you where all the rest areas are, plus restaurants and gas stations. Hope this helps! :mickey:

To the OP....495 is the DC Beltway....it can be avoided by using 301 instead....but that means Waldorf traffic....still better than parking on the beltway....
see http://www.i95exitguide.com/alternateroutes/baltimore-washington-alternative.php

[diz_girl]

First, since you are pregnant, you will need to stop every two hours and walk around to get your circulation going and to avoid a pulmonary embolism (economy-class syndrome), of which pregnant women are more susceptible. You should check with your doctor about that before you travel.

Also, stop overnight. Some people do it, but I can't start my WDW vacation enhausted from driving all night. No offense to you men out there, but many guys think that they can handle an all-night drive, but for the sake of ego they're really putting at risk the lives of their family when they do that. Some women are guilty of that too.

Given the time of day and day of the week that you are leaving, I'd vote for the 301 if you are leaving around 4 p.m. from South Jersey. If you are leaving from Central Jersey or North Jersey around 4 p.m., then you could probably be OK taking 295 over the bridge and onto I-95 straight through Baltimore and DC. Although the Delaware Memorial Bridge can get bad on a Friday night, so you might want to get off 295 earlier and go over the Commodore Barry Bridge. If you can make it to Rocky Mount, NC, then you only have another 10 hours of driving and if you leave by 8 a.m. then you can make it to WDW by around 8 that evening. If not, then stop in Emporia, VA, as they have some good places to stay.

By the way, there is nowhere decent to stop (eat or gas) in-between Baltimore and D.C. It's just that you have to drive 5-10 miles down some road to get to the place where the sign says has gas or food, turning your short stop into a frustrating 30 minute to hour long side trip. So if you have to stop, then do it at either Maryland House or Chesapeake House or wait until you get south of the DC Beltway.

Good luck and have fun!