Driving from New York

[jolliffee]

We have driven from NY to florida two or three times now, though a friend did it in one go in a VW golf but we stop in South Carolina overnight. I think it is a great trip, and a great way to see the place.

We once did a 5 week driving trip from NY out to the west coast, South to Mexico, East then North. Great Fun.

[Sally D]

I think this sounds like a great idea and would love to do it someday, but not for a few years. Maybe when the girls are grown up and no longer want to come away with us. Wouldn't like to do it now with 3 children in the back[msnmad][}][msncry]

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by E. Cosgrove
We are planning Washington DC to Florida in 2006
[/quote]

Should be good. I-95-south goes all the way from DC to Florida and you can join I-4-west at Daytona. Plenty of opportunities for detours in between if you wish. Have a good trip.

[Ray&Sarah]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by Sally D
I think this sounds like a great idea and would love to do it someday, but not for a few years. Maybe when the girls are grown up and no longer want to come away with us. Wouldn't like to do it now with 3 children in the back[msnmad][}][msncry]
[/quote]

Have to agree about the children, wouldn't want to do a long road trip until our boys have flown the nest or at least do not come on holiday with us anymore. They would drive me mad with "are we nearly there yet" or "i'm bored".[msnsmile2]

[chrizzy100]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by jolliffee
We have driven from NY to florida two or three times now, though a friend did it in one go in a VW golf but we stop in South Carolina overnight. I think it is a great trip, and a great way to see the place.

We once did a 5 week driving trip from NY out to the west coast, South to Mexico, East then North. Great Fun.
[/quote]

I love road trips.......next time we drive to FL we want to drive down the long way and take in some different States......maybe see Dollywood......

[Lyn]

In the UK my kids when younger (even now sometimes) would be constantly 'are we nearlly there yet' but in the states we could drive for 10 hours and they never said it once, always so much to look at. Once saw Zebra in a field in CA!

[brizzle]

With the new Bristol to New York service coming into play this may well be something I'd look at doing.
The road trip would be incorporated into the holiday and it would be great to see a couple of places en route.

How easy is it to get out of the initial New York area though, that's the bit that might worry me...

Brizzle.

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by brizzle
How easy is it to get out of the initial New York area though, that's the bit that might worry me...
Brizzle.
[/quote]

Actually, it is not that bad out of JFK and you can be on an interstate virtually throughout. You have to first go west on the Shorebelt Parkway that runs along the southern coast of Queens and Brooklyn and across The Narrows into Staten Island as I-278. Then across Staten Island, cross the river at the Toll Bridge into New Jersey. You meet I-95 almost immediatly, bear left into I-95 South that goes all the way to Miami.

In the initial stages of I-95, the interstae passes through many busy metropolitan areas of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, cutting through Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC and so expect many toll booths. But once you hit Virginia, it gets smoother. Unless you have specific reasons to stop in any of the aforementined cities, I suggest that you avoid them. To see the major attractions in Virginia and North Carolina you will have to divert quite a bit from the I-95, but in South Carolina it passes only about 25 miles from Myrtle Beach. Further south in SC it passes close to another favourite tourist stop, Hilton Head Island. Then it goes across the Georgian coast into Florida. You may want to plan to see the Space Coast, Daytona Beach etc first before joining I-4 West near Daytona to head for Orlando.

[ctgirlscout]

Actually, if you could manage a flight into Newark International, it would be a lot easier, as you could just jump on the NJ Turnpike and totally miss going into NY and Philadelphia.

[Nostromo]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by ctgirlscout
Actually, if you could manage a flight into Newark International, it would be a lot easier, as you could just jump on the NJ Turnpike and totally miss going into NY and Philadelphia.
[/quote]

By going to Newark and taking the I-95/NJ turnpike, you will bypass New York certainly, but it still goes to Philadelphia. The only way to avoid Philly (and quite a desirable alternate route too), is to take the I-78 west as far as Harrisburg and then I-83 South to Baltimore, before picking up the I-95 south. That's what my Brooklyn friends did (as mentioned above), but that route might be confusing for a first timer. One big advantage with this alternative route though is that one misses a lot of the toll booths.