GIVE ME THE REAL LOWDOWN - DRIVE FROM SO. NH. - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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It's been 30 years since I have driven (well actually my dad drove then) to WDW...how long does this take approximately?? The cost of airfare is a killer for 5 people...but driving ALL THAT WAY back looks like torture. Going down would be different, as you have the "vaca" to look forward to! Drive home is another story. Just thinking about it - thanks
I'm told that from Peterborough, NH it's about 26 hours. I can't imagine even considering it. But, I guess it depends on who's travelling with you. Make sure you factor in the cost of a hotel for at least one night each way!
Took about 25 hours from seacoast area to Orlando. I agree, that drive is killer on the way home--and the airfare for my five is ridankulous! Good luck deciding...
....you're looking at a 2 day trip unless you have a few drivers to share the chore and do it in one shot. I know it's about a 23 hr drive from Keene to WDW (not sure of your exact start point)....so it's likely you'd want to stop at maybe the 3/4 point (southern North Carolina area)...and leave a "shorter" 7-1/2 hr drive for the second day.
Bless your heart! I can't imagine driving from that distance. We drive, but it's half the distance you're covering. However, I think it's good to have some fun things for travel. We have a portable DVD player and take a collection of Disney DVDs with us. Also, we have a travel Disney Scene-It game that we've used. There are card games that have a Disney theme. All of those things are nice both coming and going. What about Disney music?
Generally, I also think noting landmarks along the way makes the trip more palatable. In your case, just marking the states that you pass through, or maybe break it down by cities. At least that helps me on a 12 hour drive.
Try to look at the drive back as an extension of the trip. If you could spare it, maybe even try to find a spot to visit briefly as you head home.
Hope you can use something here. Best wishes as you plan and travel.
Thanks to all for your responses...From what I remember as a young teen - I wanted to scream about the time we reached North Carolina! My father kept listening to the same stupid music...I distinctly remember seeing all those signs for "South of Border" and was so looking forward to seeing this marvel LOL.....then wanting to scream when we got there. I just can't get past the cost of airfare lately...no good deals at all from Boston to Orlando. And gas prices have really dropped around here. Oh well, I'll keep trying to squirrel away $$. Maybe I'll have enough by the time all of Fantasyland Opens in 2014!
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Originally Posted by DLinNH
I distinctly remember seeing all those signs for "South of Border" and was so looking forward to seeing this marvel LOL.....then wanting to scream when we got there. I just can't get past the cost of airfare lately...no good deals at all from Boston to Orlando. And gas prices have really dropped around here. Oh well, I'll keep trying to squirrel away $$. Maybe I'll have enough by the time all of Fantasyland Opens in 2014!
I know what you mean about South of the Border ! The signs were a million times more entertaining than the place itself.
Did you look into maybe riding a train? It would take nearly as long, I know, but it's not so much enforced togetherness. Don't know too much about it myself, but threads on the Auto Train (which carries your car) said fares were cheaper the farther from your travel date that you booked, so maybe that'll be somewhat cheaper than flying, while saving some of the hassle.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GingerJ
Did you look into maybe riding a train? It would take nearly as long, I know, but it's not so much enforced togetherness. Don't know too much about it myself, but threads on the Auto Train (which carries your car) said fares were cheaper the farther from your travel date that you booked, so maybe that'll be somewhat cheaper than flying, while saving some of the hassle.
Ginger
To answer my own question, I did a quick search for Amtrak, downtown Boston to Orlando, Nov. 11-18, to see what it would say, and the fare for an adult was $229, for about a 14-hour trip. Not as fast as flying but cheaper, and waaay faster than driving.
We have driven from Massachusetts several times since 2005. We have tweaked the trip so we usually leave between 7 & 9 pm on the first night. We drive, drive, drive all night and day to reach Kingsland, GA. Depending on traffic, etc, we have arrived there as early as 4ish pm and as late as 8ish pm. We stay at the Microtel there as it is inexpensive and nice. We shower, eat, sleep and hit the road the next morning, hopefully by 9ish am. The best thing about Kingsland is that it is 5 minutes from the Florida border and about 3 hours from WDW. We arrive clean and fresh and ready to start the adventure. When we come home, we do a marathon drive straight through with quick stops for catnaps when needed.
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Thanks to all for your responses...From what I remember as a young teen - I wanted to scream about the time we reached North Carolina! My father kept listening to the same stupid music...I distinctly remember seeing all those signs for "South of Border" and was so looking forward to seeing this marvel LOL.....then wanting to scream when we got there. I just can't get past the cost of airfare lately...no good deals at all from Boston to Orlando. And gas prices have really dropped around here. Oh well, I'll keep trying to squirrel away $$. Maybe I'll have enough by the time all of Fantasyland Opens in 2014!
Have you tried MHT? I go there because I can get southwest, nonstop and it's usually cheaper than BOS...
As mentioned, you can look into the Auto Train. The further out you book it, the cheaper the fares are and if you don't need the sleepers, it's all that much cheaper. There's a nightly movie onboard. Dinner and breakfast are both included in your fare and IMO the best part is the train leaves Lorton Virginia at 4 pm in the afternoon and arrives in Florida around 9/9:30ish the next morning. You can get some sleep while still putting miles behind you and because it's runs on freight lines, there won't be stop after stop after stop slowing you down. If you want to have a good idea of the auto train, read my trip reports (except last year's) - I have info and pictures in there you can look at.
FWIW - growing up that's how we got to Disney, we drove. It wasn't all that much fun, hence the reason for us taking the auto train. I don't regret the times we drove or drove and took the train but I can't go back to doing that. It's just to much mentally and physically on us.
We always drove when I was a kid and I loved it!! We always drive now too - from Jersey - It takes us about 16 hours - I love it and all 5 of my kids enjoy it too
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We are currently looking to driving as well.. Family of 5 is a killer at the airlines. Any advise i hear is mixed. Some say drive all night, so the kids miss alot of the drive. Other claim and swear by staying in a hotel. I think it comes down to personal preference and how old your kids are.
I would look into driving to Manchester, Providence RI or Hartford CT for a cheap flight before driving all the way to Florida. Those airports are usually cheaper than Boston and you can fly direct. For a family of five I have flown for just under $1000 in 2008 and for $1100 in 2012. The flights right now would cost you around $1300 unless you are talking school vacation week, then it would be more. For me, after having been stuck on the NJTpk for several hours due to construction, I just wouldn't do it! I was coming home from Baltimore. The trip down was fine, but the trip home was horrible!! We were tired and it took us an extra 3.5 hours longer because the construction was on that side of the road!
I watch JetBlue and Southwest daily for airfare and find the price I am comfortable with. For Me personally, I would rather pay the price of the airfare than the torture of having to go through the drive home, but there was a time when my kids were small and I couldn't afford the airfare and had the time to do the drives, so that's what we did when we wanted to go visit family in Virginia. I drove the 12 hours there and back with the kids in tow.
It can be done, but you need to look at all your options. Boston is not the only airport! Shop around for airfare and know that you can get decent prices if you are willing to do some work to find them. If you don't mind a bit of a drive, think about driving a bit and flying from someplace that might be cheaper. I've looked as far as Islip Long Island because sometimes the fares on Southwest are that much cheaper even considering the gas and tolls if I fly from there!
Flying is also out of budget for 3. We drove last year one driver, so we spent the night. I hated the drive home. hubby loves the drive. Again this year we will be driving. Hubby refuses to fly . We are hoping to make it to GA. He would drive all the way if he was himself.
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. I just can't get past the cost of airfare lately...no good deals at all from Boston to Orlando. And gas prices have really dropped around here. Oh well, I'll keep trying to squirrel away $$. Maybe I'll have enough by the time all of Fantasyland Opens in 2014!
! The signs were a million times more entertaining than the place itself.
. We are hoping to make it to GA. He would drive all the way if he was himself
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