Driving from Philly. Where to stopover?

Finalizing details for our next trip in the beginning of November. Airfare is nuts right now for our travel dates so we are fairly certain we’ll be driving from Philadelphia with our almost-4yo DD. We’ve done the drive before, but it was 10 years ago- no kids! So we drove right through. I figured I’d pop in here and see if anybody had a recommendation for a favorite and relatively inexpensive hotel by 95 to stay at for our stopover?
We are most likely leaving Halloween around 6 and figure we can at least make it to Richmond, maybe even a little further.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I'm doing longer trips I usually don't pick a stopping destination until later in the day. Weather, traffic, accidents, all of those things can really throw a wrench into the best-laid plans and there's nothing more frustrating than being exhausted at 9 PM but feeling like you have to keep driving for a few more hours because you already booked a room somewhere or you just 'had to' get to point X on the map tonight.

There are so many hotels along I-95 that I'd just drive until late afternoon or early evening. At that point when you feel like you've got another hour or few hours of driving still in you, pull up an app like priceline or something similar and look in areas about that much further down the road. They have hotel ratings on them so you'll know if the hotel is nice or not that way.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dnickels

When I'm doing longer trips I usually don't pick a stopping destination until later in the day. Weather, traffic, accidents, all of those things can really throw a wrench into the best-laid plans and there's nothing more frustrating than being exhausted at 9 PM but feeling like you have to keep driving for a few more hours because you already booked a room somewhere or you just 'had to' get to point X on the map tonight.

There are so many hotels along I-95 that I'd just drive until late afternoon or early evening. At that point when you feel like you've got another hour or few hours of driving still in you, pull up an app like priceline or something similar and look in areas about that much further down the road. They have hotel ratings on them so you'll know if the hotel is nice or not that way.

---

I really appreciate that bit of advice. Usually, that’s how we roll, but I feel compelled to plan this time. Now that we have our daughter, it makes me a bit more nervous not to have a set stopping point. Maybe we could have a few in mind all along the way and then let the timing decide. I just don’t want to be totally blind with a 4yo in tow. My husband is also infamous for just pushing through! We also drove to Ft Lauderdale once straight through! One difference with those trips was that we left early in the morning vs in the evening for this one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Everybody knows that the place to stop is South of the Border! :blush: Actually better to skip it than stop.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrowncatP

Everybody knows that the place to stop is South of the Border! :blush: Actually better to skip it than stop.

---

HAH! I enjoy seeing the signs... but we have never stopped (and don’t plan on it).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We used to drive from FL to NJ often. A nice, mid-way point for us was exit 95 (Smithfield) in North Carolina. It has many hotels directly off the interstate, dining, and some shopping even (an outlet mall).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by magicofdisney

We used to drive from FL to NJ often. A nice, mid-way point for us was exit 95 (Smithfield) in North Carolina. It has many hotels directly off the interstate, dining, and some shopping even (an outlet mall).

---

Perfect!!!! Definitely will keep in mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrowncatP

Everybody knows that the place to stop is South of the Border! :blush: Actually better to skip it than stop.

---

That place is still in business??!?!?!?!?!?!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Speedy1998

That place is still in business??!?!?!?!?!?!

---

Yes, South of the Border is still there and open. I checked before I made my comment.

I'm from the Philly area and back in the day when we drove to Disney, we stopped at either Rocky Mount or Fayetteville, NC. Now if we are not flying we take the AutoTrain from Lorton, Va. The train brings you to Sanford, FL. This is a fun way to start the vacation.

I've done the drive from MA to FL and back three times over the last year. Most often, we stop in Fredericksburg, VA. We've also done Chester, VA.

I'd suggest using Google Maps to estimate how far you want to go your first day and then search for nearby hotels. Your best bet is somewhere very close to I-95 so if you arrive in the dark you won't have trouble navigating.

We reserved in advance since we were traveling with our dog; if we didn't have a dog I would probably select a couple options in advance and then see how the drive goes. Even through the non-city legs of the trip, I've encountered terrible traffic due to accidents or roadwork that can unexpectedly slow things down.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DisneyFan1979

I've done the drive from MA to FL and back three times over the last year. Most often, we stop in Fredericksburg, VA. We've also done Chester, VA.

I'd suggest using Google Maps to estimate how far you want to go your first day and then search for nearby hotels. Your best bet is somewhere very close to I-95 so if you arrive in the dark you won't have trouble navigating.

We reserved in advance since we were traveling with our dog; if we didn't have a dog I would probably select a couple options in advance and then see how the drive goes. Even through the non-city legs of the trip, I've encountered terrible traffic due to accidents or roadwork that can unexpectedly slow things down.

---

True, VA traffic can be an absolute nightmare.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Depending on your travel day, I would call ahead and book (Weekends, etc) more busy.

I like the Hilton Garden Inn, been there on business. More parking usually available.

I'd stay further south of downtown (again depending on your day, if its a weekday, morning rush hour and business travelers taking up the breakfast area). Course this depends if you are on 95 or 295 to bypass downtown.