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We are planning two trips to Florida, one in October and one in January. We want to make both trips "2 stops" so will arrive on the third day at our destination (Ft. Meyers).
Need some solid advice on best routing (Detroit) or (Buffalo) trying to divide my driving into 7 hour days.
Thanks for any input.
Which ever crossing is closest to you. Both are pretty much the same in terms of traffic.
No point crossing at Detroit if you live in Hamilton.
Look at both routes. January can be weather ugly, especially on the eastern side of lake Erie. You may need to decide the day you leave. I would however not cross at Detroit, but Port Huron if I was selecting the western option. October you we see better scenery if you elect the eastern route with the fall colours.
Dick
Cross at Buffalo, skirt Lake Erie then head south in Pennsylvania. Enjoy the trip, by the next morning it will be warm window down weather. Relax and enjoy..
Have you googled "Map Quest" ?
I tow my boat down most winters. I live not far from you and the most direct/fastest route is crossing at Detroit.
I make the drive with one stop in Knoxville TN.
I asked the same question on here last fall and the answers were bang on.
I left in mid Jan and returned mid February travelling I 75 both ways. It was suggested I don't go I 95 either time because of the storms and while in Florida during that period I watched the weather channel daily and every second day I 95 was being hammered by bad weather.
BTW, have fun driving though Atlanta.
Detroit to I-75 South is straight forward now. You don't have to drive around town any more. From the on ramp to Ohio is 48 Miles, cross at Port Huron and you will need to traverse Detroit and try not to miss two exit.Quote:
Originally Posted by BDH
West side of Knoxville just before I-40 and I-75 split is a petro..good food 80-90% of the time. Sorry but no Truckers rate at the motels for you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bandwagon
Just has to stay on the west side of the city run the ring road.....and DON'T make any stops.Quote:
Originally Posted by sawbill
Depends, you want the stops to be fun stops, or just rest stops.
Here's two options - Firstly, I would go through Buffalo, you're going to be crossing into the USA much earlier
and hopefully beating the traffic at the boarder.
If you want to break it up into 3 legs of around 8 hours each, than I would try and get to Virginia (maybe Richmond) at the end of Day 1. Day 2 I would take the 95 and try and stop in either Savannah, Georgia, or if you can push it go to St. Augustine, Florida (beautiful place). Day 3 your at your final destination. On way back if you stopped in St. Augustine coming, stop in Savannah going back.
If you can stretch it to 2 legs of 12 hours each, than do yourself a favor and go to Nashville, Tennessee. Spend the night, try and get there on a Friday or Saturday night, wow, what an atmosphere. You can then get to Florida on Day 2 from there. Or you could do the same as above and stop in Savannah for the night.
Thanks to one and all for your input. Really appreciate it. Will most likely take the eastern route in October and the Western one in Jan.
Starting_over,
we went down the Fort Myers from the GTA and went across at Fort Erie at roughly 5:00 am, missed the buffalo rush hour and headed west towards Cleveland, headed southwest just before Cleveland towards Columbus and then more southwest towards Cincinnati and then 75 all the way south to Fort Myers, this was in that ice storm and as others suggested time your trip around Atlanta to the West and not in rush hour, we went through the Thursday they had the city shut down and hardly any traffic at 7:00 am. This route Made more sense to me than driving towards Detroit and hitting rush hour traffic crossing the border, think if you check bing maps its roughly 1 hour shorter going across at Detroit. Have fun down there, we stayed at Del Tura Golf resorts in North Fort Myers. lots to see and do in the area.
we did go down this past winter and hit the east coast of Florida first and took the 95 down, not as smooth a drive but did okay, we where moving along pretty good and got to Savannah Georgia the first day and then onto our destination the next day.