[darrvao777]

Driving down from NY to MIA

Planning to ride I95 most of the way

If I wanted to stop about 50-60% of the way through, any recommendations?

I've heard Charleston and/or Hilton Head are must-stops

Also contemplating just driving through straight and only deviating for 1 night at a hotel close to I95

Anyone with experience or recommendations?

[runswithscissors]

From a person who doesn't make stops much and sometimes did the drive rotating with my son...

It depends you your schedule, personality and level of annoyance or not. I drive straight through from Philly because there's always traffic when I get ready to go play sightseer and I'm like, Oh never mind. OR it's dark, I have no clue what I'm doing and there' construction, detours etc or I don't see what I thought I'd see...so I'm like, ok on the way back, maybe. I often take a cat nap at a busy rest stop but be careful so yeah get a hotel. You cannot sleep in the car in the South in summer with windows shut (duh ha) so you're a target.

Once a band of gypsies tried to distract me walking back towards my car in NC on a busy 95 rest stop while 3 guys opened the SUV door and freaked out when my 6'3 son, who they had not noticed roared up out of his seat LOL. I knew they were conning me asking me to look at a map and "where is pennsylvania". They had PA tags, too hahaha. They even have the little kids participate touching you, pulling on a skirt etc. But I never expected the car door opening thing. It was extremely busy with people and mid day. They didn't care.

I've tried to go to Savannah twice now and changed my mind last minute. I always regret it and keep doing it! So yeah, those two might be nice. LIke an hour each way just to get there though.

I also wanted to do Blue Ridge Parkway. Didn't.

Once I was all charged up but left late and FORGOT it was July 4 th weekend. O M G and somehow ended up on DC the beltway traffic! I was stuck around DC area for 4 HOURS precisely mid day when everyone left early to "go on vacation"! And by STUCK I mean STOPPED for LONG LONG periods of time overheating in the sun (not the car but ME) LOL how dumb of me. So factor that in.

Then there was the time my ONE right leg blew up like a stuffed sausage - no cruise control...(I only weighed 120 lbs too) and I was like oh GREAT a blood clot at 37 years old. Guess I'll stop eating these salty foods till I get to Florida. LOL

You WILL DEFINITELY stop at South of the Border SC on 95 though. Everyone does - for the LOLS. Wait - they actually have lodging but I have no clue if I'd trust it HA The billboards start for MILES and MILES ahead of it, enticing you.
http://www.thesouthoftheborder.com/

Take an audio book. Radio reception can be annoying unless you're a devoted person with favorite tracks you can plug in or iTunes. We had a blast listening to Stephen King's Needful Things once when my kid was young enough to pretend to be scared about it etc. We still remember that particular time.

I also have a app called Tune In Radio that I can hear any station in the country crystal clear on my phone or tablet 24/7 AND repeats of shows. I plug my tablet in the car so if I want to see a screen it is much better than phone. You will loose reception off and on sometimes though.

For ME, if your time is limited/finite it's much better to just get to FL and maybe to the other places on the way home or another time. Especially when you see what it's like making the drive, where the tie ups are etc.

[jambo101]

While Charleston is nice its a bit out of the way, and while Hilton head is also nice i wouldnt call it an overnight place to stop.If going NY to Miami i'd just get a motel at one of the super exits and enjoy your stay in Miami.

[HarryWho?]

Most of the things worth seeing are an hour or two from 95. I usually go straight through from Jersey to Florida. If you get a good nights sleep the day before, you can leave NYC about 3:00 AM and miss the traffic all the way past DC. The rest is smooth sailing. You'll hit Jacksonville between 6:00 and 6:30 PM. If you're not too tired, you can continue on and make Vero by 10:00 PM. The next day you're looking at a 2 - 3 hour drive to Miami depending on what time you leave. The traffic will get bad from West Palm to Miami from about 6:45 AM till about 9:00 AM. Of course this means making all required pit stops at I 95 exits. If you're running behind, or just decide to stop for the day, I've found the LaQuinta Inn in Brunswick, Ga to be very accomodating. That will leave you with about a 7 hour trip the next day.

[runswithscissors]

BTW you do NOT want to get a speeding ticket from VA on down. Speaking as a mom of a kid who paid big bucks down there but I forget why.

Speeding is a misdemeanor in Georgia and they have something called Superspeeding there last I heard. Something like 90 in a 55 can get you arrested and fingerprinted, the whole 9. No, his ticket was in NC or SC but it is a royal PAIN.

May have been going between NC and Virginia which may have gone down to 65. I think it's VA you can get a mandatory court appearance going 20 over.

I don't really know the current MPH info just be aware of what you're doing. Go with the flow only when you're not the lead dog or the last one, IMO.

Usually by the time I'm at SC I'm too over it to drive that fast heh...but there's those LONG stretches where you just want to get THROUGH them and tend to speed UP and you may be completely alone for awhile.

I-95 cameras snap speeders, spark controversy - US news - Crime & courts | NBC News

[OrlFlaUsa]

Everyone speeds back up once they cross into Florida. It's really interesting to see how things change south of that FL GA line.

[NowSoFlorida]

I've driven in maybe 6 times round trip but I go from Ft. Lauderdale area to north Jersey.

The first day on the way up I like to stay at a motel right off I95 and I like to make it to the North Carolina and Virginia border. That way I know I am more than halfway done with the trip.

On the way back I gone straight thru driving about 20 hours. One time I hit traffic in Jacksonville on I95 and the trip back took 23 hours, that was rough, but I'm not a person that can fall asleep driving. I can't even fall asleep in the back seat of a car, a bus or a plane (even when I want to on a red eye)

I would not recommend the drive straight thru. If you are caught driving tired it is considered dangerous and you are impaired and it's almost like drunk driving. It's a deceiving trip because you cross the Florida border on the way south sometimes after only 12 or 13 hours of driving, but you still have another 5 or 6 to go. You can sleep at the rest stops once you get to Florida, I've seen people sleeping as several of the ones in north Florida and they have a security car on patrol.

Oh and there's not much to see on I95. There's that dumb tourist trap called South of the Border. Once you leave Virginia you don't see another major city from the highway until you get to Jacksonville.

[rusty78]

Do yourself a favor and buy a GPS for your ride down...it will list most if not all of the hotels, gas stations, shopping, etc...

Most of the new ones have Blue Tooth...and if you buy it at one of the larger chains-Costco, BJ's,etc,,-they offer free map upgrades for life...