Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A lot of it depends on your route. If you are taking 95 all the way down from NY through DC, and then hopping onto 85, that drive could take you a lot longer as traffic on 95 can suck rocks at points, especially around Philly and Wilmington, and between DC and Richmond. If you're planning on leaving during the week, chances are you will get to sit in this lovely mess at some point - speaking as one who relocated from Baltimore, and knows that stretch of 95 between Philly - Richmond well, "rush hour" is a guaranteed mess, but "non-rush hour" doesn't mean squat - traffic on that part of the route is a crap-shoot during any non-rush hour time, day or night. I've done Charlotte to DC in anywhere between 7-10 hours and Charlotte to Philly in between 10-12 hours. If you're taking a route other than 95, it probably won't be as bad.
Personally, I'd take 2 days: I just couldn't see loading up, driving for such a long stretch of time, and then having to immediately unpack.
If you have kids, i may suggest option #3 is the best. Two days is really easy. We travel up and down the coast to NJ several times a year. I think the hardest part of your drive is timing your way through/around NJ/DC and Baltimore so you avoid the rush hours there. Not sure where in NY you are coming from, but I recommend getting on I-78 West in NJ and following I-81 down to NC. Avoids alot of tolls and traffic areas and it is a scenic drive.
We will be driving from NYC area.. Also, would I-78 and I-81 be ok for driving a truck and towing our car? During our initial trip, we took I-81/I-78 on our way back to NY and saw a lot of hills. Of course, not seeing many tolls was a nice touch
We will be driving from NYC area.. Also, would I-78 and I-81 be ok for driving a truck and a towing our car? During our initial trip, we took I-81/I-78 on our way back to NY and saw a lot of hills. Of course, not seeing any tolls was a nice touch
I towed my Civic behind a rental UHaul on this route from Mooresville to Long Island... no issues at all. 95 absolutely crushes you toll wise and much more traffic, highly suggest you avoid it.
Well it was all good until I got to the GW bridge and found out how much they charge for towing a car over! sheesh
We will be driving from NYC area.. Also, would I-78 and I-81 be ok for driving a truck and towing our car? During our initial trip, we took I-81/I-78 on our way back to NY and saw a lot of hills. Of course, not seeing many tolls was a nice touch
If you don't like driving through the hills in the last section of 81 heading into NC, try switching off towards Danville or Roanke. It adds another 50 mins to your commute but it may be worth it if you want to avoid those hills. I did it in 12 hours a month ago. I would avoid 95. I find the drive to be overall quite pleasant and not too tiresome if we get a good night's sleep and start out at about 5:30.
My suggestion would be to rent the truck one morning and fill it up. You can leave in the early afternoon after you've filled it up and eaten your last lunch in NY. Drive as far as you care to (hopefully within a couple hours of Charlotte, maybe when you cross into NC) and stay overnight in a hotel with a well-lit parking lot so no one steals all your belongings. Wake up early, drive the rest of the way to Charlotte, and unpack and return the truck before the rental place closes.
We will be driving from NYC area.. Also, would I-78 and I-81 be ok for driving a truck and towing our car? During our initial trip, we took I-81/I-78 on our way back to NY and saw a lot of hills. Of course, not seeing many tolls was a nice touch
We pull an rv up and down that route. In fact, the biggest hill you will encounter on the way south will be a downhill for you. No problem with a truck/car combo. From NYC, the only toll you will encounter will be crossing the Delaware River from NJ to PA. No other tolls the rest of the way.
If you are moving into an apartment you probably should go for the option that puts you here in the morning. I know from experience that people get angry if you move in at night. It might make a bad first impression with your neighbors.
This is what we did when we moved to Charlotte from northeast PA last summer:
We packed the trailer on a Saturday (didn't bring everything since we were staying in an apt. until our house sold). Drove all day Sunday. Checked in to a hotel late Sunday night. Moved our belongings into our apartment on Monday morning and returned the U-Haul in the afternoon. This scenario worked out well for us, although we were beat afterward. (Moving our furniture into a second story apt. in 98 degree heat is what finally did us in!)
Also to note... We took I-81 to 77, as we typically do, but the trip took almost 13 hours instead of the usual 10. It was slow-going thanks to the heavy trailer and all the hills and mountains. Your experience will be similar I'm sure, especially if you're pulling a car.
So my recommendation is...Day 1: Load the truck, get a good night sleep; Day 2: Leave for Charlotte in the AM, drive all day, get another good night sleep; Day 3: unload truck and return. Moving is difficult, tiring, and stressful. So is all that driving, especially in a big truck. Don't wear yourselves out. Good luck!!
It took the wife and I 6+ hours to load our Uhaul in cold weather. I had setup people to unpack the Uhaul since we were going into a 2nd floor apartment. It took them 2 hours to unpack. I am assuming unpacking might be faster but I wouldnt think it was that fast. If you can afford it, and you are packing alot of stuff, then I would get people to pack the Uhaul for you. I will be doing that when I move into my house. They will pack and unpack our Uhaul.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Don't like the hills
