Boston to Florida road trip - need advice

[cookie]

Hi....we are planning our first road trip. We'll be headed to Florida from Boston. We would only have 7 days in total after we get to Orlando. Planning on visitng Disneyland & Universal Studios - (any rides or parks you guys recommend strongly - can get any special deals on passes or tickets).....then we plan on heading to Miami.....would three days be suffice in Orlando?......would we be missing out on something great if we didn't stop for a day or two in Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach?.....We are thinking of spending 3 or 4 days in Miami - are we giving ourselves enough time to enjoy Miami?....Any special fun things to do and try in all the above places?....Any hidden secrets we should know?....and how long of a drive is it from Boston to Orlando - we have two drivers......any good stops on the way to Florida you guys recommend?......and lastly Key West - is worth driving there for a day??

Any help with above questions or in addition to is much appreciated.

Thanks

Another driver and I made it to Orlando in two days from Boston. We stayed in Baltimore and drove the rest of the way the second day. If you can, stay somewhere in southern Virginia and the second day drive will be a bit shorter.

To get back from Miami you are going to need three days AT LEAST. If you aren't used to marathon driving, three full days of driving is going to be a lot for you. You'll have to drive about 500 miles each day to make it back in three days.

Good luck!

[GEORGE FRANKEL]

GARY: You do not mention if children are with you on this trip. Orlando has a very good night life in the city. South Beach in Miami is wonderfull, full of life, there are plenty of clubs and reataurants. The street theater starts in the afternoon and goes late into the night. enjoy your trip. Geo. & Gert

Depends what you're looking for. If you want to have drinks with umbrellas and beaches and nightlife then I would say spend less time in Orlando and more Miami and Key West. Key West is definately worth the drive because of it's awesome personality and beaches, but if you can't get there, at least go to John Pennecamp marine sanctuary in the Keys at MM 105 (approx. That takes about an hour from Miami. You can spend $18 to tour the coral reefs in a glass bottom boat or $30 for a snorkeling trip out on the reefs.

If you are traveling w/family, I would spend the three days at Disney. There are tons of free things to do there, as well. You can have breakfast with the characters, ride boats everywhere, the monorail, attend a campfire singalong, marshmallow roast, or stroll along a boardwalk modeled after the one in atlantic city without ever buying a ticket to the parks!

[Janice]

Someone gave me a route that I've lost but it took you around NYC and then south without hitting Route 95 for quite some time. We abhor 95 between the CT border and Wilmington DE. Anybody know this route?
Thanks!

[Quebec Gen]

Hi,

Like the others said, it will take you 2 to 3 days to get to Miami, depending on how many hours you want to spend on the road. You can easily spend a few days in Miami : South Beach is great : great nightlife, architecure. If you stop by Hollywood, go to Rocco's pizzeria on Johnson St, they have the best pizza-by-the-slice in America!

Key West is definitly worth the drive, just being on the road to get there is Wow! Don't forget to pick a Key lime pie before you leave! You could visit the Everglades too, they offer boat tours in the swamps where you can see the particular wildlife : birds, crocodile, other reptiles and animals.

The west coast of florida is a well kept secret, it's a little bit less touristic, you can find nice private beaches (and lodging is cheaper, shh, don't tell:-). It takes approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and a half to get from east to west. Take the Everglades thruway and tune your radio to Radio Everglades. Also, If you like dog racing, I believe there's a place (don't remember the name) in the Miami area.

I-95, is not exactly the most interesting route I took, but it sure is the fastest and the most direct way to go from north to south. I you plan on taking this route, stop by Smith's General Store in South Carolina, they have loads of cheap good stuff : ciders, jams, chutney, and other things. If you have kids, South of the Border might be interesting, it's on the border of SC and NC.

Have a nice trip!

Gen:-)

if at all possible AVOID 95, there is some nasty construction going on from just north of DC down through richmond and blasting in random spots further down. The best way is to take I-81 which you can pick up from 63W from the mass pike, it's the long way through PA but you avoid all the BIG east coast cities plus going down 81 you get things like the natural bridge plus cheaper gas prices then you would going down 95. Another option is getting on route 1, which was the only down the center before I-95. Hope this helps

[Mark Sedenquist]

I know you will think me nuts -- but travel along the I-95 Corridor can be a truly great experience. The trick is checking out some of the little-known gems that exist along the road. I just did a review of the <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/read/Drive95.htm">newest I-95 guide<a/> and I recommend checking it out.

Even if the road construction is the pits and traffic... well, everyone knows about the traffic, at least the humor in the new book will keep you laughing...

Mark

[imported_Donna]

I am looking to drive a car with my mother and some garden statuary in tow. I would like to drive someone's car from anywhere from central to eastern Mass to Orlando, Florida.

Let me know if anyone knows of anyone looking to get a car to Florida.

Thanks.

Donna

[B. McDonald]

Can anyone advise me on the best way to drive to Atlantic City from the Boston area?