Road trip Florida- NYC!

[george_uk]

Hi guys!

I found this forum today and I'm loving reading your posts, got a trip coming up so would love to hear your thoughts!

We're arriving in Miami on the 20th of December and the idea is to be in Manhattan by Christmas Eve. We're a family of 5, my wife and I and our 3 kids (20, 17, 14). We intend to hire a car in Miami and try to head north towards NYC. To be honest I'm a little bit unsure of driving all the way up and so there is the possibility of catching a flight at some point to NYC, maybe from Orlando or if not maybe Charlotte?

Here are our definite stops:
-Sarasota
-Orlando (overnight at Disneyworld)

We'd love to see the christmas lights and get into the spirit and maybe visit some nice places along the way. I don't know how cold it will get as we get further north (maybe a bit of snow would be nice!). Your suggestions would be much appreciated!


Cheers, George & Family

[Robert Schaller]

Welcome to the RTA forum, George!

I'm not an expert on that corridor, but others will chip in with some suggestions, I'm sure. Meanwhile, there are some excellent resources available for planning road trips in that area. You might try this one, which has been reviewed here on RoadTrip America. Bob

[AZBuck]

You could, of course, continuously celebrate Christmas for the entire drive up to New York, enjoying a different flavor in a different city each day. I'm going to suggest that you take a look at three of my favorite southern cities. The two major events in Savannah, GA will have been completed before you get there, but it always a graceful town that I'm sure will still be in the holiday spirit. Likewise the tour of homes in Charleston, SC will have concluded, but they will still be celebrating the season daily. This year, oddly enough, the theme is the British are Gone!. Finally, Williamsburg, VA is a living history town with many Christmas programs. There's lots more, but you do have to get to New York eventually.

AZBuck

[AZBuck]

I'm afraid I didn't answer all your questions or address all your concerns in my previous post, so let me try to rectify that. It's about 1440 miles and maybe two and a half days of driving from Miami to New York by way of Sarasota and Orlando. By the time you add in Savannah, Charleston and Williamsburg, that climbs to 1615 miles and a shade over three comfortable days of driving, leaving precious little time to enjoy the towns. If you really only have 3 days to make the drive, then you wouldn't have the time to explore those charming southern cities. As you suggested, Charlotte would be a possible alternative. It is only about 890 miles via Sarasota and Orlando, or 970 miles if you add Savannah and Charleston. It is also a major hub for US Airways, and has as many as 80 flights a day to New York for all airlines. But if you're going to spend a large portion of your three days visiting in Sarasota and Orlando, then you are probably better served to just fly from Orlando (over 120 flights a day to NYC). In any event, you will have to pay a drop-off fee on your car rental and that can be substantial, so make sure you know what it is.

As for temperatures, let me just cite you some average highs and lows (in Celsius - or is it Centigrade?) for December.

Miami: 24/18
Orlando: 23/12
Savannah: 17/4
Charleston: 16/7
Charlotte: 12/2
Williamsburg: 12/0
New York: 7/0

So, I hope this information helps you plan a very enjoyable holiday.

AZBuck