"For 2,000+ Mile Round-Trip Drivers Only!" (Part V)

Do any of you use the Waze app instead of an old school GPS for the whole drive (for us it would be about 20 hours each way)? My husband and I have quite a good data plan, but I'm worried about using a lot of data this way. However it seems like a good idea to have up to date traffic and other road information.
Yes, I use it all the way (1100 miles one way). And it has helped me avoid stopped traffic many times. The one time I didn't trust it and ignored instructions to exit the highway, I sat in traffic for 3 hours while the highway was closed due to an accident. That was the last time I ignored waze! If waze says to exit the highway I do it! It didn't feel like it used much data at all.
 
Yes, I use it all the way (1100 miles one way). And it has helped me avoid stopped traffic many times. The one time I didn't trust it and ignored instructions to exit the highway, I sat in traffic for 3 hours while the highway was closed due to an accident. That was the last time I ignored waze! If waze says to exit the highway I do it! It didn't feel like it used much data at all.
Thank you!
 
Do any of you use the Waze app instead of an old school GPS for the whole drive (for us it would be about 20 hours each way)? My husband and I have quite a good data plan, but I'm worried about using a lot of data this way. However it seems like a good idea to have up to date traffic and other road information.
4.5 hours before we are home according to Waze! My one suggestion is that you check settings for the toll roads before you set off- we found ourselves on the peach pass only lane today. I suppose they will mail us a bill if they can read our mud covered plate. We briefly lost service in the TN mountains on both T-Mobile and Verizon. As we had several hundred miles before the next turn, it was not a large problem.
 
Do any of you use the Waze app instead of an old school GPS for the whole drive (for us it would be about 20 hours each way)? My husband and I have quite a good data plan, but I'm worried about using a lot of data this way. However it seems like a good idea to have up to date traffic and other road information.

We always use it for our 1000+ mile drive. We often run both Waze & Google Maps on 2 different phone just to compare. We actually use Waze almost every time we're in the car (not just on road trips) just to be aware of traffic issues. Never even thought about how much data it uses -- we have unlimited data so it hasn't ever been a problem.
 


4.5 hours before we are home according to Waze! My one suggestion is that you check settings for the toll roads before you set off- we found ourselves on the peach pass only lane today. I suppose they will mail us a bill if they can read our mud covered plate. We briefly lost service in the TN mountains on both T-Mobile and Verizon. As we had several hundred miles before the next turn, it was not a large problem.
Thanks!
 
We always use it for our 1000+ mile drive. We often run both Waze & Google Maps on 2 different phone just to compare. We actually use Waze almost every time we're in the car (not just on road trips) just to be aware of traffic issues. Never even thought about how much data it uses -- we have unlimited data so it hasn't ever been a problem.
Unlimited data. I wish! Thanks for your response
 
Contemplating driving from Boston to Disney over school break to avoid the ridiculous flight prices over school breaks. Has anyone driven from the Boston area? Did you stop or go straight through? If you stopped for the night, where did you stop? I’ve driven straight though several times when I was in college because my husband went to college in FL, but that was a different time when I didn’t have a 5 and 8 year old with me! lol
 


Contemplating driving from Boston to Disney over school break to avoid the ridiculous flight prices over school breaks. Has anyone driven from the Boston area? Did you stop or go straight through? If you stopped for the night, where did you stop? I’ve driven straight though several times when I was in college because my husband went to college in FL, but that was a different time when I didn’t have a 5 and 8 year old with me! lol
We drive from S.E. MA. We drive straight thru. But when the boys were younger we stopped in Fayetteville NC.
I hear ya on flights over vacations! I’m a teacher and have no choice but to go on school vacations. We’re driving in February.
 
Do any of you use the Waze app instead of an old school GPS for the whole drive (for us it would be about 20 hours each way)? My husband and I have quite a good data plan, but I'm worried about using a lot of data this way. However it seems like a good idea to have up to date traffic and other road information.

Yes, we used it many times. However, since we used I-95 from NJ to FL, we didn't have any significant alternate Waze routes. Most of the time, we used it to see how long our traffic jam was.

All the best! :thumbsup2
 
Contemplating driving from Boston to Disney over school break to avoid the ridiculous flight prices over school breaks. Has anyone driven from the Boston area? Did you stop or go straight through? If you stopped for the night, where did you stop? I’ve driven straight though several times when I was in college because my husband went to college in FL, but that was a different time when I didn’t have a 5 and 8 year old with me! lol

I’m just starting to look into driving from RI for the first time and I’ve been wondering the same things! We’ve always flown, but I may try to sneak in an extra trip over Thanksgiving this year and I know flight prices will be crazy. My main concerns are traffic, and if we’ll have enough time factoring in driving since we can’t go for a full week. We’ll have a 5 year old and an 11 year old.
 
I’m just starting to look into driving from RI for the first time and I’ve been wondering the same things! We’ve always flown, but I may try to sneak in an extra trip over Thanksgiving this year and I know flight prices will be crazy. My main concerns are traffic, and if we’ll have enough time factoring in driving since we can’t go for a full week. We’ll have a 5 year old and an 11 year old.

These are the plans we usually use when driving past DC... we are leaving from NY/LI
- Leave the night before (10pm or so). You will do the bulk of your driving at night. This kids should keep mostly to schedule and hopefully sleep after the initial excitement has worn off. In order to do this you would need to adjust you schedule so you could have a small nap before leaving.

- The other option we used to get past DC (once past DC / Northern VA traffic becomes less of a problem). We leave home around 5 - 5:30 am and drive to the DE/MD border and stop for breakfast around 8 am. Usually Cracker Barrel. By the time we are done it is after 9 am and the Baltimore and DC rush hours are over. You should be at the south side of DC around 11.

If you want to stop for the night you now have to decide how much farther you want to travel. We have stopped at both Savannah and Brunswick.

As to having enough time for a full week I would not recommend driving. Coming from RI you would be pretty close to 48 hours just driving not including stops. Flying you would spend around 12 hours (this includes fly time, arriving at the airport 1.5 - 2 hours early, and travel to/from airport). If you are short on time 1.5 days is a lot. Also, the drive home just sucks... it is A LOT harder to plan your drive time through the big cities (DC/NY) going home... not impossible but difficult.
 
Just got back after GFR stay #51. WDW is crowding up BIG TIME as Marathon Weekend begins early. Lots of traffic on World Drive as you approach the Seven Seas-Timberline intersection.

All the best! :thumbsup2
 
We're driving from Milwaukee the middle of March. We've done it many, many times but each time there's been a few sticking points. Our route is always the same. I94 to I65 to I24 to I75. My question-Is there a different route to take, which is just as quick, that would avoid mountains and fog? We always leave Nashville early in the morning and there is almost always fog around Chattanooga, TN. One year there was a terrible accident just south of there and now it's always on my mind. I want to avoid the fog and I'm not very fond of mountains.
 
Leaving in 26 days for drive 52. Heading out from Michigan on Feb 15. First night is planned for a Hyatt Place in Nashville, TN, The next day is TN Aquarium and lunch at Lupi's Pizza (Chattanooga), spending that night at Hyatt in Orlando near the convention center.

Checking in to Polynesian for 2 nights, Old Key West for 7, back to convention center for 4 nights and finally Riveria for 7. All this with 5 kids (oldest is 9) and a pregnant wife, should be quite the adventure.
 

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