Maritimes + New England best fares to Orlando (Post em)

[freddydiser021]

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[bluenosemickey]

3Mama3
We also have three kids and have driven from Halifax at least 10 times. Started within youngest was 4. We survive and obviously the trips aren't so bad, we keep doing it. Our kids actually love the drive and are sometimes disappointed when we fly from US instead of the full ride. It's great family bonding time. I feel less stressed than flying strangely enough. But I think it's the ability to take whatever we need with us, as long as I can stash it in our van.
If you need any pointers, I have lots. The trip is 36 driving hours for us. We stop three times, 12hrs roughly each day. Sometimes we do 18hrs and make up some time if we want to arrive in Fl earlier.
I think the kids get along best in this enclosed space than anywhere else. I think it's the knowledge that there's no where else to escape to and therefore you better find a way to get along. It could also be Stockholm Syndrome, ha ha.

 

[3mama3]

3Mama3
We also have three kids and have driven from Halifax at least 10 times. Started within youngest was 4. We survive and obviously the trips aren't so bad, we keep doing it. Our kids actually love the drive and are sometimes disappointed when we fly from US instead of the full ride. It's great family bonding time. I feel less stressed than flying strangely enough. But I think it's the ability to take whatever we need with us, as long as I can stash it in our van.
If you need any pointers, I have lots. The trip is 36 driving hours for us. We stop three times, 12hrs roughly each day. Sometimes we do 18hrs and make up some time if we want to arrive in Fl earlier.
I think the kids get along best in this enclosed space than anywhere else. I think it's the knowledge that there's no where else to escape to and therefore you better find a way to get along. It could also be Stockholm Syndrome, ha ha.[/QUOTE

Thank you!! I needed to hear that it's possible to do this drive with three kids!! I am very interested I learning what you routes you take. My husband is convinced we should stick to the 95 the whole way down. I would love to know your routes, and cities that you stay overnight. We are definitely planning an overnight stop in Charleston, South Carolina to tour a plantation, whether it's on the way down or the way back. Thank you for your reply

 

[bluenosemickey]

You can stick to the 95 the whole way, we have many times. It takes you right through NYC over the George W Bridge. Kind of cool seeing the recognizable buildings. But crazy traffic going from 0-145 kms/hr constantly. Just a little stressful unless you go through in the middle of the night. Now we tend to route ourselves from the 495 around Boston to Allentown NY via a series of highways that mostly turn up on the GPS. We also will route around DC by heading west of Baltimore and coming back on the 95 at Fredericksburg VA. It's 95 the rest of the way from here for sure. We tend to stop in Portsmouth NH, somewhere in SC and then arrive in Orlando late. Or we stop outside Baltimore if we can knock off 18hrs between the two of us driving. On the way home we always stop in Merrimack, NH and shop then it's a long trip home if we stop in Freeport too )
We usually go over march break and then again in late August. So it's back to school shopping on the way home.
Check out the transportation board for lots of experts on routes and exits to stop. Don't be afraid, it's much easier than you think. Cobequid pass is typically the worst part of the drive. Once you get onto those lovely highways in the US, you'll realize how crappy our roads are. Maine is boring but great roads and after Portland you get major cities every few hrs and the time really passes much faster than you'd think. Good luck!

 

[3mama3]

You can stick to the 95 the whole way, we have many times. It takes you right through NYC over the George W Bridge. Kind of cool seeing the recognizable buildings. But crazy traffic going from 0-145 kms/hr constantly. Just a little stressful unless you go through in the middle of the night. Now we tend to route ourselves from the 495 around Boston to Allentown NY via a series of highways that mostly turn up on the GPS. We also will route around DC by heading west of Baltimore and coming back on the 95 at Fredericksburg VA. It's 95 the rest of the way from here for sure. We tend to stop in Portsmouth NH, somewhere in SC and then arrive in Orlando late. Or we stop outside Baltimore if we can knock off 18hrs between the two of us driving. On the way home we always stop in Merrimack, NH and shop then it's a long trip home if we stop in Freeport too )
We usually go over march break and then again in late August. So it's back to school shopping on the way home.
Check out the transportation board for lots of experts on routes and exits to stop. Don't be afraid, it's much easier than you think. Cobequid pass is typically the worst part of the drive. Once you get onto those lovely highways in the US, you'll realize how crappy our roads are. Maine is boring but great roads and after Portland you get major cities every few hrs and the time really passes much faster than you'd think. Good luck!

Thank you so much for this!! Fingers crossed!! Looking forward to the adventure

 

[momdad4kids]

3mama3,
We've driven from N.B. to Orlando with 4 kids many times and its never been a bad experience. Like Bluenosemickey ours actually like the drive better than flying. There's lots to see and do along the way, most of the rest areas are clean. Im not sure how old your kids are but stopping every couple of hrs or so for 10 or 15 mins has worked well for us especially when the kids were very young (our first family trip down our now 15 yo was 2). For routes, Ive done the 95 to many times in the truck, NY is wonderful to see from the passenger seat (someday I hope to be able to do that) but the traffic is always heavy and unpredictable. Personally I prefer I95 through Me. Nh. and into Mass then either I495 to the Mass Pike (I90) or depending on the time of day Ill run the 95 right into Boston and pick up I90 there, rush hr in the Boston area the 495 can become pretty congested however if its your first time through that's probably the way I'd recommend. Stay on I90 until you come to I84 (Sturbridge, Manchester, Hartford CT.) Once your on I84 you have 3 options Option 1: You can exit at Hartford Ct. if you REALLY need to see NYC Option 2: You stay on 84 through Hartford , Danbury until you come to I87, exit here for NYC, NJ. stay on I87 to I287 then to I78 to Allentown Pa. (Traffic on 87 is heavy at times through NY area but never awful, this is really my preferred route) stay I84 through Pa. Md. WV and Va then take I64 over to I95 at Richmond Va and on through to Orlando or Option 3: Stay on I84 to Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Pa then pick up I 81 through Pa. Md. WV and Va take I64 over to I95 at Richmond and on through to Orlando ( this route is very scenic but it is Mtns and the weather can be unpredictable, Ive run through severe T-storms with the truck in march and snow storms on the way back) Oh don't forget to check out Hershey in Pa. nothing like a place dedicated to chocolate! Jacksonville Fla Id stay on the I95, just hold your speed back as there's a couple of sharp turns but it will save you over 20 mins over the 295. These routes all have a few tolls and I know some people are very "anti toll" but my experience driving through the states, the toll roads are usually faster wider and safer than trying to avoid them just to save a few dollars your going to waste in time, fuel and inconvenience. Hope this helps, have a great drive down!

 

[3mama3]

3mama3,
We've driven from N.B. to Orlando with 4 kids many times and its never been a bad experience. Like Bluenosemickey ours actually like the drive better than flying. There's lots to see and do along the way, most of the rest areas are clean. Im not sure how old your kids are but stopping every couple of hrs or so for 10 or 15 mins has worked well for us especially when the kids were very young (our first family trip down our now 15 yo was 2). For routes, Ive done the 95 to many times in the truck, NY is wonderful to see from the passenger seat (someday I hope to be able to do that) but the traffic is always heavy and unpredictable. Personally I prefer I95 through Me. Nh. and into Mass then either I495 to the Mass Pike (I90) or depending on the time of day Ill run the 95 right into Boston and pick up I90 there, rush hr in the Boston area the 495 can become pretty congested however if its your first time through that's probably the way I'd recommend. Stay on I90 until you come to I84 (Sturbridge, Manchester, Hartford CT.) Once your on I84 you have 3 options Option 1: You can exit at Hartford Ct. if you REALLY need to see NYC Option 2: You stay on 84 through Hartford , Danbury until you come to I87, exit here for NYC, NJ. stay on I87 to I287 then to I78 to Allentown Pa. (Traffic on 87 is heavy at times through NY area but never awful, this is really my preferred route) stay I84 through Pa. Md. WV and Va then take I64 over to I95 at Richmond Va and on through to Orlando or Option 3: Stay on I84 to Scranton, Wilkes-Barre Pa then pick up I 81 through Pa. Md. WV and Va take I64 over to I95 at Richmond and on through to Orlando ( this route is very scenic but it is Mtns and the weather can be unpredictable, Ive run through severe T-storms with the truck in march and snow storms on the way back) Oh don't forget to check out Hershey in Pa. nothing like a place dedicated to chocolate! Jacksonville Fla Id stay on the I95, just hold your speed back as there's a couple of sharp turns but it will save you over 20 mins over the 295. These routes all have a few tolls and I know some people are very "anti toll" but my experience driving through the states, the toll roads are usually faster wider and safer than trying to avoid them just to save a few dollars your going to waste in time, fuel and inconvenience. Hope this helps, have a great drive down!

Thank you for your reply!!! My children are 5, 10 and 12. We will be leaving around 3pm on a Thursday afternoon, and driving as far as Portland, Maine, and staying there Thursday evening. We will leave early Friday morning from Portland. Any idea how far we could drive in 10-12 hours? Wondering where we should stop to spend the night on Friday? (We are driving in May, so hopefully snow won't be an issue!) hoping to spend the Saturday night in Charleston, South Carolina.

 

[momdad4kids]

3mama3,
From Portland to Hershey/Harrisburg Pa its going to be about 8hrs of driving and from there another 3 1/2 to I-64. If your going to stay in Charleston SC that's almost 12 hrs of from Hershey/Harrisburg Pa. Id try to be at least down to Strasburg or Harrisburg Va. I-64 has some very nice scenery but don't expect to much for places to eat or stay through here unless your prepared to leave the hwy a bit. Most of the exits at least on the first half will be the usual fast food fare (McDonalds, BK, ect). For places to eat our kids love IHOP, Cracker Barrel is usually good and Bob Evans for a sit down restaurant can be really affordable as well. Normally we try to find a Howard Johnson Express Inn & Suites. The suites worked well for us especially when the kids were smaller, now there's some grumbling but for an overnight they suck it up, lol. If there's anything else don't be scared to ask

 

[3mama3]

3mama3,
From Portland to Hershey/Harrisburg Pa its going to be about 8hrs of driving and from there another 3 1/2 to I-64. If your going to stay in Charleston SC that's almost 12 hrs of from Hershey/Harrisburg Pa. Id try to be at least down to Strasburg or Harrisburg Va. I-64 has some very nice scenery but don't expect to much for places to eat or stay through here unless your prepared to leave the hwy a bit. Most of the exits at least on the first half will be the usual fast food fare (McDonalds, BK, ect). For places to eat our kids love IHOP, Cracker Barrel is usually good and Bob Evans for a sit down restaurant can be really affordable as well. Normally we try to find a Howard Johnson Express Inn & Suites. The suites worked well for us especially when the kids were smaller, now there's some grumbling but for an overnight they suck it up, lol. If there's anything else don't be scared to ask

I thank you again!! I'll be studying the maps today during our winter storm! I'm sure I'll have more questions, I appreciate the help!!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Over 2 months since someone posted! Wow.

We're planning to be in Orlando from Aug 19-30. My friend has a little bit of a mobility issue so we'd rather fly out of Charlottetown, but I've been researching out of Halifax, Moncton, Bangor, Portland and even Manchester and Boston. We found some flights one day out of Halifax for under $500 but then with the bridge, gas, hotel and tolls, it still was over $600 per person. It didn't seem worth it. Flights are so horrible that I almost want to just bite the bullet and book something! I found one on Expedia for $709 but it's just so much more than I like to pay! I usually keep it $550 or less out of Charlottetown. These ones are down with AC landing in Orlando at 11:35 in the morning (love that one!) and then going home leaving after lunch and getting home around midnight. It's just so yucky to not see any good rates for the past ... well, I don't even know how long I've been watching them. Probably 6 weeks. Do you think a sale will come up? AC seems to have June flights for $455.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I looked around DisneyFreak, but didn't see anything to help. Exchange rates are killing the deals ... sorry

 

[wendyt_ca]

We drove from Saint John, NB to Orlando this past Dec. We didn't find it that bad at all. We took about 2.5 days each way. And we would do it again down the road for sure. We are actually considering taking a long 3 week trip down in a couple of years and bringing out dog with us so we would do the drive again and look for places to stay that would allow us to have her.

 

[leogecko]

Delta out of halifax in Nov if your willing to fly mon to thursday is 397 a person! To dis I go. With the dollar right now that is a deal, I cant fly out of portland for that. Seen some dates also in sept and first week of dec, also some prices low 400

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I looked around DisneyFreak, but didn't see anything to help. Exchange rates are killing the deals ... sorry

Thanks.

I found something on United this morning for $493 CAD out of Charlottetown. I was really excited, contacted my friend before trying to book, but United is giving me error messages and won't let me book! Grrrr! Finally find a good price and I can't book it!

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I fly United a lot. I find that one day the price can be high. the next day low and then back up again. Keep looking

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I fly United a lot. I find that one day the price can be high. the next day low and then back up again. Keep looking

Thanks! I'm going to try calling them first to see if they can do something for me. $493 out of Charlottetown is incredible.

 

[MoCanada]

We got tired of waiting for better deals and booked out of Charlottetown for November 5th. Was actually cheaper than Moncton or Halifax this time....Not too impressed with the $15 charge for choosing your seats now with AC....

 

[DisneyFreak06]

We got tired of waiting for better deals and booked out of Charlottetown for November 5th. Was actually cheaper than Moncton or Halifax this time....Not too impressed with the $15 charge for choosing your seats now with AC....

Yay! I'm scared as we're going in August and we've been waiting too. I'm just not willing to pay that much. The best deal I got was $470 out of Charlottetown. Before they charged for seats and the first bag. LOL Now you pay $25 for your first bag, $35 for your second bag (usually coming home, but likely not this time for me!) and then $15 at least for your seat. It all adds up. But then otherwise we pay $45 for the bridge, plus gas, tolls and parking, if not a hotel, to stay in Halifax or further.

 

[mshanson3121]

If anyone is traveling in May to mid-June, Allegiant has seats out of Portsmouth, NH for $49-69 US. Out of Bangor is running $70-100.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

lately, Ive been seeing some fares around $420 per person for just before march break and just after. Ie March 9 to 23rd, via Delta