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Lesson Learned - NYC to Hilton Head Drive

nycjimster

TUG Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
110
Reaction score
48
Points
388
Location
New York
Resorts Owned
Marriott Aruba Surf Club, Marriott Ko Olina, Marriott Manor Club Sequel, Marriott Summit Watch
First time making this drive. I planned overnight in Fayetteville, NC on the way down. We left 9am Saturday, and got stuck in traffic starting after passing Baltimore. DC to Richmond was miserable. Even on Sunday from Fayetteville to HHI we had stop and go traffic. Overall, the 12 hour driving trip took 15 hours (not factoring breaks/overnight stay). The traffic resulted in an extra three hours of driving. On way back, I tried to avoid the traffic. I left Sunday morning at 4am. We encountered a bit of traffic around DC and some stop and go in Maryland and Delaware. I got back home at 6pm. The trip back took 14 hours with 12 of driving and 2 hours for 3 stops for bathroom and lunch. I would leave early in the future. I might even try to NYC to Orlando one day.
 

elaine

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
5,175
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Location
DC
Resorts Owned
HGVC Eagles Nest, DVC-AKV, HHI
You drove Easter break week. Lots of spring break travel (us included). I read WDW was jammed, as was Vero Beach area where we were. Being from DC, IMHO if you don't get south of DC by 9 am on a summer/spring break getaway day, it can be really bad. Same for returning summer on a Sunday--past noon going North from Richmond can be **#*#*$! We try to get to SAV or JAX from DC. That's as far as we can go. We did DC-Orlando once and we were exhausted!
 

tschwa2

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2008
Messages
16,004
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4,676
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748
Location
Maryland
Resorts Owned
A few in S and VA, a single resort in NC, MD, PA, and UT, plus Jamaica and the Bahamas
First time making this drive. I planned overnight in Fayetteville, NC on the way down. We left 9am Saturday, and got stuck in traffic starting after passing Baltimore. DC to Richmond was miserable. Even on Sunday from Fayetteville to HHI we had stop and go traffic. Overall, the 12 hour driving trip took 15 hours (not factoring breaks/overnight stay). The traffic resulted in an extra three hours of driving. On way back, I tried to avoid the traffic. I left Sunday morning at 4am. We encountered a bit of traffic around DC and some stop and go in Maryland and Delaware. I got back home at 6pm. The trip back took 14 hours with 12 of driving and 2 hours for 3 stops for bathroom and lunch. I would leave early in the future. I might even try to NYC to Orlando one day.
The only time to be fairly sure of a decent commute around/through DC is to hit Baltimore after 8pm-up to 3am.
 

moonstone

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
TUG Member
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Jun 6, 2005
Messages
2,762
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599
Location
Moonstone, ON
Resorts Owned
The Beach Club at St. Augustine Beach, FL (1 floating week, purchased in 1982)

77,000 RCI points (Sunrise Ridge Resort, TN)
You drove Easter break week. Lots of spring break travel (us included).

Not just Easter break travel but lots of snowbirds who leave Florida and points south at the end of March to head north. We figured out that traffic was always bad, even on I-77 & I-75, northbound at the end of March many years ago and plan our trips accordingly. It appears people go south at various times from the end of October (another heavy traffic time southbound) through to the middle of December but most had home at the end of March with a few more staying until the end of April.


~Diane
 
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