Anyone made the drive from DC to Tampa in one day? Do-able or a big mistake?

[Anonymous]

We leave at around 4 am, get quick breakfast around 8. Drive 4 more hours so that is around 12 pm. We sometimes get a day pass to a hotel with a heated pool so kids can swim. Spouse and I trade off watching kids/ swimming and napping. Order food by the pool. Leave around 4.

Depends on traffic and time of year but then back on the road for around 5 more hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yuck. My husband is from Savannah so we’ve done that drive many times. But we used to live in Sarasota and Savannah to Tampa is another 5ish. You’re looking at a 16-17 hour day in the car. Possible, sure, but awful.

Which is why I am trying to go further than Savannah but not all the way to Tampa.

So, is that Jacksonville? Or someplace else?

[Anonymous]

Florence, SC is a decent stop. Plenty of hotels to choose from.

[Anonymous]

I’ve done DC to Sarasota in a day, but that was during the pandemic. Traffic volumes are high enough now, especially in December, that I think it’d be a reach to do in one day. But Jax would be very doable. Lots of hotels near the airport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have driven to Sarasota Florida from Springfield Virginia in one day, twice, many years ago. You have too many people to drive to Tampa in one day. Plan on about 10 hours to drive to Jacksonville if you don’t stop to eat. I would recommend stoping for the night at st. Augustine or st. Augustine beach, which is slightly past Jacksonville. I would not suggest Amelia Island Florida because it is too far from I-95. The biggest problem was the road quality in South Carolina, which is roughly 200 miles long.

As a former Bradenton, and now Springfield, resident, I salute you!

[Anonymous]

13 hrs. I would either leave at 5am and drive all the way in one long terrible day or leave at 10am, drive to Savannah area and spend the night and do the rest the next day. I wouldn’t spend the night in Jacksonville, to me at that point I’d rather just finish the drive to my destination since Jax is only 3 hrs from Tampa. I have driven from DC to Florida several times and done lots of other long drives. The long days are awful but if you can leave early morning, in my opinion it’s better to just get it all over w in one long terrible day than stay at some crappy hotel (and for 12 people you’ll need at least 3 hotel rooms so very $$$) where no one really wants to be and still have to drive again the next day.

[Anonymous]

We’ve done Fairfax to Miami in one day several times. It takes about 15 hours. But DH and I are the sort of people that would rather have one terrible long drive day followed by a recovery day than two somewhat shorter but still long drive days.

[Anonymous]

When I was much longer, I lived in NOVA and drove to visit family in Tampa every Christmas. I remember the drive being a 16 Hour drive with basically no stops other than a couple of half hour cat naps and bathroom breaks at rest stops to wake me up because I would get road weary.

I would leave like at five in the morning and arrive in Tampa after dark. It was a long grueling ride.

It's much easier to make this drive a 2 Day Dr. with a break in either South Carolina or North Carolina

[Anonymous]

So, I've done it but it really depends on how many drivers you have. You must switch off. That said, I would never, ever do it again. It's just too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yuck. My husband is from Savannah so we’ve done that drive many times. But we used to live in Sarasota and Savannah to Tampa is another 5ish. You’re looking at a 16-17 hour day in the car. Possible, sure, but awful.

Which is why I am trying to go further than Savannah but not all the way to Tampa.

So, is that Jacksonville? Or someplace else?

No one is answering your question because it just doesn't make any sense to go as far as Jacksonville when you're dividing up the trip anyhow. Are you hoping for something other than a highway-side hotel out of your Jacksonville stay?

[Anonymous]

Florence SC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yuck. My husband is from Savannah so we’ve done that drive many times. But we used to live in Sarasota and Savannah to Tampa is another 5ish. You’re looking at a 16-17 hour day in the car. Possible, sure, but awful.

Which is why I am trying to go further than Savannah but not all the way to Tampa.

So, is that Jacksonville? Or someplace else?

Brunswick or Yulee could work. But at that point I’d probably just finish the drive.

[Anonymous]

After you overnight in Florence SC don't forget to stop at Bucee's in Florence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Florence SC

Florence is about the 1/2 way point. It’ll make the drive easier but I wouldn’t do this. If I were you I’d rather just get there in one really long, bad day than have 2 annoying days of driving 6-7 hrs each day.

[Anonymous]

I’m leaning towards Jacksonville: one long day of driving followed by a straight shot in 3+ hours the next day.