Driving to Charleston, SC in one day

[Anonymous]

is that too much? what if I left at night and drove to North Carolina? What say you?

[Anonymous]

It depends on you and who you are traveling with. I wouldn't think twice about doing it solo, although I know folks who physically can't. The bigger question is whether you are traveling with kids and what they are like.

Do you experience with them riding in the car for four or five hours at a stretch? We've done that sort of trip a number of times: drive for 4-5 hours, late dinner, then pajamas and other 4-5 hours with them sleeping in the car. If you have to stop every 1.5 hours for a 30 minute stop, it is not going to work.

[Anonymous]

Was wondering about this myself. In a vaguely related vein, does anyone know a good place to stop overnight that would be around halfway from DC to Charleston? Traveling with two toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Was wondering about this myself. In a vaguely related vein, does anyone know a good place to stop overnight that would be around halfway from DC to Charleston? Traveling with two toddlers.

Lumberton

[Anonymous]

Halfway to Charleston puts you around Raleigh. 95 does not have anything to recommend it; Rocky Mount and Fayetteville have a couple motels that are probably OK for a pitstop like this. I stay with friends in Raleigh, which seems to have a number of nice places. Of course, you might as well stay closer to 95 if all you want is a bed.

[Anonymous]

The unpredictable traffic on 95 between DC and Fredericksburg can be absolute torture. Esp at the very beginning or end of a loooong drive. I wouldn't do it. You can get a direct flight for about $100.

[Anonymous]

9 hours from dc. Went to school there so did it a lot. As long as you don't have young kids or can leave at 3am I'd do it in one shot.

[Anonymous]

It's like 9 hours. Long but you're acting like you're driving to California without stopping. Of course it's doable.

[Anonymous]

We do it every summer. We leave at 5 am mid-week and usually make it there by 2-3 pm depending on how long we stop. Normally, one stop for breakfast and another bathroom/snack stop.

[Anonymous]

Yep key is to leave here by 5 ish. You want to make the Va/Nc line by 8-8:30.

[Anonymous]

I've done it several times with my son, starting at age 2, with no problems. Including all the stops was around 10 hours. It really depends on how old kids are.

[Anonymous]

There are definitely places to stay in NC: Rocky Mount, Wilson, Dunn, and Fayetteville. And a HUGE quantity of hotels in Lumberton. Lumberton is closest to Charleston, so if you drove there, your second day would be shortest. Fayetteville is a bit off I-95; the others are directly on it.

My idea of a pitstop is safe, clean, easy to get in and out.

It really depends on how cooperative the kids are, and what traffic is like. You never know what the I-95 traffic gods will bring you.

You can literally pull up to a hotel in Lumberton and get a room for the night. (BTDT)

[Anonymous]

We do this every year over Thanksgiving. We have two children, now 3 and 4, and have been doing this since they were infants. We like to plow right through, usually leaving around 5AM from DC, stopping for breakfast around 8 or 9, and then hitting Charleston around 3. The trip back can be a pain (traffic usually picks up at Richmond and can be a nightmare the whole way back up) but we prefer knocking it out in one day. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

We stop in Fayetteville. Big military base there so plenty of hotels and also places to eat.

[Anonymous]

Of course! I just left Alexandria yesterday at 6:30 a. m. Arriving in Kissimmee, Fl. at 8:30p.m. Long day, but saves us 2000 on flights and car rental. Charleston is no problem!! If you leave early...like 6:30, there's no traffic problems and you'll be there mid-afternoon.