Dif

Contemplating our 1st road trip to Florida from Massachusetts with the C6.
Will be our 1st long distance trip and wondering about some of the things to consider.
Plan on taking our time figuring about 3 days travel time at least.

Do you make reservations with a motel/hotel along the route anticipating where you'll be by end of each travel day?

Not usually one to leave things to chance ..
but, from preliminary planning, there seems to be quite a lot of motel/hotels grouped together in spots along the route.
Would presume there would be a vacancy in at least one of them.

Any and all info will be appreciated

C5FRCPewter

Normally if we are not going to be in an area where a major event is taking place, such as a Nascar race, we just stay where it is convenient to stop when we are tired of driving for the day. If we are going to a major event, we book in the area in advance.

FrankTank

If I am taking a long road trip like that for the most part I wing it, and just pick hotels along the way, it's a bit more laid back that way. You just have to beware if you are passing through a certain town or city, and there is a major event (sporting event, concert or whatever) it might be hard to find a hotel you want.

Snowwolfe

Good advice. I never know how far I'll drive in a day and hate to feel pressured to get somewhere in a certain time frame. I drive till I want to stop and see the sights, relax, walk around, etc. Then drive somemore. Some days are boring and the miles go by quickly while other days are full of sights to see.

JJPonzini

My bride is much too organized to not book hotel rooms in advance. She knows where, when, how much, etc. It does make for a surprise-free trip.

Mad*Max

I have done numerous trips in the US in the past few years and what I do is when I stop for lunch I figure out how far I will be by about 6 pm. Use my GPS to search hotels using the "current route" search function. I always stay with Comfort Inn as I have points membership with them and there is always lots of selection. The GPS gives me the address, distance and ETA. I call the toll free number for Comfort Inn and book the room with my credit card. If you have AAA then you can get a discount. Travelled with the family and never had a problem. Enjoy the trip (I just got back from Florida myself)!

veni vidi vert

I've done several long road trips in my Z06.

This year I went from Texas to Cali, and last year I went from Texas to Orlando..

I never plan where I'll be stopping ahead of time, but then again it's just me, or me and a GF so I'm pretty flexible.

I did end up joining AAA, for both the on road support and hotel discounts.

Enjoy! Your vette will makes a great road trip car

unixcorn

I just returned from a trip north and then west. While you will, for the most part, be in or near metro areas, I wasn't and when I got to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I couldn't find one hotel room. It was late and I ended up traveling farther west before I was able to get accommodations. I like Mad Max's idea of a lunchtime reservation when you have a good idea where you will be in the evening. I think I will use that next time I travel.
Have fun in Florida!

ruxvette

Sometimes motels offer a discount for booking on line. I have picked s motel, pulled into the parking lot, and book it on line. Saves a few bux to put in the flask, er, tank.

JoesC5

I do long trips with our club, so, with 18-20 Corvettes(and the need for 18-20 rooms), we make our motel reservations in advance.

When I'm traveling alone, I normally wing it , but I have an idea where I'll be at the end of each day. I check out motels at those locations on TripAdvisor, ahead of time, and eliminate any that are overly priced or have a bunch of bad reviews. That way I have an idea of which motels to check for a vacancy when I hit town. I do the same with restaurants along the route.

jonathontodd

In the summer months, best to book in advance,,,was in the same situation in Sioux falls, SD....unfortunately for me...it was High School Prom...ended up driving all the way to Mitchell, SD before i found a place that had vacancy.

enjoy the trip, these cars are amazing on the interstate

Don-Vette

I agree. I hate being on a time schedule when on vacation. Have a safe trip!!!

truckplay

part of the fun of a road trip is winging it

drive, enjoy, have fun & WATCH YOUR SPEED

don't forget to cover the car's nose.

etaylor14

When we go on a road trip we don't make any plans on where we are staying along the way. Never had a problem finding places to eat or stay. With Onstar and smart phones whatever you want or need is one touch away!!! Just GO and have a good time!!!!

hwhiteco

Unless you absolutely need to stay in a precise area, never had a situation where I couldn't drive to a place that had vacancies, so we usually just wing it...that way you don't have to "beat the clock" to meet deadlines, especially when you run into un-anticipated delays.

You can prep at home first by perusing online publications like http://travelcoupons.com/ & http://hotelcoupons.com/ for possible places to stay...then either print the coupons at home or pick up the printed hard-copy books of those publications and more at the Welcome Centers which are usually located right on the Interstates near the borders of the applicable States. Also, if you want to avoid 95 for part of the journey (especially the Baltimore & DC Loops) and take a lot more scenic route, you may want to consider using I-81 and/or parts of the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway connection which runs through the Appalachian Mts, Shenandoah National Park, Great Smoky Mts & Cherokee Indian Res...then if you had a major time allotment & really wanted to "slow-boat" it down to FL...you can always do a major diversion off those routes and pay a visit to the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green?...Last but not least...if you're a member of AAA...be sure to consult them 1st before you leave home to have them mail you multiple Trip-Kits along with maps, promos, coupons, etc for more than 1 route down there...that should keep ya busy for a while...life's a journey...enjoy the trip!

Flh Den

I can only speak from personal experience in traveling the country on motorcycles for many years. While winging it was the option some of our friends used I was from the book ahead camp. I can't tell you how many times we traveled all day long only to find out there was a horse show in town, or soccer tournament, or boy scout convention, or many similar events and there were no rooms at dusk anywhere nearby and we were exhausted and hungry. I remember driving almost 75 miles before finding a rm in Pa because of a baseball event. I always use AAA travel guides and lay out a route and calculate how many miles we usually travel and book a rm early in the am with a restaurant nearby. After 10 hours in the saddle I like to know I have a rm waiting and a cocktail and nice meal to look forward to. You'll see!!

beepster

I disagree with most of the answers here. We are constantly on the move from TX to FL, NC and various others. You said in your original post you don't like to leave things to chance....neither do I. Make reservations! I have been surprised too many times on road trips where local events (not well publicized) occur. Bear in mind you are travelling during the peak summer months when families are on vacation. You can almost always change your mind while en route. Most hotels will allow a cancelation before 6PM. Guess I am **** about where I stay...not into bedbugs or kiddies....

Hameister

I've traveled the I-95 corridor from Florida, to the northeast, many times over the past 20 years. For the first 5 or 6 years I always made reservations. Each and every time, I realized it wasn't necessary. There were always plenty of rooms available, off one exit, or another.

Stopped making reservations many years ago. Generally figure three 9 hour days for a comfortable non-rushed, leisurely trip. Another reason for not making reservations is the fact that I would ALWAYS want to be certain that the motel I stay at will have a safe, and visible parking space for my 'vette. It sucks to make a reservation, and then find out that your room is on the other side of the building from the parking area, and your 'vette is parked right next to an all night bar & grill.

Don-Vette

I95 is nothing but pure and constant traffic jams. Avoid it at all cost. Rt. 17 along the coast is nice.

Firewater Burns

The Gasbuddy website or app is a great tool if you dont like to get reamed at the pump. You can look up your route ahead of time on the web to see what cities have the better price for the octane. When traveling through Missouri last month, I found Joplin to be ~10 cents cheaper than Springfield.

If you want to really take your time, maybe stop at a bed and breakfast, do some scenic routes, or just want to check out what the hotels looks like where you plan to stay. Use Google Street View (Tutorial: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCCl5I6RgxQ) too check out your plans.