Spring Break 2019 - Traffic on 95 and from the Resorts

[Naterfan]

This will be our third cruise and we've always stayed right near the port, coming down a day or two early. Next year we'll be taking a cruise during Spring Break, Apr 15-19, and for some reason it never occurred to me that traffic would be an issue until my dentist told me that the normally 12hr drive back to Virginia, took him 18hrs this last weekend. Does anyone have experience driving back from Florida, going north on 95, on a Friday during Spring Break Season? How bad did you have it? Are weekends worse?

Also, has anyone driven from one of the resorts to port in their POV? How's traffic if your PAT is 10:30ish?

Thank you for any insight.

 

[Pens Fan]

I'm not sure where in VA you are heading, but I will share our experience on I 95 in the summertime (never done it spring break, but I'd guess it's similar). We travel from PA to the NC OBX every summer and each year we curse the state of VA - no offense VA folks, you have a beautiful state, but I 95 and I 64 are truly awful on weekends. After suffering through it a couple of years, we learned to leave before dawn (like 4 AM) to avoid the worst of it, and find if we hit that area around the time you are talking about it's not so bad - lots of traffic but at least it's moving. By noon, it's a parking lot. When we leave that early, we are happily having lunch at Sam and Omie's in Nags Head by 1 or 2 PM. Keep in mind, as we are heading to the OBX, we cut on I 64 at Richmond, so I don't know what I 95 is like south of there (probably still awful ).

I also guess that Friday would be a big improvement over Saturday or Sunday.

 

[Naterfan]

We're just on the NC border, so no worries with 64, and you'll be happy to hear it's now three lanes all the way from Hampton to Williamsburg.

Regarding the trip north, my dentist couldn't even take a short nap at a rest stop as they were all full by 8-9pm. I never knew it got that bad heading home from FL.

 

[Pens Fan]

We're just on the NC border, so no worries with 64, and you'll be happy to hear it's now three lanes all the way from Hampton to Williamsburg.

Regarding the trip north, my dentist couldn't even take a short nap at a rest stop as they were all full by 8-9pm. I never knew it got that bad heading home from FL.

Ahh, so I'm no help. Sorry!

Thanks, for the heads up on I 64. They were working on that last year, so I'm glad that's finished. Ahhhh - the beach. Now I'm sitting here hoping Memorial Day hurries up and gets here so we can go to our "happy place"!

 

[Annge]

You also need to be prepared for something that might shut down 95 - in both directions. I am just North of Daytona, and I always prepare an alternate route when traveling 95 - just in case.

We have had numerous, horrendous accidents, and just recently several fires. The authorities can detour you around the fires, but you often are stuck in a parking lot when accidents happen. Regardless, both events will slow you down.

And if it is raining.....

Hope your trip is uneventful.

This will be our third cruise and we've always stayed right near the port, coming down a day or two early. Next year we'll be taking a cruise during Spring Break, Apr 15-19, and for some reason it never occurred to me that traffic would be an issue until my dentist told me that the normally 12hr drive back to Virginia, took him 18hrs this last weekend. Does anyone have experience driving back from Florida, going north on 95, on a Friday during Spring Break Season? How bad did you have it? Are weekends worse?

Also, has anyone driven from one of the resorts to port in their POV? How's traffic if your PAT is 10:30ish?

Thank you for any insight.

 

[Fldogmassage]

I'm in South florida and our spring break is end of March. Since every where is different you might be okay.

 

[CM Dad]

By noon, it's a parking lot. When we leave that early, we are happily having lunch at Sam and Omie's in Nags Head by 1 or 2 PM. Keep in mind, as we are heading to the OBX, we cut on I 64 at Richmond, so I don't know what I 95 is like south of there (probably still awful ).

I live in Northern VA and the worst part of the drive to FL in I95 between DC and Richmond. Once you get past Richmond, the traffic improves. The exception to this was one trip in December, the day after Christmas, where all of North Carolina was horrible, and it took us about 12 hours just in NC, rather than the normal 3 hours due to a this layer of ice that had traffic slowed to a crawl. Took about 4 hours to get a meal in a Denny's that trip. It was the only place we could find that was open.

 

[tidefan]

I'm in South florida and our spring break is end of March. Since every where is different you might be okay.

Our Spring Break next year is March 9-16!

 

[su_A_ve]

The biggest traffic in 95 in April is Northbound by the snow birds (mostly Canadians) going back with their motorhomes.

 

[Mil leech]

I drove I-95 the Friday before Easter this year. Nightmare going North and South. South was backed up most of Georgia. North was rough getting near any city, Jacksonville, Savannah, Feyetteville, Richmond... Only advice I have is if you are not doing it in one day to make sure you have a stopping point known by 5pm and call ahead to check hotel availability. All the hotels on I95 seemed to be booked up by 7pm. We stopped and our friends kept going, I think their drive to Baltimore took 16 hours.