Advice: Driving from NYC to Miami

[WoodyStylee]

So i'm moving from NYC down to Miami for work, and i'm driving down in my car with just the shirt on my back basically. Any tips/advice for the drive is appreciated.

 

[lynchpatrickj]

Bring a book.

 

[Jumbie]

Get a car charger for your cell phone.

Bring some water and snacks.

Don't speed (I was warned that cops in N and S Carolina in particular are very nasty about ticketing).

Pay attention to your gas tank. When I was driving from FL to NJ in 2007, my tank was kind of low yet I had passed so many gas stations on the drive thus far that I figured I'd wait a while cause I still had some gas and I was bound to hit another before long. Somehow I ended up going for a long stretch where I got to the point that I thought I'd run out of gas and get stranded. Luckily, I didn't but for a while there it made for an unpleasant drive.

Get your car checked out before you leave unless you know it's in perfect condition. You don't want to be stranded. Triple A might be a good idea.

 

[WoodyStylee]

Originally Posted by lynchpatrickj

Bring a book.

Always good to catch up on a good novel while driving, you know, in between eating, talking on my cell phone and shooting off emails.

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by lynchpatrickj

Bring a book.

Books on tape (IPOD) for the drive. Bring a friend to keep you company.

 

[Jumbie]

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

Books on tape (IPOD) for the drive. Bring a friend to keep you company.

Both good suggestions.

 

[GQgeek]

NYC to Miami really isn't that far. I can remember doing it as a kid from Toronto. It's basically a straight road the whole way there. You really need advice for this? Have you never ventured outside NY?

 

[Bradford]

Never taken that particular trip, so I don't know the area.

But in general, if you're not in a huge rush it's a lot more fun to take back roads than the interstate.

Probably some cool things to see along the way.

 

[WoodyStylee]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

NYC to Miami really isn't that far. I can remember doing it as a kid from Toronto. It's basically a straight road the whole way there. You really need advice for this? Have you never ventured outside NY?

It a 20 hour drive, the farthest ive ever driven in 1 trip. I'm planning on doing 2, 10hour shifts. i'm not tryin to kill myself with a 20 hr straight shot.

 

[lynchpatrickj]

+1 to watching the **** out for cops in North and especially South Carolina. They're brutal. Also, make sure you look your car over thoroughly before making the trip, and while you're driving - tires, brakes, belts, oil, water/coolant, etc. Also, I've found that doing things like stopping to brush your teeth in the middle of the drive can really make you feel more comfortable. Make sure you've got your toiletries handy.

 

[VKK3450]

Originally Posted by WoodyStylee

It a 20 hour drive, the farthest ive ever driven in 1 trip. I'm planning on doing 2, 10hour shifts. i'm not tryin to kill myself with a 20 hr straight shot.

Maybe... If you dont get caught in some nasty roadworks that tie you up for 4 hours. On that long of a run its likely to happen.

Last long drive I did from ATL to Key Largo I put a cooler and a hot thermos full of coffee next to me and a couple of bags of snacks and did a straight run of it.

I found that listening to local radio stations was fun and broke up the monotony. Also spent a good chunk of it calling people i meant to catch up with for ages.

K

 

[feynmix]

Did NJ to Miami. Granted I had 6 other friends with me, but it was still a ridiculously long drive.

Here are some tips:

• Expect to pay lots of tolls till you pass DC.
  
• EZ will be a huge time saver.
  
• Delaware and its 50mph sucks (but its only 20 exits or so).
  
• DC traffic is terrible.
  
• Lots of cops is middle of nowhere towns in VA.
  
• Enjoy the 70 mph minimum on I-95 through NC (don't remember SC, its 65 through GA, and i think 70 through parts of FL).
  
• If you want to see some interesting ****, stop by South of the Border in SC. Its a weird little town. When I went there, the entire town was empty with only 2 things open: A vintage marital aid shop and a gas station. More here: http://www.pedroland.com/
  
• GA cops suck. A friend of mine got a ticket on the way down at 2am.
  
• FL is incredibly long. Just when you feel like you are finally in FL, you realize that you have another 700 miles to go to get to Miami.
  
• We ended up crashing for a few hours on Daytona beach on the way.
  
• The front of your car is going to look like **** after you drive through. At least in the summer, there is all kinds of bugs flying around FL that will get smashed to your car and windshield window
  
• Carry some food with you if you don't want to eat fast food for 2 days.

.

 

[feynmix]

Originally Posted by VKK3450

I found that listening to local radio stations was fun and broke up the monotony. Also spent a good chunk of it calling people i meant to catch up with for ages.

K

+ 1. I have a list of 5-6 people that I can rely on to kill my time when I am on long drives.

 

[turboman808]

When I was 17 I took a 72 triumph spitfire that barely ran and drove it across the country and back. No plans at all. I had just enough money for gas and ran out of money for food. Shop lifting kept me from starving.

Had I planned it at all it wouldn't have been as much fun or nearly as exciting. Just hop in your car and go. Don't plan anything.

 

[Lucky7]

A female companion. Road head on a long drive can do wonders for morale.