naples fl to elmira ny

[dockmasterdave]

Hi all: I'm starting to plan our first long trip with the TT.
Leaving naples fl in sept and heading to elmira ny.
I broke it down into @500 mile legs. That puts our first night near savannah ga. the second night would be around richmond va.
Then on to elmira. It sounds fairly comfortable driving about 8 to 10 hours a day MAX. I will still have a lot of planning to do on individual campgrounds etc. I just wanted to get some advice from people who know a lot more about this than me. Suggestions and (reasonable criticisms) greatly appreciated.

[pitch]

Only advice I have is do not take 81 into Binghamton; get on 15 south of Harrisburg. With the exception of a short stretch of two lane road it is new pavement most of the way and an extremely nice drive. Took us about 10 hours from the I64 I81 junction to our home which is an hour north of Elmira. I don't drive over 60 and stop on the schedule of my wifes bladder. I86/Rt17 between Corning and Elmira is probably the worst pavement in the nation. You won't be on it that long and can more than likely route around it with Elmira being your destination. Your time may vary.
Dixie Caverns is certainly not a destination site. It is good for an overnite. Bathrooms although reasonably clean haven't been updated since the Johnson administration. Very easy on off for the interstate.

[nipster]

2hams wrote:
That will be some long drive days. We try to keep it at 300 miles max.

Suggest from I95 take US17 north at Fredricksburg to I66 west to I81 north then take US15 at the southern side of Harrisburg.

I would recommend avoiding as much of I-95 as possible.

My recommendation would be to go up I-75 to SR 326 (just North of Ocala) to US 301. Take 301 to Callahan, FL to SR 200/A1A to I-95. I-95 North to I-26 (near St. George, SC) to I-77 (near Columbia). Stay on I-77 to I-81. Take I-81 North to NY 17 near Binghamton West to Elmira.

Cant give any campground recommendations unless you end up near Roanoke, there is a decent place called Dixie Caverns I think.

At a little over 300 miles a day, you are looking at 4 days

[Taxman2004]

We live 100 miles south of you. Your 50 miles an hour is right on if you don't hit a major traffic jam. We do either 95 or 75 regularly depending on where we are headed. It all depends on how many hours you can drive. When going across the US, either N/S or E/W we tend to average 500 miles a day. I once did 622, 635 & 435 back to back. It wasn't pleasant but I needed to get there a day earlier than I had originally planned. Those that drive 200 to 300 miles a day tend to be older, have more control (or lack of noncontrol) over their time and are more likely to be retired. Some of us get to travel before we retire and we have different rules to follow than older more mature RV'ers. It also helps if you boondock at a Flying J, Walmart, Cracker barrel or rest stop. You can pull in at 11:30 at night and start to rest. Most RV parks don't answer their phones a 9:00 or 10PM and don't appreciate that you might want to stop at 11:30 without a reservation. It also helps to travel with one of those Next Exit books that tell you what is at every exit at every Interstate in the US. Once when traveling east I wanted to do another 50 miles late one evening in central PA. My wife pointed out after referencing the Next Exit that there was nothing after the exit we were thinking about for over 80 miles. Had we not had the reference book, I might have been a bit ornery by the time we did find a place to stop.

[BillMFl]

2hams wrote:
That will be some long drive days. We try to keep it at 300 miles max.

Suggest from I95 take US17 north at Fredricksburg to I66 west to I81 north then take US15 at the southern side of Harrisburg.

x2 This is my route. Lived in Elmira a couple of years. Nice little town.

[Baileys_Buddies]

We took 3 days to drive from Saratoga, NY to Charleston, SC...... we did I-88 to I-81 to I-77 to I-26. It is a little over 1000 miles and no tolls at all! Our first stop from NY was Harrisburg, PA. Second day we drove to a nice KOA in Fancy Gap, VA. that I would definitely stay at again. Third day we drove thru to SC. I-81 is a pretty ride with plenty of places to stop for gas, food etc... We made that drive when we moved to SC, my son and I in the truck towing the trailer with my better half following in the chase vehicle with our two dogs, we had a blast...... Good Luck whatever you decide.

[Salty_Dog]

Traffic on I-95 can be heavy around Fayetteville, NC, Richmond, VA, and especially Washington, depending on the time of day. Taking I-95, I-26, I-77,and then I-81 may be a good alternative. My preference is I-95, US17, I-66, I-81 as another posted. We are always limited on time off and make the trip between Orlando and Finger Lakes area of NY with one overnight stay - those are two looong days, but our schedules make it necessary. On our way back north, we have stayed at RVacation near Selma, NC, easy off and back onto I-95. We try to make the first day the longer of the two so we have some cushion if traffic or weather is crazy. Good luck and safe travels, Mike

[K_Charles]

2hams wrote:
That will be some long drive days. We try to keep it at 300 miles max.

Suggest from I95 take US17 north at Fredricksburg to I66 west to I81 north then take US15 at the southern side of Harrisburg.

I use to go 75 to 81 and I tried that for a change and liked it even better 95 - 17 - 66 - then 81

[dockmasterdave]

Thanks for the input. Looks like I may still be a little too optimistic on how far I'll get in a day. I'm figuring 2 hours to a 100 miles. I'm on a schedule getting up there, but can take my time coming back down.
Maybe I need to leave a day earlier. Probably come back through OH,IN, KY, and AL.

[2hams]

That will be some long drive days. We try to keep it at 300 miles max.

Suggest from I95 take US17 north at Fredricksburg to I66 west to I81 north then take US15 at the southern side of Harrisburg.

[tomkaren13]

lj2654 wrote:
Nice trip you have planned. I try to do the same, break down the days so as not to overload myself. With the stress of traffic I feel even 8 hours is too much. But finding places to stay the night may make the daily driving a bit more or less depending on stops. I have some days I drive 6-7 hours, but try to stay at about 5-6 max! I was born in Elmira so know the area well......

We agree that 8 hours is a bit much. We figure on 300 to 400 miles a day. If you are going up I-81 a camp ground at Lickdale PA is a nice stop.

[Road_Runners]

We do only about 300 miles a day and can get from Tampa to Maryland with two overnight stops. We are in no hurry anymore.

[lj2654]

Nice trip you have planned. I try to do the same, break down the days so as not to overload myself. With the stress of traffic I feel even 8 hours is too much. But finding places to stay the night may make the daily driving a bit more or less depending on stops. I have some days I drive 6-7 hours, but try to stay at about 5-6 max! I was born in Elmira so know the area well......