Driving from Montreal to Florida...

[Minou]

I will drive to Florida for the first time since 1991 in a few weeks. I want to avoid as much traffic and tolls as possible. So, as in 1991, we plan to enter the US via I-81 then I-77 through Charlotte NC, I-26 from Columbia SC to I-95 into Florida. It's just a tad longer than the east route would be and time is estimated about the same for both. The whole trip will be only 14 days so less time on the road is more time spent overthere.

Speed will not be more than 5MPH over the limit and I know to be very carefull in construction zones.

Comments, suggestions?

What are the most popular brands of service stations along the way and which I should use? Is ethanol 10% in all grades over all the states that will be covered?

 

[simple_gifts]

PA has targeted enforcement areas (they are labeled as such) Best is not draw attention to ones self, especially from Scranton to Wilkes Barre which seems to be a heavily traveled area prone to accidents. Just take it easy thru there. Same goes around Carlisle and Harrisburg. (Harrisburg had a string of fatalities related to construction, enough for them to put up a sign indicating such)

I81 in VA is a nice ride during the day; VA State Police seems intolerant of speeds > 5MPH over the limit (regardless of amount of traffic on the road or weather) They will tag you @ 72MPH if you are the only one. Watch areas I know of are the Harrisonburg VA area; my parents live there and I81 thru there can be congested, many fly 80MPH thru the interchanges which are very poorly designed.

That's all I have for now. Drive safely....

 

[OilNerd]

Good route, especially for avoiding tolls. You can get eaten alive in tolls to FL if you're towing something, or have more than two axles. I think you'll still pay a toll on the bridge from Canada to the US, and one on the Thousand Island bridge on the way back north. (It's been a while since I've been out to that part of NY/ON, so the memory is a little fuzzy)

The cheap gas is in South Carolina and Georgia. Ethanol is hit or miss, depending on where you stop, more E10 than not.

I've run 5 mph-over a lot on that drive in the past, but in this era of "revenue enhancement", set the cruise on the limit and enjoy the ride. Expect a trooper in any interstate construction zone in New York.

I just got back from Buffalo/Niagara Falls and EVERY work zone on I-87 and I-90 was enforced by at least one trooper, and there were three in one long (over 10 miles) work zone on I-90.

 

[gonzo]

Originally Posted By: Minou
I will drive to Florida for the first time since 1991 in a few weeks. I want to avoid as much traffic and tolls as possible. So, as in 1991, we plan to enter the US via I-81 then I-77 through Charlotte NC, I-26 from Columbia SC to I-95 into Florida. It's just a tad longer than the east route would be and time is estimated about the same for both. The whole trip will be only 14 days so less time on the road is more time spent overthere.

Speed will not be more than 5MPH over the limit and I know to be very carefull in construction zones.

Comments, suggestions?

What are the most popular brands of service stations along the way and which I should use? Is ethanol 10% in all grades over all the states that will be covered?
How much do you think you will spend in gas?

 

[mechtech2]

Almost all gas has 10% ethanol in the USA.
You might get lucky here and there.

 

[Mr Nice]

What part of FL are you going to visit ?

As long as you keep up with the flow of traffic, FHP won't give you at speeding ticket.

 

[Minou]

Originally Posted By: gonzo
Originally Posted By: Minou
I will drive to Florida for the first time since 1991 in a few weeks. I want to avoid as much traffic and tolls as possible. So, as in 1991, we plan to enter the US via I-81 then I-77 through Charlotte NC, I-26 from Columbia SC to I-95 into Florida. It's just a tad longer than the east route would be and time is estimated about the same for both. The whole trip will be only 14 days so less time on the road is more time spent overthere.

Speed will not be more than 5MPH over the limit and I know to be very carefull in construction zones.

Comments, suggestions?

What are the most popular brands of service stations along the way and which I should use? Is ethanol 10% in all grades over all the states that will be covered?
How much do you think you will spend in gas?


Google map pegs the distance at almost 2500 Km each way so that's 3 tankfull to go, 3 back plus one over there. So 7 tanks at $50.US = $350.US worth of gas at the most.

 

[Minou]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
What part of FL are you going to visit ?

As long as you keep up with the flow of traffic, FHP won't give you at speeding ticket.


We bought a house in March in the Bayonet Point/Hudson area north of Clearwater. So will be staying there and shop for furniture and start refresh/painting and such.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

Be careful of speed everywhere. All the states are cash hungry these days. I haven't heard of any problems in NC, but South Carolina can be a real pain in the pocket book. Have a great trip.

 

[andyd]

I think I 81 is a good choice. Its free. and the traffic is mostly trucks. I use it to go to car meets in the Carolinas.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette

As long as you keep up with the flow of traffic, FHP won't give you at speeding ticket.

+1

If you are not going along with the flow of traffic you will be a big time hazard out there...If traffic is moving along at 85mph just go along with it...Its the slow pokes that drive me nuts and cause chain reaction accidents.

As far a gas stations go I always get Exxon/Mobil cause they are always the busiest.

 

[Vikas]

You will have out of States (!) plates; you would be the first one to get ticketed I did back of the envelope calculation and you are planning on getting at least 32 mpg for this trip (2500km on 3 tanks for $50 each; 833km @ $50/$3perGallon = 16 gallon; 833km = 522 miles; 522/16 = 32.6 mpg) What are you driving?

- Vikas

 

[Minou]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
You will have out of States (!) plates; you would be the first one to get ticketed I did back of the envelope calculation and you are planning on getting at least 32 mpg for this trip (2500km on 3 tanks for $50 each; 833km @ $50/$3perGallon = 16 gallon; 833km = 522 miles; 522/16 = 32.6 mpg) What are you driving?


See my signature.

Last year, I had 3 tanks above 900 Km but those were well into the low fuel light. A highway tank can last me around 875 Km before the light. So 833 Km per tank is very conservative so I should do it easy if I average 33-34 MPG US.

Cars from Quebec have no front plates so definitely good targets for out of state candidates for a "special income"...

 

[ALS]

Being your going to Clearwater you will be heading down Florida Rt 301. This is one of the most famous revenue roads in America.
When heading into the small towns along it pay very close attention to the speed limits. They don't play around and I can guarantee you five over will get you a speeding ticket.

Stay at the speed limit along your trip and save some gas. Your not going to make up that much time going five over for your trip. As said before many of these states are hurting for money and making yourself a nice fat target isn't worth the time saved.

I make a 1170 mile run three times a year to my place in Naples and I limit my speed to 65 mph and it only costs me an additional 45 minutes over running the 70 mph speed limit down.

Up side is I save 2.0-3.0 miles per gallon over the complete trip. 70 mph max running the speed limits I get 25.5-26.5 mpg If I limit my speed to 65 mph maximum my gas mileage jumps to 28-29 mpg in my Volvo 960.

 

[Minou]

Thanks for the tip on Rt 301. Indeed, we will travel 122 Km on 301 between I-10 and I-75. I'm always weary of these secondary roads entering small towns and with reduced speed limits all over the place that you may not always see when you're not used to driving there often.

 

[ALS]

Here is nice web site run by the AAA on state by state gas prices. Click on the USA Map to open up another page with state by state fuel prices. By clicking on each state (Name) it opens up another page giving more detailed prices. By using this web page you can plan where to buy gas to save the most money during your trip. http://www.fuelgaugereport.com/

 

[Minou]

We returned from Florida last Friday. 5443 Km (3382 miles) driven in 14 days. Roughly 2475 Km (1540 miles) one way. Our route was through 401, I-81, I-77, I-26, I-95, I-295, I-10, FL310 and US52. Everything went well and the Sonata didn't use a drop of VWB.

Avg measured trip fuel economy over 7 tankfuls was 7.124 L/100 Km or 39.7 Mi/Gal Imp or 33.0 Mi/Gal US including short trips for 10 days over there. Not bad considering that the car was loaded. I spent $303.15 in gas but returned home with more gas in the tank than when I left so my actual cost was less than $300. The price of gas was actually going down the whole time of our trip and for fellow canadians on board, my avg cost in Can $ came to only $0.78/liter.

I only used Sunoco or Shell and I surmised that ethanol content was pretty low on some of those tanks.

My ScangaugeII was really appreciated for monitoring fuel economy and as a trip computer on this long trip.

Some observations:
- Traffic moves swiftly from Virginia down in general with the median speed in the 75-80 MPH. Ditto the trucks... Here trucks are now limited and governed to 65 MPH max. Not a bad thing if you ask me.

- Which may explain the huge number of separated tire truck treads littering the highways.

- I was also surprised at the number of cars on the side of the road in the south with flats or blown out tires or just stranded for some mechanical reason likely related to poor maintenance.

- I can't explain why so many motorists stay on the left lane when not passing anybody?...

No tickets but this close encounter with the constabularies in SC off of I-95 just after pulling in a parking lot for food. These 2 troopers park right on either side of us. Mrs Minou and I look at each other asking if we had done anything, we get out and they just say Hi and go inside for some ice cream or something.



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Thanks for the sound advice you gave me on some sections of our route.

Next time in late October.

 

[Nick R]

Nice! I dunno why everyone is saying SC is bad. I drove through it on both the way down and back in feb, and I had the cruise set at about 78 the entire way through, and was never bothered once. Saw one trooper on the way down and back. It was nice, becaue everyone there speeds, so there were times with just hitting 80 with the cruise for half an hour or more. SC was a breeze.

 

[CROWNVIC4LIFE]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
Nice! I dunno why everyone is saying SC is bad. I drove through it on both the way down and back in feb, and I had the cruise set at about 78 the entire way through, and was never bothered once. Saw one trooper on the way down and back. It was nice, becaue everyone there speeds, so there were times with just hitting 80 with the cruise for half an hour or more. SC was a breeze.


I just got off the road [I-95] and South Carolina was loaded with cops and they were giving alot of tickets out each time I went threw there...I kept my speed around 79MPH... North Carolina was not as bad but they were out there..The were both using alot of unmarked cars...Chargers&Impalas besides the C.V...In South Carolina I saw the cops on 2 occasions making people take all their belongings out of their trunk...I mean everything...Even in the monsoon rain...Only saw a sprinkling in the rest of the states...In Florida the cops were not bothering anyone even though the bulk of the cars were going way over the speed limit.

I only used my cruise control for about 5 minutes as the speed kept changing...My average speed was 79mph but there were times I was going 85-90 mph.

The average price for gas was 2.65 [regluar] the entire trip...I use only Exxon or Mobil.

 

[Minou]

I saw as low as $2.49 for regular on the way back last week. No wonder the cruising speed is high.