please help, trip planning

[lisamomof4]

the end of march beginning of april i will be going to florida to visit/help my mom. i will be driving by myself with just dd3 who is 4. going rt 65 to rt 79 i believe. i'm going to need to stop and take a break some where. i had at first thought to just nap at rest area and keep going all the way through but realize that might not be the safest with a small child. so going to need a hotel/motel to stop at. i am thinking in the atlanta, georgia area. thing is i have no idea what is there. what is safe? close to highway? safe area? cheap or low cost? can you all give a recommendation??? what is even a good price for a hotel room?? can i reserve on a card but pay in cash?? any help or ideas will be welcome

[spruby]

Lisa - I don't know that area well but often do 95 from DC to parts of FL. There are really 2 options in a trip like this - (1) pick a spot on the way ahead of time and reserve a room - drive till you get there. The risk is that bad weather/traffic/etc could make it a longer than expected drive and you get there very late/not at all (and depending on cancellation policy - lose money). Or things go great you get their way early and wish you could keep going. If you do this - check the cancellation policy and try for one with same day (usually till 4pm) cancel without penalty. My in-laws do this but always reserve a place that is a sure thing to get to - which limits how far they get in a day - but works for them (retired - no time pressure)

2) We do this - get on the road, drive aiming for an area (Jacksonville usually) - about 4pm start assessing how we feel about where we are, how far till our goal, weather, etc - begin looking for places. Things to look for - you want an area with multiple options, pick a well lit hotel with a national chain, we like right off the road - we don't want to spend time driving to find a place. Assuming its an option - look for a place with a Cracker Barrel - the reason is these are usually more developed exits with more choices (5-8 hotels, fast food places, grocers, gas). Don't be shy - ask the price - if you don't like it - try another one. This is why options are good. Also - ask for a discount - AAA, anything. They won't volunteer them!

[Frugal Nurse]

Anything near Buckhead is going to put you smack in the middle of the shopping/dining out areas. It is a nice area with lots of newer, high-rise hotels, and you'd have many options for stuff to do and places to eat.

Last time we went to Atlanta, we stayed at a hotel in Norcross. The area was a little less crowded that Buckhead, but it was a good thing. There wasn't a ton of traffic and people milling about. The rate was like $45/night or something like that. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the hotel. There were a few places to eat, but no entertainment options. It was about 10 minutes from the main part of Atlanta, where all the fun is.
HTH
Have a safe trip!

[chicg]

Lisa - Since it's just you driving, I would just drive until you get tired and feel you need to rest, then find an exit with several chain hotels and restaurants (as mentioned above) and just stop and get a room at one of them. The farther out you stay from a major downtown, the cheaper it will be. I don't mean stay in a remote or junky area, but if you look near Atlanta, you don't want the downtown pricing. If you reserve ahead of time, you could run the risk of you getting tired, weather, DD needing to get out and sleep in a bed, etc and the timing might be off. Since you're not really looking for a night on the town, I'd avoid the downtown Atlanta area, it's expensive and crowded. Fun, but I don't think that's the type of accomodation purpose you're looking for...you just want a safe place to rest your head, right? Weeknight travel should make the room a little cheaper. Hotels usually don't charge the card in advance but verify that you just want the room held and will pay in cash upon checkin. Sometimes they automatically charge your card the morning of checkout (quick checkout) so make sure you pay cash upon arrival so that doesn't happen. Also, if you book in advance and are worried you'll miss the checkin time, just call and let them know you're running late, I'm guessing they'll work with you and not charge. Good luck!

[greeneyedchicka]

Lisa - I made a similar trip with just me and my 11 year old son a few years ago. We, or I should say I, drove from the Baltimore area to Venice, Florida and back again.

Plan on stopping not only to rest but for gas and bathroom breaks and to stretch your legs. I am not sure how long of a drive it is going to be for you, but for me it was 17 hours. Also, plan as much as you can for rush hour traffic in different cities. We left on a weekday and didn't even think about rush hour around DC. That was horrible.

If you can check out the towns that you will be driving through ahead of time that would be good too. On our way home we had to stop for gas just outside of DC. We got off where there were signs for a gas station. It was about 1:00 in the morning. I was pumping gas and did not even realize that the gas station had iron bars on all of the windows and everyone in the gas station was looking at me. I went to pay and asked if they had a bathroom that we could use, and the clerk was slowly shaking his head and told me to get back into my car and leave as fast as I could. THAT was scary! I had no idea it was one of the worst areas in DC.

I did what others are suggesting and just drove until I was tired and had to stop for the night. We stopped in Savannah, Georgia right off of 95. There were about six hotels to select from. We didn't have any issues getting a room and breakfast.

I made sure I had plenty of snacks and drinks in the car along with things for my son to do. A GPS would not be a bad idea either in case you come across road construction.

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[Sam_2.0]

Hey Lisa - DH's good friend owns a hotel, and several other people in his family do as well (Indian family - they all own hotels, LOL). Shoot me an email - I will ask DH's friend if he knows of any good places out there. I might be able to get you the friends & family rate

[mizbear]

I always try to get places where the doors can only be accessed from the inside of the building and at least 2nd story. Call me a cowardly Bear, but I don't want anyone having access to my door or to my outside window without a firetruck.

[lisamomof4]

MIZBEAR yeh, i'm with you on the inside door...when i told dh that he didn't get what difference it made...but it will be just myself and the baby and a little caution never hurt
GREENCHICK good point about number of stops when traveling with a little one, i know they are going to be more frequent but no idea as to the amount of time they will take up. i know what you mean about stopping in odd spots...last trip through dh did that and i about freaked...he thinks he 'looks tough'. i'm bringing a dvd player and her favorite movies and other activities...and am borrowing a GPS...though will also bring the atlas
CHICG i had thought to just drive till i was tired and then look for a spot. dh wants me to be at a set spot at a set time so he can 'check' on us . my mother then started about how 'tired' i will be 'on my own'. lol...nope not lookin' for wild night....hehe dh would have a conniption fit...just a quiet safe place to sleep. i didn't think about paying the cash right when i check in...good point
FRUGAL NURSE that price sounds about right...my mother thinks $100 for a room is cheap...
SPRUBY i will not be setting such land/speed records but it's hard to time when you will hit where given traffic and construction, i prefer a place just off the road also...less blind wandering on my part...
SAM thank you hun! i would luv a personal recomendation...but due to the crash of old computer i don't have your email anymore...so if you want to send it to me in a 'message here that would work???

[chicg]

Lisa - oh dear, I'd drive your DH nuts! Wanting to check on you at a certain time/location is very sweet but might not be practical. Easier for you to call him when you're settled. You'll have a cell phone right, not like he needs to call the hotel line for you. If you want to map your trip, I think mapquest (and I'm guessing other vacation/mapping websites) have a function where you can search for hotels near an area and it will plot it on the map. It will provide an estimated drive time but as mentioned, if you're on an major expressway near a big city in rush hour, that can throw off the estimation. Anyhow, play around online and that might help you figure a location to stop at. If you just stop when you're tired you can pick a highway exit with several choices and see where you'll feel safe. Rule of thumb, if it looks safe and you feel safe, it probably is. Looks shady? Keep going! Something like a Super 8, Comfort Inn, RedRoof Inn would be suitable but some of the old ones are motel conversions so they may have the outside doors. Even a Hampton Inn would be good, you might catch a weekday deal and they have a great free breakfast. I doubt any of those are more then $100/night.

Funny story, I checked in a very weird motel once for work with 2 male coworkers, we were at an out of town jobsite. It was the outside door type motel. Right off the highway so not dangerous, but it was cheap looking and old, the only place available as it was a last minute project. When we walked up to the counter, she asked if we wanted the hourly rate. I about died! We all kind of laughed it off but it was not a good way to start the trip, she was serious!

[Sam_2.0]

Lisa - Yeah, totally forgot about the PM feature we have now (even though I just used it earlier today!!). I will ask & let you know what I find out

[gawgagranny]

Lisa, may I suggest as you get into the mid-afternoon or so on your first travel day, when you stop for fuel/potty/whatever break, look for the travel coupon books that are generally available at truck stops, welcome stations, etc. We have done this a number of times the past few years in our travels and usually found some decent deals--drive up only/no reservations. Word of caution, though, for your comfort: do take a quick peek at the property before you actually go into the place to do the paperwork since you are concerned about having a door that opens onto the outside.....HTH!

[spruby]

lisa - i think my land/speed records are past - but I do like to get where I am going. one thing - we just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in North Carolina - $90 for the night - all taxes included plus that included a breakfast - they had sausage, eggs, cereal, yogurt, etc - you could grab a road snack from there too! So $100 a night should be plenty. Do you have AAA? Even if you don't - ask if they have a discount - sometimes they'll just give it to you for asking! We asked and he gave it to us w/o seeing the card - saved $5 bucks!

[mommax4]

Regarding discounts, I learned from my husband to ask if they offer one (AAA or AARP or anything like that). When they tell you they do and what the rate is, they'll usually ask for your card. I don't have AAA, but if they've already given you the amount, you can ask them to honor the rate anyway. If you're calling in advance, this often works well because they know you have other options and will (typically) want your business.

One other thing, if you have GPS that can locate hotels near where you are when you decide to stop (my DH has an iphone app that does this) and a phone, you can be calling ahead to get rates at all of the places without having to drive to each of them. I am usually the one calling while he is driving, but you could just pull over for 5 minutes to do it. Have a safe trip!

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Best suggestion would be to look for hotels outside a big city or town, not in it. Those are usually more expensive. Also, look for areas where there are a lot of hotels in the area, that way there's a bit of competition.

For the most part, I tend to stay at Country Inn and Suites when I travel. They tend to be <$100 (and sometimes <$80) and will include breakfast as well. They also provide fresh baked cookies and apples at reception in the evening. I've never stayed at one where I've been dissatisfied.

I do tend to make reservations online and rarely go on the fly as you have a lower chance of getting good deal. Last time we didn't have a reservation, we had a laptop and went for an open Wi Fi and found a reservation that night and arrived a couple hours later.

[NancysSummerSip]

Lisa...not to go OT, but where are you headed in Florida?

[lisamomof4]

I hadn't thought to ask for the discount but that makes good sense to try.
NANCY i'm headed to haines city

[spruby]

lisa - are you planning the drive for 2 days each way (i.e. 2 hotel stays) or more? the reason I ask is that if you are going for more - look at comfort inn or hampton inn - one or both of those has a "rewards program" - stay 4 nights - the 5th is free. if you think you might stay that many nights on the drive - look into the programs and see if that will help

[seriousthistime]

Lisa, I am also going to go OT here. I traveled between the East Coast and IL last summer. I was in rural PA and stopped for gas. Somehow I tripped an automatic lock sequence and found myself locked out of my car with nothing but my debit card. Moral -- always take your keys with you when you're filling the tank. If you're local, it's no big deal b/c you can call someone to bring you a spare key. But on the road it's impossible. Even locally now I take my keys. They are on a spiral circle key chain (like the ones sold at Claire's) that I can keep on my wrist. Also, keep a spare car key in your purse . If you misplace your keys while at your mother's or leave them behind someplace it's not a major ordeal.

[Peace77]

Sometimes it can be hard to find the discount books while traveling. You can look online before you go. Go to www.Roomsavers.com

Find the page where you estimate stopping and print that page. Most motels and hotels have websites so you can look and get more information before hand.
Much better than trying to decide where to stay while driving on the highway.

We like staying at Super 8 motels. The prices are reasonable and usually good quality.

Don't put your suitcases on the floor though. Always use a table, dresser or luggage rack.

I second the idea of always taking your keys with you. It's no fun being locked out when it's cold and even the dealer is struggling to break into your car.

[dragon2008]

I've run across some great hotels when I've been driving until I'm tired (used to love roadtrips!). I tend to stick to chains, check the neighborhood and parking lot, and listen to my gut if something doesn't feel right. I have a friend who worries when she travels, and she got a kind of travel alarm you stick on the door once your inside safe for the night. I don't know how much she spent, but that may be an option for you and your DD if you plan on driving alone a lot.