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I Drove 40 Hours Round Trip To Disney World To Avoid Pricey Airfare. I Saved $300, But I'm Not Sure I'd Do It Again.
I drove 20 hours to Disney World to save money on travel.
Carly Neil
- I drove 20 hours from Connecticut to Florida to save money on airfare.
- It was nice to be able to pack as much as I wanted, and I enjoyed making stops along the way.
- Next time, I'd gladly pay a little more to get my Disney World vacation started faster.
Because I live in Connecticut, flying to Orlando usually makes the most sense when I visit Disney World.
However, because flights over the Presidents Day weekend were over $500 roundtrip, my friend and I decided to drive there instead. In exchange for driving nearly 40 hours roundtrip, I saved about $300 on travel.
Here are the pros and cons of driving from Connecticut to Florida instead of flying.
I didn’t have to worry about luggage space.![]()
There was plenty of space in the car for our luggage.
Carly Neil
One advantage of driving versus flying was that I had far more flexibility with how much I could pack. I also didn't have to worry about paying luggage fees, which saved me a bit more money.
Another perk? Seemingly unlimited room to pack souvenirs for the trip back.
We got to see lots of interesting sights along the way.![]()
During our drive, we got to see some of Washington DC's most famous sights.
Carly Neil
One of the best parts about driving up and down the East Coast was that we got to see lots of interesting landmarks along the way.
It was fun to drive past famous monuments in Washington, DC, as well as road stops like South of the Border.
We got to experience new places during the trip.![]()
I finally got to visit Buc-ee's during our trip.
Carly Neil
There are aspects of a road trip you miss out on completely if you choose to fly.
For example, I've always wanted to visit Buc-ee's and finally had the opportunity on this vacation. I'm not kidding when I say I was almost as excited for Buc-ee's as I was for Disney World.
On the other hand, weather can easily impact the trip.![]()
Unexpected weather can alter travel plans.
Carly Neil
It's no secret that weather can cause flight delays, but it can also cause headaches when driving. Before we embarked on our trip, it snowed overnight, which meant having to spend extra time in the morning cleaning off the car and taking it slow on the highway.
The snow made for some pretty scenery in the first few hours of our trip, but it was stressful wondering if the storm would alter our travel plans.
Road trips can also become monotonous.![]()
The drive became monotonous after a few hours.
Carly Neil
There was a certain thrill when we first hit the road, but after several hours of looking at the same scenery, I started to question whether it was worth saving money.
Many times during the drive, I realized that we would have arrived at Disney World already if we had flown — and we still had a long way to go.
There isn't much time to stop for a hot meal.![]()
After lots of snacks and fast-food stops, I was excited to eat at Cracker Barrel.
Carly Neil
Because we were trying to make the drive as efficient as possible, our road-trip diet mainly consisted of snacks and fast food.
After 11 hours of driving in one day, enjoying a hot meal from Cracker Barrel in the middle of South Carolina felt like I had hit the jackpot.
Overall, the drive was worth the money saved — but I'm not sure I'd do it again.![]()
I saved $300 by driving to Florida instead of flying.
Carly Neil
There's no denying that plane travel is quicker and more convenient than driving. But if you view the road trip as a fun component of the vacation and have a few extra days to commit to driving, it can be a cost-effective means of travel.
Ultimately, I saved $300 by driving to Florida instead of flying. Because my budget for this trip was super tight, I believe I made the right choice to drive.
In the future, however, I'll gladly pay a little more to fly versus drive for the convenience of getting to Disney World quicker.
Read the original article on Business Insider
