My family will be on the road next week for Thanksgiving. Normally when we are traveling we just stop when we feel like it and pick a hotel. However, I've never actually traveled during peak times and I'm wondering how easy it will be to grab a room the day after Thanksgiving. We're thinking that we'll likely be rolling through Savannah, GA by the time we're ready to stop (on the way to Orlando from Maryland), in the early evening. Should we try to make a reservation somewhere, or will there be plenty of vacancies? If it were just my husband and me, I wouldn't be fussed but we have a two- and four-year old who will probably be about done by that point. I don't want to have to worry about this, but I also don't want to force ourselves into a certain place at a certain time if it isn't necessary. Thanks!
Since you have kids.... I would make a reservation. Ahead of time.
If it were just you and your Husband, then you wouldn't have to.
With kids to be factored into it... you need to have your ducks lined up.
I wouldn't know about hotel vacancies, but I can tell you not to count on making "good time" on I-95 south on Saturday. Typically, on the Saturday and Sunday after Thanksgiving the highway is packed. It is mostly 3 lanes wide now, so even though it is busy it still flows...but there are inevitably wrecks that cause delays. So, when you are calculating how far/how long it will take, just don't count on getting 70mph for your entire traveling time...
It may not be a bad idea to make a reservation. Just check with that hotel regarding their cancellation policy so you can cancel it without being charged if you need to. We don't normally travel at Thanksgiving because my husband works in retail but I think many people do travel that weekend. We drove to Orlando in July a few years ago. We stopped for the night in Chattanooga, TN and had an awful time finding a hotel. We had to try several before we found one with a vacancy and it wasn't in the best neighborhood. Hope you find a hotel, have a Happy Thanksgiving & a wonderful trip!
I worked in the hotel business for 12 1/2years and I can tell you they should have plenty of vacancies. The hotel I worked at had 356 rooms and was only 20% full on or after a holiday. Surprising enough hotels are not as busy as you would expect. I think most people must stay with their families.
I usually make a reservation ahead. If you know about when and where you'd like to stop, it's nice to know that you have a room waiting for you. I've also called the day of, while on the road, a few hours before arriving. The last time I did, the hotel was full when we got there so good thing we called ahead. When I'm travelling and tired from driving, the last thing I want to do is go looking for a hotel.
Should be very easy to get a hotel. Most people will wait til Saturday to drive home. Friday will be easy....Enjoy!
