anyone driven between Detroit, MI and NH?

[maestramommy]

Title says it all. We are planning a trip to the Detroit area, specifically Ann Arbor in the summer. Can't decide whether it would be better to drive or fly. If we fly, we still have to rent a car (for a week). If we drive, it'll be a 13+ hour drive. We could overnight somewhere, but I don't know the area in between at all. When I googled directions, the shortest set goes through Canada. None of us have passports.

Anyone do the drive and stay within the US border?

[truly scrumptious]

We did a drive from Boston to Ann Arbor some years ago and it was ENDLESS. And we didn't have DC to worry about then. We had the same issue - we had to stay within the US border because we had someone traveling with us (from another country) whose visa didn't allow her to cross the border into Canada.

BUT, after having just endured the hassles of flying over the holidays, I would consider the drive again if we broke it up over a couple of days and overnighted at a motel or something. Aside from being long, I recall it seemed like a pretty easy drive. If you're a AAA member, you can contact them and they'll provide you with guides for places to stay along the way and the options for routes to take. But I've done other road trips in unknown parts of the country and never had a problem finding a motel for the night.

For me it would boil down to:

- The hassle of driving 26 hours (altogether) and arranging places to stay, vs. the hassle of going through airport security twice.

- The cost of gas plus motel stays, vs. the airfare, baggage fees and car rental cost

[AnnieW625]

My rule is that if it is any more than a drive that is easily doable in an 8 hr. time span it's easier to fly, esp. with kids. Example, it's 6 hrs. with two short stops from my house south of Los Angeles to my parents just north of Sacramento. With two kids, and two twenty or so minute breaks, plus another 5 minute bathroom stop or two it's closer to 7/1/2 hrs. including traffic which is the max that I want to be in a car with two kids. My parents pretty much had the same rule when there were three of us kids too, although we were much further apart and it was still hard. I'd fly.

[Momit]

I've done that drive and similar ones (Detroit-Maine and western PA-Boston). MANY times You can definitely go across New York State to avoid Canada, it will add maybe 1-2 hours to the trip. There are mostly smaller towns along the way - I believe Binghamton, NY is one of the bigger ones when you're going across southern NY. You could probably take Interstate 90 and go through Utica and Buffalo too.

Parts of the drive are quite pretty, and since you're going in summer you won't have to worry about snow.

[BabbyO]

When I was a kid we moved from Milwaukee to NH. We made the drive several times. It wasn't bad (or I didn't think so...of course I was 10). Anyway, on the way to NH we'd usually stay somewhere in lower NY. On the way to WI we'd stay in Indiana I think. We usually just drove and around dinnertime started looking for somewhere to stay that seemed reasonable.

Mom & Dad weren't planners, though. As in, they didn't have to make reservations at a hotel ahead of time...they'd just stop where they felt like it.

That probably doesn't help a ton...but maybe gives an idea where you can reasonably stop.

[maestramommy]

Well, obviously if we drove we'd save a ton of money (just checked fares and car rental). The question of course, is whether it's worth losing 2 days (actually 4) for travel. :tongue5:

[Momit]

If you drove through Buffalo you could stop at Niagara Falls. It would break up the trip a little and maybe make the drive seem less like just wasted time.

[KrisM]

We drive from just north of Detroit to Nashua, NH every year at least once. It's not a super fun drive, but it's not awful either. It takes us about 15 hours, including stops. We drive overnight, leaving about 5pm. We drive through Canada and then sleep at a rest area in NY on the Turnpike for a couple of hours.

You will need passports or a passport card or enhanced driver's license. Your kids will only need a birth certificate. We travel with 4 passports and 1 birth cert. They changed what the rules were going to be between DD and DS2 being born.

We've never done it all US.

[o_mom]

I show 14.5 hrs on MapQuest. That could be done in one day, but really, 1.5 days. If you stop, I would try to get to Erie the first day (10 hrs) then you just have a 4-5 hr drive the next. If you want it split more evenly, then Buffalo is about halfway. Anywhere from Buffalo to Cleveland, there are places to stop.

[babystuffbuff]

We did a drive from Boston to Ann Arbor some years ago and it was ENDLESS. And we didn't have DC to worry about then.

I don't know how to do the "Yeah, that" smilie, but yeah, that. :)

In my case I was moving from Ann Arbor to the Rochester, NY area, so not has far as you're going, and I was miserable. I did go through Canada (this was in 2003, and I did not have or need a passport at the time, just my birth certificate). If I hadn't needed to get my car there, I would absolutely have flown. Of course, everyone is different. DH can, and does, drive for miles and miles and miles and is fine. My limit in the car is about 3 or 4 hours. So YMMV - literally.

Don't forget to go to Zingerman's - the world's best deli - when you're in Ann Arbor. 422 Detroit Street. It's one of the best parts of my hometown. Bring your appetite (and leave room in your car to take some bread home, and some Magic Brownies, and some halvah bars, and......). :)

[Swimfreak78]

We just recently drove Chicago to Boston (straight) 16 hours. 997 miles! We sent DS to daycare all day and took a nap in the afternoon. On the way home from Boston we split it into two days with an overnight in Buffalo.

During the daytime drive - wish we had invested in a DVD player. DS got bored. He's 2.

[maestramommy]

Don't forget to go to Zingerman's - the world's best deli - when you're in Ann Arbor. 422 Detroit Street. It's one of the best parts of my hometown. Bring your appetite (and leave room in your car to take some bread home, and some Magic Brownies, and some halvah bars, and......). :)

:tongue5:Oh I won't forget. It's one of our top places to go:thumbsup: We ate lunch there last time, and they are SO nice to families with kids.

[3blackcats]

You can drive through Canada without a passport, you'll just need it to get back into the US. :D

My friend just used the Passport card. Kids don't need passports, just birth certificates. When we travel home, I just use DD's birth certificate.

[maestramommy]

You can drive through Canada without a passport, you'll just need it to get back into the US. :D

My friend just used the Passport card. Kids don't need passports, just birth certificates. When we travel home, I just use DD's birth certificate.

What is a passport card? Is it different from a passport?

[trales]

I will PM you. We do it once a year.

[3blackcats]

I am not a US Citizen - so this is just what I understand it to be -- It works like a passport card to travel to certain countries. So, I think you would be good on cruises, into Canada and select other countries. It's cheaper then a passport, but lasts the same amount of time. Again, that's just what I have heard. I know that it works getting into Canada from the US and vice versa as I was with my friend when she used hers.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/ppt_card/ppt_card_3926.html

Looks to be half the price as a full passport.

[KrisM]

What is a passport card? Is it different from a passport?

Passport card can only be used for land or sea entry into certain countries. It can't be used for international air travel. It's cheaper than a passport.

[MontrealMum]

It's definitely faster and more direct to go through Canada. We drive from Mtl. to the other side of MI frequently which is 12 hours. Adding that you'd be coming up from NH it'd be maybe 14 hours? That's just a guess as we haven't done the whole trip you're planning, only Mtl - NH, and Mtl - MI as separate trips. If you decide to go through the US you'd likely be going through Buffalo, and it could add 1.5/2 hrs. onto your trip, because it's longer, and part of your trip will have a very low speed limit.

If you do decide to take the Canadian route it's best to investigate hotels before you leave. There are huge chunks of the 401 w/few to no hotels on them. I'd recommend the Kingston/Gananoque area, either end of Metro TO, or the London, ON area (though you're almost at AA at that point) as places where there are lots of decent hotels to choose from.

[maestramommy]

Thanks for the suggestions! We are still in the research stage at this point. We are even looking at renting a minivan for the trip, so at least it will be more comfortable. The only problem with roadtrips is that at some point the two younger kids start picking on Dora, who is in the center, and it's just aggravating. With a minivan everyone would have their own space, plus my parents will be there, so they could ride with us if we all want to go somewhere. We just looked at rentals, and a minivan and gas would be less then half the cost of plane fares + car rental. Also, I was impressed with the mileage of a Grand Caravan, which was listed as a sample vehicle. 25 mpg for highway! Much better than what I was expecting.

I will look into the passport card, thanks! I didn't know such a thing existed.

[KrisM]

Thanks for the suggestions! We are still in the research stage at this point. We are even looking at renting a minivan for the trip, so at least it will be more comfortable. The only problem with roadtrips is that at some point the two younger kids start picking on Dora, who is in the center, and it's just aggravating. With a minivan everyone would have their own space, plus my parents will be there, so they could ride with us if we all want to go somewhere. We just looked at rentals, and a minivan and gas would be less then half the cost of plane fares + car rental. Also, I was impressed with the mileage of a Grand Caravan, which was listed as a sample vehicle. 25 mpg for highway! Much better than what I was expecting.

I will look into the passport card, thanks! I didn't know such a thing existed.

Yeah, I'd rent the minivan! Prior to the last 2 trips, we were in a Malibu. Not fun, even with only 2 kids, really. It was much easier in the minivan.

[fortato]

I JUST did it. Although, I stopped in Cleveland to pick up the husband... It wasn't bad... And- I hear there's an amazon photographer about 2 hours away from Detroit! ; )
Talk to Jen- she did the drive through Canada last summer- remember?