Travel advise to port canaveral

My family will be driving from West TN to Port Canaveral on Sunday, Oct 7. All mapping tools agree up until we get into FL. Some say to go through Jacksonville (75 to 10 to 95) while others take you through orland0 (75 to 528) and then over? Which is the best route or does it make any difference? Also, if we decide to stop prior to getting to port canaveral on Sunday and drive the remainder on Monday is one route better than the other?

Hi Banderoo!

I'm just a few miles south of you in Mississippi. Anyway, in answer to your question, there probably isn't a whole lot of difference. When travelling around Jacksonville, you can use the bypass (I-295) which avoids the downtown area. Taking the route through Orlando really doesn't have a route that avoid the main metro area and the road between I-75 and the Orlando area is the Florida turnpike and is a toll road. The Bee Line Expy (FL-528) between Orlando and Port Canaveral is also a toll road, if I remember correctly.

Hope this helps.

Anne:)

If you're already on I-75 then I would just stay on 75 until Wildwood and then hit the Florida Turnpike. I do not like that cut across on I-10 nor do I like I-95. It is very easy to take the turnpike through Orlando.

I like to stay in Orlando off of International Drive the night before. It is only about a 45 minute drive over to the port.

Stay on I-75 until you get to Ocala and then cut east on Route 40 through the Ocala National Forest to Ormond Beach.

You will have the entire Ormond/Daytona Beach area to spend the night if you wish.

Get onto I-95 for the trip south to Route 528 and then East to Port Canaveral. Depending on traffic, it is about 90 minutes from Ormond Beach to the Port.

I live in the Orlando area and if it were me I'd take 75 to the FL turnpike and head over. We avoid 95 as much as we can. They close it about twice a week for car wrecks in our area sometimes even twice a day! Ocala has a lot of nice hotels but I would try to get to Orlando and stay on I-Drive.

Stay on I-75 until you get to Ocala and then cut east on Route 40 through the Ocala National Forest to Ormond Beach.

 

I would stay off Route 40, it's 2 lane road and they have had a lot of construction on them. Will take you a long time to get accross that way.

I've been both ways and I would go thru Orlando. The tolls are a drag, but it's better roads and a little closer..Good Luck.....

Thanks everyone looks like the orlando route wins!!!!

I would have voted the other way, I go thru Jacksonville to avoid the toll roads. In addition Im staying in Port Canaveral because most of those hotels have a deal to get free cruise parking, saving $84 in a week.

I lived in S. Florida, so went that way many times as well, guess it depends on if you like to change roads and pay tolls or go a little around to get where you are going easier.

I would have voted the other way, I go thru Jacksonville to avoid the toll roads. In addition Im staying in Port Canaveral because most of those hotels have a deal to get free cruise parking, saving $84 in a week.

 

I lived in S. Florida, so went that way many times as well, guess it depends on if you like to change roads and pay tolls or go a little around to get where you are going easier.

Can you give me some recommendations on hotels? and whether or not they have a shuttle or do you have to pay for a taxi?

I have a question for everybody. We are cruising out of Port C next year. We can get a cheap flight to Ft lauderdale and drive to Port C cheaper than flying into Orlando and driving. How long does it take to get from Ft lauderdale to Port C driving. If we take Skybus who has a hub in Columbus we can save a lot of money.

lojill,

I can't tell you about the drive from fll to port canaveral however, my SIL use to live in columbus and she would generally find cheaper flights from cincinnati and Phili. The drive from columbus to either of those airports is probably a lot less then fll to pc. Just an idea:D

Can you give me some recommendations on hotels? and whether or not they have a shuttle or do you have to pay for a taxi?

Radisson is the only one I know of that right now is not charging for the shuttle to the port. Others have shuttles at a small cost. I believe Country Inn next door is charging $3 per person, and Days Inn was charging $4 last time folks checked around. Days Inn is in Cocoa Beach across from the pier if you want to hang out at the beach, depending on when you are getting in if you have time to do the beach.

Radisson you can get the free parking no matter which room you book, warning the hot rate you dont get to pick which type of room you want and pay ahead of time. Im doing that next Sunday and see they have put us in 2 queens, non smoking, but if you do the $99 hot rate they can put you wherever they want. ..like a guarantee on a ship.

Since it would be $84 to park, we gave up a deal we had thru Orbitz for 3 nights at $39 per night in Orlando with $50 off the total to go stay in Port Canaveral. The Radisson is a nice hotel. Country Inn and Suites is newer and Iv heard good things about it too, its running $109, only $10 more and I think that includes breakfast which is $9.99 at the Radison.

There are a couple of places on the beach, but they dont give you the free parking unless you book the cruise rate which is higher on those hotels.

I have a question for everybody. We are cruising out of Port C next year. We can get a cheap flight to Ft lauderdale and drive to Port C cheaper than flying into Orlando and driving. How long does it take to get from Ft lauderdale to Port C driving. If we take Skybus who has a hub in Columbus we can save a lot of money.

It's about a two to two and a half hour drive straight up I-95 depending on traffic and if they are doing any road construction.

When I drive that route, I leave FLL and take the turnpike north to the Ft. Pierce area, then take I-95. There is no real differnce in time, it just gets you around the never ending construction on 95 in that area. There are several exits you can use to get to 95 that are very close to the turnpike.

We may have found a flight to punta gorda,ft myers ,fl. How far is ft myers to port,canaveral to drive.

Anybody know.

That's probably about a 3 and a half hour drive going north on I-75 past Tampa then north east across I-4 to the toll road in Orlando that shoots into the port. I'd try to find another airport!

So from Orlando to Port C is a lot closer?

Were are looking into flying into Ft Lauderdale and driving to Port C because we can get a cheap flight to Ft lauderdale.

Lauderdale would be an easier drive as it's a straight shot up 95 and about 45 minutes shorter probably. The problem with Ft Myers is the Everglades lies between Canaveral and Ft Myers so you have to route around it in southern FL. We live about an hour from the port and our airports of choice when we travel are Orlando, Jacksonville. or Tampa... and all of those would be 3 hours or less from the port, Orlando being the closest.

We have decided to fly into Daytona Beach,fl and drive to Port C and stay in Port C. What do you think?

I live in the Orlando area and if it were me I'd take 75 to the FL turnpike and head over. We avoid 95 as much as we can. They close it about twice a week for car wrecks in our area sometimes even twice a day! Ocala has a lot of nice hotels but I would try to get to Orlando and stay on I-Drive.

that is sooooo true about 95...when I was in FLL for a week a few months back (car-free thankfully)..those poor traffic people on the news had their hands full! and I thought NY/NJ and PA/DE/MD/DC were bad!! :p

We have decided to fly into Daytona Beach,fl and drive to Port C and stay in Port C. What do you think?

Daytona Beach will be an easy drive to the port... about an hour. We live in the same county as Daytona.

We may have found a flight to punta gorda,ft myers ,fl. How far is ft myers to port,canaveral to drive.

Anybody know.

I have made it through this thread seeing pretty good advice and I do agree with staying here in CC or Cocoa Beach. I would advise against Ft. Meyers. It is 4-5 hours away at best.

So from Orlando to Port C is a lot closer?

45 miles and a straight shot.

Lauderdale would be an easier drive as it's a straight shot up 95 and about 45 minutes shorter probably. The problem with Ft Myers is the Everglades lies between Canaveral and Ft Myers so you have to route around it in southern FL. We live about an hour from the port and our airports of choice when we travel are Orlando, Jacksonville. or Tampa... and all of those would be 3 hours or less from the port, Orlando being the closest.

Ft Meyers is over 75 miles to Ft. Lauderdale and a tough choice.