Overnight hotel recommendation for driving home to Massachusetts

[Figment&Piglet]

We're making a few stops on our drive down and have hotels booked. We'd like to make only one overnight stop on the way back. Can anyone recommend a good hotel or even a good city to stop in that's about half-way between? Thanks.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

We stayed in Florence SC and Rocky Mount NC. I don't think Florence is far enough away from Disney to be halfway back to MA. Both towns are on 95 and have a few of the usual chain hotels close to the highway. We live in PA, maybe someone from further north knows a good town in VA.

It also might help to let people know your approximate route. I hated the drive up 95 and really wished we took 81 when we drove up from Alabama.

 

[Figment&Piglet]

We stayed in Florence SC and Rocky Mount NC. I don't think Florence is far enough away from Disney to be halfway back to MA. Both towns are on 95 and have a few of the usual chain hotels close to the highway. We live in PA, maybe someone from further north knows a good town in VA.

It also might help to let people know your approximate route. I hated the drive up 95 and really wished we took 81 when we drove up from Alabama.

Oh, very good point, thank you! We are going to try to avoid 95 as well and take 81.

 

[EscalatorKid]

We come from Buffalo, and stopped in Orangeburg, SC on the way down. (The Comfort Inn was nice, although a waffle iron malfunctioned and burned up at 3:30AM. We got a real early start to Florida that day.)

We stopped outside of Mt Airy on the way back home from Daytona. I hated it and my sister drove us out of there so fast the next morning. We stayed at a Best Western; it was a nice, clean hotel... But there was an overly social and friendly trucker and his... Lady friend of the evening... and they were drinking and spent a lot of time outside smoking... They didn't bother us too much, but we basically had to stay in the room because they weren't taking the hint when we were outside.

I more or less play it by ear. I can't ever tell how far I'm going to make it. I drive about 10-12 hours. I like to stop with a little daylight left, especially on the way down when I'm unfamiliar with the area. Once I'm nearer to home, I'm fine.

This trip, I googled hotel reviews before we stayed and then navigated my Driver there. It worked nicely.

 

[Figment&Piglet]

Looks like Orangeburg SC might be a bit too far south for us. Thinking maybe more northern NC or southern VA but not sure.

 

[EscalatorKid]

Looks like Orangeburg SC might be a bit too far south for us. Thinking maybe more northern NC or southern VA but not sure.

That's just where we happened to end up. We actually tried to stop around Columbia but there was some kind of Motorcycle convention going on and it was unlikely to find a very quiet spot or an unbooked hotel room. So we got back on the highway and headed South again.

Maybe you could stop outside of Charlotte?

 

[kaytieeldr]

Download the hoteltonight app and decide after noon that day.

 

[Christine]

If you are taking I-81, I would recommend staying in Harrisonburg, VA (home to James Madison University). It is a very nice little college town so if you want to kick around in the evening, they have some cute little restaurants. There are 3 Harrisonburg exits directly off I-81 so you don't have to travel far off the interstate. It's safe too. Now, if you are going while school is in session it can be quite busy, but otherwise, I really enjoy the place. Sorry that my son graduated. Harrisonburg is about 2 hours south and west of DC. You'd probably have an 8 hour drive to Massachusetts the next day.

 

[Figment&Piglet]

If you are taking I-81, I would recommend staying in Harrisonburg, VA (home to James Madison University). It is a very nice little college town so if you want to kick around in the evening, they have some cute little restaurants. There are 3 Harrisonburg exits directly off I-81 so you don't have to travel far off the interstate. It's safe too. Now, if you are going while school is in session it can be quite busy, but otherwise, I really enjoy the place. Sorry that my son graduated. Harrisonburg is about 2 hours south and west of DC. You'd probably have an 8 hour drive to Massachusetts the next day.

Thanks so much for the tip...Looked closely at Harrisonburg...probably 2-3 more hours north than the midpoint so hoping for something more south of there...

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

We stayed in Bristol VA at a Courtyard (I think). There were a few restaurants and stores nearby as well, although I think most require a short drive. Bristol is right on the VA/TN border.

 

[Christine]

Thanks so much for the tip...Looked closely at Harrisonburg...probably 2-3 more hours north than the midpoint so hoping for something more south of there...

Yes, it is pretty far from Florida...probably a good 10-11 hours.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Look for something around the North Carolina/Virginia border. That's halfway.

 

[Mdoyle07]

On our last drive, we stayed in Emporia, Va (12-15 ml north of border) at the Best Western on the way home the Attleboro, Ma area. It was about 10 1/2 hrs. There was also a Hampton Inn and a Fairfield Inn as well. This year, we're stopping for the night in Roanoke Rapids, NC (15 ml south of border) at the Holiday Inn. There are also some other chain hotels at the same exit. Both areas have been recommended in this thread in the past. They're a bit more than the halfway point to SE Mass when heading home.

 

[Allie_Librarian]

When are you going this year? We will be driving from Norton in a couple weeks.

On our last drive, we stayed in Emporia, Va (12-15 ml north of border) at the Best Western on the way home the Attleboro, Ma area. It was about 10 1/2 hrs. There was also a Hampton Inn and a Fairfield Inn as well. This year, we're stopping for the night in Roanoke Rapids, NC (15 ml south of border) at the Holiday Inn. There are also some other chain hotels at the same exit. Both areas have been recommended in this thread in the past. They're a bit more than the halfway point to SE Mass when heading home.

 

[Mdoyle07]

When are you going this year? We will be driving from Norton in a couple weeks.

We leave 8/5, with 2 stops to visit colleges on the way down. We'll be in Disney the 7th-15th.

 

[NYCgrrl]

The halfway point is probably somewhere in NC.
Lots of national hotel/motel chains represented on that highway.
No definitive response from me since MA is a big state and we don't know your ending point: Central Mass? Northern?Western?

 

[kaytieeldr]

since MA is a big state

Um, no, we're not

 

[NYCgrrl]

Um, no, we're not

Certainly bigger than RI but then what state isn't? said w/ total love for the Ocean State.
Vaycayed in New England for 10 straight years and still haven't seen all of MA, .

 

[Figment&Piglet]

We think of MA as tiny, too... but we live right smack in the middle of the state, so we’re surrounded.

We booked a Hampton Inn in Hillsville NC thinking it was just shy of halfway as we’re likely to leave Disney later on day 1 than we are to leave NC day 2. If anyone has stayed there before let us know.

Thanks for the help everyone!