Sarasota, Fla.

Thinking of driving from SOMA to Sarasota. Would like to make it in 2 days. Any tips on where to stop along the way?

Charleston. If you’re looking for somewhere interesting to spend the night where the scenery is lovely and there’s great food. 

I did a quick check. Est. 1200  mi.;   Dive time 17 hr.   Add pit stops.

Target Raleigh or Charlotte for night stop.

If I’m going 95 I drive straight to Florence SC. That’s the halfway point so I sleep over. 
If I’m on a time crunch and I have someone else to help with the drive, I go 78 west to 81 to Knoxville and take 75 down to Sarasota. No tolls that way.

We did a last-minute-drive to Florida with our kids many years ago (snowstorm was coming in and we knew it would mess with our planned flight). We didn't make hotel reservations, but instead found places to stay as we drove: calling en-route about vacancies at hotels as we got tired and wanted to find a place to stay nearby. (I'm usually a detailed planner, so this worried me a bit, but it worked out well by making it easier to flex our driving schedule as needed). 

First, we left in the evening and drove 4+ hours to get to the other side of DC. We stayed in a random hotel we found in an advertising booklet from in a rest area. (Now you could probably just use Google maps on your phone). Our goal was to stay in a hotel on the other side of DC, so when we continued driving the next morning, we wouldn't get stuck in that area's awful commuter traffic. 

Not sure where else we stayed between DC and Florida... but we did make sure we stayed in hotels that were south of any major cities so our morning departures were easier.

Jaytee said:

If I’m going 95 I drive straight to Florence SC. That’s the halfway point so I sleep over. 
If I’m on a time crunch and I have someone else to help with the drive, I go 78 west to 81 to Knoxville and take 75 down to Sarasota. No tolls that way.

Any overnight hotels that you recommend on either of these routes?

Also, we went in February and got a great deal on renting a one-way mini-van to make the drive from NJ to FL. That was super convenient as it was roomier than our own car, and we flew back instead of driving. The rental company was trying to get more cars to Florida before spring break, so the cost was ridiculously low.

rhw said:

Any overnight hotels that you recommend on either of these routes?

Ever heard of Google:

https://www.hotels-rates.com/poi/us-sc-florence-4452.html?hr=7324&pn=&googleCampaignId=12608063693&googleAdGroupId=127189062884&googleAdId=537392778631&keyword=&matchType=&googleKeywordId=&adExtensionId=191544812119&network=g&adPosition=&deviceType=c&physicalLocation=9003529&interestLocation=&targetId=dsa-1395442002425&placement=&gclid=CjwKCAiA0KmPBhBqEiwAJqKK4yLHNZyNAwng_11j2kquPKNLyrm4u2Qf0jzyMesFJW10MZrhN8CTxhoCEF0QAvD_BwE

As for me I'd rather go to Florence, Italy, and I know a good hotel there.

Don't forget to bring a gun for your God given right to stand your ground.

If you don't have a gun you can likely pick one up in SC. Do they have rent-a-gun?

sprout said:

Also, we went in February and got a great deal on renting a one-way mini-van to make the drive from NJ to FL. That was super convenient as it was roomier than our own car, and we flew back instead of driving. The rental company was trying to get more cars to Florida before spring break, so the cost was ridiculously low.

I been using La Quinta inn. It’s right on highway 52, think it’s called Lucas rd. Everything is right there. Lots of hotels and restaurants, and I fill up with gas just before getting back on 95. 
La Quinta is the first one I ever stayed and I just kept going back because the people there were very nice. But there’s more hotels with different rates, some cheaper, some more expensive. I like the middle of the road kinda hotels. 
Enjoy the drive, people are very friendly. 

Charleston and Savannah would be 2 spots I'd like to check out if I was taking that ride.

STANV said:

rhw said:

Any overnight hotels that you recommend on either of these routes?

Ever heard of Google:

A personal recommendation like Jaytee’s, or your suggestion. No contest.

Have a good trip, rhw. The straight shot down 95 is monotonous (Charleston will add time, and Savannah is a real haul for one day), so I’d second Jaytee and select a stop for convenience rather than interest.

You might want to consider going west to start, and taking I-81 to I-77 to I-26, which will bring you back to I-95 in mid-South Carolina. It adds about 80 miles to the trip, but you avoid all the DC and northern VA nonsense, and often actually arrive sooner. I would start looking for hotels around Rock Hill, SC, but definitely after passing Charlotte. Living in SC now, we often use that route when we come back to NJ to visit.