For snowbirds, traveling between Florida and the Northeast is a seasonal routine—but getting your vehicle there doesn’t have to be.
Some choose to drive. Others explore shipping options. The best choice comes down to convenience, cost, and how you want to spend your time.
Driving between Florida and the Northeast can take anywhere from 18 to 24+ hours depending on your starting point.
That usually means:
For many snowbirds, that’s not how they want to start or end their seasonal move.
Auto transport allows you to move your vehicle without the long drive.
With open carrier transport, your car is loaded onto a multi-vehicle trailer and transported along a scheduled route.
It’s the most commonly used method for seasonal vehicle transport.
Snowbird travel follows predictable seasonal patterns:
During these peak times, demand increases significantly.
Best practice:
One of the biggest advantages of shipping your car is flexibility.
You can:
Communication throughout the process is key to a smooth experience.
For most snowbirds, transporting a car using an open carrier is the simplest and most efficient solution.
It removes the stress of long-distance driving and allows you to focus on enjoying your time in each location.
We find that most customers on the Florida-to-Northeast route wait too long to book. We always recommend reserving early, but that advice isn't always followed. This results in preferred dates not being available and frustration. If you're headed down to Florida for the 26'-27' winter, start planning now.