<p>My daughter is starting FSU in the fall, and we are trying to figure out if we should fly, or drive?! We are approx. 1200 miles away, and the drive would be over 19 hours with stops!</p>
<p>I know we can probably get there a day or so early, and buy what she needs, and just bring as much as we can on the flight--if we go the flying route. I just don't know if we can bring all that she wants/needs from home on the flight. If we go this route, how difficult is it for her to receive packages from home with more of her things?</p>
<p>Being a freshman coming in--all this is new for us!!</p>
<p>Tough question. Package delivery has changed in the last 1-2 years, and packages are no longer delivered to dorms, only to the campus post office (which is an UPS store). This includes USPS, FEDEX and UPS packages. So students have to wait in line and drag big packages back to the dorms. Not ideal. </p>
<p>Flying is not great, as the airport in Tallahassee is not a major one, and there are no direct flights to anywhere but Atlanta and Orlando for the most part. And flying is not cheap into the city. You can fly Southwest into a new airport outside of Panama City and rent a car. Their prices can make the 2+ hour drive worth it. Otherwise it is 3 hours to Jacksonville and 4+ hours to Orlando. </p>
<p>There are three Walmarts within the city limits and 2 more not far, there is one Target in town and another not far as well. There is a Bed, Bath and Beyond, where you can order online then indicate you want pick up in Tallahassee. I think you can shop in store then go to the service desk and do the same thing, they scan, you pay and you pick up the same stuff in Tallahassee. </p>
<p>I have to be honest, Walmart puts out the red carpet for parents during move-in week. They have LOTS of FSU stuff and college stuff that they put in the front of the store. The employees could not be nicer. And when we moved D in freshman year, town folks were holding open doors, helping us with heavy things in the parking lot. It was almost unreal how friendly folks were. </p>
<p>If you drive maybe rent a big Suburban or big sport utility for a week, you won’t beat up your car and if you break down rental co. will give you replacement vehicle. Flights into Tallahassee aren’t always the easiest connection or cheapest flights–you might end up flying to Jacksonville and driving 3 hrs from there. You can have boxes shipped to campus easily if you end up flying.</p>
<p>I actually live in Germany and I’ll be returning for fall as a sophomore. What I did was pack as much as I could (mainly clothes and other essentials) into my bag, my carry-on, etc, and my dad also let me put things in his suitcase since he wasn’t staying for long. Then we went to Target and Walmart and bought tubs and things like that to put my stuff in, I also had to buy a hair dryer and electronics that were needed because the of the voltage and plug-type differences! Do you plan on visiting her for parents weekend? That’s only about a month and a half after the semester starts (at least it was last year) and you could bring her more of her things if needed. Also, when she goes home at Christmas, she could retrieve more items.</p>
<p>19 hours is a long time to sit in a car. My drive is 7 hours and that seems like an eternity, so I would consider flying. I would fly if there were better options from South Florida.</p>
<p>The Walmart east of FSU is good, but the Bed Bath & Beyond option is great! They have better quality merchandise, more of a selection and much nicer bedding options. You walk around your local BB&B scanning barcodes of the items you want to pick up in Tallahassee. They print out a list of your pre-order so you can keep track of what you picked out. You don’t pay until you pick up, and you can change your mind about any item you decide not to buy. They have plenty of stock so if you need something you didn’t order, you can find it there. The staff is super nice, and they will help you with everything. Just check your list carefully and make sure they give you everything you ordered. They will take their coupons even if they are expired, so start saving them! </p>
<p>Just pack up your clothes and buy everything else when you get to school.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your insights!! I think we will be going the flight route! I was considering driving only because I did not know how I was going to get all the things that she wanted there–but the stores near FSU sound like a really solid option, and I am pleased to hear that I can ship things down to the UPS store!</p>
<p>Now . . on to finding a cheap flight! Coming down in June, for orientation, via Southwest Airlines–flying into Panama City. BTW–how far is that from campus?!</p>
<p>Make sure if you’re going to Walmart, you go to the one East of campus. It’s about two miles further away, but much nicer and less crowded. </p>
<p>And just a heads up, package delivery is a pain in the butt at the beginning of the semester because everybody is receiving packages. It improves a couples weeks in.</p>