Driving thru Alabama to avoid Atlanta

[TyRy]

I know I'm getting excited about our trip - 15 days away YEAH!! BUT I think I'm losing my mind. I swear there was a thread about not taking I-75 and going through Alamaba instead. I've searched the forums and have come up empty...can anyone help??!!! Could you either point me to the thread or let me know the route? We are coming from IL.

Thanks so much.

Ty

 

[spiceycat]

I live in Ala.

just stay on I 65 until you get to Montgomery - then take I85 get off on exit 9 - right turn - when the road ends turn left on US 231. You can stay on US 231 until it gets to I 10 in Florida.

stay on I 10 until it get to I75.

people on I 10 can be fast - so you might see more Florida state troopers - they don't seem to mind 75 mph and even 80 mph - it is cars going over a 100 mph that they seem to stop.

I was going to drive - but hey $49 fares with Southwest - we are flying...

 

[Lisa_Belle]

I know I'm getting excited about our trip - 15 days away YEAH!! BUT I think I'm losing my mind. I swear there was a thread about not taking I-75 and going through Alamaba instead. I've searched the forums and have come up empty...can anyone help??!!! Could you either point me to the thread or let me know the route? We are coming from IL.

Thanks so much.

Ty

Hey, Ty, I'm in Arkansas so we have a slightly different route. I much prefer driving through Alabama vs. Atlanta, and if you get tired you can stop and spend the night on the beach. I haven't driven in years, but we used to go down to Mobile and take I-10 following spiceycat's route, sometimes stopping in Pensacola. I actually wanted to go this route on our upcoming trip, but DD didn't want to go to the beach so thought I would save some time and fly (costwise for us was pretty similar). Enjoy your drive!

 

[BamaBaloo]

We live in the Montgomery, AL area, and that's the route we take driving as well. Spiceycat's directions are dead-on. Very nice drive and no traffic unless you are driving through Birmingham between 4:00 and 6:00 PM, then you will hit some traffic going south out of B'ham.

But, like Spiceycat, we got a great deal on plane tix, so we're flying in 21 days!

 

[GaMsStella2]

Oh now come on what's so bad about driving thru Atlanta
Just kidding believe me I know!!! Transplanted here 10 years ago from Indiana
Hope you have a wonderful trip.

 

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

TyRy, there was such a thread because I remember posting on it. There were people in favor of both routes but my opinion was that unless you're going to go through Atlanta during rush hour then the Alabama route was slower. I've driven both routes and the problem with the Alabama route is once you get to Montgomery then US231 is frustrating because the speed limit is lower, the road passes through lots of towns each with their own set of local police hoping to snare damn Yankees and in between towns you have Alabama State troopers to contend with. And then there's Dothan, which is Stop Light City on it's "traffic circle". The Georgia routing gets you I-24 between Nashville and Chatanooga which is quite scenic.

One other tip since you're coming from the Chicago area. The tendency for most Chicagoans is to take I-65 south through Indy to Louisville to Nashville. But truck traffic is heavy, Indy and Louisville are big cities with their own traffic messes and you are actually backtracking west between Louisville and Nashville. Check the map and instead take I-57 south through Illinois to I-24 to Nashville. Traffic on I-57 and I-24 is much lighter and there are no big cities. Southbound via I-57 you do feel like you're not making much progress because 5 hours after you leave home you're still in Illinois! But once you hit I-24 and another 1.5 hours and you suddenly find yourself in mid-Tennessee. This routing is even better northbound because you enter Illinois early in your drive home so you feel like you're "home" even though you still have a long way to go. Just my opinion.

BobK/Orlando

 

[clkelley]

I posted on that other thread also. I live in North Alabama, and have tried them all. I still always come back to I-65S, I-20E, and I-75S. Yes, going through Atlanta. As long as you can go through Atlanta between 10am and 4pm or after 7pm, Atlanta is fine.

If you are coming straight down I-75 and have more than one person, hop in the high occupancy lane and GO!!

I absolutely DESPISE 231 through Alabama.

(If they would ever approve and complete the Memphis-Atlanta freeway, I'll be a happy camper!!)

 

[TyRy]

Thanks everyone. I just have a feeling we'll be hitting Atlanta at rush and that would be nooooo fun. Does anyone know base travel times or where I could find them for Atlanta? For instance - I know in Chicago that if 290 is 30 minutes in or out it is clear, anything else is uh-oh.

KingBob - I'm glad someone agrees about the I57 route . That's what we were planning on taking as we attended school in southern IL and are very comfortable with the looooong and borrrring drive to get downstate. Most people are shocked when we tell them we are not going I65.

Hoping we get to Atlanta early enough to make it thru - is it similar to Chicago where rush starts around 2pm?

Ty

 

[indigoxtreme]

On Friday's Rush hour in the afternoon starts at 2:00, Mon - Thurs it starts around 3:30. It really depends on the day of the week. But like posted earlier if you have 2 or more in the car the HOV lanes are available to you. Unless there is a terrific wreck you should be ok. Morning rush starts at 6:30 am. I live north of the city and drive to Atlanta every day. Also check to see if there are any pro games going on the day you are to come through. Lets us know the date and we can try to advise you. Those of us that live here. Have a great trip

 

[TyRy]

Lets us know the date and we can try to advise you. Those of us that live here. Have a great trip

It figures about Friday - we'll be driving through on our way to the world on Friday Sept 22nd. On the way home we'll leave WDW around 8am, on a Thursday for the drive home.

Everyone I've spoken to has said Atlanta is the only problem they had = they all hit it at rush hour and that's what I think is going to happen to us. We'll be leaving Southern IL (about 54 min from KY border) between 6a and 7a on that Friday.

Thanks again!!!

Ty

 

[Scutapipig]

Is this the thread you were looking for?
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1179708

I highly recommend the Alabama drive. HIGHLY recommend it.

 

[nursetink]

We are from Arkansas, but we also try to avoid Atlanta. Our route is 280 from Birmingham to Columbus, Georgia, then 22/96 from Columbus to I-75. This conects you to I-75 about 25 miles south of Macon, Georgia.

280 and 22/96 are both divided highways with higher rates of speed, and less stopping than going through Dothan.

I hope this helps. I am guessing you would come I-65 to Birmingham? Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[BamaBaloo]

Our route is 280 from Birmingham to Columbus, Georgia, then 22/96 from Columbus to I-75. This conects you to I-75 about 25 miles south of Macon, Georgia.

280 and 22/96 are both divided highways with higher rates of speed, and less stopping than going through Dothan.

Honestly, this is probably a better route. We were planning a variation on this (we would be hitting 280 in Alexander City) when we were going to drive for this trip. Now that we are flying, we won't get to try it, but if we ever have to drive again, this will probably be the route we take. I can't speak for 22/96 (never been on those), but 280 is definitely much more wide open and driver friendly than 231, and the only point of staying off I-75 is to get around Atlanta, so it makes sense to get back on it ASAP.

 

[nursetink]

We tried it this summer on our way home from Hilton Head. It was the best route to date for us. We have gone 10, 20, 231.

We are flying the next few trips, but I would recommend this route to anyone trying to avoid Atlanta.

 

[austin&pipermom]

We live in Jacksonville, FL, and we have family in north Alabama, and Illnois, so we have traveled all the ways. It all depends if you are going to hit Atlanta on rush hour. Because if you take 231 the speed drops down to 30 in some spots, you go through a few small towns.

 

[NancyIL]

TyRy, there was such a thread because I remember posting on it. There were people in favor of both routes but my opinion was that unless you're going to go through Atlanta during rush hour then the Alabama route was slower. I've driven both routes and the problem with the Alabama route is once you get to Montgomery then US231 is frustrating because the speed limit is lower, the road passes through lots of towns each with their own set of local police hoping to snare damn Yankees and in between towns you have Alabama State troopers to contend with. And then there's Dothan, which is Stop Light City on it's "traffic circle". The Georgia routing gets you I-24 between Nashville and Chatanooga which is quite scenic.

One other tip since you're coming from the Chicago area. The tendency for most Chicagoans is to take I-65 south through Indy to Louisville to Nashville. But truck traffic is heavy, Indy and Louisville are big cities with their own traffic messes and you are actually backtracking west between Louisville and Nashville. Check the map and instead take I-57 south through Illinois to I-24 to Nashville. Traffic on I-57 and I-24 is much lighter and there are no big cities. Southbound via I-57 you do feel like you're not making much progress because 5 hours after you leave home you're still in Illinois! But once you hit I-24 and another 1.5 hours and you suddenly find yourself in mid-Tennessee. This routing is even better northbound because you enter Illinois early in your drive home so you feel like you're "home" even though you still have a long way to go. Just my opinion.

BobK/Orlando

I live in Champaign, so I-57 south to I-24 is how we go, too. My sister lives in Birmingham, AL - so we drive that far, spend a few days, then continue through Alabama to FL. I usually prefer the interstate, but haven't driven through Atlanta since 1991.

We ALWAYS had problems driving through Atlanta on the way to FL when I was a kid in the mid-60's. The only time we expected trouble and didn't have it is when we passed through there on the day of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral.

 

[nursetink]

Bumping to see if there are any other ways I had not thought of.

 

[TyRy]

I just wanted to pop in and say thanks for all the advice...I have a feeling we'll end up making the decision when we get to Nashville and see what time it is and how close to rush hour we could hit Atlanta. Since I'll be in a bit of a hurry to get to WDW we may try nursetink's route...I like the idea of faster roads!

Ty

 

[Jon99]

Ty- We live in Kankakee County, so add an hour on to your times..

Normally from here it takes us about 17 hours, but that is hitting Atlanta around 4AM... We tried going thru Alabama once and it took us 21 hours, was an extra 110 miles and going thru all of those little towns in Alabama were tough.. But we have also sat on I-75 in southern Georgia for hours, pushing our trip time over 20 hours as well..

Personally, I would suggest 57/24/75...

 

[Traveliz]

I have done Alabama once and while it was ok -- I really did not at all like coming across the top of FL and then down - the reasoning may seem stupid but it just seemed like we were in FL forever before we got to Disney.

We always travel through Atlanta and have hit it every time of the day and night and although it is sometimes troublesome we have found the HOV to be the way to go and have little trouble overall.

Liz