For those folks driving!

[deedeew80]

Thanks! Yeah I was also thinking of leaving Friday and taking an extra day to get down there. Figure people are still getting through all of their turkey issues on Friday. Haha

It kind of sucks leaving the day after Thanksgiving, especially if you are hosting. Trying to get to bed earlier after a long day before having to wake up so early. We drive straight through on the way down and usually spend the night at a hotel about an hour outside of Disney (cheaper), then we hit Walmart/Target to get some things before checking in. On the way home, we usually stop in NC to spend the night. Never in a rush to get back home. Lol!

 

[Mikey15]

Thanks! Yeah I was also thinking of leaving Friday and taking an extra day to get down there. Figure people are still getting through all of their turkey issues on Friday. Haha

Well, shopping too, but hopefully that wouldn’t clog up I-95 too badly. (That and online deals these days)

I thought about the fact that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is college football rivalry week (hate week), but pretty much any big game I can think of is west of the I-95 corridor.

 

[LadybugsMum]

posted in the wrong thread...

 

[Euby]

I thought about the fact that the Saturday after Thanksgiving is college football rivalry week (hate week), but pretty much any big game I can think of is west of the I-95 corridor.

Oh boy... I'm driving down that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Going through Atlanta is bad enough. Based on your comment, I double checked the college football schedule. Sure enough, Georgia Tech is hosting Georgia in Atlanta that Saturday. Game time is TBA. I could divert through Alabama. Oh no wait... Alabama is playing Auburn at Auburn also with a TBA game time.

Gotta love the Fall in SEC country. LOL

 

[Mikey15]

Oh boy... I'm driving down that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Going through Atlanta is bad enough. Based on your comment, I double checked the college football schedule. Sure enough, Georgia Tech is hosting Georgia in Atlanta that Saturday. Game time is TBA. I could divert through Alabama. Oh no wait... Alabama is playing Auburn at Auburn also with a TBA game time.

Gotta love the Fall in SEC country. LOL

Yikes.

I’d say hopefully you could avoid the worst of it by skirting west of Atlanta via 285, but that would take you past the busiest airport on thanksgiving weekend…

Just can’t win driving through Atlanta on a good day

 

[LadybugsMum]

Oh boy... I'm driving down that Saturday after Thanksgiving. Going through Atlanta is bad enough. Based on your comment, I double checked the college football schedule. Sure enough, Georgia Tech is hosting Georgia in Atlanta that Saturday. Game time is TBA. I could divert through Alabama. Oh no wait... Alabama is playing Auburn at Auburn also with a TBA game time.

Gotta love the Fall in SEC country. LOL

Which is faster: I 65 to Montgomery or I 75 to Atlanta? I would go whichever route gets you past those places the fastest. I'd also leave by 6 am at the latest to ensure you are through whichever city before lunch time. Also, do NOT get onto 285 in Atlanta - it's horrible any time of day.

 

[Euby]

Yikes.

I’d say hopefully you could avoid the worst of it by skirting west of Atlanta via 285, but that would take you past the busiest airport on thanksgiving weekend…

Just can’t win driving through Atlanta on a good day

Which is faster: I 65 to Montgomery or I 75 to Atlanta? I would go whichever route gets you past those places the fastest. I'd also leave by 6 am at the latest to ensure you are through whichever city before lunch time. Also, do NOT get onto 285 in Atlanta - it's horrible any time of day.

Going via Montgomery to Disney adds an hour to the drive from Middle TN to Disney (per Google Maps). I had planned originally to over night in Tifton, GA. Looks like Dothan, AL may be the better option. It really depends on what times are scheduled for the games. If they are noon games, they most of the traffic will have died down by the time I would be getting into the area. If they are afternoon/evening games, well no way am I going to be on I-75 via Atlanta.

Time to start researching hotels in Dothan...

 

[Mikey15]

Going via Montgomery to Disney adds an hour to the drive from Middle TN to Disney (per Google Maps). I had planned originally to over night in Tifton, GA. Looks like Dothan, AL may be the better option. It really depends on what times are scheduled for the games. If they are noon games, they most of the traffic will have died down by the time I would be getting into the area. If they are afternoon/evening games, well no way am I going to be on I-75 via Atlanta.

Time to start researching hotels in Dothan...

Wherever your journey takes you, hopefully Seminoles/Gators traffic has already made it home by the time you make it past Gainesville

 

[Euby]

Wherever your journey takes you, hopefully Seminoles/Gators traffic has already made it home by the time you make it past Gainesville

Thanks for more more thing to worry about. LOL

I'm not getting into Florida until Sunday after that game, so I should be okay. I'll probably see a lot of return traffic to Tallahassee along the way to Disney though.

 

[Skywalker3]

Thanks for more more thing to worry about. LOL

I'm not getting into Florida until Sunday after that game, so I should be okay. I'll probably see a lot of return traffic to Tallahassee along the way to Disney though.

We live just south of Nashville, and have driven both routes dozens of time, but vast majority of recent trips have been the I75 through Atlanta. DH prefers that route, I prefer the I65 route through ALabama. I did that one when I drove last summer. Also have stayed in all the hotels from Tifton down to Valdosta at various times, (and into FL. Alabama does add that hours, and don't have the extra lanes like GA, but then again, the traffic in ATL and a couple other incidents added an hour the other way this past June. Dothan is a good stop, and lots of food options.
We are always consulting the football schedules before our trips. Hopefully the times should be announced the week or two, before the games,
When we used to take that AL route, we definitely be aware of the Florida football schedule. and anything big happening in Atlanta. It affected hotel prices/availability for sure.
Have a great trip!!

 

[Minniedap]

We will be driving to Disney next Thursday. Can anyone recommend a hotel on I75 north of Atlanta for an overnight stay. I was thinking of stopping around Kennesaw so we could get up early in the morning and drive thru Atlanta.

 

[PoohBuddy]

We are driving down from north of Philadelphia. We will be hitting Jacksonville around 10:30 AM on a weekday. Does it matter which way we go on 295? The East side or the West side? Thanks.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I prefer the east side as it only adds on 1 mile to get around the city.

 

[jimmytammy]

We are driving down from north of Philadelphia. We will be hitting Jacksonville around 10:30 AM on a weekday. Does it matter which way we go on 295? The East side or the West side? Thanks.

I agree with LadybugsMum, east way is way better! West takes you a bit out of the way to drop you back off at same point

 

[LadybugsMum]

We are driving down to WDW the Thursday before Labor Day weekend and going I-95 to I-4. Once we get to the Sanford area should we take 417 or 429 to go around Orlando? I've done 429 and it worked well, but it was the Sat after Thanksgiving. Time/mileage wise, they are the same per Google maps.

 

[Mikey15]

We are driving down to WDW the Thursday before Labor Day weekend and going I-95 to I-4. Once we get to the Sanford area should we take 417 or 429 to go around Orlando? I've done 429 and it worked well, but it was the Sat after Thanksgiving. Time/mileage wise, they are the same per Google maps.

I think it’s close enough time-wise that I’d base the choice off of toll cost (I think 429 is slightly cheaper?), current construction (when I was last on 429 in May they still had narrow barriered lanes south of the Turnpike while working on widening), or what side of Disney I was heading towards.

429 takes you to Western Way, past Coronado, and then you can head to AKL one way or the rest of WDW the other way. Other resorts can be closer to the 417 / World Center Dr / Osceola Parkway.

 

[jimmytammy]

We are driving down to WDW the Thursday before Labor Day weekend and going I-95 to I-4. Once we get to the Sanford area should we take 417 or 429 to go around Orlando? I've done 429 and it worked well, but it was the Sat after Thanksgiving. Time/mileage wise, they are the same per Google maps.

I like taking 417 then get off at Osceola Parkway.

 

[jbharr1]

leaving thursday on my 1500+ mile journey to POR. i read in the spring that I-75 thru kentucky was not great. anyone been on that route lately?

my route is all interstate. 94 to 90 to chicago. 65 to indianapolis, 74 to cincinnati, 75 to Loudon and stop. day two since i've done 75 thru georgia a couple of times i'd like to go back to knoxville and take 40 - 26 - 95 - 4.

not seeing much on state DOT sites too concerning? anyone on these roads recently? Thanks

 

[Mikey15]

leaving thursday on my 1500+ mile journey to POR. i read in the spring that I-75 thru kentucky was not great. anyone been on that route lately?

my route is all interstate. 94 to 90 to chicago. 65 to indianapolis, 74 to cincinnati, 75 to Loudon and stop. day two since i've done 75 thru georgia a couple of times i'd like to go back to knoxville and take 40 - 26 - 95 - 4.

not seeing much on state DOT sites too concerning? anyone on these roads recently? Thanks

I last did I-75 ATL to 275 in Kentucky at the end of May, but I don’t remember anything particularly bad then? Might have been a lane closure around Lexington, and another between Lexington and Cincy?

Hope it goes well for you! I fully support cutting through the Smokeys and dodging ATL.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I like taking 417 then get off at Osceola Parkway.

I think I'm going to do that direction since we'll be at OKW. Using 429 when going to VGF was good and made it easy to stop at the Target in Flamingo Crossings.