Road Trip to Florida

[PatSea]

We drive through Atlanta every year on our way to and from Florida. We have found that traffic is OK if we pass through between about 2 to 3 pm. We have tried the bypass and it is not time saver. We take I75 right through the city.

 

[golfnut]

We drive through Atlanta every year on our way to and from Florida. We have found that traffic is OK if we pass through between about 2 to 3 pm. We have tried the bypass and it is not time saver. We take I75 right through the city.

Thanks, I'll try to convince my bil we should get on the road by 2:30 a.m.

My problem will be getting enough shut eye on Thursday evening. I still get pumped up for road trips (like a kid)

Hopefully, this will get us to Atlanta between 2/3 pm.



Appreciate all the responses.

 

[brucethebroker]

Try to go through Atlanta on Sat/Sun around early morning. It's always a gamble, but your odds are better early on the weekends.

Good luck!

+1.
Have taken that route for many years and find Sundays or Midnight-4 AM any morning the best time. Then take a nap at a rest area further south.

 

[davismills]

Atlanta is best tolerated after 10:00 AM and before 2:00 PM. During that period you can stay on 75 right thru downtown.

Exit 146 and go 5 miles east to the mecca of Warner Robins, GA home of Robins AFB. Hampton Inn and Hilton right across (walking distance from Kroger Starbucks inside), Outback, Olive Garden, Five Guys, etc.

 

[Sunset]

We drive through Atlanta every year on our way to and from Florida. We have found that traffic is OK if we pass through between about 2 to 3 pm. We have tried the bypass and it is not time saver. We take I75 right through the city.

I asked a tourist info lady why my GPS says to drive right though Atlanta, rather than bypass it. She said all trucks without stops in Atlanta had to take the ring road, so it would be crowded with trucks.

I have no idea if that is true.

 

[Bamaman]

I asked a tourist info lady why my GPS says to drive right though Atlanta, rather than bypass it. She said all trucks without stops in Atlanta had to take the ring road, so it would be crowded with trucks.

I have no idea if that is true.

Yep, through trucks have to go around The Perimeter which is I-285. Going through downtown is not really that far of a drive "inside the Perimeter."

if I was driving in peak hours, I would take I-285 around by the airport on the west side of town.

When I am in town, I keep the radio listening to AM 750, WSB talk radio that has traffic reports every 6 minutes all day and early nights.

We left Hotlanta 15 years ago because debilitating traffic. Now we see Nashville and Chattanooga to have outgrown their road systems too.

 

[omni550]

My problem will be getting enough shut eye on Thursday evening. I still get pumped up for road trips (like a kid)

I rarely sleep well the night before my cannonball runs between Florida & Michigan, no doubt due to the last-minute concerns about getting everything ready, making sure I've got everything packed and the residence all buttoned-up for an extended absence, etc.

Not being able to sleep well is what finally gave me the bright idea of hitting the road at 4-4:30 am (both southbound and northbound) which gets me through Atlanta at non-peak times along with the other metro areas I encounter en route (Tampa, Knoxville, Cincinnati, etc.)

I also discovered that 5-Hour Energy works better than coffee when on a road trip -- a 2 oz. energy drink (vs 16-32 oz. of coffee) means I don't need to make extra potty-stops.

omni

 

[simple girl]

The Hampton Inn in Valdosta took us in when we evacuated for Hurricane Irma. So, I have a special place in my heart for that hotel!

Right off 75. Check prices. They may not be as expensive as you think.

 

[Koogie]

You'll have to watch out for these in Atlanta too !!

Self-Driving Semi Trucks Are About to Start Driving Around Atlanta
https://www.popularmechanics.com/te...01239/waymo-self-driving-semi-trucks-atlanta/

 

[FreeBear]

What about leaving later in the day, say as late at 9:30 to 10 am?? You miss most of the AM rush in Chicago and you fall after the evening rush in Atlanta. Granted, we've done this mainly on Saturday, so not so sure about Fri. The down side is that you get into Macon, south of ATL, around midnight or later, esp. with the time zone change, and you still have a pretty long drive the next day.

Also, we often drive through IL instead of IN to avoid the heavy traffic through Gary/South Chicago. It's a longer drive in miles, but less wear on the driver.