Memphis to Port Canaveral...can anyone help?

astempel

Earning My Ears
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
This may be a bit off topic, but I need help. We are driving down from Memphis to Port Canaveral for our FIRST cruise and I am trying to determine the best route. We will have 3 kids in the car and would like to cut off as much of the 14 hours as possible. Anyone have suggestions? You can PM me if needed in order to fully answer. Thanks!
 
Hi, I am originally from Memphis but live in Central Florida now - we have done this drive many times a couple of different ways...

I am not the best at giving directions, but I'll give it a try:

You could take US-78 to US-280 to I-75 to SR-528 (what we like to call the "MS-AL-GA route") or you could take I-40 to I-75 to SR-528 (what we call the "Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta route"). Also note that once you are in FL (on I-75), you could take the interstate (I-10 I think?) that goes over to I-95 and then drive down that to SR-528 or FL-528 (whatever they like to call it).

Either way it is a LONG HAUL! The quickest we have done is probably around 13 hours but we don't have kids...

Whatever you decide, travel safe!:moped:
 
Living in north GA, we take I-75 to I-10 to I-95. We have done the I-75 to SR-528, but too many tolls. The time difference doing a "right angle" is slight. We also think I-10 to I-95 is easier. It takes us 9 hours. We live 50 miles north of Atlanta. We stop only when it is a must and at Starbuck's once.
 
Hi, I am originally from Memphis but live in Central Florida now - we have done this drive many times a couple of different ways...

I am not the best at giving directions, but I'll give it a try:

You could take US-78 to US-280 to I-75 to SR-528 (what we like to call the "MS-AL-GA route") or you could take I-40 to I-75 to SR-528 (what we call the "Nashville-Chattanooga-Atlanta route"). Also note that once you are in FL (on I-75), you could take the interstate (I-10 I think?) that goes over to I-95 and then drive down that to SR-528 or FL-528 (whatever they like to call it).

Either way it is a LONG HAUL! The quickest we have done is probably around 13 hours but we don't have kids...

Whatever you decide, travel safe!:moped:

I am also originally from Memphis (a little town just north of there) and now live in Central FL -- I agree with these two options.... This is how we would drive... :thumbsup2
 


I'm in Memphis too (Arlington actually), so I just wanted to drop in and say hello! :wave2:

We drove down there for our first cruise too, and boy, was it a long drive. On the way down there, we stopped in GA overnight, but on the way back, we drove the entire trip in one day. The second cruise, we flew. Good luck, and have a safe trip!
 
I will be makeing the trip from Springfield MO in April map quest said to go through Memphis then on US 78 through Al. NO NO NO I cant go that way again We go that way to St. George Island FL and it is offlle, we take I 55 to I 40 through Nashville, Chattanooga, I 75 through Atlanta, Valdosta....
The only thing I might add is SIRIUS RADIO it realy makes the drive go by fast
 
I am also originally from Memphis (a little town just north of there) and now live in Central FL -- I agree with these two options.... This is how we would drive... :thumbsup2

You have peaked my curiosity - if you don't mind me asking - what town are you from? I have lived all over the Memphis area - Shelby & Tipton Counties (I graduated from Covington High School)... We don't meet too many people here from our area...

By the way - to the poster that lives in Arlington - we used to live right outside of there - off of Hwy. 64 and Houston Levee Rd in Cordova!

It's nice to see that Memphis has some folks on the Dis! :) GO TIGERS!!!
 


You have peaked my curiosity - if you don't mind me asking - what town are you from? I have lived all over the Memphis area - Shelby & Tipton Counties (I graduated from Covington High School)... We don't meet too many people here from our area...

By the way - to the poster that lives in Arlington - we used to live right outside of there - off of Hwy. 64 and Houston Levee Rd in Cordova!

It's nice to see that Memphis has some folks on the Dis! :) GO TIGERS!!!

I'm originally from Dyersburg - I have family that now live in Covington -- I remember the 'old way' to Memphis that took you down past Bozo's -- back when it was Bozo's (the real one).... I went to college in Jackson and lived in Memphis for 6 years before moving to Florida...

When did you graduate? I was the Class of '92. I agree, it's rare to see someone from our neck of the woods... :thumbsup2

In the meantime, I also notice that you are married to a CM? Is that right? Where's he? I work at Hollywood Studios. :wizard: Where's he from?

Small World -- but we knew that... :grouphug:
 
You sound like a candidate for a GPS system. For that kind of trip I would think it was worth $125 or so for one, especially if you encounter construction or other delays.
I'm assuming flying is out of the question. I kind of have a rule that anything more than 8 hours in the car means we're flying!!
 
I'm originally from Dyersburg - I have family that now live in Covington -- I remember the 'old way' to Memphis that took you down past Bozo's -- back when it was Bozo's (the real one).... I went to college in Jackson and lived in Memphis for 6 years before moving to Florida...

When did you graduate? I was the Class of '92. I agree, it's rare to see someone from our neck of the woods... :thumbsup2

In the meantime, I also notice that you are married to a CM? Is that right? Where's he? I work at Hollywood Studios. :wizard: Where's he from?

Small World -- but we knew that... :grouphug:

Yeah, I vaguely remember that "old way" route too... lol

I graduated from Covington in 1995. My husband went to school in Memphis and graduated around 1991...

Oh, and my husband is a part-time/seasonal CM at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom - and he loves it - believe it or not, Disney is one of the reasons we moved here and we are so glad that we did!!!:cool1:

I guess it is a small world, huh?
 
Yeah, I vaguely remember that "old way" route too... lol

I graduated from Covington in 1995. My husband went to school in Memphis and graduated around 1991...

Oh, and my husband is a part-time/seasonal CM at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom - and he loves it - believe it or not, Disney is one of the reasons we moved here and we are so glad that we did!!!:cool1:

I guess it is a small world, huh?

I graduated from college in 1995 and moved to Memphis that summer. The 'old way' is through Covington and then up Highway 64, I believe - right through Mason.

The Safaris -- cool!! I had a great driver last year on there - named Ivan. He was so awesome that I actually sent a note to Disney.Communications to let them know. I'd totally forgotten about it until I got a call from 'Disney Executive Offices' wanting to follow-up. I nearly had a heart attack until I figured out what they were calling about. :rotfl:

I'm with Disney Photo Imaging - usually at Hollywood Studios. I've worked over at DAK a time or two, but I generally live at DHS.

Great to meet you!! :flower3:
 
*snip*
By the way - to the poster that lives in Arlington - we used to live right outside of there - off of Hwy. 64 and Houston Levee Rd in Cordova!

It's nice to see that Memphis has some folks on the Dis! :) GO TIGERS!!!

Too cool!! We're just off 70 behind Vinegar Jim's! Small world!!

And I just had to post to second your "GO TIGERS!" :woohoo:
 
When we drive to Orlando from St. Louis (just 5 hours north of you) we cut through Southern Illinois and Kentucky and also go through Nashville-Chatanooga-Atlanta to just north of Orlando. Nashville is about 5 or 5 1/2 hours from us.

We then cut across the FL Turnpike and come out on I-4 just east of Orlando. From there you are only 40 minutes give or take to the Cape.

We usually overnight on the way down somewhere south of Atlanta - like Macon or Perry, Georgia. Holiday Inns - Kids Eat Free. Definately somewhere with a pool so the kids can blow off some steam before dinner or bedtime.

That's like a 13 hour drive from St. Louis but it leaves only about 5 1/2 hours or so to Orlando the next day - much easier to face.

On the way back, we normally overnight in northern Georgia (Dalton), or if we avoid traffic in Atlanta (ha ha ha), maybe in Murfreesboro, TN.

Not sure how easy it is to get from Memphis to Nashville, but it could work for you.

Best of luck!
 
Honestly, if it was me, the drive would be to the MEM airport for a nonstop to MCO - ESPECIALLY if any of the kids are under 8 or 9.

With smaller kids a very long one-day drive can be a nightmare - unless you can do the drive overnight.

When I was young, occasionally we would do a 14 hour drive from Schaumburg, IL to Baton Rouge, LA to visit relatives. My parents would see to it my brother and I didn't get a lot of sleep the night before and that we got a lot of exercise the day of travel. We would have a late afternoon snack before heading out and stop for dinner about two hours south of home. Then we would fall asleep and sleep through most of the remaining drive as my parents traded off every three hours or so.

While that system worked well while I was a kid, I don't do well with interrupted sleep overnight and would be afraid of falling asleep while driving. Therefore I would fly - even if it meant downgrading the stateroom category to afford the tickets.
 
I graduated from college in 1995 and moved to Memphis that summer. The 'old way' is through Covington and then up Highway 64, I believe - right through Mason.

The Safaris -- cool!! I had a great driver last year on there - named Ivan. He was so awesome that I actually sent a note to Disney.Communications to let them know. I'd totally forgotten about it until I got a call from 'Disney Executive Offices' wanting to follow-up. I nearly had a heart attack until I figured out what they were calling about. :rotfl:

I'm with Disney Photo Imaging - usually at Hollywood Studios. I've worked over at DAK a time or two, but I generally live at DHS.

Great to meet you!! :flower3:

Nice to meet you too! We will be sure to lookout for you next time we visit DHS!

Oh, and I will ask my husband if he knows Ivan - I have been on the safari SO MANY TIMES - he probably has been my driver at least once! :rotfl:

Looks like you have a cruise coming up - so do we - a little later though (next month) - we can't wait!!! Hope you have a great time! :boat:
 
Thanks to all! We have decided to do the Nashville, Chatanooga way since we are only 3 hours from Nashville. We will be spending the night overnight, so we will not be making the entire trip in one day! I agree that to do that would be a nightmare with kids!! :)
 

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