Any Recommendations if Taking 95 South to Tampa Area?

[amcnj]

Hi. Heading south on 95 and first stopping in the Tampa area. MapQuest suggests taking 10 by Jacksonville to 301 south, then getting on 75 by Zuber. Is 301 a good travelling road? Is this way better than staying on 10 to 75 or even staying on 95 to Route 4?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[grimley1968]

I Google-mapped Jacksonville to Tampa, and it also recommended the 301 route. I then did the "street view" of different spots on 301, and it looked like a very nice road, limited access, 2 lanes each direction, etc. I'd go with that. It's slightly fewer miles than going all the way over to I-75. Zuber is where Googlemaps had me getting on I-75. In my experience I-75 is a nice road between Ocala (close to Zuber) and Tampa.

 

[Jedana]

We've gone from Jax to Tampa a few times.
I95 to St Augustine, onto I75 is a good route, and since you are on a highway, there are places you can stop to get gas, use the restroom, etc, and can feel comfortable doing so.

I10 to I75 thru Macclenny is a good drive, but I prefer the 95 route. This way takes you through Alachua and Gainesville, and I hate driving in Gainesville.

301 is a nice drive, but it does go through Starke, Waldo and Hawthorne---all tiny towns known for speed traps. Speed limits go from 65 to 35 very very quickly, and if you are not quick enough to slow down---BAM, they get you. There was a sign outside Waldo for the longest time, warning people about the speed traps. (Waldo disbanded their police department last year; I think the state patrol does it now.)

 

[amcnj]

I Google-mapped Jacksonville to Tampa, and it also recommended the 301 route. I then did the "street view" of different spots on 301, and it looked like a very nice road, limited access, 2 lanes each direction, etc. I'd go with that. It's slightly fewer miles than going all the way over to I-75. Zuber is where Googlemaps had me getting on I-75. In my experience I-75 is a nice road between Ocala (close to Zuber) and Tampa.

Thanks for looking into this. I wondered if staying on 10 to 75, even though it is longer in miles, might be quicker time wise if 301 is a pokey road. But it sounds like 301 is not too bad.

Thanks again!

 

[amcnj]

We've gone from Jax to Tampa a few times.
I95 to St Augustine, onto I75 is a good route, and since you are on a highway, there are places you can stop to get gas, use the restroom, etc, and can feel comfortable doing so.

I10 to I75 thru Macclenny is a good drive, but I prefer the 95 route. This way takes you through Alachua and Gainesville, and I hate driving in Gainesville.

301 is a nice drive, but it does go through Starke, Waldo and Hawthorne---all tiny towns known for speed traps. Speed limits go from 65 to 35 very very quickly, and if you are not quick enough to slow down---BAM, they get you. There was a sign outside Waldo for the longest time, warning people about the speed traps. (Waldo disbanded their police department last year; I think the state patrol does it now.)

Thanks for your response. So if you take 95 south to St Augustine, then you are cutting across state on 207 to 20 and getting on 75 in Gainesville?

Thanks again!

 

[grimley1968]

Thanks for looking into this. I wondered if staying on 10 to 75, even though it is longer in miles, might be quicker time wise if 301 is a pokey road. But it sounds like 301 is not too bad.

Thanks again!

Please note that the sections of 301 I looked at were in relatively rural areas, which looked great. A previous poster mentioned the small towns it goes through, which I did not look at. You may want to look at googlemaps, bing, or something else that offers a street or bird's eye view, at those towns and see if that would rule out 301 for you.

 

[monorailsilver]

We have driven from CT to Ft. Myers. We took 95 the whole way down until we got to Daytona and got on 4 to go across.

My BIL took the inland/rural road route just prior to that and he said not to do it.

It was a quick drive too. It felt like in no time we were in Daytona and the whole way to Orlando were Disney signs so it was great.

Not the same route, but coming home that trip we took the inland road from the Ft. Myers area to the Orlando area and although it saved miles it was a slow road and we were constantly looking for local cops as well as safe places to stop to make that pit stop we all needed.

 

[amcnj]

We have driven from CT to Ft. Myers. We took 95 the whole way down until we got to Daytona and got on 4 to go across.

My BIL took the inland/rural road route just prior to that and he said not to do it.

It was a quick drive too. It felt like in no time we were in Daytona and the whole way to Orlando were Disney signs so it was great.

Not the same route, but coming home that trip we took the inland road from the Ft. Myers area to the Orlando area and although it saved miles it was a slow road and we were constantly looking for local cops as well as safe places to stop to make that pit stop we all needed.

OK thanks. Then it sounds like I need to decide between 95 to 4 to 75, or 95 to 10 to 75.
Thanks again!

 

[amcnj]

Please note that the sections of 301 I looked at were in relatively rural areas, which looked great. A previous poster mentioned the small towns it goes through, which I did not look at. You may want to look at googlemaps, bing, or something else that offers a street or bird's eye view, at those towns and see if that would rule out 301 for you.

OK thanks. Then it sounds like I should stick to either 95 to 4 to 75, or 95 to 10 to 75.
Thanks again!