Anyone drive from Birmingham, AL?

[alicia080979]

We typically drive from Ohio down 75S but in November we will be at DH's family's house for Thanksgiving and they live outside of Birmingham (Jasper, AL to be exact). We are planning on getting up really, really early Saturday morning to get on the road to Disney but I cannot figure out what the best/quickest route would be. I was hoping there would be other drivers here that have perfected their route over the years and could share their experience.

Google maps has me taking 65S to Montgomery then 2 lane highways to 520 to Tifton. The alternate route is I-20 to Atlanta then down 75S. It is giving me an estimated time of 10 hours. Looking at the maps, I am wondering if 280 through Auburn would be a possibility but that would be A LONG stretch of no interstate so I am thinking that may add on a lot of time.

Any suggestions?? Is there another route faster than this?

 

[cw517]

We have driven from Huntsville, AL several times. The best way is south through Montgomery. We will NEVER go through Atlanta again. We have gotten stuck in Atlanta traffic for at least 30 mins to an hour every single time we've ever driven through, regardless of time or day!

Go South on I-65 to Montgomery, then I-85 North for a few miles, then take the exit for AL Hwy 271 toward US Hwy 231. You want to take US 231 all the way through Dothan, AL to I-10, then go East! I'm sure you know the rest.

Have a safe and fun trip!

 

[wiserabbit]

I agree with PP that going through Atlanta is my LEAST favorite way to go....it always feels like I'm going the "wrong way" at first and also you have to plan around rush hour traffic

That being said - I've driven both routes (to Tifton and the one through Auburn)...and I think they both "feel' the same as far as driving time - both are going to take you through multiple small towns with varying speed limits and/or red lights.....

I've done the Dothan -231-S to I-10 East also - and it while it is four-lanes - it seems to take so much longer once you hit I-10 East.

Let me throw in another route that we've come to like as the best one for us 65-S to Montgomery, 231-S to Dothan, 85-E to Bainbridge, GA then 27-S (Tallahassee Hwy) to outskirts of Tallahassee - then I-10... Sounds like a lot but we've found traffic to be minimal until you get to I-10, you get a variety of scenery and towns if you want or need to stop.....

Hope that helps - if it were us - we'd take the last option....

 

[Zooshoveller]

Go through Montgomery

280 is slow with a lot of radar guns!

From Montgomery, you take 231 S which is nice and wide. Take 231 (it changes numbers when you hit FL) all the way to I-10 E, then on to I-75 S ...

Montgomery is 8 hrs from WDW. Jasper is a little over 2 hrs from Montgomery.

 

[NancyIL]

My sister lives in the Birmingham area, so we've driven from there to WDW several times. However, I REALLY dislike driving through/around Dothan, AL!

 

[uagirl]

I live in Montgomery and have driven from both here and Birmingham. I recommend 65-S to Montgomery, 85-N to Taylor Rd., then 231 through Dothan. Just make sure you turn off of Ross Clark Circle in Dothan! We missed our turn the first time and got to make the entire loop again!