ANyone drive from Northern Indiana?

[TandLMommy28]

I am trying to figure out the best route. I can either take 75 the whole way or take 65 to Nashville and pick up 75 there. I am really at a loss for which is better. We do the drive straight down 65 to Pensacola so we are familiar with that way but a straight shot down 75 seems nice, too.

Any opinions out there?

 

[capt445]

We have done the drive twice a year for the last five years from the FT. Wayne area. We take 69-465-65-24 in Nashville-75-Fl. turn pike-429 and come into Disney the back way. It seems to be the fastest route for us, as long as you hit the major cities at the right times. We will leave home on a Fri. night around 7 and usually pull into are resort early to mid afternoon on Sat. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Disneymama1]

Hello fellow Ft. Wayner. Can't help because we've never driven, but wanted to say hello and glad to see there are others on these boards from my area. Its such a pain in the neck to get to 75 from Ft Wayne. When my parents used to drive to FL for the winter I believe they took the route where they picked up 75 in Nashville. They did both ways and thought that was the quicker route. Good luck on your drive.

 

[Laz]

I just got back from doing that drive via Nashville and had minimal problems. Hit the major cities at the right time and don't forget to use the HOV lane thru Atlanta.

 

[marius97]

We're from just northwest of you over the line in MI. I'd recommend the Nashville route. We've gone both that way and a way that took us over to Cinncinnatti and down 75 from there. Time wise, Nashville is just a bit shorter. The number one key is just to time your leaving so you miss rush hour in the major cities. Here is what I think about the "straight shot down 75" theory: When you go straight down 75, you get on and basically don't do anything but go straight for 1,000 miles. By going the Nashville route, every few hundred miles you have to change directions. It is nothing complicated, just enough to keep you mentally focused. And on a 1,000+ mile drive, you need to keep your focus.

 

[Dis_Dreamin]

Why not just shoot down I-69 to I-465(SB) to I-74 and pick up I75 in Cincinnati? Wouldn't that be a little more direct than shooting down 65 to Nashville first?

 

[capt445]

I just figured three ways to go from Ft. Wayne, using Micrsoft streets and trips, and this is what I came up with:

All starting at Lutheran Hosp. and ending at POFQ

69,465,65,24(Nashville),75
15hrs 55mins 1087 miles

69,465,74to Cinci, 75
16hrs 8mins 1096 miles

69, 469, 33 through Decatur to 75
16hrs 13mins 1091 miles

So it's pretty much six of one, or half dozen the other...

The times are just driving time and not figuring in any stops for gas, food, or bathroom breaks.

 

[TandLMommy28]

Thanks so much for all the help! Nice to see so many other people from Fort Wayne here! The mileage from Lutheran Hospital is just about perfect, we would actually get on the highway just 3 miles south at exit 99 as opposed to exit 102 for Lutheran so that is perfect for me to gauge what it would be like.

I never thought about getting TO 75 in Ohio. I think you are all right, shooting down 69 to Indy and then taking 65 from Indy to Nashville would be best. And we've down that part of the drive countless times driving back and forth to Pensacola (we used to go to school in Pensacola). I think we will hit Atlanta on Saturday afternoon so hoping for less traffic although is there such a thing in Atlanta? On the way back we will be forced into Friday evening traffic in Atlanta because we are meeting friends in Suwannee (north of Atlanta) for breakfast Saturday morning. We used to drive from Pensacola to Atlanta every weekend and I hated Friday nights in Atlanta! Dreading that but what are ya gonna do? Can't avoid traffic in every city every time, right?

Thanks again!

 

[Soccerpooh]

Why not just shoot down I-69 to I-465(SB) to I-74 and pick up I75 in Cincinnati? Wouldn't that be a little more direct than shooting down 65 to Nashville first?

Just got back Sunday and this is the route we took home. It is just a lot easier to navigate. It literally added 8 minutes to the trip. We broke the drive up into 2 days on the way down. DH has worked some long hours the 2 weeks before we left, and I was worried he would get drowsy driving. We live just north of you, and it took about 18 hours total with bathroom breaks, and we ate in the car. The only back ups we ran into were on 75 in Tennessee or Kentucky, where the road would go from 3 lanes to 2. It was a very easy drive.