Atlanta, is traffic really that bad?

[Priorityonecb]

Hi everyone! We will be in Atlanta October 26-28th for our daughters band competition at the Georgia Dome. For a hotel within walking distance, we are looking at $200 or over once we add in parking fees. We would like to be far more budget friendly than that, but I keep reading that if we stay in Buckhead or other outlining areas, the traffic is going to be ridiculous.

For locals and those that have visited, is it really that bad? We may want to leave the competition for a few hours mid day, so insane traffic (and paying to park at the stadium again I assume) may make the high cost of walking distance worth it.

Any advice?? Thanks!!! Oh, if it matters we don't plan to do anything touristy besides the competition and a couple nice dinners out since it will just dh and I.

 

[seasheller]

We always drive the HOV lane (2 or more passengers) when we go back and forth to Florida and have sailed through Atlanta except for once this year. Have been doing this for over 12 years.

 

[chris31997]

We don't live there. My SIL lives in Alpheretta, and it is nuts. She takes the back roads during rush hour and that is backed up. Something else to consider is knowing your way around, which hwy to take to which exit. It can get nuts. Probably not anything worse than any other big city.

 

[mercydisney]

We have gone on the weekends and have not hit traffic. One yr we went during a 3 day weekend, the traffic was crazy due to a truck accident that left mattresses on the roads. At one point I was willing to pick up a mattress and sleep on it.

 

[kathie859]

Check out the Marriott website. The Marriott downtown (in walking distance of the Dome) is showing much cheaper rates and I didn't even plug in for a AAA discount. Parking may be extra--I've never had a car to park there.

There's also Courtyard and Fairfield Inn (both Marriott hotels) which are even cheaper.

 

[danceintherain]

Where are you from?
If you're used to driving in a different heavily populated city, then you'll probably be fine, but if you're from a less populated area, then I wouldn't recommend driving there.
It also depends on the schedule. As in most places, traffic in Atlanta is at it's worst during rush hour, so if you're planning on driving somewhere between around 4:30 and 6:30pm or 6:30am-10, it probably will be bad. They have made some changes in the past few years that have improved things slightly.

I went to high school in Gwinnett County (north of Atlanta) which means I learned to drive Georgia and I still hate driving there.

Have you looked into the MARTA? The last time I checked, there's a stop at the Georgia Dome, so if you can find a hotel on the line, then you could take it in to her competition and back. When I went to a football game there several years back, I'm pretty sure we parked at the Marta station in Doraville, and took the Marta in.
Even if you stay at a hotel just a few stops away, you might be able to find an area where the hotels aren't quite as expensive.

I'm not sure how crowded it is during peak times, but I don't think it's as widely used as some public transit elsewhere.

 

[Priorityonecb]

Thanks everyone! We are in Raleigh, but have lived close to Denver and Honolulu so we know city traffic. I was just hearing horror stories that Atlanta was worse than most!

Dh wants to stay at an Embassy Suites in Dunwoody (thanks for the MARTA tip, I will check that out!). He stayed there once for business and doesn't recall traffic being that crazy when he went to the Aquarium which is close to the stadium. That hotel is $95 with free parking and free cooked to order breakfast, that sounds very reasonable...if it's not a crazy commute to and from the Georgia Dome.

 

[danceintherain]

Thanks everyone! We are in Raleigh, but have lived close to Denver and Honolulu so we know city traffic. I was just hearing horror stories that Atlanta was worse than most!

Dh wants to stay at an Embassy Suites in Dunwoody (thanks for the MARTA tip, I will check that out!). He stayed there once for business and doesn't recall traffic being that crazy when he went to the Aquarium which is close to the stadium. That hotel is $95 with free parking and free cooked to order breakfast, that sounds very reasonable...if it's not a crazy commute to and from the Georgia Dome.

Since you'll be there on the weekend, it probably won't be too bad.

It looks as if that hotel is directly adjacent to the MARTA station, so you could always try driving, then switch to the MARTA if it's too bad (or the other way around). Google Maps has a feature that tells you how long a drive will be in "current" traffic, so you could always check at similar times to get a general idea.

 

[Ali]

Atlanta terrified me when we were driving through there in July. I was almost hysterical with the 10 lanes of traffic each direction, the speeds that cars were driving, and the constant lane changing. Take the bypass roads around and they are still bad but not life threatening from a heart attack. Staying in the HOV lane is the best advice but if you have to exit and you feel comfortable changing 8 lanes in 90 mph traffic then you will be ok.

I have told my family I will never drive through there again, ever. We will go to a different state and go around it to get back to 75 north!

 

[MrsPete]

Yeah, everything you've heard about Atlanta traffic is TRUE! But you didn't mention the high cost of parking . . . If you can find a spot.

 

[tggrbuny]

Thanks everyone! We are in Raleigh, but have lived close to Denver and Honolulu so we know city traffic. I was just hearing horror stories that Atlanta was worse than most!

I used to live in Denver and just vacationed in Atlanta in March. It was Los Angeles volumes of traffic...much more than I ever saw in Denver. However the HOV lanes really moved faster and I took side streets several times. The side streets actually turned out to a bonus for my vacation because I saw different neighborhoods and really enjoyed the city tour.

I stayed in Duluth at the Winwood for 60.00 per night, free breakfast, near a mall and tons of restaurants. It is even further out then where you want to stay and never took more than 30 minutes to get downtown. It is the 10 lanes in each direction downtown that was the most stressful. Have a great trip

 

[cvjw]

We live in a suburb of Atlanta, but don't actually venture into downtown very much. Last month, we went to the Michael Jackson Cirque de Solei at Phipps Plaza, which is close to the Georgia Dome. I could not believe the number of cars which were trying to park for the show. All of the roads around the arena were blocked and shut down - it was a nightmare. We had paid extra to stay at the Ritz Carlton which is in walking distance, but ending up taking a cab due to a medical procedure (my Sister could not walk the few blocks to the show). I would highly recommend staying close to the venue, especially if you are not used to the high traffic area, and the police having roads shut down. The few dollars you save by staying in Dunwoody won't matter a bit if you can't actually get the the venue to see the competition.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Yep, it can be pretty crazy. I would plan to arrive during a off time to avoid the worst of it and then plan to stay put until you leave and do the same thing. We have in the past, stayed right outside of the downtown area and used the Marta and it is ok. It is a lot of time and work to save some money. We have decided it's just worth the extra money to stay where you want to be and not have to worry about getting where you need to be! With time schedules that I am sure you have with the competition, that will be even more important!

Oh, it really is a fun city to visit if you could add an extra day or two. We love the aquarium and the world of coke there!

 

[momxx5]

As a fellow band mom, I was wondering why the band itself does not have a deal through a hotel for them to stay and their families at a discount rate. Even if the band's rom & board are covered than there should be at least a package for families that would want to travel to the competition.

CHeck with the band director or parent who have been with the band a bit long, also check with a travel agent to see if a package or discount can happen with a certain amount of famiies attending.

The host of the competition should also have suggested places to stay and some sort of discounts.
I kinda find it hard to believe that y'all are left to your own choices in a large city that many may not be familiar with.

Good luck AND please keep us posted as to how it all works out.

What grade is your child in? What instrument?

 

[Nature Mom]

I'm a native Atlantan and traffic does stink, but because you'll be here on a weekend that doesn't look to have any major sporting events going on, that will cut a lot of travel time down. If you do drive, stay in the HOV lanes. Also, the Marta idea is a good one. Most of us that live close enough to the train station use it for events downtown. I would look at hotels in the Perimeter area. There is a station right by the mall and there are quite a few nice hotels right around there. Access to major roads is easy and you won't pay those high downtown hotel prices (plus parking). If you need any help, feel free to PM me.

Oh, one last thought; if you decide to stick with downtown or Buckhead area hotels, go to that hotel's main website instead of something like hotels.com. Many times they put special packages on their site and you can't get them unless you book direct. For example, my friends and I booked a girls' weekend in the Peachtree Plaza that included spa services, happy hour credits, etc. and paid much less than we were finding through discounters. Plus, when we checked in, they upgraded us to a 2 bedroom suite! Yes, we still had to pay for parking, but with how low our price was plus all the extras definitely made up for it.

 

[Priorityonecb]

MomXX5- Our kids are staying a bit out of the city, as they are going to Six Flags the following day to celebrate the end of their season. Dh and I don't want to go that far out. If we were chaperoning, we'd be staying with the band. But the parents just going to see the competition are on our own for accomodations. Our daughter is a sophmore, trumpet!

 

[Priorityonecb]

Thanks Nature Mom! The hotel dh wants is the Embassy Suites, next to the Perimeter mall. If the MARTA is close, we might do that instead of fighting every other band parent/bus to the stadium. Word has it that we might have gotten the 7am competition slot!! ::::gulp::: That would have us at the stadium from 6am to close to midnight if we stayed all day. I am feeling we'll need to escape at some point for a few hours!

 

[dakcp2001]

YES it is that bad. And there is no rush hour, it lasts all day. Stay close to the venue, it will be worth it.

 

[jimmytammy]

We go to a few Braves games every yr and stay in Alpharetta at a really nice Suites by Marriott. It is always clean, quiet and very reasonable. The staff is very friendly, free breakfast. $50-60 per night with AAA rate. Takes us about 35 mins to drive to stadium on hwy. Ga Dome is probably 5 mins closer to Alpharetta. If you allow time to drive, its not as bad. If you wait to last min., asking for it. Anywhere I go in Atl.,allow time and not as stressful.

 

[justakrazymom]

Hi everyone! We will be in Atlanta October 26-28th for our daughters band competition at the Georgia Dome. For a hotel within walking distance, we are looking at $200 or over once we add in parking fees. We would like to be far more budget friendly than that, but I keep reading that if we stay in Buckhead or other outlining areas, the traffic is going to be ridiculous.

For locals and those that have visited, is it really that bad? We may want to leave the competition for a few hours mid day, so insane traffic (and paying to park at the stadium again I assume) may make the high cost of walking distance worth it.

Any advice?? Thanks!!! Oh, if it matters we don't plan to do anything touristy besides the competition and a couple nice dinners out since it will just dh and I.

It's nuts. My sister lives in Marietta and going to and from downtown Atlanta is insane. My husband does all the driving and no other city gets to him except Atlanta..