Best driving routes to/from Airports

[thebs19]

Hey all,

Rookie "rental car" driver here on a WDW vacation and was wondering if there were "best" routes to take for our legs to/from the airports. Obviously I have Google Maps' suggestions but I know tolls and attractions on the way may not necessarily follow Google's suggestions. So I am throwing myself at the mercy of experienced rental car vacationers to guide me, if you would be so kind!


For our trip TO WDW: I will be driving from MCO to the Beach Club. I'm sending the family ahead of me on DME, so I can make a stop at a grocer and pick up some snacks/drinks for the room on my route. So what's the best route from MCO that would have me pass a grocer/Walmart/Target/whatever without going too far out of my way?

For our trip FROM WDW: We are flying back from Tampa, not MCO. I have never been to Tampa before so I'm completely coming into this one blind. My concern here is simply routes that might be more notoriously traffic-filled on a Saturday afternoon departure than others, and also cashless tolls. I have a bag of quarters set aside for any unmanned toll locations, but I know some highways are switching to no cash lines (not even change bins) and that obviously would present a problem.

So, to recap:

1. Best route from MCO (avoid unmanned tolls if possible, I don't think cashless tolls are an issue on this route but if so, avoiding those too) that passes a grocer/superstore.

2. Best route To Tampa that is best at traffic avoidance and avoids unmanned tolls if possible but definitely avoids all cashless tolls. I'll need to get gas at some point on this trip but I doubt thats something I'll struggle to find.

THANKS EVERYONE!

 

[OKW Lover]

1. For MCO to BC, take the south exit from the airport to 417. You'll have two tolls (both have cash booths) before exiting 417 at exit 6. At the end of the exit just follow that road all the way onto WDW property. Take the 2nd right after passing under the welcome arch and follow that road about 3/4 mile, turning right just after the Raceway gas station. You'll pass Boardwalk, go under a bridge and BC will be on your left.
2. From BC to TPA, no tolls at all. Just find your way to I-4 and take that west to Tampa.

 

[thebs19]

1. For MCO to BC, take the south exit from the airport to 417. You'll have two tolls (both have cash booths) before exiting 417 at exit 6. At the end of the exit just follow that road all the way onto WDW property. Take the 2nd right after passing under the welcome arch and follow that road about 3/4 mile, turning right just after the Raceway gas station. You'll pass Boardwalk, go under a bridge and BC will be on your left.
2. From BC to TPA, no tolls at all. Just find your way to I-4 and take that west to Tampa.

Thank you! Will either 417 or whatever road it dumps you onto at exit 6 have any sort of grocer/superstore to stop at for some essentials?

 

[tobikaye]

From Exit 6, if you turn left:

• Walmart on the right about a mile down
• Publix a few minutes down from the Walmart on the left
• Target turn onto 530 just past Publix and it is on your

From Exit 6, if you turn right:

• Goodings on the right about 3 miles "Crossroads" area

There may be others in the area, but these are the ones that I can remember off the top of my head.

 

[OKW Lover]

Good suggestions above from @tobikaye. I'd just add that any of the first three are far superior to the Goodings.

 

[kda]

I concur with everything above. When you approach the tolls, do NOT stay in the left lane because that's for cars with the Sun Pass technology. When you go to the right, there will be multiple choices of lanes. There's one that is for exact change only --- no toll taker and usually a shorter wait time (unless someone got in the wrong lane and doesn't have change). If you want to talk to someone, ask a question, or need a receipt, go through the lane with a toll taker. We always do the South Exit to 417 (which becomes 536 and goes right into WDW).
Goodings has the least variety and highest prices. If there are other options, take them. We shop at Publix and like it very much, but Target and Walmart are certainly well known and reasonably priced.

 

[DVC4US]

1. For MCO to BC, take the south exit from the airport to 417. You'll have two tolls (both have cash booths) before exiting 417 at exit 6. At the end of the exit just follow that road all the way onto WDW property. Take the 2nd right after passing under the welcome arch and follow that road about 3/4 mile, turning right just after the Raceway (Speedway) gas station. You'll pass Boardwalk, go under a bridge and BC will be on your left.
2. From BC to TPA, no tolls at all. Just find your way to I-4 and take that west to Tampa. I-4 dead ends in Tampa at I-275 which you will want to take South towards St. Petersburg. Follow the signs for the airport - if you cross the long bridge into St. Pete you have gone too far.

I concur with this except for 2 things in bold above.