Best route - Chicago to Orlando

[kelleyrn2000]

subscribing...driving in about 8 weeks!

Debating whether to leave Thurs night or early Fri morning and time our drive from N. IL.... to avoid Atlanta traffic...especially on a Friday. With three kids and having my MIL following us in her vehicle it's going to be tough!

I think we may try to leave Thurs night, stay in Paducah, KY overnight since DH and I will have worked all day before heading out. Then leave early Friday morning to try to get to Atlanta by 3pm (4pm due to time zone change...oops). Then we would arrive in Orlando around midnight. Unless we get stuck in traffic. That makes me nervous!!

Or we may try to leave home early Friday morning instead...then we'd be hitting Atlanta late Friday night. Then we would stay somewhere south of Atlanta overnight. but we wouldn't arrive in Orlando until Saturday evening.

We have gotten stuck in Atlanta traffic once before, and it wasn't fun! I think 4pm is going to be congested already, right?

 

[kelleyrn2000]

This is my first time driving since 1995. We normally fly, but with 5 of us, it gets expensive, plus I am getting married down there to I will be having SO MUCH more stuff that I would typically take. My kids are at least excited to be able to check more states off of their visited list



Good point about the coupon books. I was also hoping there would be a lot of redboxes along the way, besides the stash I'm sure we will bring.

Great idea about the Redbox...thanks!!


We use the coupons books too. DH has even gone in to several places to bargain for a good rate late night and has done pretty good.

 

[smidgy]

So for more fun, I've been playing with the interactive maps on Google. I noticed today that when you try to get driving directions from Northern burbs I get three options:
A: 65 through Indy
B: 65 but bypassing Indy
C: IL 24 which pretty much rides the border between IL and IN.

Nowhere does it mention taking 57 to 24...is this out of the way? I wonder why Mapquest nor Google is bringing this route up as an option?

57 is a bit out of the way, and kinda boring. we like it because you don't hit a city until nashville. you avoid louisville and indianapolis. we live 40 miles NW of chicago, so we basically avaoid chicago, too.

 

[TheMorgans]

We don’t stop at rest stops much. We try to make our bathrooms breaks and meal breaks when we stop for gas. But there is a really nice rest stop at Rend Lake. It’s just south of Mt Vernon, IL before you switch to I-27. There are rest stops on both sides, but the southbound one is much nicer. DH and I are usually making this trip in the dark, however the rare occasion we are driving during the day, we always stop.

Rend Lake is huge lake resort area and the rest stop is very nice. It’s a great spot to run around, take pictures and I think there is a playground but I’m not certain. Either way, if you’re looking for rest stops, this is the best one I can recommend!

Since you are traveling in the next few weeks, if you can AVOID I-57 in this area. Road construction in this area is AWFUL!!!! The north and south bound lanes are both using the southboud lane and traffic is a BEAR almost every day. Delays of 1-2 hours are common just to travel about 20 miles through the construction area. The detour takes you on a county highway and goes through multiple small towns which are speed traps. JUST SAYING....

 

[Dislvr1020]

Since you are traveling in the next few weeks, if you can AVOID I-57 in this area. Road construction in this area is AWFUL!!!! The north and south bound lanes are both using the southboud lane and traffic is a BEAR almost every day. Delays of 1-2 hours are common just to travel about 20 miles through the construction area. The detour takes you on a county highway and goes through multiple small towns which are speed traps. JUST SAYING....

Thanks for the heads up!!! My DH was wanting to take 65 through Indiana anyway when we leave in about 3 weeks, so I supposed this is one more reason to lean that way. Though that's a bummer b/c I was looking forward to an awesome rest stop

 

[SpecialK]

Since you are traveling in the next few weeks, if you can AVOID I-57 in this area. Road construction in this area is AWFUL!!!! The north and south bound lanes are both using the southboud lane and traffic is a BEAR almost every day. Delays of 1-2 hours are common just to travel about 20 miles through the construction area. The detour takes you on a county highway and goes through multiple small towns which are speed traps. JUST SAYING....

I am SO glad I checked back on this thread. We leave next week, and as much as I hate 65, I hate being stopped in traffic more. Many thanks!

 

[Poohbug]

Leaving in a few days and I was going to take I57 to I24. I guess I could take I74 over to I65 and then to I24 to miss the construction. I will have to go through Indianapolis and Louisville and I wonder if dealing with the traffic in two cities will be worse than dealing with the construction delays. Any advice? I have been to Indy before but never to Louisville.

 

[SpecialK]

Leaving in a few days and I was going to take I57 to I24. I guess I could take I74 over to I65 and then to I24 to miss the construction. I will have to go through Indianapolis and Louisville and I wonder if dealing with the traffic in two cities will be worse than dealing with the construction delays. Any advice? I have been to Indy before but never to Louisville.

We're coming from he south suburbs of Chicago, close to 57, and taking the 57-74-65-24 route adds about an hour to our drive time. You might be better off just shooting over 80 to 65, assuming you're coming down 355.

We've driven a few times and the only city I remember dealing with traffic etc. was Atlanta.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

Since you are traveling in the next few weeks, if you can AVOID I-57 in this area. Road construction in this area is AWFUL!!!! The north and south bound lanes are both using the southboud lane and traffic is a BEAR almost every day. Delays of 1-2 hours are common just to travel about 20 miles through the construction area. The detour takes you on a county highway and goes through multiple small towns which are speed traps. JUST SAYING....

Thanks for the heads up. We were waffling back and forth between 57 or 65, but think that this seals the deal for us too. Do you know how long construction on 57 is expected to last? TIA for any information.

 

[peppermintpea]

Ugh we are driving now and our gps told us to go way of nc sc ga....I'm not sure how much time we lost having not gone through atl. I75 was detoured in tn for about 45 min through the mts....
We are almost to jacksonville....I do say the smoky mts were beautiful

 

[kelleyrn2000]

I think I have our timing figured out for our trip end of July...let's hope construction doesn't put a huge kink in our plan...

Using Mapquest travel time estimates...with any luck we will make better time though

Arrive in Paducah, KY by midnight and stay overnight.
Leave Paducah by 6am, stop for lunch in Chatanooga area, then make it to to Atlanta by 2pm. Braves have a 7:30 home game that night (Friday) so hopefully we will be through that area in plenty of time to miss rush hour and game taffic.
We'll stay overnight in Valdosta most likely before we head to Orlando in AM. Unless of course we are making better time than thought!


Does anyone know a good site to check road construction online for the various interstates?? TIA!!!

 

[SpecialK]

Ugh we are driving now and our gps told us to go way of nc sc ga....I'm not sure how much time we lost having not gone through atl. I75 was detoured in tn for about 45 min through the mts....
We are almost to jacksonville....I do say the smoky mts were beautiful

Do you remember where in TN you were detoured? We're leaving in a few days and I'm rethinking our route. ****Nevermind, I just looked it up. Lots of construction in TN.

I think I have our timing figured out for our trip end of July...let's hope construction doesn't put a huge kink in our plan...

Using Mapquest travel time estimates...with any luck we will make better time though

Arrive in Paducah, KY by midnight and stay overnight.
Leave Paducah by 6am, stop for lunch in Chatanooga area, then make it to to Atlanta by 2pm. Braves have a 7:30 home game that night (Friday) so hopefully we will be through that area in plenty of time to miss rush hour and game taffic.
We'll stay overnight in Valdosta most likely before we head to Orlando in AM. Unless of course we are making better time than thought!


Does anyone know a good site to check road construction online for the various interstates?? TIA!!!

Just google the Dept. of Transportation for the state you're interested in and you should find a link to construction info.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Do you remember where in TN you were detoured? We're leaving in a few days and I'm rethinking our route. ****Nevermind, I just looked it up. Lots of construction in TN.

I may understand her GPS taking her off I-75 in Corbin, KY (taking US 25E through the mountains and ending up in Eastern Tenn, close to North Carolina). That avoids the landslide and does not add too much time. But it sounds like her GPS might have taken her off I-75 in Knoxville. That's beyond the landslide, and that would actually add time.

PM me if anyone wants an alternative route around the I-75 landslide in Northern Tenn.

 

[peppermintpea]

Well we are back and in one piece from driving... couple of thoughts
~never driving straight through again...way too difficult for me and my hub
~not relying on my GPS from my car...took us the wrong way down
~lots of construction on the roads
~saw lots of cops


Had loads of fun even if it was rainy...Safe trips to all!
Til next year...TTFN!

 

[irish dancer]

We too are just home from our road trip. Our thoughts:

We did the 57-24-75 route to avoid the construction in Louisville, down to 1 lane. There was construction along 57 but there didn't seem to be any issues/traffic from it. It could be that we were doing all our traveling Sat/Sun.

Left western suburbs of Chicago Sat 6/2 at 7:30am. The only issue we had was 24 was closed through downtown Nashville for the weekend so there was a bit of a back-up and detour but I don't think it impacted things too much. We stayed the night in Macon, GA at a Best Western. Got a GREAT rate through Costco, $65ish for a 2bd w/pull-out sofa and breakfast.

Left Disney Sat 6/9 at 1:30p, hit some very heavy rain about 1hr north that lasted quite a while and slowed things down. We stopped for the night in Dalton, GA just south of Chattanooga at a Country Inn & Suites. It was clean but older. We got a later start on Sunday leaving around 10a. Had no problems on the way back through Nashville. There was a sign on 57 about a 4mi back-up starting at MM88 so we hopped off and took SR 37 from south of Mt. Vernon to just north of it. Was a nice drive, speed limit for most of it was 55 and there was no one on it so we sailed right through with no problems. There was more construction in Effingham and again around Kankakee, traffic was heavier but no slow downs or stops.

It was a long drive but all went well. If airline prices continue as they are I'm guessing our road trips will become more of the norm as it wasn't too terrible. I agree about the cops, there were many but cruise control can be your friend. The other big thing I noticed was the huge difference in gas prices once you leave IL. On our way back we saw $2.98 in Paducah and $3.05 in Chattanooga but the norm was more like low $3.20s. It was quite a shock to come home to nearly $4 again.

Best of luck to those with trips this summer.

 

[Butterbunkins]

We too are just home from our road trip. Our thoughts:

We did the 57-24-75 route to avoid the construction in Louisville, down to 1 lane. There was construction along 57 but there didn't seem to be any issues/traffic from it. It could be that we were doing all our traveling Sat/Sun.

Left western suburbs of Chicago Sat 6/2 at 7:30am. The only issue we had was 24 was closed through downtown Nashville for the weekend so there was a bit of a back-up and detour but I don't think it impacted things too much. We stayed the night in Macon, GA at a Best Western. Got a GREAT rate through Costco, $65ish for a 2bd w/pull-out sofa and breakfast.

Left Disney Sat 6/9 at 1:30p, hit some very heavy rain about 1hr north that lasted quite a while and slowed things down. We stopped for the night in Dalton, GA just south of Chattanooga at a Country Inn & Suites. It was clean but older. We got a later start on Sunday leaving around 10a. Had no problems on the way back through Nashville. There was a sign on 57 about a 4mi back-up starting at MM88 so we hopped off and took SR 37 from south of Mt. Vernon to just north of it. Was a nice drive, speed limit for most of it was 55 and there was no one on it so we sailed right through with no problems. There was more construction in Effingham and again around Kankakee, traffic was heavier but no slow downs or stops.

It was a long drive but all went well. If airline prices continue as they are I'm guessing our road trips will become more of the norm as it wasn't too terrible. I agree about the cops, there were many but cruise control can be your friend. The other big thing I noticed was the huge difference in gas prices once you leave IL. On our way back we saw $2.98 in Paducah and $3.05 in Chattanooga but the norm was more like low $3.20s. It was quite a shock to come home to nearly $4 again.

Best of luck to those with trips this summer.

Glad you had a good, safe drive. I can tell you from our many trips to So. IL traffic always gets heavy through Kankakee and Effingham so it sounds like you got lucky with construction all and all! Hope the whole vacation was wonderful!

 

[2dogmom]

Left western suburbs of Chicago Sat 6/2 at 7:30am. The only issue we had was 24 was closed through downtown Nashville for the weekend so there was a bit of a back-up and detour but I don't think it impacted things too much. We stayed the night in Macon, GA at a Best Western. Got a GREAT rate through Costco, $65ish for a 2bd w/pull-out sofa and breakfast.

What time did you arrive in Macon?

 

[Suzanne033]

Left western suburbs of Chicago Sat 6/2 at 7:30am. The only issue we had was 24 was closed through downtown Nashville for the weekend so there was a bit of a back-up and detour but I don't think it impacted things too much. We stayed the night in Macon, GA at a Best Western. Got a GREAT rate through Costco, $65ish for a 2bd w/pull-out sofa and breakfast.

Thanks for the info. I am taking a similar route and we are also staying at the Best Western in Macon, GA this Friday night.

A couple questions though: What time did you leave Macon in the morning? What time did you arrive in Orlando??

 

[irish dancer]

What time did you arrive in Macon?

We got to Macon around 10-10:30p local time. We did have one unplanned long stop for dinner just north of Chattanooga. We stopped at a Long John Silver/A&W, we decided to get out of the car and go in because we were sick of sitting. It took FOREVER!! I think they cooked every order individually and it was pretty busy. It was good we got hot fresh food but I didn't plan to stop for so long.

Thanks for the info. I am taking a similar route and we are also staying at the Best Western in Macon, GA this Friday night.

A couple questions though: What time did you leave Macon in the morning? What time did you arrive in Orlando??

We left Macon around 8-8:30a and got to our off-site hotel between 2-3p. We did stop off at Ellis' for some pecan snacks but it was a quick stop and a drive-thru lunch at Steak & Shake.


One other note: if you like BBQ we stopped at a great place in Valdosta called Smokin' Pig. It was delicious! They also have a restaurant in Macon.

 

[Mommygraham]

We drove last May and took the I94 to I65 to I24 to I75 to US27 to US192 route as well. We were coming from the western suburbs of Chicago. We left our house at 6:00 a.m., and stopped at 9:00 p.m. in Byron, Georgia. There was a Holiday Inn Express, McDonald's, and several gas stations. The hotel was clean and worked just fine. The next day we had a 5 hour drive to Disney. On the way home, we left Disney at 9:00 a.m. and made it all the way to Jacksonville, KY by about 9:00 p.m. that night (We originally planned to stop just out of Nashville but everyone was fine so we kept on going). We stayed at a Hampton Inn (which was great, by the way).. We left in the a.m. at 8:00 a.m. We pulled into our driveway at 2:00 p.m. Keep in mind, we had a one year old and a 3 year old and a 9 year old, so we made many stops for diaper changes, food/snacks, etc.. I think it was really great to get the most of the driving out the way the first day. We will be flying when we go this fall, but will be happy to drive again on our next trip. I agree with you. It was exciting for the kids to see the different states, etc.