Best Route: Driving to Orlando and Bypassing Atlanta

[dwheaton]

Hello. We've booked the Swan for my daughters' Spring Break and will be driving down to Orlando from St. Louis. In the past, we've always taken I-24 to I-75 and gone through Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. The last time we made this drive was in 2017, and the traffic was brutal in all three cities, especially Atlanta. It didn't even matter if it was rush hour. Atlanta was rough even around 9 p.m. I'm looking into driving around Atlanta (and possibly the others) for this trip. I don't mind if it's a big longer in distance as long as it's not way out of the way.

Does anyone have suggestions on the best route to take? I was thinking of perhaps taking I-65 from Nashville and then rejoining I-75 well past Atlanta. What I don't want to do is end up facing traffic in other cities like Birmingham while trying to avoid it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[sam_gordon]

Hello. We've booked the Swan for my daughters' Spring Break and will be driving down to Orlando from St. Louis. In the past, we've always taken I-24 to I-75 and gone through Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. The last time we made this drive was in 2017, and the traffic was brutal in all three cities, especially Atlanta. It didn't even matter if it was rush hour. Atlanta was rough even around 9 p.m. I'm looking into driving around Atlanta (and possibly the others) for this trip. I don't mind if it's a big longer in distance as long as it's not way out of the way.

Does anyone have suggestions on the best route to take? I was thinking of perhaps taking I-65 from Nashville and then rejoining I-75 well past Atlanta. What I don't want to do is end up facing traffic in other cities like Birmingham while trying to avoid it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Here's what Google shows:


I've generally had little issues going through Atlanta (either direction). A key is timing. I try to enter the city between 10a-2p or after 6p.

I guess you could go Birmingham to Montgomery, then back roads to 75, but that would annoy me more than traffic.
ETA: Here's what that would look like...

"Only" an extra hour.

 

[dwheaton]

Your response brings up the issues that I'm struggling with as we plan the route. It seems weird to choose a route that's an hour longer, but I've always found the times to be way low as we go through Chattanooga and Atlanta. So I wonder if it's a safer bet to go through Alabama. However, who knows if those cities (which I've never driven through) will have traffic. There's no certain way to know, and it's also been five years so maybe it's different now too. I figured someone on this site might have more recent experience with this drive. Thanks for the input!

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Birmingham is still a pretty big city with traffic. And highways in the Deep South are often 2 lanes with very slow vehicles on them frequently.
There's been some construction improvements through both Chattanooga and Atlanta over the past 12 months.
While there's still traffic, barring an accident, you are not talking longer than 10-15 min delays.
Try getting the SunPass (also can use EzPass) toll transponder. This allows you to use the by pass lanes around Atlanta.

Have you considered following Waze and taking whatever routes it suggests that avoid traffic delays? I've found it pretty darn reliable. If Alabama route is faster, it will tell you as you approach the area.

 

[sam_gordon]

Oh, and assuming there's someone else in the car with you, make sure you use the HOV lanes.

 

[dwheaton]

Thanks for the info. We will have four of us, so no worries on the HOV lanes. Waze is a good idea; I typically use Google Maps but will also look into that. The one limitation is that we'll be booking our hotel for the drive down well before we leave. So we won't be able totally shift our route if traffic is bad.

We'll be driving down on a Saturday (and back on a Friday), so both concern me with Atlanta. Back in 2017, we waited hours in suburbs outside of Atlanta, not even in the city. Do you know if that's still a big issue?

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Thanks for the info. We will have four of us, so no worries on the HOV lanes. Waze is a good idea; I typically use Google Maps but will also look into that. The one limitation is that we'll be booking our hotel for the drive down well before we leave. So we won't be able totally shift our route if traffic is bad.

We'll be driving down on a Saturday (and back on a Friday), so both concern me with Atlanta. Back in 2017, we waited hours in suburbs outside of Atlanta, not even in the city. Do you know if that's still a big issue?

Saturday's aren't that bad. We last went through right after New Years and Atlanta was no issue. We went straight through, no stops. Friday can be but it's easy to time it to miss the most. Get there before 2:00 and after 7:00 and it should be ok, with limited to no stops. We never take the by pass around Atlanta either, we go straight through town. That's always been the quickest way.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks for the info. We will have four of us, so no worries on the HOV lanes. Waze is a good idea; I typically use Google Maps but will also look into that. The one limitation is that we'll be booking our hotel for the drive down well before we leave. So we won't be able totally shift our route if traffic is bad.

We'll be driving down on a Saturday (and back on a Friday), so both concern me with Atlanta. Back in 2017, we waited hours in suburbs outside of Atlanta, not even in the city. Do you know if that's still a big issue?

Google owns WAZE, so I don't think one will be different than the other. I agree w/PP, just time it and it's not bad. A Saturday would be better than a weekday. I'm guessing if you waited hours, there was some accident, not just normal traffic. That can happen on ANY route you take.

 

[dwheaton]

Thanks. The way back concerns me since we're probably leaving around 10-11 a.m., which puts us in Atlanta right around rush hour. I guess we could slow roll it or drive a different way on the way home since it's a Friday. The Saturday on the way down sounds better based on the comments so far in this thread.

 

[Turksmom]

We drive from PA. We book our overnight at the Embassy Suites Gwinnet/ Sugarloaf. There are plenty of hotels/food off the Sugarloaf Parkway exit
This is a suburb on the north side of Atlanta on the bypass (I-485 outer loop). We try to time it to arrive around 7, which seems to put us between all of the major cities during rush hour on the way there.
We leave there around 8am taking I-85 to 285 (285/407) toward Augusta/Macon to 675 toward Macon, which turns into 75. I find that we miss driving through the most congested areas by using this route.
As others have said, Saturdays aren't bad for driving, especially early in the day.

 

[sam_gordon]

Thanks. The way back concerns me since we're probably leaving around 10-11 a.m., which puts us in Atlanta right around rush hour. I guess we could slow roll it or drive a different way on the way home since it's a Friday. The Saturday on the way down sounds better based on the comments so far in this thread.

Are you planning on stopping for the night on the way home?

If not, I'd try to leave around 9am (earlier if possible). That should get you in Atlanta around 3p, which would be about as late as I'd want to get there.
If so, I'd leave after lunch. Leaving at 1p gets you through Atlanta around 7p and through Chattanooga around 9p. That would be a perfect time (IMO) to stop for the night.

To help "make time" on the road, only stop for necessities (gas and biologic). Either bring food with you or get food when you get gas and eat in the vehicle as you're travelling. Stopping for a sit down meal GREATLY adds to the travel time.

 

[Brett Wyman]

OP: Did you stay on 75 or use 285 to bypass downtown the times you had issues?

Google maps, GPS, Waze, etc tell the quickest way, sitting in traffic included. Choose the fastest and go.

Unless you just hate congestion, you'll lose time going around.

 

[dwheaton]

Brett - In the past, we've always driven through Atlanta on 75 since it seemed better than the bypass on 285. That's what we did last time, but the killer was really even before we even reached that point. The suburbs were the challenge on both sides of Atlanta.

Sam - We are planning on stopping on the way home; while I could do it in one day, our girls aren't to that point so far. We also aren't going to do sit-down meals due both to time and COVID this time, so that should help. I'm thinking your idea of not leaving so early on the way back makes sense given the timing on getting to Atlanta.

 

[peabody58]

I live in the south ATL area and have gotten pretty used to the traffic in and around ATL. We just avoid rush hour, factor in some extra time, use our Peach Pass and HOV lanes. Accidents are the unknown in all travel scenarios. I think people make too much fuss about ATL traffic. I've had more issues with the I-75 Ocala area during senior early bird specials than in ATL!

 

[kydisneyfans]

I'm a big fan of 75 over 65 in the deep south. 75 is all 3 lane minimum(except some in TN). 65 is 2 lane and heavily traveled. Nashville is no picnic anymore. I like Atlanta on a Saturday morning, usually the flow is in the 70s all the way through town. On our weekday drives back, we left Disney property no later than 7:00 AM and really had no issues in Atlanta. I would not avoid Atlanta on a weekend if it's adding an hour. I would consider alternate routes or time adjustments if hitting Atlanta at rush hour, but don't leave so early you flow through Atlanta but then get caught up in Nashville. Waze is my best friend on the road.

 

[dwheaton]

Thanks. I'm leaning towards just taking 75 on the way down, using Waze more, and adjusting if needed. On the way back, we'll just have to make sure we don't hit Atlanta during rush hour, which might be a little tricky on a Friday but should be doable. We may adjust our route then if it's rough on the way down too.

 

[Belle1962]

I also support the use of gps or waze. Also, order a GA PeachPass. In addition to gov you can use the flybys.

 

[Mertis]

Another vote for a Peach Pass, you can use it in FL, too, for the SunPass lanes.

 

[dwheaton]

There is probably a thread on this already, but can you provide more info on the Peach Pass and its benefits? I'm sure we'll be at least going on some toll roads in Florida, so I'm curious how it impacts that side of it. We typically have to bring coins and hope we have enough.

 

[Mertis]

There is probably a thread on this already, but can you provide more info on the Peach Pass and its benefits? I'm sure we'll be at least going on some toll roads in Florida, so I'm curious how it impacts that side of it. We typically have to bring coins and hope we have enough.

Think of the Peach Pass as the ‘Lightning Lane’ of ATL traffic! It’s a fee based lane; fees change depending on time of day but I don’t think we‘ve paid over $10ish the whole way. The fees are posted above the lane as you enter so you know. Well worth it IMHO. It’s also good for those pesky FL tolls, just breeze right on thru. I think you can purchase thru the Peach Pass site (just Google) & probably other locales as you get into GA, if you don’t want to buy online. You can also “pre-load“ incremental amounts (ours is $10) so you don’t have to prepay a bunch of dollars. In other words, once the initial payment runs out, it reloads at $10. Please verify info on the website. Hope this gives you an idea of how it works. Safe travels!