I-65 route update for Mid-westerners

[firecracker]

Hi. We just returned from our annual spring break trek. We decided to take I-65 through AL this year rather than fight the traffic on I-75.

On the way down, we had a heck of a time just getting out of IN due to traffic and storms!! Other than that, we LOVED the I-65 route. It MAY add an hour to the drive, if we had PERFECT travel and no back-ups on 75...which never happens.

The non-interstate section of AL (US 231) wasn't too bad...NO TRAFFIC. It was great not to have the stress of 80 mph bumper-to-bumper on I-75.

I'd be happy to answer specific questions if you have them.

firecracker

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

Thanks for the thumbs up on I-65. That is how we go to WDW. From Montgomery we take 231 S. to I-10 and then over to I-75. One highlight on the trip for us is the free OJ at the Florida Welcome Center. The other is what DW and I call our "gateway" from the real world to WDW. We always stop at the Disney visitors center in Ocala going in. It is our first taste of Disney. The real world ceases for us once we leave there. We also stop there on the way home as our "goodbye kiss" from Disney before we re-enter the real world. Can't wait to "go home" again.

 

[manning]

As the word gets out, that route has been seeing an increase in traffic. Five years ago it was empty.

 

[DMville]

Just wondering about 75. Is it as bad as everyone makes it sound. We sould be heading down thru ATL on a Sat afternoon or early evening. Can I expect it to be bad? Or is 75 in general just bad. Is it better to stay west of ATL on 407? And I thought I've read I-10 can be pretty bad traveling?

My Alabama story

Only time I've been thru AL (on way to 231 I think on way to Panama City), we and our companion car, both really low on gas around midnight, got off at an exit that had a gas sign and when we got to the bottom of the exit it was like we were in the middle of a big open field. No road, lights, signs or anything really marked that we could see, just gravel. So we "pulled over" (we thought)to talk about which way to go and an old pickup truck right out of scary movie central casting movie comes up to us out of nowhere and says "Ya know y'all are sitting right in the middle of the road?" He gave us directions to a station which seemed pretty far away but he didn't know if it was open this late so we hopped back on the highway and just hoped we'd make it to the next exit and pictured ourselves sitting on a dark AL highway at Midnight halfway to "nowhere".

 

[drogerstn]

We live in Memphis, TN, area and take this route when going home to Panama City Beach (we don't take 231 all the way to PCB) and when going to WDW. There is a somewhat new way to get around Montgomery when making the change from I-65 to US231 that cuts off some traffic. 231 has 65 mph speed limits on most sections but there are a few towns where the drive slows down.

 

[BamaBaloo]

Welcome to Alabama, Y'all.....

Yes, please bring your tax dollars through our state. You definitely won't find a more hospitable route to Florida.

Make sure you stop in Clanton for some fresh peaches......those folks don't boast, but they're better than Georgia's.

 

[firecracker]

Atlanta has never been our issue. Construction and fatal accidents have been our problems. We were stopped (not slowed, stopped) for FIVE HOURS of our trip last April due to construction and an accident. Macon to Valdosta is the worst EVER!!!

However, it's MUCH better than the awful, horrible new I-65 route mentioned here. My dh must have hijacked my username and posted about how great it was...liar, liar.

 

[Laz]

More and more people from my area have changed to the I-65/231 route. I-75 has gotten much worse over the years with consrtuction and accidents. Last years Georgia construction in April convinced most people (FIVE HOURS IN CONSTRUCTION TRAFFIC).

 

[clkelley]

I live in North Alabama, and I despise the 231 route. I just plan my driving to go through Atlanta at good times.

When we do drive, we usually leave after work, so that gets us through Birmingham about 6:30 CT and through Atlanta about 9:30 ET. Then we stop on 475 at a Comfort Inn in Macon. Then early the next morning shoot on down to Orlando.

We have very few problems.

 

[OhMickey]

We will be trying this route at the end of May. We are coming from Peoria, IL. Any suggestions for hotels to stay at on the way down???

 

[drogerstn]

We will be trying this route at the end of May. We are coming from Peoria, IL. Any suggestions for hotels to stay at on the way down???

How far do you expect to travel before stopping for a hotel?

Troy, AL has a Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn, and Holiday Inn-Express. Dothan, AL has more hotels including Courtyard and Fairfield Inn. We have stayed at the Fairfield Inn in Dothan and the Holiday Inn in Troy and didn't have any problems.