Is 95 or 75 safer for young driver?

[MickeyMonstersMom]

DD will likely go to college in Gainesville, FL, so she and I will be driving down and back often (with the requisite WDW side trips, of course!). We currently live on Route 81 and take that to Virginia to hook up with 95. Since 75 goes right into Gainesville, I wondered if it would be better to stay on 81 to Chattanooga and hop on 75 there. Is there an appreciable difference between the two highways? Is Atlanta better or worse than Richmond or Jacksonville?

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Other than the Atlanta rush hour being tough, the rest of the drive to WDW is very easy. In fact, once past Macon, the next 4-5 hours are downright boring. There has been a little construction in south GA, but it is not nearly as bad as it was a year or two ago.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I81 ends at a point about 30 miles or so east of Knoxville, TN. You would hit I40 then I75 to head to Chattanooga.

That being said, interstate is interstate. Knoxville can be a bear, Atlanta even worse at certain times. 40 is also heavy with Pigeon Forge traffic on Fri and Sun. I don't particularly care for I75 through TN as there is more traffic than the 2 lanes can handle, especially in the mountains. The worst section is from Knoxville to KY though, you would miss that part.

I would drive down 1 day and drive back the other to see what is most comfortable.

 

[racechick8293]

I would suggest 81 to 77 to 26 to 95. To get to Gainesville, I would leave 95 for 301 before Jacksonville. It avoids the Jacksonville traffic and minimizes the time spent on 95, which is one of my least favorite roads to drive on.

 

[corster]

Honestly, i'd suggest having her try both routes and deciding which one is more comfortable. Personally, i'm not a fan of 75 through TN, especially if the weather is poor.

 

[Missytara]

Honestly, i'd suggest having her try both routes and deciding which one is more comfortable.

Agreed; I went from growing up in Delaware in a small town, to going to college on Long Island.

My dad went up with me about two weeks before school started with my car. We drove up one way and came back the other way; he let me decide which route I felt better driving. Since it was a bit longer route, once I got a couple of drives under my belt, I switched to the shorter route, but it was at my own pace - not someone else's.