mapquest says 77 instead of 75 to vero beach?

[Poohs Pal]

I have always driven 75 to disney. This trip i'm going to vero beach for the first time. I live in Michigan just a very short distance from us 23. Mapquest has me going over to I-77 to I-95 to vero. I know 2 truck drivers and they avoid I-77 I have never really inquired why. But some trips it's seem as if it would be less distance for them to go I-77 yet they choose to go I-75. Should I be concerned about the mountains. I-75 doesn't bother me and I now have regular stopping place's. Should I give I-77 a try? If I choose to go I-77 is there anywhere I can find exit information like Dave Hunter's along I-75 book. Not sure if this post should have been posted here or on the transportation board but I new a lot of DVC folks are from Michigan and may be helpful. Forgot to ask. If I go I-75 would I hit the turn pike in florida and follow that down to vero. Mapquest directions say 20 hour and 4 minutes. Only about 2 hours more than driving to WDW . Susan

 

[Poohs Pal]

 

[pumpkinboy]

Tho I cannot comment from experience on either I75 or I77, the truckers' comments are interesting. Could it be that there are fewer trucks on I77, which would be a good thing IMO, or is it that I77 gets more traffic or has more bottlenecks, which is why they go with I75. I can't imagine that heading all the way east to Cleveland to get onto I77 would save any time, but the on-line map services say it does.

I would think that having Dave Hunter's I75 travel book, with road and attraction descriptions would be a good reason to go with the I75 route. It's not Route 66 or anything, but still with this book, it's a fabled journey, which should make it fun.

As for the I95 vs the Turnpike query, I can actually speak to that from experience. IMO, I95 is a long boring road with lots and lots of interstate trucks crowding you, so I opt for the Turnpike whenever possible. The Turnpike is better landscaped, and a more interesting drive IMO, with fewer trucks (since there is are tolls), which works well for me. I also love the Turnpike rest areas. However, it is hard to get from the Turnpike over to Vero Beach, particularly to Disney's Vero Beach resort; the Turnpike is too far inland to cut over to VB easily, as it only approaches the coast at Ft Pierce, some 25 miles south of your destination. So after all that, I would recommend coming into VB from I95 after all.

Have a great trip!

 

[Poohs Pal]

Thanks pumpkinboy. Well looks i still work on this some more
Susan

 

[PamOKW]

Okay -- I'll throw a wrench in the works. I'm not sure about I-75 or I-77 but I have driven Florida's Turnpike from Vero to WDW and it's not a bad way to go. You take the SR-60 exit into Vero and head over to A1A for the scenic drive or you can opt to follow Route 1 until you connect to the 510 directions you get for coming in from I-95. There are a few twists and turns to reach A1A but Mapquest or a good look at a map will get you there. Then it's just a left (north) on A1A until you reach the resort! You'll also see the outlet shopping and the mall on your way in -- they are located along SR-60.

 

[floridafam]

I feel like an idiot. I've never even heard of 77.

We would always take 75 to Vero when we lived in Michigan-which we picked up somewhere down by Ann Arbor. I'll have to check out 77 on the map.

Are you going straight from MI to Vero? Just for some thought. We always took 75 to somewhere in Tennessee and then we cut over to the Carolinas and drove down that way. I always enjoyed that way much better than 75 all the way.

Anywho, I'm sure everyone has a favorite.

Honestly, 75 was not that bad the last few times we drove it from MI to Florida. Now that we moved to Florida, I dread the day when I have to make that drive again.

 

[Sammie]

Truck drivers sometimes avoid certain roads to avoid the weigh stations. I personally would be more inclined to use a road they avoid.

 

[johde]

Another reason truckers might avoid I-77 is a loooong down hill section in West Virginia on the turnpike. I doesn't really effect cars though.

 

[Poohs Pal]

FloridaFam, When we head to WDW we take 23(which goes by the ann arbor area) and pick up 75 in ohio and then take 75 straight through. Yes we are driving to Vero straight from Michigan and then after a couple of days heading over to the BWV. I've always enjoyed the 75 drive. I don't even mind the drive through Cincinnati or Atlanta and never had a problem with knoxville.We even got that nasty morning rush hour in Atlanta on our way home in December along with an ice advisory and I really didn't mind except for how LONG it took to get through downtown.I really messed up on my time calculations for rush hour. Mapquest suggested 77 and I'm not sure about that route as i've never driven it.


PamOKW, I played around with mapquest a little and it has me hitting the turnpike after Ocala and then taking i believe 528 over to 95. I think it was 528, i don't have the directions right here in front of me.

I don't know if I could make a trip without needing my beloved along I75 book Susan

 

[MomofKatie]

Another reason truckers might avoid I-77 is a loooong down hill section in West Virginia on the turnpike. I doesn't really effect cars though.

We live in NC and drive to Dayton, OH several times a year to visit the ILs. We go through WV on 77- the road is very curvy and steep through northern VA and all of WV- also, there are 3 toll stations in WV. I wouldn't avoid 77 because the big trucks do- for me, it is a plus that you aren't hemmed in by lots of big rigs.

77 is a pretty drive through the mountains- 95 is not very scenic, but seems to take less time than 75 (we have done both routes several times).

 

[pumpkinboy]

I feel like an idiot. I've never even heard of 77.

We would always take 75 to Vero when we lived in Michigan-which we picked up somewhere down by Ann Arbor. I'll have to check out 77 on the map.
...

Floridafam, FYI I77 runs in a pretty straight north-south shot from Cleveland to Columbia, SC. Then the suggested route would take you over on I26 to I95, then straight south to VB.

It was interesting, if I plugged in Detroit or DTW as the starting point, the program sends me east to Cleveland then down I77; but you move the start point over to Ann Arbor, and it routes you down I75; I'm not sure why. And then, just for fun, I put in your hometown, Pooh's Pal, and it routes you south on I75 into Ohio to OH23, to Columbus where you grab I70, then east to I77 and south from there.

I think the straighter shot and fewer trucks would coax me into the I77 route. Plus, you pass pretty close to HHI on that route, which could give you an excuse for a visit.

 

[Poohs Pal]

Pumpkinboy, That is odd that when you put in Ann Arbor it sends you down I75 but if you put in my hometown it routes you over to I77. I must drive within a stones throw of ann arbor on us23 when I drive to wdw. I'm only about 35 minutes north of Ann Arbor.

For those of you that have driven I77 route where is a good stopping place for the evening. I ususally leave about 3-4am and drive until about 9 or 10p. I have the book along I-75. Is their anything similiar for traveling I-77.
Will their be plenty of exits with Hotels, resturants and gas stations. Susan

 

[yitbos96bb]

Tho I cannot comment from experience on either I75 or I77, the truckers' comments are interesting. Could it be that there are fewer trucks on I77, which would be a good thing IMO, or is it that I77 gets more traffic or has more bottlenecks, which is why they go with I75. I can't imagine that heading all the way east to Cleveland to get onto I77 would save any time, but the on-line map services say it does.

I would think that having Dave Hunter's I75 travel book, with road and attraction descriptions would be a good reason to go with the I75 route. It's not Route 66 or anything, but still with this book, it's a fabled journey, which should make it fun.

As for the I95 vs the Turnpike query, I can actually speak to that from experience. IMO, I95 is a long boring road with lots and lots of interstate trucks crowding you, so I opt for the Turnpike whenever possible. The Turnpike is better landscaped, and a more interesting drive IMO, with fewer trucks (since there is are tolls), which works well for me. I also love the Turnpike rest areas. However, it is hard to get from the Turnpike over to Vero Beach, particularly to Disney's Vero Beach resort; the Turnpike is too far inland to cut over to VB easily, as it only approaches the coast at Ft Pierce, some 25 miles south of your destination. So after all that, I would recommend coming into VB from I95 after all.

Have a great trip!

I believe the online measure by mileage to speed limit ratio to determine routes. They can't take construction and crowding into mind.

I know my TOM TOM does it this way and I think mapquest does too. Sometimes the distance is about the same and they just pick the major road or the one with less turns.

Sometimes I think they just are on crack. Afterall, My Tom Tom and Mapquest have both tried to send me the wrong way down one way roads... so keep that in mind. If you have AAA, go get a trip-tik, they are free with your service.

 

[doombuggy]

I agree with the last poster. Try to get a trip tik from AAA. Mapquest isn't always correct. I mapquested a route to a client's office once in Fleetwood, PA and it took me right past the place and about 2 miles out to knowhere before I turned around.

 

[dizmomof2]

I take 77 down every year. I've been down the 75 but prefer the 77. The drive through the mountains is really nice. This way you pass St. Auguestine outlet malls. They are great! They'll give you a chance to pick up things for the beach you may not have. We got great sand toys and boggie boards (body boards) as well as the speedo outlet has great deals on bathing suits and surf shirts. My brother picked them up for $9 a piece there. Of course there is always the Disney outlet on the east side of the highway!

We find the drive more interesting. Just like you with the 75, we know what to expect. If the drive gets you there faster, I'd go for it! I don't know why the trucks avoid it. I guess that means more trucks for the 75!

 

[Poohs Pal]

Thanks for the triptik suggestion. I dp belong to AAA but i've driven to disney so many times I no longer need the map . I do visit AAA just before the trip to get any road constrution news. Mainly i was concerned about the scariness of I77 mountains . Over 20 years ago DH and I visited his aunt in Terra Haute, Indiana and left from there to disney. I don't remember the route we took but the mountains we drove through were scary. At one point it was 2 lane and we came around a corner and we were stopped. There was a semi smashed into the mountain with a huge boulder on top of the cab. We were stuck there for some time and the police would not letting anyone turn around. 75 doesn't bother me at all. I was just wondering if 77 was as easy to drive. I don't like coming over a mountain and looking down and I can't see were the end is . Anyway get the picture I DON'T DO SCARY . Another time we came in the back way through NC to the smokey mountains and that imho was bad. I think DH drove these mountains on purpose as punihment to me for making him go to WDW when he would have rather been spending the whole vacations in Gatlinburg . Susan

 

[cslittle999]

We take the 79/77/26/95/4 route when we drive to WDW. It saves about three hours for us versus the I75 route. I believe the trucks avoid taking 77 because of the number of long hills (it is slower and burns more fuel). For a car though it is no big deal. You are really only in the mountains for about four hours. The scenery is great through the mountains. You even go through two tunnels. The other thing I like is the lack of traffic. I very rarely had to turn off the cruise control.

Where to stop really depends on how long you want to drive. We typically stop just north of Charlotte, NC. That would be about 11 hours for you. The next big city is Columbus, SC. After that you can check out the cities around the I26/I95 interchange.

I checked the AAA online triptik and it takes you down I75.