Orlando to Chicago

[fbarker]

I am sure that this question is addressed somewhere but I am be lazy. We will be going down to WDW at the end of March-2017. On the way down we need to go through Atlanta because my mother lives there and we always stop to visit. But on the way home I am looking for an alternative to driving through Atlanta....in short we hate it!!! We leave WDW on Saturday morning about 8am and head north and it seems even on a Saturday it takes us more so long to get through Atlanta. The traffic seems to begins to build just north of Macon. So I am asking all you travel experts what is a good alternative. We need to get back to Chicago Sunday evening so I can be ready to go to work on Monday. Thanks for your help

 

[Woodview]

There are many ways

BUT why not go & BUY a good Road Map of USA ( RAND McNally ) & you can choose YOUR Route.

BUY a good SAT. Nav for $ 150 That will give you ALL your Info.

You are spending a lot of $ $ so for a few more $ you can find your own directions.& have a different journey.

 

[fbarker]

There are many ways

BUT why not go & BUY a good Road Map of USA ( RAND McNally ) & you can choose YOUR Route.

BUY a good SAT. Nav for $ 150 That will give you ALL your Info.

You are spending a lot of $ $ so for a few more $ you can find your own directions.& have a different journey.

Thanks you are so very helpful!! You really didnt answer my question. While a map will show me all the routes available it can not provide me any input as to which routes work better, are the fastest, or safest, or least congested and nor will a NAV. I know exactly how much money I am spending and believe it or not i have a NAV and have multiple Road Maps.

 

[KrazeeK120]

This won't directly answer your question, but I'm from central IL, about 2.5 hours south of the city of Chicago on I55. We always time our trip so that we are stopping for the night just north of Atlanta, and then starting up for the day around 6 am the next morning. We've done this twice and have had success avoiding super heavy traffic. There is always a lot of traffic around Atlanta, but we were constantly moving at a decent pace. I'm not sure whether or not there is a rout around Atlanta that will ultimately save you time, but if not, you may consider the timing of when you're driving around Atlanta.

 

[Vijoge]

I'm with you-I hate driving through Atlanta, too. Maybe just ask your mom. If she lives there she probably knows more about how to circumvent the city than most of us. For us, going through in the wee hours of the morning has helped some.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I am sure that this question is addressed somewhere but I am be lazy. We will be going down to WDW at the end of March-2017. On the way down we need to go through Atlanta because my mother lives there and we always stop to visit. But on the way home I am looking for an alternative to driving through Atlanta....in short we hate it!!! We leave WDW on Saturday morning about 8am and head north and it seems even on a Saturday it takes us more so long to get through Atlanta. The traffic seems to begins to build just north of Macon. So I am asking all you travel experts what is a good alternative. We need to get back to Chicago Sunday evening so I can be ready to go to work on Monday. Thanks for your help

So... you say you're lazy and want others to do the work for you??

Can I be the first to drive while you snooze in the back??

MG

 

[Sadie22]

When I'm planning a long road trip I look for routes through both Google Maps and MapQuest on my computer. There may be other services available, but that's what I'm used to using. Depending on how much time we have we may plan alternate routes through places we want to visit in the general area or look for things to do along the general route. We will guess at how far we can get and have ideas of where we will stay and make advance reservations whenever possible. It's pretty easy to drag one of those services' suggested routes to go through whatever town or city you want. Usually the services offer several alternative routes. You can put in waypoints or stops as you plot a route.

 

[bjschil]

I am sure that this question is addressed somewhere but I am be lazy. We will be going down to WDW at the end of March-2017. On the way down we need to go through Atlanta because my mother lives there and we always stop to visit. But on the way home I am looking for an alternative to driving through Atlanta....in short we hate it!!! We leave WDW on Saturday morning about 8am and head north and it seems even on a Saturday it takes us more so long to get through Atlanta. The traffic seems to begins to build just north of Macon. So I am asking all you travel experts what is a good alternative. We need to get back to Chicago Sunday evening so I can be ready to go to work on Monday. Thanks for your help

We are leaving today from SW Wisconsin and typically take the Atlanta route. This year we are taking a new to us route, driving through Illinois, Rockford, Bloomington,champaign, effingham, down to Paducah, etc. We venture off the typical route in Nashville and are heading south of Nashville to Birmingham, Al, then taking 231 down through Troy, Dothan, and picking up I10, heading east to Lake City, then on to obvious i75. We know it is about 1 1/2 hour longer, but our last many trips has us waiting in stand still traffic for at least that long. As we are pulling our fifth wheel, we also know that we are avoiding any sleet/snow in the Chattanooga area. Good luck on your drive, and have fun at Disney.

 

[fbarker]

We are leaving today from SW Wisconsin and typically take the Atlanta route. This year we are taking a new to us route, driving through Illinois, Rockford, Bloomington,champaign, effingham, down to Paducah, etc. We venture off the typical route in Nashville and are heading south of Nashville to Birmingham, Al, then taking 231 down through Troy, Dothan, and picking up I10, heading east to Lake City, then on to obvious i75. We know it is about 1 1/2 hour longer, but our last many trips has us waiting in stand still traffic for at least that long. As we are pulling our fifth wheel, we also know that we are avoiding any sleet/snow in the Chattanooga area. Good luck on your drive, and have fun at Disney.

That is the route I have heard about please let me know how it is. I would appreciate it. Have a great safe trip

 

[Woodview]

So... you say you're lazy and want others to do the work for you??

Can I be the first to drive while you snooze in the back??

MG

I would love assist MG to drive your car from Orlando to Chicago BUT It would be the Long way round as

I would like to see parts of USA that would be new to me.

You can still snooze in the back

 

[sam_gordon]

So... you say you're lazy and want others to do the work for you??

Are you really that Lazy ?

It's one thing to look at a map and see the other options. It's different to hear from someone who has actually used the route and know what issues are presented.

ETA: OP, currently Googlemaps is showing 17 hours (between Orlando & Chicago). It looks like 18 1/2 hours going through Alabama. I have no experience with that route, but I've heard of people using (75N to 10W to US27 to US84 to US231 to US271 to I85 to I65).
Or 75N to US82 to I85 to I65)

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Well I have nothing to do so maybe I will fly over to USA & Re Map the landscape for you.

Are you really that Lazy ?

Santa & his Sleigh could have done it ? Did you send a wish list to Him ?

Troll much?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Troll much?

Huh?? The OP said he was too lazy to do the legwork. He asked us to do it for him.
He deserves a bit of a ribbing.

MG

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

OP asked for advice. He never said he was too lazy to route plan. He said he hadn't searched the forum for the answer to his specific question.

In response to simply asking for advice, he was trolled repeatedly by someone who responded to him as if he had said he was too lazy to route plan for himself, which he clearly did not.

Regardless, no one on the DIS deserves anything other than to be treated with respect, don't they?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

OP asked for advice. He never said he was too lazy to route plan. He said he hadn't searched the forum for the answer to his specific question.

In response to simply asking for advice, he was trolled repeatedly by someone who responded to him as if he had said he was too lazy to route plan for himself, which he clearly did not.

Regardless, no one on the DIS deserves anything other than to be treated with respect, don't they?

Okay...
He said he was too lazy. Exactly what he was too lazy to do is unclear.

MG

 

[smidgy]

We are leaving today from SW Wisconsin and typically take the Atlanta route. This year we are taking a new to us route, driving through Illinois, Rockford, Bloomington,champaign, effingham, down to Paducah, etc. We venture off the typical route in Nashville and are heading south of Nashville to Birmingham, Al, then taking 231 down through Troy, Dothan, and picking up I10, heading east to Lake City, then on to obvious i75. We know it is about 1 1/2 hour longer, but our last many trips has us waiting in stand still traffic for at least that long. As we are pulling our fifth wheel, we also know that we are avoiding any sleet/snow in the Chattanooga area. Good luck on your drive, and have fun at Disney.

we took that route once an myhusband hated it. he hated the state routes, and the towns, stop lights, etc. and it was longer.

however, I have a friend who goes down twice a year and theylove that route.. it's a bit longer, but they love avoiding atlanta. I guess if time isn't a factor, try it once.

we did try 2 other routes to avoid ATlanta (boy, we all sure do hate that city!).. once we styed on 65 through nashville and in birmingham took whatever interstate that is heading due east into atlanta. but we picked up the atlanta bypass, and were only on it for a short time. I think, that way, we went out of our way too much to avoid too little. lol

one other time we decided to add a couple days to the trip and avoid atlanta by going east. we headed east from Indianapolis, went around cincinati. through he smokies to Ashville, North Carolina. stayed in Columbus, south carolina. took 95 south.. spend an extra night in St. augustine beach, spent a day at the beach. def. NOT a shortcut, a detour, but it was fun.

back in 2011, we were caught in the midst of Tropical storm Lee. than bugger hung over tennessee and georgia for days! you could NOT see a single thing on the interstate! so scary! we got off it in chatanooga. we knew if we got a motel room, we would be there for a couple days as the storm was just hanging, taking it' sweet time. so we got on state route 27 and just headed south. as least we could see, and we were headed south.. it took hours, but we made it to southern ga. (by way of 26, 16? don't remember,t hrough noonan) and stayed in one of those little Ga. towns on 75, the next morning the stomr had at least left southern ga and we jumped on 75 and were on our way.

we iddi dicover that georgia is quite a pretty state, w ehad onlyseenit from the interstate before.

 

[bjschil]

That is the route I have heard about please let me know how it is. I would appreciate it. Have a great safe trip

We arrived on Friday, and loved the route. We took 65 south of Nashville, through Birmingham, Montgomery, and then hopped on 231. Someone is right,there are some stop lights, but it is not Atlanta stop, go, stop and go. We ended up taking 231 all the way to 10. On our way home, we will exit north of 10 in Tallahasee, to 27(&?&) then over/up to Dothan and up to Montgomery. New scenery, no mountains, and for us, a much easier drive. My husband is the driver and mentioned this is our new to us route. The total time difference is 1 1/2 hours, but it is a peaceful 1 1/2 hours. Now for all the nasty responders out there, please be nice. This post has become somewhat nasty. Not sure why the Administer has let some of the answers post and remain.

 

[maxiesmom]

I live on the West side of Michigan, and have never found a great way around Atlanta. We just plan to hit it when it will not be a crazy as usual. Not during rush hour and not on a weekend night. Just bite the bullet and go. No way would it be worth it to me to spend an additional 90 minutes in the car to go around.

 

[bjschil]

I live on the West side of Michigan, and have never found a great way around Atlanta. We just plan to hit it when it will not be a crazy as usual. Not during rush hour and not on a weekend night. Just bite the bullet and go. No way would it be worth it to me to spend an additional 90 minutes in the car to go around.

Maxiesmom, thank you for your response. Because we are towing a 42' fifth wheel. - this is the reason we were looking for a more peaceful route. We pull the fiver to Fort Wilderness at WDW. If we ever drive without towing, I am sure the Atlanta route would work better for us. Have a great New Year.

 

[sam_gordon]

Okay...
He said he was too lazy. Exactly what he was too lazy to do is unclear.

MG

Actually it's very clear. Here's the quote...

I am sure that this question is addressed somewhere but I am be lazy.

It seems pretty obvious to me OP is admitting he's too lazy to search the forum for an answer to the question. I don't really blame him, the search here isn't always the best.

If you actually read the entire OP, you'd find this...

So I am asking all you travel experts what is a good alternative.

While using maps (whether online or paper) will show you various alternatives, they don't tell you what's good or bad about them.

Now, I could make a crack about your and Woodview's reading comprehension (or lack thereof), since apparently you both think criticizing posters is OK, but I'll just let it go.