plans changes leaving 18 hours earlier. What part of Baton Rouge to avoid hotels on I

[Tigger1]

We get to leave sooner than expected (18 hours). We will just travel about 600 miles first day. At this point we should be in Baton Rouge. Thinking of using Hotwire for a 2 1/2 or higher star hotel. I get to pick the area. Any suggestains of what not to pick?
Also considered to change route to go threw Jackson Ms then head down to mobile. Any hotel suggestain areas fo Jackson? Does this route have a lot of construction? Seems we had an area in mobile on this route that had a lot of construcion and traffic lights so will likely go threw Baton Rouge.

 

[sam_gordon]

Personally, I would not make hotel plans based on where I "should be" as part of a drive. What happens if there's a traffic slowdown that delays you a couple hours? What happens if there's no traffic and you make good time. You might want to go another couple hours.

Many hotels want you to put a credit card on file and will charge that credit card if you don't cancel by a certain time (I think usually ~6P).

My suggestion (if you're a AAA member)... get one of their tour books for the area you'll be traveling through. A couple hours before you'd like to stop have a companion look through the book to see what hotel chains are coming up. You can then call to see if they have rooms available.

I know this didn't really answer your question, but wanted to throw it out there.

 

[ToddyLu]

I am not as familar with Jackson as I am with Mobile. You do NOT WANT ANY HOTEL IN THE PRICHARD area of just north of Mobile coming south on 1-65. Staying in Mobile you would do best staying in the hotels around the Airport Blvd. exit on 1-65. Airport Blvd is about 4 miles from the 1-10 exit to Florida. Do not go through downtown Mobile if you have to. Just take 1-65 south to you get to 1-10...1-65 dead ends at 1-10. If you go right you end up in MS, left you end up in FL.

If it where me and I was going to be in Baton Rouge I would get on 1-12 which becomes 1-10 a the MS/LA state line. Baton Rouge is about 3.5 hours from Mobile. You would then just stay on 1-10 till you got to Lake city FL and started going South on 1-75 to Orlando. This would bypass Jackson and Mobile. 1-10 takes you completely around Mobile, straight through Pensacola towards Tallahassee. Any of the hotels along 1-10 are pretty good from Gulfport- Mobile. Hope this helps. DH and I live in Pascagoula MS, we are at the last exits before going into AL. You will have 6 lane Highways through Gulfport and also for a few miles in Mobile on 1-10.

 

[ToddyLu]

1-10 from Slidell, LA to Mobile, AL has not had any major construction the last 3 weeks or so--they were widening 1-10 in Biloxi but are through for the most part. When you went through Mobile I guess you went down Gov't Blvd (Hwy 98) through downtown? DH and I went to New Orleans couple weeks ago on 1-10 and had no hold ups.

 

[prncess674]

Baton Rouge has become a major cluster of traffic and I would seriously consider going past BR and stopping one of the smaller towns on your route. As others have suggested, pick up a AAA book if you are a member or research the cities along your route and look for major budget chains such as Hampton Inn, Courtyard or Fairfield Inn and then just start calling a few hours ahead.

 

[Tigger1]

Thanks for all the suggestains everyone. I think we did take the wrong way going into mobile.

I will likely take I-10 instead of I-20. We usually take this route and I know it well, just have never stopped so early in the drive.

I will be waking up about 5 am on the day we leave and working until 11 or 12. We were going to leave on Friday but Daughters night class will be finished two days early.

I plan to drive 8 to 10 hours, stopping for gas and food to go only.

I have the AAA travel books, I will look threw them. Many concerned with where not to stay.

Thanks for all the suggestains everyone and I welcome any more.

Would consider a state park with cabins if it is on route.