Sanford aiport

Oddjob

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 10, 2005
Its just occuredd to me in 2 days were flying to Sanford Ive never been before and have no idea on directions!! Ill be good once I get on I 4
Is it easy to find?
Thanks
 
Hi oddjob. I-4 is not usually the best bet for getting anywhere from Sanford, especially if you arrive mid-afternoon, as you are likely to hit the downtown traffic jam, which can stretch for miles. It is far easier to get to all the main tourist areas using the Central Florida Greeneway (or Seminole Expressway, as it is on this stretch), the 417. You have to pay a few dollars in tolls (make sure you have $20 notes or smaller, or, better still, some change) but the traffic is usually mich lighter and moves well, all the way round to Kissimmee, Disney and even International Drive (come off at the Beeline, 528, for I-Drive). You just head out of the main Sanford airport exit, go along Lake Mary Boulevard for 2.8 miles, go across the lights, then take the LEFT hand exit on to the Greeneway/417. When you return, take Exit 49 and turn right on to Lake Mary Blvd. You can check out the airport's own website map here:

Sanford Map
 
We always go i4 way and have never had any problems just remember to follow i4 west. It is so easy from the airport a straight road to i4 junction.
 


Forgot to mention, if you do decide to go the I-4 route, there is a quicker way onto it from the Greeneway (417). At the first junction with the Greeneway, instead of taking it South to Kissimmee, etc, go North on the Greeneway and you hit I-4 after a couple of miles, where you need to go West to get back down to the tourist areas. This saves the 6-mile hike along Lake Mary Boulevard, which is full of traffic lights and other junctions. But (and this is a big BUT!), if you take 417 North, you will still need 50c in change for the auto-toll AS SOON AS you turn onto the slip-road. However, I will underline the possibility that, from Mon-Fri, if you hit the downtown stretch of I-4 anywhere between 4 and 6pm, you can encounter some serious traffic, and (unfortunately) I-4 is gettign worse all the time. It is LONG overdue for a wideneing scheme, but that is still several years away, at least.
 


I think you're probably convinced, but just in case, I thought you might like to see this which I posted on a similar thread recently:

The big problem with the I-4 is the congestion around the Lake Buena Vista exit (68). If you're driving past Downtown during rush hour, you're bound to be delayed there too. The 417 is almost certainly going to be the quicker option and really is far more straight forward. I would have thought it would be easier to get lost trying to find your way to the I-4 from Sanford than to the 417 which you join almost immediately after leaving the airport.

These days we often avoid the I-4 altogether - there are quicker, more enjoyable ways to get almost everywhere in the area. In April, we drove the 300 or so miles from Savannah to RPR at Universal. We made the schoolboy error of staying on the I-4 as we approached Downtown and it took us almost as long to do those last few miles as it did to do the rest of the journey!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top