Take a new route?

[calleger]

Coming from Cleveland area going to VGF. We always drive. Usually take I-77 route down to WDW. However, this year with the flooding in SC started looking closer at I-71. Without traffic, its about a 40 minute longer trip. However, it looks like it avoids the mountains and less toll booths. Was wondering if anyone has taken both routes and can offer a recommendation and/or explanation of the difference. Obviously, I-71 route takes you thru more major cities (and traffic) but we usually drive at night. We have three kids and all of them sleep in cars. Driving a mini-van at night thru WV hasn't always been fun.

 

[tobikaye]

You indicate I-71, but where do you plan to cut over to Florida? I am guessing you are thinking about cutting over to I-75 just south of Cincinnati. If so, then it is not a bad trip. I start on I-75 about 40 miles north of where I-71 & I-75 meet. If you are traveling at night, then you should be fine going through Columbus, Cincinnati, and Atlanta.

Kentucky and Tennessee have some areas that can be tricky in rains, especially near the KY/TN border with Jellico Mountain, but it is not usually a bad drive, especially at night. Georgia seems like a very long state that will not end, but is an easy drive once you get south of Atlanta. Make sure to use I-475 bypass around Macon. Once you get into Florida it is only about 3 hours to WDW.

 

[LadyBeBop]

Are you talking 71-75-Turnpike-4?

It's not a bad trip as long as you don't hit Atlanta during rush hour. Just stay in the far left lane (carpool lane) going through Atlanta.

Mountains? You'll hit one stretch of mountains for about 30 miles just south of the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Nothing winding about it. Just gradual climbing, then descent.

Tolls? Don't know how bad your tolls are. But the Florida Turnpike is a toll roll.

 

[calleger]

I am considering the 71-75 route, but weighing the extra time against ease of driving.

According to the Florida toll road calculator, I-75 is about $2.90 in tolls. I-77S is the WV turnpike, its $6 end to end. So not a huge difference.

I have driven the WV way a lot, multiple weddings in SC, moving my wife up north from Orlando and multiple trips to WDW. WV turnpike at night unnerves me a little (I did it once in an Uhaul, good times). Depending on traffic its 40 minutes to an hour more time. I am swaying on it with a month to go.

Is it odd that a 40 minute difference is negligible to me but an hour is way to much?

 

[LadyBeBop]

Here's my thought. Do not take the long way because of the SC flooding. The roads are now open, and all major road closures were north of the I-26/I-95 interchange.

It's your call if you're taking the long way due to the WV mountains. Honestly, I've never been on I-77 south of Cambridge, so I know nothing about the WV mountains. I just know that Jellico Mountain is the only mountain, and that's not bad.

 

[tobikaye]

Since you are traveling in a month, I would not make a final decision until closer to the trip. If your trip is next month, you might have some weather concerns to consider the closer the trip gets. If a storm does go through and you could avoid it by going one route than the other, then it might be the route to take. If a storm goes through and both routes are going to be hit, then I say go with the one you know.

I have done I-77, catching it from the southeastern portion of Ohio and going into WV or VA or SC. The drive was never at night or in the winter so I cannot compare those times of year/day. But in a rain, I did not find it any different driving through the WV mountains than driving down through Jellico so I would not consider that as something to avoid.

 

[boufa]

Since you are traveling in a month, I would not make a final decision until closer to the trip. If your trip is next month, you might have some weather concerns to consider the closer the trip gets. If a storm does go through and you could avoid it by going one route than the other, then it might be the route to take. If a storm goes through and both routes are going to be hit, then I say go with the one you know.

I have done I-77, catching it from the southeastern portion of Ohio and going into WV or VA or SC. The drive was never at night or in the winter so I cannot compare those times of year/day. But in a rain, I did not find it any different driving through the WV mountains than driving down through Jellico so I would not consider that as something to avoid.

I think the winter weather would be your main focus over everything else. I personally love the WV TP. I enjoy the scenery and the variety, straight roads bore my to death and make the trip feel twice as long. I have never taken the 71 route, though I consider it every time (we are also NEO people). The extra time, and the potential to get stuck in Atlanta scares me. One other note... check the football schedules. We once took the trip through WV heading south and hit the day that WVU was playing someone in Virginia or NC. It was a solid block of traffic, every inch of the way down to NC. There was about an hour wait a 1 toll plaza and they were not even collecting at the others due to the traffic volume! We had no idea until we were into it. Cost us about 3 hours!!

 

[ParrotBill]

Good timing. I am studying this route as well, to decide if the extra 40 minutes is worth it for 1) avoiding the WV Turnpike and Mountains and 2) a change of scenery.

I really hate the WV Turnpike at night. Lots of truck traffic, sleepy truckers on steep grades and a lot of curves.

The point about WVU or NC college games against nearby cities is a good one... never thought to check that before and it would annoy me to no end for a preventable delay!