Timing Atlanta...please help Atlantians

[anlashokna]

Thought about going 100 miles out of the way to avoid Atlanta traffic however we're going to tough it out both ways.

How does traffic look around 9am/10am? Will probably take the West Bypass.

Thanks all

 

[Doinitwell]

Assuming there are no accidents to tie up traffic, you should be fine at that time of the day. The main part of rush hour occurs earlier in the morning.

 

[jltturner]

Are you traveling on a weekday or weekend? If weekday, I would try to time it out closer to the 10 am (9 may still be pretty slow).

 

[anlashokna]

It'll be on a Thursday. I can leave a little later from my stopping point the night before to hit it closer to 10am. Do either of you know where the southbound traffic really starts to congest/pickup? Half an hour out? Hour out of town?

 

[steverog]

I live in Atlanta 10 miles north of the Perimeter. If you hit exit 271 which has a Cracker Barrell if you need breakfeast anytime after 9:30 you should be OK. DON'T take the bypass it's out of the way. Especially since you can get in the HOV lane. The bypass(285) does not have one. Turn your radio to AM750 they have traffic reports every 6 minutes. What you want to listen out for is 75 south from Cobb County or Downtown Connector (this is where 75 and 85 are the same road. Unless there is a bad wreck stay on 75. When you get to Macon do take 475 as that is closer. Also when we go. We take 75 to the Florida turnpike ehcih is near Ocola then the turnpike to 525 (Bee Line Expressway) to the port. This is much closer than I-10 to Jacksonville then 95 south.

 

[daisy112878]

I agree with Steverog. I live in midtown and usually by 930-10am the connector is going fine. I would definitly use the connector and not 285 if there's no accidents. 285 will take you a lot longer if there's no accidents on the connector.

 

[tinknsnow]

I agree with the last two posts: 285 (the bypass) is a nightmare to drive compared to I-75 or I-85. The lanes are very narrow; the speed limit is actually lower (though people still do 80mph on there ). I also agree that 9:30 and really, 10AM is safer (just in case there was a bad rush hour that day).

We traveled the same route at steverog.

Have fun!

 

[Evans Family]

I'm curious.....Atlantan's out there...do you go the Jacksonville route or Orlando route to go to Port Canaveral? What's the time difference?

Thanks.

 

[cwf1028]

I'm curious too...

 

[logan1_2000]

I live in-town, inside 285, just off exit 254 (Moores Mill for the locals), and this is yet another endorsement of hitting town closer to 10, stay on 75-the connector, don't bother with 285. I'll add stay out of the right hand three-four lanes which just to avoid slower moving cars getting off in downtown or also in the middle of downtown those lanes will be exiting onto I-20.

I go via Jacksonville instead of through Orlando. I have done some map/routing programs to calculate the mileage and it is very, very similar either way, close enough that Orlando congestion/tolls can add enough time to make it even. When we do the Saturday cruises on the Magic, we drive down Friday nights and we leave late enough that the rush hour has died down because we can't get out of town early enough to beat Friday traffic--so by that time we've had dinner and drive just to Jax, plenty of hotels, 350 or so miles, and an easy Saturday morning drive remains.

 

[anlashokna]

Thanks Appreciate all the advise ! I'll plan on going straight through unless there are accidents on the way in .

Thank you all again.

 

[JulieWent]

Another person who goes in and out of Atlanta a lot checking in. DON'T take the by-pass unless there's a good reason to do so. Straight through is better.

Julie

 

[goofydadeo]

You might find this site very useful, you can check traffic conditions throughout the metro Atlanta area.

Georgia Navigator

We always take the Orando route because we usually spend the night in a hotel near WDW or MCO. Then we get up the next morning and are at the ship in about 45 minutes...

Have a great trip!

 

[UGAFan0829]

We live just north of Atlanta, but I travel 85 everyday on my way to work and back. We took the Orlando route when we went to Port Canaveral. When we pulled it up on MapQuest, it seemed to be the shorter route. Also, we did take 285 and had no trouble, but we left later in the evening and ended up staying the night in Valdosta. If I were travelling thru ATL early in the morning, I would say to try and avoid 285 as well. Good luck and happy sails to you!

 

[christianweecare]

I am also interested in the best route to the port. Either through Jacksonville or Orlando? We are in south Georgia so we will be driving down on Friday before the Saturday Magic cruise.

 

[Mom24Princesses]

"When we do the Saturday cruises on the Magic, we drive down Friday nights and we leave late enough that the rush hour has died down because we can't get out of town early enough to beat Friday traffic--so by that time we've had dinner and drive just to Jax, plenty of hotels, 350 or so miles, and an easy Saturday morning drive remains."

This very thing had me almost not doing the 7 night. We have to work Friday too and will leave after to drive down. For the locals, unlike most posters, we live south of the city (Fayette County) and this will work to our advantage.

How late do you usually stop and call it a night? Where do you stay? Do you have resies or do you chance it?

What time do you try to get to the "boat"?

I saw mixed reports on Jax or Orl. We drive to Orl all the time. I think that that it is familiar might make it a better drive for us.

On our last trip to WDW we pulled out of the drive around 4:15 AM and we were checking in at CSR at 11:30 AM! We no longer see eating as a reason for getting to WDW a moment later. Used to do the Cracker Barrel, had everyone maped out from Atlanta to Orlando. Now we save that for the trip home.

ANYONE who can help me with this part of our plan please do!!
Thanks,
Have a Magial Day
Melanie
MºoºM 24 Princesses
Grovner June 95
ASMusic July 96, ASMusic Aug 98, POR June 01,
ALMusic July 03, Pop Feb 04, CSR June04

More than a dozen weekends off site.

DCL Magic Cabins 7505<>7507
April 1-7, 2006

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DCL Wonder Cabin 7500
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[goofydadeo]

Mom24Princesses,

We have done 7 DCL cruises and driven all but one time. We live in Cobb so we usually try and leave as soon as school gets out on Friday (or we take the kids out at lunch time) to beat the rush hour traffic. We like to drive all the way to Orlando (only once via JAX) and then spend the night. We have stayed near MCO (lots of decent hotels near there plus they are reasonably priced - try the Hilton Garden Inn @ around $65) or we stay at Lake Buena Vista Marriott properties complex (the Fairfield Inn is usually our choice there). By doing this we can, if we arrive early enough, go to Downtown Disney (it's open until 11pm) for a couple of hours and do a little last minute shopping and get an ice cream. They we get up, have breakfast, leave the hotel at 9:30am sharp and make the 45 minute drive to the port usually arriving by 10:15am, just beating the crowd.

Goofydadeo

 

[logan1_2000]

Okay, I confess, I blame the late starts entirely on DW! When its just me travelling, I can get out of town before the rush, drive 500 miles, and still get to where I'm going before the late news.

I've driven until 1 am (can you same REALLY late start?) to Jax, usually call it a night in Orange Park on 295, use some miles/points for a fairfield or a courtyeard or a hampton. I just do not like the central FLA roads into Orlando at night for some reason, so I go I-10 to Jax from I-75. But my trips are not to WDW and Downtown Disney is not of interest (DW can fall asleep early right with DS, God bless her) so we are just looking for a clean comfortable place to sleep. Also did Jacksonville route on a same day Saturday drive to the Wonder cruise in January--but that was all about stopping in Titusville to go to Dixie Crossroads for dinner Saturday night before the cruise, which would be way out of the way if driving through Orlando. Had to leave after DS's basketball game, so we hit the road at lunch time and sat down for dinner about 8:45, so it was around 490 miles in 7 1/2 hours including stops. Then stayed at the less than a year old Hampton in Titusville (maybe exit 215? not sure) which was fabulous and clean and comfortable and convenient--and that was just a few miles up 95 from the exit to the Port. And the Big Super Wal Mart there had whatever you forgot at home and I think is even open 24/7 (it was colder than I thought, so i ran in Saturday A.M. at 7:30 for a sweatshirt).

So now that I have remembered Dixie Crossroads, I feel I have won the debate about going via Jax instead of Orlando, LOL. Seriously, whichever roads you are comfortable driving, I do believe the mileage is similar enough to make it up to your own comfort level.

Maybe I just like driving on I-95 because that was the highway I grew up with as the Connecticut Turnpike, and I think of it as a bit of my youth and enjoy the chance to drive on it again. Like the driving trips in my late father's car with no air conditioning to FLA & WDW 30 years ago, when on each subsequent trip there would be more of the interstate complete, and sadly, less Americana to see as we left the state highways (the Betsy Ross Motel, who remembers it?). Aren't Disney trips supposed to make us think about family and link generations, anyway?