MI to FL

[philh]

Someone had recommended I take US27 to avoid Atlanta. Best I can see, that looks like a tough route.

Atlanta is a B*, but I now have a much higher hatred of Cincy. Didn't help I got a late start and went through Cincy at rush hour, but what a PITA!

[dalenoel]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

dalenoel wrote:
We come from MI to FL and are there now. Our route is I69 south to Montgomery, AL then 231 through Dothan until I-10 East. Now you can go as far across and then south into Florida as you want. No real large cities and much flatter travel.

I-65

You are correct as I-69 turns into I-65 at Indy and then it is Montgomery. From MI we start on I-69

[RetiredRealtorR]

dalenoel wrote:
We come from MI to FL and are there now. Our route is I69 south to Montgomery, AL then 231 through Dothan until I-10 East. Now you can go as far across and then south into Florida as you want. No real large cities and much flatter travel.

I-65

[tomman58]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
I have driven through Cinci many times and Atlanta a couple (neither recently). I find the best solution is to avoid rush hour traffic. Mid day is acceptable, just stick to the right.

If you really don't like traffic, get to major city BEFORE 6 AM. Drive straight through, do NOT take any bypass route.

Take it from someone that has been there done that all over the USA many many times. RULE 1 plan your drive for you not the destination. Going thru such nightmares like Atlanta, Chicago, Huston and I 75 in Florida in the afternoon. SUCK, drive for you. RULE 2 I drive long and hard starting in the early AM like 4AM. Heck by the time it is daylight I am over 300 miles down the road. The only downside is all the rest stop and Flying J's are full of truckers for the night. KEY to this is get off at a lightly populated exit then go right back on stopping on the shoulder just before entering the e-way. Last rule going into an unknown city on the e-way get behind a semi in the second land and hang tough. Those guys do their routes day in and out so they know what to do and when. I am 75 and been fighting the fight for over 45 years. Happy trails.

[dalenoel]

We come from MI to FL and are there now. Our route is I69 south to Montgomery, AL then 231 through Dothan until I-10 East. Now you can go as far across and then south into Florida as you want. No real large cities and much flatter travel.

[pianotuna]

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Lake+City,+FL/Belleville,+MI+48111/@36.2225132,-85.9337662,6z/data=!...

[theoldwizard1]

I have driven through Cinci many times and Atlanta a couple (neither recently). I find the best solution is to avoid rush hour traffic. Mid day is acceptable, just stick to the right.

If you really don't like traffic, get to major city BEFORE 6 AM. Drive straight through, do NOT take any bypass route.

[philh]

I'm still working, so it's more about destination then the journey

[jaycocamprs]

RetiredRealtorRick wrote:

I don't think 27 around Atlanta would be that tough. Like any other US highway, just take your time and enjoy the ride. Same goes for avoiding Cinti (I know what you mean about this city!).

Remember, the US highways were the main roads pre-interstates, no none of them are really tough or treacherous, IMO.

No the road isn't bad. But you are going to add at least 50 miles, and at least an hour. Of course you can lose that hour,or more in Atlanta.

philh wrote:
Someone had recommended I take US27 to avoid Atlanta. Best I can see, that looks like a tough route.

Most times I just go thru, but some time take US-27.
If your going to the panhandle, then US-27 makes a lot of sense. Not so much if going to the east side. And even then most time we leave home early enough that we still go thru Atlanta, picking US-27 up in Columbus. Coming home I'm later and much more likely to run US-27 up to Rome.

If you want to try US-27, get off I-75 at either exit 312 or 306. Exit 312 is GA-53 and will take you west to Rome GA. Exit 306 is GA-140 and will take you west to GA-53. I like GA-140 as GA-53 is a lot of stop and go through Calhoun. But GA-140 has been under construction, making it 4 lane.
Take GA-1 Loop around Rome, it’s the 1st light coming into Rome. When you get to US-411 take a right, and stay on the 4 lane. 411 & 27 will split a few miles south of Rome.
Carrollton GA; you just might as well go straight thru.
At LaGrange take a left onto the Davis Rd Bypass around to the LaGrange mall. Left on GA-109 to I-85 north. Go north to I-185 to the next exit I-185 south toward Columbus GA
Columbus stay on I-185 to exit 1A, US-27 south. I find that Columbus is a good fuel stop, and get diesel at the Circle K at 2525 Airport Thruway. This is the Circle K on the left (there is also one on the right, no diesel) as you come from I-185. They have a set of diesel only pumps up on the right side of the store, fuel and exit around the store. They don’t have card readers in these pumps. There a diesel pump on the outside island that does, if you can get to it.
US-27 & US-280 cut thru FT Benning, and will split not long after you leave the base. US-280 will go thru Plains & Americus getting to I-75 at Cordele. US-27 crosses US-82 40 miles south Cuthbert GA. It will go thru Albany GA and get to I-75 at Tifton. Way down US-84 runs from Bainbridge GA thru Thomasville GA to Valdosta GA. And finally US-27 will get to I-10 in Tallahassee FL.

[pianotuna]

I guess it depends where you are starting from.


27 is a picnic compared to Atlanta. I went through on my first trip south. HOURS of sitting almost still--and on a Sunday morning. I wanted to see the relief carvings, which were lovely.

Starting from Minneapolis, I go through St. Louis, MO then Montgomery, Alabama. Destination is Orlando.

[ken56]

Take the east bypass around Cinci...it's longer yes but worth the time to avoid the mess of traffic. I think I clocked it at 40 miles longer when I took it. I am one that prefers to get off the interstates and take U.S. highways instead. I enjoy the slower pace and we have many more options to stop and see things on the way. I always take U.S. 441 to FL.

All of your route choice would depend on where you intend to pick up 27.....right outside of Cinci or farther down?...and that is dependent upon your time frame...is this just a weeks getaway or are you snowbirding in FL? Remember too that most campgrounds won't have water on until you get to mid Georgia or farther.

[agesilaus]

I think the fear of Atlanta is overrated (assuming you don't try to go thru at rush hour).

I agreed with this until we went thru ATL in September. Got there around 1 PM on a Friday and it was a sold traffic stop and go on I-75 from the I-20 intersection north of town all the way to 25 miles south of town. Took several hours. They have really interfered with the traffic flow by removing traffic lanes and giving them to that express route. Take that if you go thru.
We have taken to going thru Alabama from the Mobile area lately, end up on I-55 I believe. And then I-10 to I-75.
Chattanooga has become a big Pain in the rear lately too with a lot of construction.
Best bet is to plan your trrip to hit ATL on Sunday.

[RetiredRealtorR]

philh wrote:
Someone had recommended I take US27 to avoid Atlanta. Best I can see, that looks like a tough route.

Atlanta is a B*, but I now have a much higher hatred of Cincy. Didn't help I got a late start and went through Cincy at rush hour, but what a PITA!

I don't think 27 around Atlanta would be that tough. Like any other US highway, just take your time and enjoy the ride. Same goes for avoiding Cinti (I know what you mean about this city!).

Remember, the US highways were the main roads pre-interstates, no none of them are really tough or treacherous, IMO.

My wife and I try to avoid interstate travel as much as we can. Sure, it takes us a little longer, but the lack of stress far outweighs the time savings of interstate travel. And, there's a lot more to see along US highways -- this is true Americana (if that's what intrests you -- if you've got a plane to catch, stick to the interstates!!)

[valhalla360]

I think the fear of Atlanta is overrated (assuming you don't try to go thru at rush hour).

But if it concerns you that much, consider swinging slightly east thru Columbus then I-77 to I-95. The Ohio portion isn't interstate but pretty open and you can make good speed. It's only like 7 miles longer.

US-27...fine if you are in no hurry and just want to get away form the interstates but I don't see it being a better option to Point A to Point B.