Avoiding Atlanta

[NCTeddyBearLady]

My husband and I are avid RV's and are planning to visit my father in Texas this Christmas. We live in Western North Carolina and make that trip usually by plane but this time we plan to take our new-to-us Newmar, Mountain Aire (38.5' long). Needless to say we wish to avoid the twisty mountain roads that are the shortest route to I20, our preferred route to Daddy. Further, we wish to avoid the insane traffic around Atlanta.

I do most of the driving and am completely comfortable driving our big rig even on narrow roads. I am, however, not happy holding up traffic the way I must to take on the tight turns on the very narrow, windy roads between here and Atlanta. When we look at a map, we can find work-arounds for the worst windy roads but are having no success finding a work-around for Atlanta. Even at 3:00 a.m. driving inside the ring road around Atlanta is confusing and a traffic nightmare. We don't live in Atlanta so don't know ways to stay outside that ring road and off windy roads with our big rig.

If we drive to Atlanta in our car, we come down 276 to route 11 connecting with I85 at the NC/SC state line. That road is passable for our RV but slowing to safely make those tight turns will back traffic up for miles. To avoid doing that, I will opt to take 64 west through Cashiers and use that route to intersect with route 11. It is windy but not as bad as the other route.

Any one who can make some suggestions about that, let me know. We plan to leave on the 20th if we can find a work around. If not, we will try to hit Atlanta at 3:00 a.m. that same morning. That is not the best choice for us as neither of us do well driving at night. We can drive to a campground near Atlanta the day before, wait for the wee hours of the morning to arrive before we enter the traffic pattern around Atlanta and then catch up on our sleep once we get past it. We would rather not do this as it loses us a full day with my Dad as we'll have to do it going and coming and must be back here by the Monday following Christmas.

Suggestions? Advice?

[CA_Traveler]

Not familiar with your local roads but why not take 26 or 26/25 to 85 considering you're driving a big rig? Leave early and take 285 around Atlanta mid day. How about a GPS to help? I just bought a Garmin 2699 from Costco for $220 and it's lane directions are great. Smaller units cost less but I expect to have this unit for a lot of years with it's lifetime maps and traffic.

[sunny_jeep]

Between 10 am and 2 pm going threw Atlanta is not to bad.usely just stay in one and take it easy.

[zigzagrv]

I agree, I40 would be the better route, depending on the weather of course. If taking I20 through Atlanta, stay on I20 instead of taking the bypasses. Traffic is bad no matter which way you go, but much less confusing if you stay on I20. Was through Atlanta a couple weeks ago around five o'clock pm and no problems except for lots of traffic..

[RoyB]

I usually make it though Atanta ok using the outer roads but it seems they are always in some sort of road work in progress... The lanes are always going away making you move over a lane. Makes me very nervous even in my OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer haha...

[Mr_Mark1]

Just keep in mind if taking I-40 across Tennessee through Arkansas to catch I-30 to Texarkana, there is major road construction at West Memphis and at parts along the way to Little Rock, AR.

Going east recently on that similar route we hit three major traffic jams due to bridge repairs and road construction that delayed us a couple of hours.

MM.

[tropical_ron]

Comparing routes, the difference between taking I-40 vs I-20 is under 50 miles. The I-40 route being all interstate should be doable - of course keeping an eye on the weather is paramount. If avoiding Atlanta is the goal, I-40 to I-30 to I-35 or I-20 in Texas, is a viable option. Again, if the hills are of question - your coach should have no problem climbing the interstates...Weather would be my determining factor as to which route I would take. Safe travels.

[ferndaleflyer]

Guess you never drove I-40 in the NC/TN line area.......straight up, straight down and crooked as a snake---thats if it isn't closed by a landslide or snow in the winter months......got to be a better way.....I have on several occasions drove my DP and race car trailer (72ft total)around Atlanta on I-85 and don't remember any problems....don't remember what time of day it was.

[Mr_Mark1]

I, too, was going to make a similar suggestion as MikeBreeze.

Since we don't know exactly where in Texas that you are going, I'm going to assume that your Dad lives in very southern Texas.

Looking at my Atlas, you could go I-40 to Chattanooga and take the 81/75 south that appears to turn into the 59 south that takes you to Birmingham, AL, and runs into I-20. Looks like a straight shot and bypasses Atlanta altogether.

Safe travels,
MM.

[mikebreeze]

You didn't say where in TX that you are headed to but I did a mapquest from Ashville, NC to Austin, TX. They suggested I40 to I440 to I30. Seems like a more pleasant route. It's longer but takes less time.