Drive from St Louis to Orlando - through Alabama.

chrissyd1

Mouseketeer
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
This is budget related - i canot afford to fly. And i tried the transportation board without a response.

Has anyone drove from St. Louis to Orlando going through Alabama, instead of Georgia(Atlanta)?

I am seriously considering it and wanted opinions from those that have done it.

Thanks!
 
I have driven both ways and the drive through Atlanta is much better because there are alot of stop lights through those small towns in Alabama. Also, take construction into consideration and the storm damage in Alabama.
 
I live in North West Alabama and when I head to Orlando I go to Birmingham and then go towards Atlanta and then i get off the interstate near auburn and pick up I think it is 95 in south georgia. I will pull my disney binder tonight when I get home and give you more detailed directions, this way is the quickest I have found, I have tried through Atlanta and also just going down 65 in Alabama.
 
Unless you have something specific you want to see on that route, it's definitely going to add time. We're considering altering our STL-Orlando route just because we have a favorite restaurant South of Nashville :rotfl:
 


I live in Nashville and would never go through Alabama. south of Montgomery there is no interstate until you get to I-10 (a couple hundred miles or so), you will add a lot of time to the trip going through the small towns and 2-lane roads. Going through Atlanta is much much faster.
 
We drove from Arkansas last year and went through Alabama going and there were a lot of stop lights - feel like we lost a lot of time. We came back through Atlanta - it was better. Interested the PP details once they look at binder - we are driving down in June.
 
We live in Alabama and I don't recommend driving to Orlando thru Alabama. We always go over to Tifton and down I-75, it cuts out at least 2-3 hours even with construction, which I think is completed or almost completed in Valdosta.
 


I live in North West Alabama and when I head to Orlando I go to Birmingham and then go towards Atlanta and then i get off the interstate near auburn and pick up I think it is 95 in south georgia. I will pull my disney binder tonight when I get home and give you more detailed directions, this way is the quickest I have found, I have tried through Atlanta and also just going down 65 in Alabama.

I believe you probably mean I-75, as I-95 is all the way across the state. The Interstate in Auburn is I-85, we live just South of Auburn.

I really think I'm confused, if you go to Atlanta, how do you end up back near Auburn, that is way out of the way?
 
We live in Alabama and I don't recommend driving to Orlando thru Alabama. We always go over to Tifton and down I-75, it cuts out at least 2-3 hours even with construction, which I think is completed or almost completed in Valdosta.

That is the way we go. I couldn't think of Tifton. That makes sense since you live near Auburn.
 
My family and I drive from Nebraska and drive through ALabama each time. We go highway 78 (nice 4 lane) from Mississippi to I65 (I think) South through Birmingham and Montgomery. Then we head down to Dothan (there are some stoplights here) and then hit the I10 in Florida.

We prefer the slower pace roads than I75. But, to each his own! Best of luck whichever route you take and have a wonderful trip! :goodvibes
 
That is the way we go. I couldn't think of Tifton. That makes sense since you live near Auburn.

I just couldn't figure out if you went over to Atlanta how you got back over to Auburn.

Have you thought about coming down 280 to Columbus to Tifton, seems like it would be shorter than I-65 to Atlanta, then you would bypass the Atlanta traffic? The drive that way isn't bad. We actually live in Phenix City, right at Columbus. We can see Columbus from our house.
 
We have never driven through Alabama on our way to Orlando just because it is a longer drive.
 
I just couldn't figure out if you went over to Atlanta how you got back over to Auburn.

Have you thought about coming down 280 to Columbus to Tifton, seems like it would be shorter than I-65 to Atlanta, then you would bypass the Atlanta traffic? The drive that way isn't bad. We actually live in Phenix City, right at Columbus. We can see Columbus from our house.

When I go that way I do not go to Atlanta, I get off in the Auburn Opelika area and I guess it is 280 I take to Tifton. I am not good with road names.
 
I live in Birmingham and over the years have made 30+ trips to WDW. I have tried every way possible from here.. I avoid ATLANTA completely (it adds an hour to my trip even if there is no traffic....which would be sometime in the middle of the night.) I take US Hwy 280 out of Birmingham to the GA-520 - this connects with I-75 in Tifton, GA. About 3.5 to 4 hours from Bham to Tifton.
 
My family and I drive from Nebraska and drive through ALabama each time. We go highway 78 (nice 4 lane) from Mississippi to I65 (I think) South through Birmingham and Montgomery. Then we head down to Dothan (there are some stoplights here) and then hit the I10 in Florida.

I'm having a hard time picturing where in MS you make the cut over (do you come down 55 out of STL then down through Memphis & then head East before you get to Jackson?), but typically Montgomery would be where one would leave I65 and cut straight South to I10 on the state highways. If you stay on 65 all the way to 10, you wind up way further West on I10 than you would if you cut straight South out of Montgomery.

edit: nevermind I read that last part wrong. I see where you're heading South from Montgomery which would take you through Dothan & then on to I10. And it is 78 from Memphis to Birmingham.


Looks like Mapquest shows your route from STL as 17hr 15 min
STL to Nashville to Montgomery to Orlando is 16hr 49 min
STL to Chattanooga to ATL to Orlando is 15 hr 29 min
 
When I go that way I do not go to Atlanta, I get off in the Auburn Opelika area and I guess it is 280 I take to Tifton. I am not good with road names.

Yes, that's the way I was talking about. I understand about road names.

I live in Birmingham and over the years have made 30+ trips to WDW. I have tried every way possible from here.. I avoid ATLANTA completely (it adds an hour to my trip even if there is no traffic....which would be sometime in the middle of the night.) I take US Hwy 280 out of Birmingham to the GA-520 - this connects with I-75 in Tifton, GA. About 3.5 to 4 hours from Bham to Tifton.

I do not like that drive from Birmingham to Atlanta, so I know how you feel. it takes us about 3 hours from PC/Columbus to get to Tifton, I think, I'm usually asleep if I can help it. I hate 520, but it's not as bad as 431S to I-10, which is getting better.
 
This is budget related - i canot afford to fly. And i tried the transportation board without a response.

Has anyone drove from St. Louis to Orlando going through Alabama, instead of Georgia(Atlanta)?

I am seriously considering it and wanted opinions from those that have done it.

Thanks!

This is a MUCH longer drive. At least a 3 (3 1/2) hour difference. My family and I actually did the Alabama route a few years ago. We drove from St. Louis to Birmingham, AL (to pick my niece up for the summer) then we headed to the Orlando.
 
I did it once that way - when the Olympics were in Atlanta -- and swore I would never go that way again. It seemed to take forever and when you hit FL you still have SOOOO Far to go.

Liz
 
While I definitely wouldn't recommend the route - if you go South on 65 from Nashville, you have GOT to stop at Stan's in Columbia, TN for the pulled pork sandwiches. It's about the only reason I'd be able to justify going that far out of the way :cool1:
 
While I definitely wouldn't recommend the route - if you go South on 65 from Nashville, you have GOT to stop at Stan's in Columbia, TN for the pulled pork sandwiches. It's about the only reason I'd be able to justify going that far out of the way :cool1:

Sorry, OT but Thanks for the tip! We drive every year from Pittsburgh to Destin Florida and we sometimes go this way. Will have to stop and check it out! :thumbsup2
 

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