Drive from St Louis to Orlando - through Alabama.

[chrissyd1]

Thank you all so much!!
Budget Board Disers are the best!!!

I knew I would get responses here!!

 

[chrissyd1]

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 love that you have a Disney Binder!!!

I think I should start one of those.

Please give me some details about this binder!!!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

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.

We live about 2 hours from the FL line and on our first trip to Disney, it took us 12 hours going that way, we have done it in 8. We now go through Ga and it take 6 to 6 1/2.

We have found tha tif you can go down 75 at night, there is a lot less traffic. We try to hit 75 in Tifton about 2 am, otherwise I have to listen to Dh complain about the other drivers.

 

[DisneyWalle]

I actually live just outside Dothan and depending on what time of the year you are coming thru it can be horrendous esp during Spring Break (March-April), Toadlick (April-May music festival) or Peanut Festival (Nov). The traffic backs up on 231 North and 231 South and you can sit in traffic - bumper to bumper slowly crawling down the highway until you get out of Houston County.

We live about 30 miles northeast of Dothan and prefer to travel over to GA and then take 10 down into Fl. Saves us a lot of time, instead of traveling through Dothan.

 

[nursetink]

I live in Little Rock. When we drive we take 280 from Birmingham to Tifton as well.

 

[Juliet25]

I drove STL to Orlando via ATL on the way down, and then Sandestin, FL, to STL via Alabama to Nashville on the way back. Going those back roads through AL was slow going until we picked up the interstate in Birmingham.

I would recommend the Atlanta route.

 

[Nana2Callie]

I live in Little Rock. When we drive we take 280 from Birmingham to Tifton as well.

We live in Van Buren and would love to know your exact route. We can use all the helpful hints we can find - we drove through Alabama last year and it seemed to be a lot of two lanes and took forever. Thanks,

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We live in Van Buren and would love to know your exact route. We can use all the helpful hints we can find - we drove through Alabama last year and it seemed to be a lot of two lanes and took forever. Thanks,

Looks like you can take 78 from Memphis to Birmingham, then 280 to Tifton (that stretch looks to be 5-6 hours), then I75 from there. Although Mapquest suggests taking 60 all the way to Paducah and then picking up the typical STL-Orlando route from there.

http://classic.mapquest.com/maps?1c...s=FL&2y=US&2l=28.538231&2g=-81.377388&2v=CITY

You meant Van Buren, MO right?

 

[nursetink]

We live in Van Buren and would love to know your exact route. We can use all the helpful hints we can find - we drove through Alabama last year and it seemed to be a lot of two lanes and took forever. Thanks,

1. I-40 to West Memphis, 2. I-55 to Southaven, MS, 3. 302/Goodman Road to 78 (this is a bypass around the industrial areas on 78 through Memphis, i.e. the port area with high big truck traffic), 4. 78 to Birmingham, 5. 280 to Tifton, GA, 6. I-75 to the Florida Turnpike

I hope this is helpful, we try to avoid Atlanta and Dothan. Do you take I-40 from Fort Smith to Little Rock? Please let me know if you have any questions.

 

[Mom 2 Two]

We live in West TN (north of Jackson). When we drive to Destin, we take I-65 south to Birmingham. Then the 2 lane roads the rest of the way take FOREVER. I would never do that if there was an alternative! We plan to drive to Orlando this summer (for the first time!) We have always flown, but it's just not in the budget this year. Our plan is to take I-40 to Nashville then I-24 to Chattanooga, then I-75 south through Atlanta. Does anyone have a faster alternative? I have read about the horrible Atlanta traffic, and would be interested if the route would avoid that. Thanks
Karla

 

[AmandaRG]

Mapquest always suggests that we go through Alabama from Memphis...it frustrates me as I know that it can't be the quickest way!

 

[cheerforchelsea]

Thank you all so much!!
Budget Board Disers are the best!!!

I knew I would get responses here!!

Mapquest a route from Chelsea, Alabama to DisneyWorld and it will give you detailed information on route through Alabama. Chelsea, Alabama is on US Highway 280 just south of Birmingham (easy access to US 280 from I-459). (Very few stoplights from Chelsea to the I-75 junction in Tifton, Georgia.) Have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We live in West TN (north of Jackson). When we drive to Destin, we take I-65 south to Birmingham. Then the 2 lane roads the rest of the way take FOREVER. I would never do that if there was an alternative! We plan to drive to Orlando this summer (for the first time!) We have always flown, but it's just not in the budget this year. Our plan is to take I-40 to Nashville then I-24 to Chattanooga, then I-75 south through Atlanta. Does anyone have a faster alternative? I have read about the horrible Atlanta traffic, and would be interested if the route would avoid that. Thanks
Karla

Your planned route makes the most sense IMO from Jackson, TN.

edit: Going through Atlanta at night usually makes that pretty painless, HOWEVER you have to be careful with Braves games. You don't want to be zinging through there just in time for a game to let out.

 

[AshleeH]

I loathe going through Atlanta (we live three hours from St. Louis) but it is the shortest route. We prefer the Birmingham drive when we're going to Destin, but we always go through Atlanta on the way to Orlando. We just take the bypass.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I loathe going through Atlanta (we live three hours from St. Louis) but it is the shortest route. We prefer the Birmingham drive when we're going to Destin, but we always go through Atlanta on the way to Orlando. We just take the bypass.

We go through Birmingham/Montgomery then the loooooooooong state highway route when we go to Panama City Beach, too. Although, we typically detour out of the way on the way down in order to hit Chattanooga. On the way home, it's straight up 65 to Nashville. We're about an hour West of STL.

 

[AshleeH]

We go through Birmingham/Montgomery then the loooooooooong state highway route when we go to Panama City Beach, too. Although, we typically detour out of the way on the way down in order to hit Chattanooga. On the way home, it's straight up 65 to Nashville. We're about an hour West of STL.

That's the way to do it . We've driven that route several times when going to the beach and it's more stress-free for us. We've never taken that way when going to Orlando because of the extra hour.

I should say (to the OP) that whenever we do go through Atlanta, we avoid rush hour at all costs! We're about six hours away, so we leave at 5:00 a.m. to get there by 1:00 (factoring in time for gas/rest stops and lunch). If the only option is to hit the city at rush hour - avoid it at all costs! The route through Birmingham could be shorter if you don't get stuck in a traffic jam! That's the reason I hate going through Atlanta - we've been caught in traffic jams for hours and it's miserable - and they are ALWAYS doing road work.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

We drive from Kansas City. Came home thru Alabama last time - took too long! ITA w/ other posters to avoid major cities during rush hour. I recommend major highways thru Atlanta, just like my Garmin lady tells me.

 

[bella77]

I live near Birmingham, and my sister used to live in Gainesville, FL. Many times that I would leave after work on Friday to visit, I used the 280 route through Alabama to Tifton/Valdosta to avoid Atlanta rush hour. It was usually a nice drive and it didn't really add any time to my trip. Not a bad plan if you are trying to avoid Atlanta.

 

[rluey29]

We only went through Atlanta once and will probably never go that way again. I prefer US-78 to Birmingham, then south to Montgomery and Dothan. Did the route to Auburn-Tifton once but seemed like way too many stop lights for my personal taste.

 

[5stljayhawks]

Mrs Chris

Do you like mountian or flat delta? Rural drives or hitting major cities with potenail for major traffic?

I have been down 55 memphis and cut across, then montgomery, dothan and hit hgwy 10. Its not that bad a of a drive, there are few stretches for 4 lane highway, sort of like 94 or lindberg, then the lights stretch out and traffic flows. Hotels are hit and miss.

We stoped at graceland on the way back, it was pretty cool....

The other route is hit nashville and come down. avoiding chattanooga and atlanta..
If I can stay out of GA, I figure it a better thing, as there is always a good chance and not a random of a traffic jam. Panhandle traffic flows well, I think allowing for an individual to make up any lost time.

Been throught alanata more than I care. Cool city to see, if you are not stuck in traffic..... at 3 in the afternoon This route also puts you through the mountains. I also like the change, whats an hour either way for a way easier drive.

PM if you want to talk further.