Central Florida to Memphis - Route suggestions

[firefly925]

Needing help planning best route from Florida to Memphis, avoiding Atlanta if at all possible. Please and thank you!

[2naEagle]

When going North on I-65 in Birmingham there is a LOT of work traffic from Calera north into town in the morning. Also a lot of road construction going on in down town. Just try to be prepared for it.

[doxiemom11]

Instead of I10-I55. Take I-10 to Gulfport MS - US 49 - got north to where it joins I-55 and on up into Memphis. Corp of Engineer parks ( 4 different rec area locations - Grenada Lake, Enid Lake, and can't remember the other two all have excellent facilities and sites. Enid Lake is about 1 hr south of Memphis.

[Twain]

Okay, I had to look up I-22 has its not on my paper maps. Haven't been in N. Al. since.....eaaarly 80s.

[firefly925]

Thank you all very much for your responses!

[Alabama_Jim]

Routes mentioned are good. Avoid Atlanta is great advice. Montgomery to Birmingham on I65 and just North of Birmingham take I 22 and go straight to Memphis. I drive the route many times. Caution: traffic at Birmingham is always slow, road work, wrecks etc. Best time through Birmingham is during the night hours.

[Horsedoc]

Avoid Atlanta for a 2-3 more weeks

[wanderingbob]

Central Florida , avoid all Interstates , go west to the coast , take 98 north and west to just before Panama City , take the transmitter road to bypass Panama City , 231 north as GoPackGo said above . Cool travelers NEVER ride on a Interstate unless some one has a gun to his head !
You said "best " , not fastest , not easiest .

[edatlanta]

I would stay on I10 to exit 85 at Defuniak Springs and go north on US331 to Florala, AL. Turn left through town and continue west on AL 55 and AL 106 to join I65 at mm 114. Then north on I65 and on to Memphis as others have said.

All good road, light traffic normally and Andalusia, AL almost always has the cheapest gas/diesel prices around.

[Ivylog]

I-75 to Tifton GA then 82 which is a good divided four lane until Dawson and then a good two lane to Montgomery, AL. Interstate from there to Memphis.

[GoPackGo]

I would take I-75 up to I-10, west. Take exit 130 (Cottondale) to go north on Hwy 231. 231 is a good 4 lane road that many (including me) use as a shortcut to go north or come south for the winter.

There is a CG (Hitching Post) just south of exit 130. The nice owners just got it up and running recently.

Take Hwy 231 all the way up to Montgomery. Take I-85 west over to I-65. Take I-65 to Birmingham, then I-22 to Memphis.

I will detour to Dallas before going thru Atlanta.


OR . . . Just take I-10 over to I-12, then north on I-55. I do not know anything about the condition of I-55.

Or . . . An interesting route would be to pick up US Hwy 61 at Baton Rouge and take it all the way up to Memphis.