Driving To Florida - Detroit or Buffallo

DRIFTER_016 · February 28, 2016

FYI, there has been a land slide on I-75 near the Tennessee/Kentucky border that has a pretty decent stretch of the highway closed in both directions. This just happened on Friday and they say it will be closed for weeks. Not sure what the detour in 25W is like.

https://weather.com/news/news/tennessee-rockslide-interstate-75-campbell-county

jjcanoe · February 28, 2016

Yep avoid I-75 at all costs now, quite possibly going to be May before that stretch of highway is repaired. The posted detour takes you through some twisty mountain roads, which will be quite scenic but ALL the truck and car traffic will be on this hilly 2 lane road. Expect some major delays around there

jjcanoe · February 28, 2016

If you do take the I-75 route there is a 4 lane option on US route 25E, several towns starting with Corbin KY the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pineville has big flood control barriers you need to drive through if you go into town, at Middlesboro KY you pass through the 'Hole in the Wall' aka Cumberland Gap tunnel, there is an amazing lookout on the Tennessee side. Once back onto the interstate you can continue back to Knoxville or cut south through the Great Smokey mountains towards Ashville NC. This whole stretch is one of the most scenic areas I've ever been to in the eastern US. As many have already mentioned, watch your speed on any US routes and especially when they go through a town, they basically make you pay your speeding fines on the spot or accompany you to the local courthouse to pay up.

Edited February 28, 2016 by jjcanoe

Whopper · February 29, 2016

Sounds like you've made your mind up Flex, good for you.

I live minutes off I75 at went to FLA many times and also have traveled up your more that that.

There are zero tolls down 75 all the way to Sarasota from Detroit. The only toll is the bridge to cross the border, just came through there a few months back and since the have the construction work done it's a lot nicer/easier to get on I75 south than it was in the past.

As far as the drive, coming through MI and Ohio for the most part is the same as driving from Toronto to Windsor. Once you cross the Ohio River is does get more scenic in Kentucky, Tennessee and north Georgia. Ohiofisherman is right about the rest of Georgia though.

jjcanoe's first post about leaving 75 heading east over to NC is spot on, very scenic, and that avoids the trouble spot on 75

As far as speeding, keeping it at under 10mph over the speed limit will generally keep you out of any trouble down here as long as your not weaving through traffic. Wear your seat belt! They will ticket you in a heart beat for noncompliance on that.

Have a safe trip an enjoy yourself.

Mister G · February 29, 2016

I drive it each yeah year for the past 10 yrs or so. I've done both and I prefer the The West Virginia route. Someone mentioned I-95, this is wrong, it's I-90, Buffalo to Erie, toll costs $3.90 US. The West Virginia route is slightly more complicated in that there are more changes in routes, i.e. I-90 to I-79 in Erie, then it's I-77 to I-20, then I-95 and finally on to I-75. There are 2 more tolls but they are minimal, $1.25 and $0.50 (I think). Be careful around Summersville, WV, they love to ticket Canadians for speeding.....a very inhospitable place in my opinion and so I never give the businesses there any of my money. Your GPS will probably take you to Daytona along I-95 to I-4 through Orlando and that's OK. But if you go through I10 in Jaksonville, to 301 then be careful along this route.....plenty of speed traps. The only other matter is weather through Eire and the mountains in WV......pay attention to the forecasts.

Gerry has it to about a "T" on the fastest, easiest and "almost" toll free way.......We have drove it many times and just got back about 2 weeks ago....Actually once you get across the bridge of your choice and hit the main I-90 going west the tolls are $3.15 NOT counting bridge tolls.....if you go over say the Rainbow bridge into Niagara Falls, NY you have a toll there and another $1 toll over the Grand Island bridge. You can avoid the Grand Island bridges and it's tolls by crossing into Buffalo at the Peace Bridge. Either bridge crossing in the NY you have tolls....I believe the Peace Bridge is just a bit less tolls but nothing to be concerned with.

Get gas in NYS for about $1.89 per gallon if you want and then it doesn't really drop much until Ohio...then the bigger gas savings is in the southern states.

We would always get a hotel in Charlotte, NC and enjoy a nice meal there for the night, then a EARLY start in the morning, sometimes as early as 4 am to get out of there before any traffic builds.

Gas in Florida when we left 2 weeks ago was between $1.59 - $1.69 per gallon.....you gotta love their gas prices.

Drive safe and take your time.......racing down there will only get you there a few minutes earlier and could get you killed. Just wish there wasn't as many semi-trucks on their roads down there.

OhioFisherman · February 29, 2016

http://www.speedtrap.org/

FLEX ROD · March 1, 2016

Thanks Folks, I told the wife that 4:00am the truck leaves the driveway .

FLEX

aniceguy · March 1, 2016

if I can get an update on 75 if you go through it on the detour Im leaving next week also and towing a boat. Im familiar with the area just not the detour. thanks