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I will be traveling by auto this weekend from Atlanta to Port Canaveral.....how much time will I save by taking the Florida Turnpike and what is the cost? I have heard differenct things about it...one person says it only saves you aobut 15 minutes and is not worth the money...others say it saves over an hour...please help!!!!

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You actually can bypass the turnpike, and all the tolls by taking I-4 once you get to north Florida down to 95 south which will take you right down parallel with AIA and you can either cross 528 I think it is to get over to the port, paying tolls, or you can bypass that road as well and travel a little further down (I cant remember the name of the road though) and then back up to the port for free :) If you need the name of the bypass road, let me know and I'll look it up. We live in Orlando and always try to avoid the toll roads. We just traveled it a few weeks ago when we had dinner over at the port, but the route number has escaped me.

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Jenny....your Best Bet Is To Take The Florida Turnpike If You Get On At Wildwood....to The Beachline(528) It's About 54 Miles And Will Cost You $3.25 For An Auto.and A Couple Of $ More On The Beachline.....personally I Think That's The Way To Go

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Jenny....your Best Bet Is To Take The Florida Turnpike If You Get On At Wildwood....to The Beachline(528) It's About 54 Miles And Will Cost You $3.25 For An Auto.and A Couple Of $ More On The Beachline.....personally I Think That's The Way To Go

 

Exit off the turnpike at exit 254 (Bee Line) then onto 528 -E towards the airport and Cape Canaveral. Should take about 8 hours with Pit Stops. I did this last April. Down 75 to the turnpike is the fastest route.

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We have made this trip from Dalton, GA (20 miles from Tennessee state line) to PC in 9 hours with pit stops, by traveling 75 South to 16 East (in Macon) to 95 South (in Savannah) and getting off at the PC exit. Very easy!!!

That sounds pretty good. I would avoid I-4 because of construction -- it also looks like you are backtracking to get to I-95. I think the I-16 way or the I-10 way is shorter than I-4. DD and SIL took the I-10 route coming from Atlanta when we were on Mariner and it was a good route.

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You actually can bypass the turnpike, and all the tolls by taking I-4 once you get to north Florida down to 95 south which will take you right down parallel with AIA and you can either cross 528 I think it is to get over to the port, paying tolls, or you can bypass that road as well and travel a little further down (I cant remember the name of the road though) and then back up to the port for free :) If you need the name of the bypass road, let me know and I'll look it up. We live in Orlando and always try to avoid the toll roads. We just traveled it a few weeks ago when we had dinner over at the port, but the route number has escaped me.
I-4 doesn't really go to north Florida...did you mean I-10? I'm not sure how I-4 would be used in this trip at all. Also, the stretch of 528 between I-95 and the port is toll-free.
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We've almost always, except for once, gone 75 to 10 to 95 from Atlanta ( I live in town, just off 75). Time elapsed is hard to say because we stop & stretch our legs w/ DS, now 10, and have been doing this drive since he was 6. There might be a tad extra mileage, but often we are driving down on a Friday for a Saturday embarkation, and when we do that we wait until after Atlanta's Friday traffic dies down, so we are driving at night, leaving at 8 after dinner, and pulling into Jax around 1 am, then having 2 hours and change on a saturday morning, straight shot 95 south to the Bee Line (I know 528 is now the Beachline, but I have the personal stubbornness not to change names after I learn them...like the 49ers play in Candlestick, the Dolphins play in Joe Robbie, and our airport here in Atlanta is Hartsfield). Not sure where 5 hours of driving would leave us on the FLA turnpike, but Jax gives lots of options, and three times we've had convenient comfortable stays in Orange Park on I-295 between 10 and 95.

 

But now that I read this thread, when I go to Amelia Island, I drive 75 to 16 to 95, and since I am going south of that on 95, I really should just drive the same route to PC. And in 23 days or so, I'll be driving toward Fort Lauderdale so that may come into practice then, too. Hmm, got me thinking.:rolleyes:

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If you're driving this weekend, you may want to avoid I-10 to I-95 in Jacksonville. The Florida/Georgia game is this weekend and the area where 10 and 95 merge in Jacksonville can be a MESS. Check game times versus your travel times.

 

The tolls aren't much, and the time you will save is worth the extra $3 or whatever it costs. The other road that goes on the south end of Orlando and avoids tolls is 192, and it can be pretty darned slow. The speed limit is 55 most of the way on 192, versus 70 on the toll road (Beeline, Beachline or 528 = it goes by all those names), and you have to backtrack about 30 miles up I-95 to get to the Port.

 

Seriously - we live in the area and you can waste a lot of time on A1A, US 1 and 192. The main highways are much faster.

 

If you find yourself in heavy traffic in the Orlando area, call 511 on your cell phone and you can get current updated traffic information.

 

Have a safe journey!

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I live on the outskirts of Orlando and would never even have thought of going through Jax to come from Atlanta. hmmmmmm

 

I've done that on the way up 95 toward NJ and hate that area. can't wait to get past it. in fact i time leaving my house so i hit Jax at around 5 am just to avoid the traffic there, lol.

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you almost need to use the turnpike. I75 to the fl turnpike to 528(beachline) RIGHT INTO PORT CANAVERAL. what other road we're you thinking of?

 

Just wanted to say it is the BEELINE not the beachline :D

anyways, as a Florida resident, I also recommend the turnpike for sure.. you will save about an hour to take the beeline. Traffic flows very well, and the fees are minimal to travel the beeline

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Living in Atlanta, I always take I-75 to the turnpike in Wildwood and then over to the Beachline to Cocoa. I do not like going I-10 to I-95 but to each his own. The tolls are not that bad. It take me seven hours to drive from Roswell to Cocoa going this way.

 

By the way it is Beachline now.

http://www.answers.com/topic/state-road-528

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You actually can bypass the turnpike, and all the tolls by taking I-4 once you get to north Florida down to 95 south which will take you right down parallel with AIA and you can either cross 528 I think it is to get over to the port, paying tolls, or you can bypass that road as well and travel a little further down (I cant remember the name of the road though) and then back up to the port for free :) If you need the name of the bypass road, let me know and I'll look it up. We live in Orlando and always try to avoid the toll roads. We just traveled it a few weeks ago when we had dinner over at the port, but the route number has escaped me.

 

I wouldn't go I-95 unless they finished the construction near Palm Beach. Stay on the turnpike. Much less traffic.

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I would take I75 to Ocala, then get on SR40 (Silver Springs Blvd) to I95. SR40 is very scenic (goes through the Ocala forest and by many springs) great place to stop for lunch and fun to drive (once you clear Ocala). You will see a piece of old Florida.

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I ran the routes through Microsoft Mappoint starting at Macon Ga.

 

Results

 

1)Orlando Route: I-75 to Turnpike to 520 to Port Canaveral = approx 440 miles

 

2) Savannah Route: I-75 to I-16 to I-95 to Port Canaveral = approx 490 miles

 

3) Jacksonville Route: I-75 to I-10 to I-95 to Port Canaveral = approx 445 miles

 

Savannah appears to be a bit longer but I have never drove this way. I have done both of the others and probable prefer the turnpike route. I can get my Starbucks coffee at the turnpike.

 

Have fun!

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OK, I confess, I've been waiting around to post this info in a new thread, but so many knowledgable posters have replied to this thread, I thought I'd give it a shot here:

 

We're going to stay in Orlando precruise, and are sailing out of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Distance wise, it seems shorter to go the turnpike. Can I safely assume this is the best/quickest route to get to FTL, or should I take 528/beachline over to I-95?

 

As always, you guys are the best. Thanks again.

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If you decide to go down 528/I-95 my experience is that you will be better off by rejoining the turnpike at Ft. Pierce. The two highways are very close each other in that vicinity. I-95 can be rather congested, (depending on day of week and time of day) specially around WPB and points south. As far as the turnpike all the way I'm sure you can get various reasons for or against, I would opt for whatever is convenient.

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OK, I confess, I've been waiting around to post this info in a new thread, but so many knowledgable posters have replied to this thread, I thought I'd give it a shot here:

 

We're going to stay in Orlando precruise, and are sailing out of Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Distance wise, it seems shorter to go the turnpike. Can I safely assume this is the best/quickest route to get to FTL, or should I take 528/beachline over to I-95?

 

As always, you guys are the best. Thanks again.

 

It is shorter and faster to use the turnpike. I have taken this all the way to the end on my way to Key West. I can't remember the actual price but I think it is close to $15.

 

If you are going down during a high traffic time, I think the turnpike might be a better option. I have only been on I-95 once during rush hour traffic and it turned into a parking lot at West Palm Peach.

 

Others from the area will have more accurate information though.

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Having done the Tennessee-Florida run for over 20 years, here is my take for what it’s worth.

Timing is everything. Going through Jacksonville (I-10 to I-95) Southbound isn’t bad even at rush hour. Most of the construction around St. Augustine is done but the speed traps abound.

If I’m running late, I’ll stay in Lake City, where good, inexpensive Motels abound (and a new Super Wal-Mart) and continue down I-75 to the turnpike and do the North go-around to the Beeline.

Leaving Port Canaveral after a cruise is usually on a weekend. That being said, and it’s not the weekend of the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party, go North on I-95 and get off on the exit that puts you on US-1. This joins up with US-23 and heads North to Waycross, Georgia. It’s mostly 4 lane, divided highway with nobody on it. (The only cavet is when you first get off I-95 you have to do a little city driving in an area populated by 5 million funeral homes. I’ve never not seen a funeral procession and these folks stop dead in front of you if you meet one coming at you. Great for rear-end collisions.)

From Waycross just take Route 82 over to Tifton and join up with I-75.

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