Planning a trip from Dallas, TX to Tampa, FL May-June 2025

Hey everyone,

This group has been a fantastic resource for planning our budget-friendly trips to the West Coast—thanks for all the great tips and advice!

We’re now planning a road trip east to Tampa, FL sometime in May or early June to visit my wife’s sister, a retired nurse who’s been inviting us for years.

It looks like we have two main route options:

One via I-20 to I-10

The other taking I-45, which eventually merges into I-10, then briefly shifts to I-12 before reconnecting with I-10.

We’re not planning any major detours—just looking to enjoy the drive and scenery. We’ll be stopping overnight about halfway to break up the trip.

Would love any input on either route, especially from folks who’ve done this drive. Thanks in advance!

This trip, even if you stick to an all-Interstate route, is going to be a solid two day effort. That being said, there is at least one other alternative that I would consider. Personally, I try to stay as far away from the 'last' Interstate in any direction: I-95 along the east coast, I-90 across the northern tieR especially in the northeast, I-5 along the west coast, and I-10 in the south. These tend to be heavily traveled either because they are industrialized, connect vacation destinations, or even both of those at the same time.

There is also a certain sameness to all the Interstates. It's almost as though the corridors they define are a separate state, indistinguishable no matter where they are. If you want to experience the ambience of the area you're going to pass through, you'd want to get off the Interstates for at least some significant portion of your drive.

So if I were doing this trip, I'd probably take I-20 to Jackson MS, then US-49 south to Collins, US-84 east to Valdosta GA and finally I-75 into Tampa. A large portion of the US highways along this route are four-lane divided (but not controlled access) roads with decent speed limits. They also afford you a chance to experience the area your driving through rather than just Interstateland. The difference in driving distance between the above proposed route and the two that the mapping routine gave you is minimal, perhaps 5-10% longer. The difference in time is greater, on the order of an extra hour of driving each day.

As I said, that's what I'd do. You'd have to determine if the extra time is worth it to you, but I am reminded of a quote from a Broadway show/movie, Auntie Mame: “Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death!” Or as Robert Frost suggested, take the road less travelled. At least consider the possibility.

AZBuck

AZBuck thank you very much for your input and those great quotes. If anything, that's why I love to drive to see places that you fly over. Will difintely consider those options. I add my own quote A popular quote from "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" is "No matter where you go, there you are." For me, to trying to be present where ever I go so I don't miss smelling the roses or cow manure! LOL. Thanks.

Forgot to ask, any half-way point recommendations for break/overnight stay places?

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Originally Posted by Fred Jumayao

"No matter where you go, there you are."

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I also love "Nowhere" spelled "Now Here" for similar reasons. But I surely like the quote you shared.

Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Fred Jumayao

Forgot to ask, any half-way point

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Pensacola might be on your route -- but 1100 miles over two days is a rockin' speed.

By the way, you could spend a couple of hours driving along the beach highway before rocketing back to speed to Tampa. Here is one such suggestion shared by Lynne R. Christen.

Mark

�� Thanks Mark

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Mmmmm that is so tempting. We grew up in the islands and living in Texas all these years have made me miss the salt air and ocean!! Thanks for the tip!

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Originally Posted by Fred Jumayao

This group has been a fantastic resource for planning our budget-friendly trips to the West Coast—thanks for all the great tips and advice!

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Fred,

Thanks for the kudos and we hope we continue to be helpful to you!

I had to look up where Providence Village was. I thought, (after editing the Urban Fly Fishing Dallas--Fort Worth book that I knew all of the communities near the DFW metroplex) but this was a new one for me. How long have you lived there?


Mark

Nice book Mark. I love fishing, but favor salt-water fishing. We've only been in Providence Village for just over a year. Just bought a home there last year, but we've been in DFW for 10 years now, mostly Plano and Frisco.

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Originally Posted by AZBuck

Personally, I try to stay as far away from the 'last' Interstate in any direction: I-95 along the east coast, I-90 across the northern tieR especially in the northeast, I-5 along the west coast, and I-10 in the south. These tend to be heavily traveled either because they are industrialized, connect vacation destinations, or even both of those at the same time.
AZBuck

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That has definitely been noted when it comes to I-95 (and most likely much of that is due to the areas it travels through, since most of the "local" roads there are just about as bad). Not being out to the west, I'd suspect parts of I-5 would fall into that same category (with the larger areas it travels in, particularly in CA).

Not so sure that most of I-90 would be the same issue, though.
At least on the eastern end that I am more familiar with, there are a few small areas (obviously within Boston, perhaps if you hit Worcester at rush hour, the "free section" through Albany again at rush times and maybe the other larger cities further west), but that still leaves quite a bit of road that isn't bad.
Add to that that, unless someone is travelling with little to no limitation, the alternates are going to be much slower (like US 20, which especially in MA seems to have speed limits dropped every time you turn around, perhaps not quite as bad in NY once you get west of Albany give or take a couple cities).

One might also think that further west parts of I-90 would have little issue, again due to the areas they traverse, such as going through Montana, with a total state population less than many of the (even smaller) eastern cities that it goes in/near.