San Antonio TX-Greensboro NC

[kittyfahy]

Hi there! I'll be flying to Texas to pick up my motorhome. Any advice as to which route to drive home? The Northern route uses I-40 and the Southern route is I-10. About the same distance. This is my first time driving a motorhome so any advise on safest route would be appreciated 🙂

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

All other things being equal, I'd take the I-10 route since it is almost a hundred miles shorter and a bit flatter. But all things may not be equal at the time of your drive. In particular there's the weather, which as you've just seen in the South can include tornadoes, torrential rains, and baseball-sized hail. So, plan on taking I-10, but be prepared to take I-40 if the weather looks questionable a few days before departure. Motel reservations can typically be canceled with 24 hours notice, but I'm not sure about RV sites if that's what you plan to use. When you make reservations, just be sure to ask what their cancellation policy is.

Also, this is at least a three day drive under the best of conditions. Given your unfamiliarity with your new, and ungainly, vehicle, I wouldn't plan on more than 450 miles per day especially if you plan to use it as your overnight accommodations because you'll need additional time each evening and morning to set up and take down your RV. Allotting four days would decrease your stress level considerably.

AZBuck

[DonnaR57]

Welcome to RTA!

First thing I have to ask, that you'd have to ask yourself, "how comfortable are you in driving through large cities or lots of traffic?"

I-10, though about 70 less miles, will take you through the Houston metro area as well as just north of the New Orleans area. Then I-85 is going to take you through Atlanta....ugh!!!!!

Depending on which of the many routes you'd use to get up to I-40, you may go through Dallas, into Little Rock and into Memphis (Little Rock to Memphis: lots of truck traffic) and on to Nashville (not too bad).

If it were MY decision, I'd stick to I-10 and I-85, but find a way to avoid Atlanta. Others here may either disagree with me or have an alternative to Atlanta.


Donna

[AZBuck]

If the OP takes I-10/I-85, then there's really no good way to avoid Atlanta, but it can be made a bit less stressful by a couple of simple steps. First, take the beltway, I-285, around the southern and eastern sides of the city. That's a bit shorter than using the western/eastern sides. Second, that beltway is mostly, if not entirely, three lanes in each direction. Use the middle lane. That will allow anyone to pass you who wants to yet keep you away from merging and exiting traffic on the right at the many interchanges.

AZBuck