Trip from Tampa to Wisconsin

[loto22]

My boyfriend and I are planning to drive from Tampa to Wisconsin this December. We are looking for suggestions on (1) the best way to avoid Atlanta, (2) scenic routes we could opt for that won't lead us too far off course, (3) cheap lodging ideas.
We don't want to take any more than 4 days to drive and are on a tight budget.

Thanks in advance!

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

A route I've taken that avoids Atlanta and doesn't change the overall travel time too much is to take US-231 and I-65 through Alabama up to Nashville. From there, your best course of action will depend upon where in Wisconsin you are going.

If your trip is to Southern Wisconsin, you can make the trip quite easily in 2.5 days - and even if its farther north, you could easily complete the trip in 3 long days.

[loto22]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

A route I've taken that avoids Atlanta and doesn't change the overall travel time too much is to take US-231 and I-65 through Alabama up to Nashville. From there, your best course of action will depend upon where in Wisconsin you are going.

If your trip is to Southern Wisconsin, you can make the trip quite easily in 2.5 days - and even if its farther north, you could easily complete the trip in 3 long days.

Thank you Midwest Michael. Our destination will be southern Wisconsin. We were hoping to make a stop in Ohio to visit a friend... Do you have any suggestions on a pleasant route between Tennessee and Ohio?

[glc]

Would you please be more specific with what cities you are going to or close to?

[Midwest Michael]

I agree you really have to give us more specifics if you want us to be able to help give you specific advice. "Ohio" is a huge target - as is "Southern Wisconsin." and what might work best for you will very wildly depending upon where you are going.

Throwing Ohio into the mix likely makes the suggestion I gave previously rather useless.

[loto22]

We are still not sure as to specific cities we hope to target. We have considered driving up through Tallahassee to Nashville, and onward through Kentucky to Lima, OH. The other option would be driving from Tampa up through NE Florida to Savannah and Charleston, and onward to Lima. From Ohio to Wisconsin I need no guidance. Another option of course would to leave Ohio out of the trip in order to save some time. I was just hoping to get a general consensus on routes that would allow us a more scenic route between Florida and Wisconsin, as I doubt we will ever be making this trip again.

[glc]

Let's cut to the chase - you want a recommendation on how to get from Tampa to Lima OH without going through Atlanta?

1. As Michael has suggested - I-75/I-10/US-231/I-65 to Nashville, then I-65/I-71/I-75.

2. Going through Savannah is also an option. Then take I-26/I-77 to Charleston WV, and here is where it might get a bit tricky. Take I-64/US-35 to Chillicothe, then US-23 to Columbus and US-33 on to Lima.

Either way is really a 3 day trip - you can do it in 2.5 days if you want to spend some awake time with your friend. Are you going to try to drive from Lima to wherever it is in Wisconsin (which you won't tell us where) in 1 day? It's very possible as long as it's not too much farther than Madison.

Cheap lodging ideas? Motel 6 (or other budget chains) or mom and pop motels in small towns. Staying in larger cities will always be more expensive or you will be in an area of town you may not feel safe in.

[loto22]

Let's cut to the chase - you want a recommendation on how to get from Tampa to Lima OH without going through Atlanta?

1. As Michael has suggested - I-75/I-10/US-231/I-65 to Nashville, then I-65/I-71/I-75.

2. Going through Savannah is also an option. Then take I-26/I-77 to Charleston WV, and here is where it might get a bit tricky. Take I-64/US-35 to Chillicothe, then US-23 to Columbus and US-33 on to Lima.

Either way is really a 3 day trip - you can do it in 2.5 days if you want to spend some awake time with your friend. Are you going to try to drive from Lima to wherever it is in Wisconsin (which you won't tell us where) in 1 day? It's very possible as long as it's not too much farther than Madison.

Cheap lodging ideas? Motel 6 (or other budget chains) or mom and pop motels in small towns. Staying in larger cities will always be more expensive or you will be in an area of town you may not feel safe in.

Thank you glc.
I am going to Madison. I am originally from there and so have no concern about what route to take from Ohio, or how long it the trip between the two states will be. I would in any case be spending the night in Lima.

Have either of you (glc or Midwest Michael) done much travelling through Tennessee? If so, do you have any suggestions about driving either through or near the Smoky Mountains? (I'm assuming driving in Wisconsin winters should have me prepared, but I've never driven through the mountains in winter).

Thanks again

[glc]

This would actually point toward a 3rd route - go to Savannah and take I-26, and stay on it all the way to Asheville. Then you could take I-40 through the Smokies to Knoxville, then I-75 to Lima. *IF* you have time and *IF* the weather isn't bad, you could get off I-40 at the Lake Junaluska exit, take US-19 to US-441 and go up through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - and rejoin I-40 just east of Knoxville. Note that you will need to make it to at least Knoxville for your 2nd night on the road to keep your arrival time in Lima reasonable.