Atlanta to Baltimore - which route is best ?!

Hey all.

Am travelling to Atlanta and then north to Baltimore on a baseball road trip in June. We are leaving Atlanta after a 1.35 Sunday game ( so, 5 ish) and need to be in Baltimore for a 7.00pm Monday night game.

Google maps is telling me to go I85 route as it is most direct. However as I am travelling from the UK I wonder if I75 then I81 will be more scenic as it skirts the Smoky then Appalachian Mtns.How much longer would this take and is it worth it?

In other words... which route is best ?

Also need somewhere to stay on Sunday night which is about 3- 4 hours out of Atlanta and has good bars which will be lively ( and friendly !) on a Sunday night. If its relevant at all we are two straight guys in our late 30%26#39;s/early 40%26#39;s.

On the I85 route Charlotte looked an obvious place to stop but as we wont see the place is it going to be too big/lacking in character for one night?

If not - where is good to stay in Charlotte ?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Atlanta to Baltimore - which route is best ?!

Hi Willowan,

You are correct that I-85 is the most direct route, but it%26#39;s not very scenic at all and the traffic can be very heavy through the cities. There is a good alternative that%26#39;s not nearly as ';out of the way'; as the I-75 route you propose:

Take I-85 north out of Atlanta.

About 30 miles or so north of Atlanta, take I-985/US 23 north towards Gainesville.

Follow US 23 all the way into North Carolina, through Franklin, NC, to the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway in Dillsboro where you%26#39;ll exit right towards Waynesville.

Follow the Expressway to I-40 eastbound to Asheville, NC where you%26#39;ll pick up I-26 north. Follow I-26 north to I-81 near Kingsport, TN, then follow I-81 north into the Baltimore/Washington, DC area (where you go from there depends on your exact destination).

This route has several things going for it. You%26#39;ll see some incredibly beautiful scenery in the mountains of north Georgia and NC. It%26#39;s four-lane highway for all but about an 8 mile stretch, and traffic is much lighter than I-85. And you can plan to stop in Asheville, which is one of my favorite cities anywhere (Asheville is roughly 3 hours north of Atlanta). The downtown area is great, with lots of neat, quirky shops, bars, and restaurants all within walking distance of each other. For more info, check the Asheville forum.

If you have more questions, just ask!

Atlanta to Baltimore - which route is best ?!

Thank you ARBYUNC. I would never have thought of that route. Now I want to try it myself. Also, in June you will have plenty of daylight to enjoy the mountains.

The only problem will be getting across Atlanta in rush hour traffic.

If it is rainy and you decide to forego the mountains, you might want to consider I-20, which is right by the stadium, to !-95 in Florence, SC. This is an exceedingly boring drive, but boring is not always bad on the highway. Columbia or Florence would be decent places to lay over ( but not like Asheville )

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