South - DFW to Daytona via auto - a few questions

Quick question for anyone that might know. I've just been enlisted to drive a relocating relative's car from Dallas to Daytona Beach, FL. Mapquest and Google Maps give two different routes, neither of which seems like the best to me (but then again, what do I know... I've never driven this).

Google Maps routes me due east on I-20, due south on I-55, and then due east again on I-10, while Mapquest spat out a more direct route full of meandering drives on US highways through the Southeast that I'd prefer to avoid due to the fact that every 10 miles or so, I would have to slow down and crawl through Main Street.

The best route (at least to me) appears to be I-20 to Shreveport, I-49 southeast through Louisiana, and I-10 straight into Jacksonville. Of course, I have no idea what the speed limit on I-49 is... if I'd be stuck going 55 the entire way, I might just rather pick the Google Maps option, if that'd speed up the process.

Anyway, I suppose my question is this - what is the best route? Also, we're looking at around 1,150 miles here. We're also looking at the fact that I am insane. Given those two pieces of information, can this be done in a (loooonnng) day?


Thanks in advance for your replies,

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Hmm...interesting question. I'm not really sure- I've only driven from JAX to BPT, which is mostly a direct line on long & lonely I-10, save a little I-12 shortcut avoiding New Orleans.
If you have time & $50, take a rest at a highway inn. It'll be nice, and you can get points/miles :D Otherwise be prepared for a really long whole day (i.e., from the wee hours until the wee hours)- and don't drive tired-alternate drivers halfway or something!
Anyway, here's a site although it still needs a little work-
www.freewebs.com/travelusa
that lists all the exits with BP stations and services along some interstate highways. Don't see much in LA or MS, though.
Good luck- you'll need it!
PS: Gas prices seem cheaper in TX, LA, MS, and AL. They're really high in JAX area!
PPS: Not sure as I haven't been lately, but I-10 comes to a bottleneck near the AL border where the past hurricanes knocked out a bridge or something. It should be fixed by now, but I'm not sure.

The last time I was in Pensacola (which was a couple of weeks ago), they were still working on the Escambia Bay Bridge over I-10. I think it's two lanes both ways now, but some times it's down to one lane going east towards Jacksonville.

I've actually made the drive from Fort Worth to Orlando twice... Once I took I-49 through the heart of Louisiana and decided I would never do that again. It was absolutely dreadfully boring...

The next time, I took I-20 to Jackson, Miss., and then took Hwy. 49 down to Hattiesburg and caught Hwy. 98 into Mobile, Ala. From there I-10 into Florida. I enjoyed the trip through Mississippi much more than I-49 through Louisiana and it took about the same amount of time. The posted speed limits on those highways are pretty high.

The speed limit on I-49 is 70 from Shreveport to Lafayette. It may go to 60 for 5-10 miles through Alexandria though. As previously stated, it is a boring drive--hardly any traffic at all--but that may be a plus for some people. I think there used to be a "no billboard" ordinance on some stretches of I-49, but I'm not sure if that is still in effect.

US49/98 is completely different. The posted speed limit is 65, but you will be going through about 10 small towns from Jackson to Hattiesburg, some of which have a limit of 45-50. (BTW, there is a unique DQ in Magee, MS on that stretch. It looks originary from the outside, but the inside is pure "redneck". And I say that in an affectionate way.) Oh, if you go this way, make sure you're not going through it during rush hour in Jackson. That will slow you down.

Thanks for the advice - wound up taking the I-49 route, and generally taking it easy, stopping in Biloxi for a bit of gambling and Crestview, FL for the night.

One interesting note - it didn't surprise me that driving through the heart of Louisiana was fairly dull, perhaps because I'm familiar with the state. But I was shocked at (with the exception of cities like Pensacola, Crestview, Tallahassee, and Lake City) how desolate northern Florida is. 20 miles between exits on I-10 and hours between signs of civilization was surprising.

Thanks again, FT -

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