Traveling from Iowa to Alabama... Tips?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>I will be attending UA as a freshman in the fall of 2013. We are starting to plan travel and we haven’t had much experience in this as I’m the oldest and we tend to stick to vacations within driving distance generally.
Iowa to Alabama is 15 hours driving, takes about 2 days - we did this when I went to visit over the summer. </p>

<p>I have two questions.
First: There are many different combinations of airports I could fly out of and to, including
Iowa- Des Moines, Moline, Quad Cities
Alabama- Birmingham, Atlanta
Are there any considerable pros or cons to any of these airports individually or in combos? *I’m including Atlanta because I have an aunt who lives there, so if need be we could always stay at her place or use her for transportation.</p>

<p>Second: In the fall when I am moving down there, would it be best to fly ourselves and ship my things or drive with everything in the car? </p>

<p>Thank you so much! :)</p>

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<p>Collegebound, you are going to get a lot of different answers. We are in Wisconsin and we decided to drive our son down for move-in and will pick him and all his stuff up for move-out. We found this the least costly way for us (especially as both his dad and me, his mom, wanted to see him settled in his dorm and make sure he had everything.) For us it is a 12 hour drive and we did this in one day, spent the night at a nearby hotel, and then moved him in on his Saturday move-in time. We are going to do this differently for picking him up and for further move-ins. His dad would rather drive 7 hours to Nashville, stay over night and then drive the 4 hours early morning to his dorm rather than one full long day. We have a van so all his stuff fits without any problem.</p>

<p>For holidays etc., he flies back and forth out of the Birmingham airport to Chicago. You will have to explore what the best airports are for you and your parents. Atlanta seems to be cheaper, but remember it is a good ride to/from the Atlanta airport (3 hours??) so your aunt would have to come get you and bring you back.</p>

<p>There are ALOT of people who cannot drive or choose not to drive to Alabama for move-in or move-out. Some buy things ahead of time at Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond etc. and just pick them up on move-in day. Others ship things to the Ferg or Paty. For move-out some people rent storage space. There are ALOT of threads on this subject on the Alabama site which have many tips if you want to do this. Good luck and Roll Tide.</p>

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<p>Welcome! You can fly on Southwest: Des Moines to Birmingham. You could bring 2 checked bags for free and ship the rest. </p>

<p>During the Week of Welcome there is a bus that takes the students to Target. They close the store for the students and have a “party”. Obviously, you can shop then too. </p>

<p>You can coordinate who buys the dorm stuff with your roomies or buy it when you get here. Travel light… :wink: Roll Tide!!</p>

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<p>Where are you in Iowa?
Delta and Southwest fly out of Des Moines – Southwest will fly to Birmingham (but not every day) I’ve seen flights as low as $195 one-way. Delta will be the best bet to Atlanta, and may ultimately be cheaper. However, there is the issue of getting from Atlanta to Tuscaloosa – this has been discussed at some length on previous threads (Megabus odysseys) – if your aunt can drive you, that would be the easiest method from ATL. </p>

<p>If you ship your stuff, maybe one of these services is helpful:</p>

<p>[Student</a> Shipping & Storage for the University of Alabama](<a href=“http://www.weshiptuscaloosa.com/student-shipping-storage.html]Student”>http://www.weshiptuscaloosa.com/student-shipping-storage.html)</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.collegeboxes.com/cb-com/global/aboutus/school.seam?s=univofalabamatuscaloosa[/url]”>http://www.collegeboxes.com/cb-com/global/aboutus/school.seam?s=univofalabamatuscaloosa&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Somebody on these threads has most likely shipped all their stuff to UA – I’m sure they will chime in. Buying most stuff in Tuscaloosa may be cheapest option!</p>

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<p>Again, where are you in Iowa? I’ll also be an incoming freshman this Fall, and am planning on flying out of Cedar Rapids. However, for move-in and orientation, we will be making the twelve hour drive. (The drive isn’t really that bad. We left early in the morning and arrived in Tuscaloosa by that night)</p>

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<p>Wow, thank you for all of the thoughtful responses! :)</p>

<p>Some things I left out: I’m from Cedar Rapids. I’ll be living in a suite so while I will need to bring things like cleaning supplies, I won’t need to bring my own fridge or cumbersome things like that. My roommate is also from Atlanta, so I don’t think rides to/from Atl will be tough to find. And yes Atl is 3 hours from Ttown.</p>

<p>Kjphmom - When you say you’ll be doing it differently from now on, will you still be driving, just splitting it up? Or flying always?
Cuttlefish- Wow, I didn’t know about the Target bus! That will be super helpful as I do plan on buying things down there.
Audellmom- Yes, I read a thread about Megabus “adventures” and that private rides are just the easier, safer route. Thanks for the links! :slight_smile:
Rolltide- I’ll message you! Maybe we could do the trip together!</p>

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<p>Collegebound, we will still drive S to Alabama for move-in but will just split the trip. I didn’t think the drive in one day was too bad, but to be truthful I probably only drove about 2 hours of it. Flying would work too but S had lots of stuff and it was fun buying it for him before he left. S will be in dorm for 4 years…if he was in an apartment, we might consider flying him back and forth as he wouldn’t have to lug things home or store his things for the summer.</p>

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<p>I’m always confused when parents and students are explaining how they need to take cleaning supplies and such to Alabama when the same products are available for similar prices right in Tuscaloosa, often at the Publix Supermarket just off campus. Unless you’re getting a really good deal or can’t easily find something in Alabama, buy it when you get here. Stopping in Birmingham/Hoover and doing your shopping will basically ensure that even if the stores in Tuscaloosa run out of a popular dorm item, you will get said item. Note that the Tuscaloosa Target and Walmarts order extra amounts of popular dorm items. </p>

<p>Shipping boxes to campus is also very easy.</p>

<p>Flying in/out of Atlanta is a lot more stressful than flying out of Birmingham, especially if one doesn’t have a car. Paying $100 extra to fly into Birmingham is likely cheaper than the time spent having someone make a special trip to get you between airports. Even if you are connecting in Atlanta to an ATL-BHM flight, there’s a big difference in between sitting at the airport gate and spending a couple of hours in a car. </p>

<p>It’s definitely possible to fly out of one airport near your home and return to a different one to save money on airfare.</p>

<p>I will caution to say that sometimes it’s worth spending a little more money for convenience. Sure you might be able to spend $20 less on a ticket if you book certain flights, but if the shuttle times don’t work out, you oversleep, or if you’re trying to fly out right after a big test, maybe spending the the extra money is worth it to get flights that work better for you and your friends/family.</p>

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<p>Our DS is a “lonely only” with parents who are retired. We decided to drive from northern CA to Bama, stopping at the Grand Canyon, driving some of route 66, visiting the OK City monument, and Little Rock, Arkansas, before delivering him to T-town. We rented a subaru wagon and packed his bike in the back. It took us 3 days to drive one way. With the cost of hotels, eating out, gas & car rental it was not inexpensive. DH likes to point out that taking a cruise is cheaper! </p>

<p>We also spent time and money at the local Sam’s Club, Target, and Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart in Southport is closer to campus.</p>

<p>Sent from my GT-P5113 using CC</p>

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<p>Shipping packages to campus is one thing, getting them to your student is another. I realize that big changes are coming (an email on it today, in fact) but do not underestimate the crush of everyone shipping things to campus early on in the fall semester.</p>

<p>As far as driving, take it from an IL resident when I tell you to avoid the route that takes you through southern IL and on through Nashville on 57/24. There are Counties in this god-forsaken state that I would swear base their annual budget on enforcement of the speed limit. Trust me and take the I-55 route through MO, ARK, MS. It might feel like a less direct route, but the headaches you avoid are well worth it. Plus, IL has some of the highest fuel (tax) prices in the nation.</p>

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<p>RollTide90…Have you ever taken the I-65 route thru Indiana and KY? If there is not construction it is pretty quick. We are from Chicago and hate the I-57 route also. Never thought to take I-55…just seems to far out of the way.</p>

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<p>We take I-55, and then get on 78/future I-22 in Memphis area (just don’t cut through in the truck/shipping area – traffic through there is terrible – we cut over to 78 at Olive Branch, MS. at Goodman Road – takes 10 min.) 78/22 is not crowded, 4 lanes, pretty drive. Stay on it all the way into Alabama, then get on hwy 13 south to Tuscaloosa (about 45-50 min) – St. Louis to Tuscaloosa this route only takes about 7-8 hours (depending on stops).</p>

<p>I agree that avoiding I-57/I-24 in IL is a safe bet – lots of patrolmen, expensive gas, lower speed limit. We travel this route (to I-65) to go visit D.</p>

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<p>Well, we live in IL just outside STL, so I-55 is really not all that far out of our way. But, if I lived further north or especially east, I could see where I-55 might not have been considered previously. Never have tried the I-65 route, but I have also never had an occasion to start out for campus from that far east. Might be a fun try sometime, as I like mixing it up. Is that bridge built yet?</p>

<p>I think we have tried just about every other route there is from here to T-Town and as long as it doesn’t include 57, I am a happy camper. After Bama Bound last year, we dropped my wife and mother-in-law at the airport in BHM, so back-tracking to 55 from there didn’t make a whole lot of sense so I bit the bullet that time, but never again if I can avoid it.</p>

<p>I remember some serious 2 lane road on the last part of the leg in MS/AL on our campus visit in December of '11, and that wasn’t much fun either.</p>

<p>If I were coming from Iowa, and didn’t have an inordinate amount of items to bring, I think I would opt to fly every time. Driving more than 8 hours in one day with my lovely (Princess Little-Bladder) wife is about all my patience can handle, and not spending more than one day on the road in total is definitely preferred. But, that is only my personal preference as it pertains to me. I also suppose it will depend on the number of people involved in the trip, and if you will have a vehicle on campus when you move in.</p>

<p>We took two vehicles down to move our S in, and one of those was a vehicle he kept with him on campus. He is very responsible, and I just felt more comfortable knowing he had his own transportation option he had direct control over. He has come home for Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, one whirlwind trip a couple of weekends ago, and will come home for spring break. Each time he has made the drive he has managed to split the costs with at least one fellow student, which really helps. He hasn’t flown yet, but it is good to know that we could hop a plane and be there in about 3 hours total if need be.</p>

<p>Good luck in your adventure that awaits, and safe travels regardless of the method!</p>

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<p>I’m going to be the one that Sea_Tide is talking about.</p>

<p>We bought (and brought) EVERYTHING that my son could possibly need for his dorm as a Freshman, beforehand. We traveled down with it all neatly packaged up from IL…yes, even Q-tips, bars of soap, and liquid detergent. :slight_smile: (All the things that a boy would need to keep clean, right?)
I am SO glad that we did this.</p>

<p>S was attending AA, so after moving him in that week early, I thought I would go explore the local stores for curiosity sake before heading back home. Many shelves were bare or close to it…some things were completely picked over and not in an orderly fashion. Parking lots were very full and people everywhere. It would have been a nightmare for me, anyway, to have to shop for everything down there.</p>

<p>I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like a week later, when the majority of the students arrive and are doing the same thing.</p>

<p>I have been told that the major stores do indeed clean up and restock the shelves each night, so supplies can be had…but my advice would be to go as early as possible to any stores that you need to shop at.</p>

<p>I’m not good at shopping on the fly, so to speak - I liked having it all packaged in labeled bins for move-in (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, living, room), and it made setting things up in the suite SO much easier. (Carrying multiple plastic bags in from the car to the suite…forget it. Give me Rubbermaid!) Plus, it was a lot of fun taking my S shopping in our hometown, where we knew where everything was, and having him pick out things at his leisure. In a new town, with different stores, it would have been a lot harder for us both to keep our cools.</p>

<p>Sorry to confuse you, Sea-Tide, but that’s how this OCD parent rolls…er, copes. Roll Tide!</p>

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<p>We drive from Kansas City…it’s 11 and 1/2 hours door to door if my husband is driving (he drives 5 mph over the speed limit) If I drive I can do it in about 10 1/2 (I a great “smokey” detector!!). I too go I-55 through Jackson Tennessee, Corinth Mississippi, across I-22 (78) and then down hwy 13 (43) in to Tuscaloosa. At this point in time I believe I could drive it with my eyes shut. It’s a day drive…have my regular stops (Starbucks in Cape).<br>
As for moving in. We had to borrow a friends van (we all have small cars). I am a little OCD (we call it organized). We packed all of DD’s things in those cloth bags from Bed Bath and Beyond. Each was labeled with it’s contents and ties with a ribbon. We packed the drawers in the plastic containers that goes under the bed with waht wen in them. Since she was going through recruitment we bagged each days outfits, shoes, jewelry, labeled them with the day of recruitment she would wear it. These then were simply transferred to her closet. We brought everything she needed. I knew that with move-in and recruitment back to back we didn’t have time to go “shopping”. I wanted to make sure that she could focus on recruitment and not have any other worries. When I returned the day before Bid Day I found that Target was out of several of the things she wanted/needed. Oh and it is everything in my power to drive past Lamberts in Sikeston and not stop…one day I just am!</p>

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<p>Lambert’s in Sikeston is da bomb. Just sayin’. :D</p>

<p>We stopped there on our college trip on the way between Vanderbilt and Wash U. It was our kids’ favorite part of the entire trip LOL. I’m so jealous that it is on your way - I doubt I will have occasion to be driving that way again!</p>

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<p>The point about supplies is a good one. I suppose we all have varying degrees of comfort levels and/or OCD, but I am in the “be prepared” camp so we went down with everything pre-purchased because we had the luxury of taking two vehicles, so space was not an issue.</p>

<p>My wife teased that we would need a U-Haul trailer, if not an entire truck from them. Fortunately, that wasn’t required, but I have to admit the peace of mind during that stressful time (especially your eldest child moving into college as a freshman) by having almost everything we thought we would need was very welcome.</p>

<p>We still ended up making trips to Target and Wal-Mart anyway, and I readily agree there were definite instances of bare shelves and “shortages” of things.</p>

<p>And, you haven’t lived until you have had a roll thrown at you. A definite (minor) bucket list item.</p>

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<p>aeromom, I could have written your post! So funny! Everything from arriving a week early for AA, finding many shelves bare at Target and Walmart, loving shopping through the summer with my son, etc… </p>

<p>rolltide90 - AMEN regarding the post office situation the frist few weeks of school. Students reported standing in line for hours!</p>

<p>SEA-tide - I agree that spending alittle bit more is worth the convenience and peace of mind.</p>

<p>We drove our son down (13 hours) for move in and will drive to pick him up. Storing items over the summer would be a lot easier, but it will give us some peace of mind to know S’s items are safe, clean and organized/ready for the next year. We also LOVE visiting T-town, so as long as our S wants/let us to go with him to campus, we will. :)</p>

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<p>Oh… and those cleaning supplies that we bought in PA and hauled to T-town? They will probably make the trip every year with us. Yep… They will last the entire four years… UGH! What a great investment.</p>

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<p>lisa6191 - If you need a Lambert’s fix, plan your Spring Break trip to the Gulf beaches via Foley, Alabama just south of Mobile. Also, if the orginal poster’s route goes by Tupelo, MS, the downtown area is active with good restaurants and you can drive by Elvis’ boyhood home to boot. Going from place to place in the South is all about the food!</p>