Cades Cove (Smokies) to Atlanta Airport
 

Hi
Best route for above please.
And how long should it take?

Tuesday 29th October, (need to be at ATL around 7.00 to 8.00 PM in order to drop off car for flight to UK departing 11.45 PM)
Cheers

I-75 would be the fastest. I would allow 5 hours to be safe, but probably more likely to be around 4 hours. Atlanta traffic and the airport can be brutal. I would leave by 3:00pm.

Oh, one other word. Sometimes Cades Cove itself can take a long long time to get through. So, do it early in the mornings to avoid the huge huge traffic lines there, especially during peak fall colors

I googled the map and it is 260 miles. I would surely allow 6 hours. Traffic can be brutal around Atlanta/I75. Take a look and see for yourself.

To be totally honest, I'd leave late morning or by lunchtime at the latest - even though your flight doesn't leave till nearly midnight. October is a very popular time in the Smokies, though you are nearing the end of it and on a weekday, both of which will help some. Chattanooga traffic, even though it's a smaller city, can be nasty sometimes. And ATL is on the south side of the city, so you have to get through or around Atlanta, which is the nastiest of all! I just wouldn't take any chances. You can stop in Chattanooga for lunch and a walk around downtown, then if you have time, Atlanta has some great restaurants for an earlyish dinner.

Google Maps has you going through Townsend and getting on I-75 west of Knoxville, then basically straight south from there. Makes sense to me.

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=C...mra=ls&t=m&z=8