What is the quickest time that the drive can be from Dallas to Orlando? Also, is there a hotel that anyone recommends after half the drive?

Maybe two days of very hard driving. Consider Mobile or Pensacola for your stop. Sorry, I have no hotel suggestions.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Mobile AL is about half way but it's about 8/9 hours from Dallas. Stop at Leatha's in Hattiesburg, MS for good BBQ. There are some nice hotels at # 98 or Hardy Street on I 59 bypass around HB. Battle House Hotel in Mobile is nice. There are some more nice hotels just past Mobile on I 10 at Spanish Fort just off the interstate.

I've gotten to Pensacola in 12 hours. It took another 12 hours to get to Orlando.

I've driven down through Louisiana and back up through Mississippi. I much prefer going through Miss.--much better roads.

Two day drive, and from San Antonio, almost identical to the Dallas drive, interestingly. We do it every year and have found the best stopping spot is Daphne, Alabama.. That puts you on the east side of Mobile, to start the next day's drive with no rush hour worries. Daphne has a small group of hotels right off I-10, and after staying at one other (Hampton Inn, I believe), have settled on Hilton Garden Inn. Its very clean, relatively new, just off the interstate and in a shopping center with several decent eateries. Our favorite restaurant in that shopping center is O'Gradys. Good, fast, and inexpensive. You can walk there from Hilton Garden Inn (as opposed to driving from the Hampton Inn which is across a busy street, BUT on Mobile Bay), which is about all you want to do after that long day of driving. Our son who drives from Dallas to Destin each year, also finds Daphne the best stop for them, with two small children.

I-10 across the Panhandle is a nice stretch of road, better than any you will have had the day before. We drive to St Pete, taking the same road you will take most of the way. Our drive from Daphne is 8 hours, almost identical to the drive to Orlando, unless you get into horrendous traffic. These are two long days on the road, but Daphne breaks it up nicely.

there was a similiar drive that was made from texas to georgia under a short amount of time back in 1977. two truckers were hauling illegal alcohol. they made it into a movie called: smokey and the bandit.