Blue Ridge is an easy place to reach and a slightly awkward place to reach quickly, which catches some groups out. Here is what to know before you set off for the North Georgia mountains.
Driving from Atlanta
Most of our guests drive up from Atlanta. It is roughly a hundred miles and usually somewhere between an hour and a half and two hours, though Friday afternoons out of the city can add a good deal to that. If you are flying into Atlanta and driving the same day, land in the morning if you can.
Which airport
Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta has by far the most flights and the most rental cars, and is the default for most groups. Chattanooga is a similar drive and a much calmer airport, so it is worth comparing if the fares work. Either way you will want a car. There is no realistic public transport option up here, and no rideshare coverage to depend on.
The last twenty minutes
Once you are off the main highway the roads become two-lane, winding and genuinely dark at night. They are perfectly manageable, but they are slower than your satnav thinks, and a large vehicle or a towed trailer needs more care. Build in an extra half hour rather than arriving frazzled.
Phone signal and navigation
Signal is patchy in the valleys and disappears entirely on some of the forest roads. Download your offline map before you leave the last big town. We send full directions with the house guidebook before check-in, and we would rather you called us than guessed.
Stop for groceries on the way in
There is a supermarket in Blue Ridge, but if you are arriving late with a group of eighteen it is worth doing the big shop before the final stretch. Check-in is from 4pm, and unpacking the car in daylight is a great deal easier than doing it by torchlight.
Winter driving
Snow is not common and rarely lasts, but ice on a shaded mountain road at seven in the morning is a real thing. In January and February, check the forecast the day before you travel and allow extra time.
Once you have your dates, check availability and we will send everything you need to find us, well ahead of your arrival.