I'm planning a trip to Dollywood, for their 25th anniversary. Had to postpone my round trip excursion, after some home expenses, so now, I'm thinking this might be a less expensive way to go. Anyway, what would be the best way to get to Pigeon Forge, from the Fort Worth area?
Best way to Pigeon Forge?
Started by
hippyman
, Jul 15 2010 05:56 PM
38 replies to this topic
#2
caravanman
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:04 PM
Best way to Pigeon Forge? Get hold of a dove and some spray paint, perhaps?
Ed
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#4
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:12 PM
If you are thinking of a train, there aren't any that go anywhere near the place. Best bet is fly to Knoxville and rent a car and drive three hours.
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:15 PM
I'm planning a trip to Dollywood, for their 25th anniversary. Had to postpone my round trip excursion, after some home expenses, so now, I'm thinking this might be a less expensive way to go. Anyway, what would be the best way to get to Pigeon Forge, from the Fort Worth area?
To Pigeon Forge by train???? Are you serious? I live about one hour west of PF and the closest place for me to catch the train is in Atlanta....a good 3-4 hour drive south. There might be a stop in North Carolina on the eastern side of PF that would be a little closer but I don't think so. The Crescent or maybe one of the Silvers would be the only trains even remotely close to this area.
#6
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:18 PM
If you drive three hours from Knoxville, you'll overshoot Pigeon Forge by a couple of hours! It's maybe 45 miles tops from the Knoxville airport.
But yes, from Ft. Worth I'd recommend flying..... you could probably get a decent fare on Southwest to Nashville and rent a car there..... and it is about a three and a half hour drive from the Nashville airport.
If you really want to take the train, the easiest 'close' Amtrak station is Atlanta where you would need to catch a city bus, transfer to the MARTA subway train, ride to the airport, rent a car, and then drive four hours...... By the time you've just gotten from the train station to the airport in Atlanta you could have flown from Dallas.
But yes, from Ft. Worth I'd recommend flying..... you could probably get a decent fare on Southwest to Nashville and rent a car there..... and it is about a three and a half hour drive from the Nashville airport.
If you really want to take the train, the easiest 'close' Amtrak station is Atlanta where you would need to catch a city bus, transfer to the MARTA subway train, ride to the airport, rent a car, and then drive four hours...... By the time you've just gotten from the train station to the airport in Atlanta you could have flown from Dallas.
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#7
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 06:53 PM
If you drive three hours from Knoxville, you'll overshoot Pigeon Forge by a couple of hours! It's maybe 45 miles tops from the Knoxville airport.
You're right - I was thinking Nashville.
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Posted 15 July 2010 - 09:15 PM
I'm planning a trip to Dollywood, for their 25th anniversary. Had to postpone my round trip excursion, after some home expenses, so now, I'm thinking this might be a less expensive way to go. Anyway, what would be the best way to get to Pigeon Forge, from the Fort Worth area?
the closest you get to by rail to Pigeon Forge is from Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA both appx 4 hours. But first you have to get to the Crescent.... from Fort Worth, TX; hmmmm I don't think so
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 11:08 AM
I'm having a hard time understanding why you would go out of your way to take a not-so-scenic train that still leaves you roughly seven hours short of your destination. Not to mention that Pigeon Forge is an ugly, tacky little town that makes me want to gag. The one and only thing I can recommend there is the Old Mill. They seem to have figured out a way to make a whole meal out of corn, which was a bit of a curiosity for me. Just beware of the various anti-social processes that may develop sometime after a visit. 
http://www.old-mill.com/
http://www.old-mill.com/
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 11:15 AM
Let me second/third/fourth etc. the above posters that you probably dont want to try to get there via train! Flying SWA is an excellent idea/then rent a car and drive! Actually there are lots more interesting places to go in this area of the country, even Knoxville and Chattanoga are more interesting places! Nashville also has lots to see and do and they could use the money/visitors too after the Big Flood earlier this year! Mem phis is a looooong way from Eastern Tenn, you dont want to go there and then drive IMO!OK, I think I have it!!! The City of New Orleans stops in Memphis, and its only like a 6 hour drive from there, right? Where is the nearest Hertz, to the memphis station?
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 11:52 AM
As a train lover and someone who lives in Western NC, lived in Atlanta and has been to Dollywood/Pigeon Forge many times, here is my take:
1) You'll need a car unless you plan to take tours. Even then traffic can be a real pain in that area unless you go off-season.
2) Train requires you to do some real inconvenient exertions and high expense. Like others have suggested, Atlanta is your best bet. It has the Crescent arriving/leaving during daytime. If you can find away to get to the Southwest Limited, you can get to New Orleans, stay overnight then take an all-day (but not late night ride to Atlanta. It is foolish to go to ATL airport as someone has suggested. Better to rent a car there and drive.
3) Some places are just plain not convenient by train. PF and Dollywood are such places. Fly to Knoxville (best) or Chattanooga and rent a car.
1) You'll need a car unless you plan to take tours. Even then traffic can be a real pain in that area unless you go off-season.
2) Train requires you to do some real inconvenient exertions and high expense. Like others have suggested, Atlanta is your best bet. It has the Crescent arriving/leaving during daytime. If you can find away to get to the Southwest Limited, you can get to New Orleans, stay overnight then take an all-day (but not late night ride to Atlanta. It is foolish to go to ATL airport as someone has suggested. Better to rent a car there and drive.
3) Some places are just plain not convenient by train. PF and Dollywood are such places. Fly to Knoxville (best) or Chattanooga and rent a car.
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 12:09 PM
I went last summer and we took the train to Charlotte then drove from there. I don't remember the drive being to bad.
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#14
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 12:10 PM
I've been looking at the stops in north carolina actually, and if I rented a car at gastonia, the drive from there is only 190 miles. According to mapquest, its 236 miles from atlanta. Is there anything bad about this route?
#15
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 01:40 PM
Well, you would get in at 12:56 a.m. (assuming you're traveling northbound on the Crescent or 3 a.m. if you're southbound). It's an unmanned flag stop and your chances are probably not good that you would (1) find a car rental agency in the town at all, and (2), if there is one, it would probably wouldn't be open in the middle of the night.I've been looking at the stops in north carolina actually, and if I rented a car at gastonia, the drive from there is only 190 miles. According to mapquest, its 236 miles from atlanta. Is there anything bad about this route?
You could take the Texas Eagle to San Antonio, then Sunset to New Orleans, Crescent to Gastonia. Or going the other way, Texas Eagle to Chicago, Capitol Limited to Washington, Crescent to Gastonia. A long way around no matter how you do it. Some places just can't be reached by train easily.
#16
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 02:07 PM
I did a quick check and it looks like you could walk less than a mile to the Knights Inn in Gastonia and spend the night there. Then walk less than a mile further down to the Enterprise car rental location the following day. But are you sure you're up to this? Forgive me for saying so, but I'm not really getting the resourceful self-reliant vibe from your posts. This is also the kind of route where you'd want to be sure everything is going to be open and ready for you when you think it is. Don't just rely on mapquest or google maps or whatever, be sure to verify everything is up-to-date and make sure you have a Plan B and C for when things go wrong. Flying to Atlanta and renting a car is almost foolproof simply because there are so many options to consider if anything goes haywire. On the other hand, taking a train to a tiny town's unstaffed flag stop in the middle of the night requires a bit more planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. This isn't the 1970's and hippies no longer get a free ride from freight trains and stationwagons.I've been looking at the stops in north carolina actually, and if I rented a car at gastonia, the drive from there is only 190 miles. According to mapquest, its 236 miles from atlanta. Is there anything bad about this route?
Map Link...
Edited by daxomni, 16 July 2010 - 02:12 PM.
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Over 50,000 people just like you recently signed a petition to expand high speed passenger rail in the United States of America.
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#17
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 03:07 PM
Not a good idea at all. Gastonia in the middle of the night at that station is not a safe thing to consider. Also, the Knights Inn is not a great property. Fly and enjoy your time - don't complicate it with these kinds of arrangements.I did a quick check and it looks like you could walk less than a mile to the Knights Inn in Gastonia and spend the night there. Then walk less than a mile further down to the Enterprise car rental location the following day. But are you sure you're up to this? Forgive me for saying so, but I'm not really getting the resourceful self-reliant vibe from your posts. This is also the kind of route where you'd want to be sure everything is going to be open and ready for you when you think it is. Don't just rely on mapquest or google maps or whatever, be sure to verify everything is up-to-date and make sure you have a Plan B and C for when things go wrong. Flying to Atlanta and renting a car is almost foolproof simply because there are so many options to consider if anything goes haywire. On the other hand, taking a train to a tiny town's unstaffed flag stop in the middle of the night requires a bit more planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. This isn't the 1970's and hippies no longer get a free ride from freight trains and stationwagons.I've been looking at the stops in north carolina actually, and if I rented a car at gastonia, the drive from there is only 190 miles. According to mapquest, its 236 miles from atlanta. Is there anything bad about this route?
Map Link...
#18
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 03:39 PM
I did a quick check and it looks like you could walk less than a mile to the Knights Inn in Gastonia and spend the night there. Then walk less than a mile further down to the Enterprise car rental location the following day. But are you sure you're up to this? Forgive me for saying so, but I'm not really getting the resourceful self-reliant vibe from your posts. This is also the kind of route where you'd want to be sure everything is going to be open and ready for you when you think it is. Don't just rely on mapquest or google maps or whatever, be sure to verify everything is up-to-date and make sure you have a Plan B and C for when things go wrong. Flying to Atlanta and renting a car is almost foolproof simply because there are so many options to consider if anything goes haywire. On the other hand, taking a train to a tiny town's unstaffed flag stop in the middle of the night requires a bit more planning to make sure everything goes smoothly. This isn't the 1970's and hippies no longer get a free ride from freight trains and stationwagons.I've been looking at the stops in north carolina actually, and if I rented a car at gastonia, the drive from there is only 190 miles. According to mapquest, its 236 miles from atlanta. Is there anything bad about this route?
Map Link...
Its normal for me to walk a mile daily, so the walk wouldnt be a problem, but is there any way that I could get there at some other hour?
#19
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 03:59 PM
As I understand it your choices are 1AM and 3AM. Unless you let go of the train or pick another station. I'm a huge rail advocate, but that doesn't mean it's always the best way to travel, especially in a country that has let most of its passenger rail network die off long ago. I'm all for making your own path but you might want to reconsider this routing.Its normal for me to walk a mile daily, so the walk wouldnt be a problem, but is there any way that I could get there at some other hour?
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Over 50,000 people just like you recently signed a petition to expand high speed passenger rail in the United States of America.
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Posted 16 July 2010 - 04:16 PM
Please heed the advice you are getting here! You do NOT want to be walking the dark in the middle of the night in a small Southern City to a dubious motel! (Bates Motel? 
)There is no bigger advocates for passenger rail than the posters here, believe it when we tell you to fly/drive from convient/daytime cities that have been mentioned already! 
)There is no bigger advocates for passenger rail than the posters here, believe it when we tell you to fly/drive from convient/daytime cities that have been mentioned already!
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