Nashville TN to Gulf Shores AL drive: Time, distance & best stops
The distance from Nashville TN to Gulf Shores AL by car is 467 miles, with a 7h16m driving time. The best road trip stops on the Nashville to Gulf Shores drive are Huntsville AL, Birmingham AL and Montgomery AL.
Planning a Nashville to Gulf Shores road trip itinerary
The Nashville to Gulf Shores drive connects the capital of Tennessee to an Alabama beach town.
Nashville is renowned for its country music, but the National Museum of African American Music is also in the Tennessee capital.
The best Nashville experiences include backstage tours of the Grand Ole Opry House, helicopter flights over the city and tasting tours at the Big Machine Distillery. You can also try line dancing classes, the Country Music Hall of Fame and haunted pub crawls. Or, for lavish old homes, visit Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum and Belmont Mansion.
Excellent Nashville accommodation choices include the gloriously evocative Belle Air Mansion and Inn, plus downtown’s grand dame, the Hermitage.
How to see Nashville the smart way
You can save money in Nashville by combining a tour ticket with admission to two top attractions. These combo tickets give you a half day tour of the main sights, plus entrance to the Ryman Auditorium and Country Music Hall of Fame. Find out more here.
Gulf Shores has a touch of the Margaritaville lifestyle, which should come as no surprise given Jimmy Buffett’s sister runs restaurant and music bar LuLu’s here.
A little soft adventure can be mixed in with the turquoise water, white sand and fun-loving bars, however. Top Gulf Shores experiences include kayaking with dolphins and paddleboarding with Pure Aloha Adventures.
Fabulous beachside accommodation in Gulf Shores include the Lodge at Gulf State Park and the Phoenix All Suites West Hotel.
Nashville TN to Gulf Shores AL distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Nashville TN to Gulf Shores AL is 467 miles. That makes for a driving time of around seven hours and 16 minutes. The quickest route is via the I-65.
The best stops to add to a Nashville TN to Gulf Shores AL road trip itinerary are Huntsville AL, Birmingham AL and Montgomery AL.
Nashville to Gulf Shores road trip attractions: Huntsville, Alabama
Huntsville has played a massive part in the space race, and the US Space and Rocket Center is the top attraction. There are lots of ways to experience what being an astronaut is like here, including flight simulators and a G-Force Accelerator. Most fun (or nauseating, depending on perspective) is the multi-axis trainer, which spins you round in all directions.
Other Hunstville experiences include self-guided audio tours and scavenger hunts.
Nashville to Gulf Shores drive: Birmingham AL
Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.
For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more.
If planning to visit several of them, a Birmingham Area Multi-Attraction Pass will save you money.
The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.
Best stops between Nashville and Gulf Shores AL: Montgomery, Alabama
The main reason to visit Montgomery is the Civil Rights heritage. There are several ways to explore this, with the cheapest being a self-guided audio tour and the most in-depth being a three hour private tour.
Other fun Montgomery experiences include a party pedal boat cruise along the Alabama River,
If planning to blitz several attractions, a city pass might save you money.
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