Day Trips from Atlanta: Why Chattanooga Should Be Your World Cup Escape

Atlanta will be one of the epicenters of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Mercedes-Benz Stadium hosting eight matches including a semifinal. The city will be buzzing with fans from around the world, but it will also be crowded, expensive, and intense. That is exactly why Chattanooga, Tennessee, sitting just under two hours north on I-75, deserves a spot on your World Cup travel plan.

The Case for Chattanooga

Chattanooga is not just a pitstop. It is a destination. Nestled along the Tennessee River at the base of the Appalachian Mountains, this city of roughly 185,000 has reinvented itself over the past two decades into one of the most livable and visitable small cities in the American South. The downtown core is walkable, the food scene is thriving, and the outdoor recreation options are world-class. For World Cup visitors, it offers something Atlanta cannot during the tournament: breathing room.

How to Plan Your Day Trip

The Drive. From downtown Atlanta to downtown Chattanooga, the drive is approximately 118 miles via I-75 North. In normal conditions, plan for one hour and fifty minutes. Traffic heading out of Atlanta can be heavy during rush hours, so timing your departure matters. Early mornings and late mornings tend to be the smoothest windows.

What to Do With a Full Day. If you are spending a day in Chattanooga between matches, here is a sample itinerary:

Morning: Start with coffee at one of the city's specialty shops like Velo Coffee or Mean Mug, then walk across the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge for views of the river and the mountains.
Midday: Visit the Tennessee Aquarium, one of the best freshwater aquariums in the country, or head up Lookout Mountain to see Rock City and Ruby Falls.
Afternoon: Grab lunch at a downtown restaurant. Community Pie has excellent wood-fired pizza, or try Champy's for fried chicken that locals swear by.
Evening: Tour the craft brewery scene. Chattanooga has more than twenty breweries, and a walkable cluster of them on the Southside makes for an easy evening crawl. Wanderlinger Brewing and Hutton and Smith are both worth your time. See our guide to the best sports bars for match-day viewing picks.

Staying Overnight

Many World Cup fans are discovering that staying in Chattanooga for the duration of their trip and driving to Atlanta only on match days is the smarter financial play. Hotel rates in Chattanooga run significantly lower than Atlanta during peak events, and vacation rental options are plentiful. You get a better room for less money, and you get to experience a city that most international visitors would never otherwise discover.

Practical Tips

Rent a car. Public transit between Chattanooga and Atlanta does not exist in a practical sense for day trips. A rental car or your own vehicle is essential.
Fill up in Chattanooga. Gas prices tend to be lower in Tennessee than in Georgia, and you will want a full tank for the round trip.
Check traffic apps. Use Waze or Google Maps in real time on match days. Alternate routes through north Georgia exist if I-75 gets congested, though they add time.
Pack layers. Tennessee and Georgia summer weather can shift from blazing sun to sudden thunderstorms. Bring sunscreen, a light rain jacket, and comfortable walking shoes.
Coordinate with other fans. If you are staying in Chattanooga and heading to Atlanta for a match, sign up for alerts to connect with other fans and find local watch parties. Sharing the drive is cheaper and more fun.

Chattanooga is not competing with Atlanta for World Cup attention. It is complementing it. A day trip or an extended stay here will add a layer of richness to your tournament experience that sitting in Atlanta traffic between matches never could.