I remember my first time making that trip. I was by myself, I had patched together all the info I could from people on how to get there. I remember running through the West Karana and just seeing lots of farm land all over following the road. Got off track because of agro and ran like a bitch, by this time it was about night time (and for those who didn't play EQ, nighttime meant it was pitch black pretty much if you didn't have an item/spell to see in the dark or you were a race with night vision). Thankfully I was a half elf so I could see in the dark

. I find the river and follow it figuring I'll hit a bridge and hopefully see others. 10-15 mins later come across the bridge that does connect the Karana's. Watch 2 people kill a giant not far from the bridge in awe. Ask them if this is the road to follow for freeport and they confirm and give me some other tips. Make it up the long cliff into Canyon area. It was a freaking maze damn it! After being lost for like 20 mins I figured it out (and never once got lost there ever again in my many other travels lol!). Once you left the canyon area you hit up a Kithcore (sp?) woods iirc and you were home free just going through east/west commons (this was before the update that made Kithicore Woods a death trap at night).
That trip took like an hour and a half 2 hours the first thing and had my heart racing the entire time. Being in a new areas, ones that for the most part that were higher level than you and the whole not knowing what is there with the death penalty makes for an experience gamers today will never be able to have again (Internet takes away so much of it now, google a video/guide and you never have to worry, that stuff was non existent back in EQ, you found player made maps on forums and database sites that gave you a rough idea on where to go for one zone to the next and what the level ranges were, but that was it)