Calling all N.E. to Orlando Driving Experts!

[NUHuskies#1]

Hi All,

Doing the drive from Boston next month. We are leaving mid afternoon around 3pm after work on a Wednesday. Plan on 90-84-91-95 do you think we will be able to get to Alexandria, Va the first night and then to Orlando the next day? Is this doable or are we pushing ourselves? I wanted to try to get through the congestion of NY, Baltimore and DC at night and thought this might be a good plan. Has anyone else done this?


TIA

 

[ducklite]

You're running yourself right into NYC/NJ rush hour traffic. Any chance of leaving earlier?

Anne

 

[NUHuskies#1]

I didn't think we would hit NYC until about 7-8PM, is traffic still very heavy at that time? Can't leave any earlier, would later be better?

 

[Kristi1357]

I was also thinking about the NYC & Jersey traffic too. Definately take the Tappan Zee bridge north of the city to bypass any traffic at any time of day though!

We've driven down from Nashua many times. The best trip we had we left at 8pm and went straight through bypassing all traffic down through Washington, DC.

I don't remember the exact mileage or anything, but it doesn't seem feasible to me to hit Alexandria by midnight. I might have a fuzzy memory though. I know Cherry Hill, NJ is about 6 hours from Nashua though. It was always one of our stops when I would drive down with my parents.

HTH,
Kristi

 

[ducklite]

I took the NJ Turnpike from the Meadowlands to exit 9 last night at about 8:30 and it was still very heavy.

Anne

 

[monorailsilver]

I live in CT & traffic in New Haven (where 91 meets 95) is horrid in rush hour.

Usually it is worse northbound but southbound does have it's fair share of head aches.

Oh & why not use the Merritt Parkway-Rt 15 vs 95. There are no trucks on it.

Or just take 84 all the way to Danbury?

 

[Densgirl]

We drove in 2003 and left from about 30 miles south of Boston at 4:30am. It was a Saturday though. We reached NC around 6pm I believe. I can't for the life of me remember where in NC we stayed though. The last time we drove in October we left at around 12:30a.m. again on a Saturday and we got to to Santee, SC at about 7pm but we did get lost(DH decided to take 15 mins to rest his eyes and I got us lost in the middle of DC!) and ran into some nighttime roadwork in Harford CT and we really lost time to these two events. I think without those delays we would've gotten to Santee about 3 hours sooner.

If I were you guys I would leave later. If you left Boston around 7-8p. I think you'd still be able to make VA. I would actually try to drive as far as you can the first day and leave as little as possible the second day. This works best for us because I'm so PUMPED the second day that the less time in the car the better! I was dreading driving but it was so much fun. Dh and I enjoy long car trips though.

 

[paras4ri]

We're leaving RI on August 5 and heading back north on August 13. We stop for breakfast, restrooms & gas, and dinner and can make it to the VA/NC border in about 12 hours with minimal traffic. We don't stop for an overnight. We've made the drive many times and left at many different times of day. If you leave the Boston area mid-afternoon getting to VA by midnight may be a stretch.

If you're traveling the same days look for a silver Chrysler Town & Country with RI plates and a Disney plate holder! Have a safe trip.

 

[Kristi1357]

[/QUOTE]Or just take 84 all the way to Danbury?[/QUOTE]

This is what we do - go through Danbury and then over the Tappan Zee and down to the Garden State Pkwy. Much easier, IMO.

 

[jcodespoti]

If you don't wan to go the 84 route, I would take the Merrit Pkwy (route 15)..I wouldn't want to be on I-95 at 6:00 pm headed to NY/NJ...your asking for trouble.

Joe in CT

 

[duck_adoo]

Hi,
We're leaving from RI too, but on 8/19. I have another post out here..but since you've done the drive many times..do you drive 95 all the way? What time do you usually leave at?
Thanks!
Cheryl

 

[NUHuskies#1]

Decisions, decisions! I have a triptik also from AAA which takes me to the 84-684 TZ Bridge to GS Pkwy to 95 route. I guess this is probably the better route- I just thought it looked out of the way.

 

[ducklite]

Decisions, decisions! I have a triptik also from AAA which takes me to the 84-684 TZ Bridge to GS Pkwy to 95 route. I guess this is probably the better route- I just thought it looked out of the way.

No on the GSP--the worst road ever conceived by some torturous demon!

Instead take the TZ to the NYS Thruway (I-87) and get onto 287 Suothbound. Follow that to the Turnpike.

It's a bit longer, but MUCH less likely to be backed up. Also you'll save a couple $$ by getting on the NJ Tpk later.

Anne

 

[cranbiz]

I leave from Carver around 4-6pm and go the I95 route. I normally hit NYC around 9-10 and get to Alexandria around 2am or so. With the exception of vacation weeks, I have had good luck with this route and will be doing it again on Friday.

I just ran a triptik from AAA and it leans heavily on the I95 route unless you are in the MA pike area and then it's I84-I91-I95. It's also the way my GPS wants to sent me.

 

[NUHuskies#1]

Thanks, Cranbiz! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for!

 

[roberrl187]

We will be driving from CT in Aug for the second time. We found that going 84-8-95 is not to bad. The route 15 idea is a good one too, but you would be getting there around 5-6 and traffic might be an issue. We are leaving around 7 or 8 at night to avoid the traffic.

 

[Jen_in_NH]

If you can leave later, and drive later, do it that way. I've tried both (leaving from NH) to get to Richmond VA, and always do the 90-84-95 route. Hartford CT until the NJ turnpike has really bad traffic from 5pm until about 9pm (OK, so that's bad traffic by northern NH standards ) I imagine Baltimore and Washington at the same time must ne great too. We usually left NH around 9pm and drove overnight, and never got stuck in any traffic.

Good luck!

Jen

 

[sanibelover]

I'd say it's about 8 hours from New London, CT to Alexandria on a good day.


I think I would stay on 84 to Danbury. There are so many variables driving in the Northeast. We just had the trip from he_ _ a few weeks ago trying to get to Pennsylvania. All kinds of accidents with a couple of major arteries out of NYC closed. Took us over 10 hours to get to Harrisburg from New London. (should have been about 6) You just never know.

The best trip we had down wa also left at about 8 pm and drove straight through. The only traffic we hit the whole trip was in New Haven on 95 - some kind of accident.

 

[sapdaddy]

We drove down an DW didn't in no way wanted us to go thru NYC, Baltimore or DC. We left at 3:00pm on Friday and went down 95, 495, 90, 84 and stopped in Newburg NY. Left Newburg and went 84, 209, 80, 81 to 66 back to 95 in Richmond We stayed just south of Richmond on Saturday. Sunday (Mothers day) went down 95 to 4 but because of a bad accident on I-4 was there for almost 2 hours until we were turned around and went back on I-4 to 95 to the B line. We would have been in Disney by 8pm but didn't get in until 11pm.