Driving down - would you go 100 miles out of your way to avoid traffic?

[Anal Annie]

Ok, so things kept coming up yesterday morning & we ended up not hitting the road until closer to 12:30 or so by the time we finished up at the banks etc. Traffic on the beltway was ok but stopped as we approached I-95 S around Ft Belvoir so we hopped into the express easy pass lanes. When we initially got in the toll was just over $3 but before long with the way it fluctuates depending on traffic it jumped to $17.40!!! That seemed worth it with the way the main lines stopped - until the express lanes stopped too for the last 1.5 miles to merge. Not happy that we paid so much to also sit. I know, ya'll told me to go the other way and we didn't listen. Lesson learned.

We stopped for the night in Florence around 9:00. Did not have a res anywhere...1st 2 hotels we stopped at were full up (Hampton Inn and Town & Country Suites)....went to the Comfort Inn & Suites & as a Choice rewards member got a King suite w/ foldout for $118 (was showing $149 online). YAY!

On another positive we are in DH's Ford Fusion Hybrid and are averaging around 43 mpg. Looking like we can do the trip for about $60-65 each way!!! We hit the road again this morning around 7:30....

 

[vicki_c]

I love that Comfort Inn and Suites in Florence. And I'm generally anti-Comfort Inn due to staying in a really bad one once. But that hotel is great.

 

[karrit2000]

I like Comfort Inns & I think that's where we ended up staying too but beware my Credit Card that I used there was compromised and I think it happened at that hotel. A day or two after we stayed there someone started using my CC # to reload a Starbucks GC. They did it 6 times before I caught it $25 each time. I only used that CC there & much later when I was out in Colorado so based on when they started the bogus charges that seems to be where the CC # was stolen.

 

[Anal Annie]

I like Comfort Inns & I think that's where we ended up staying too but beware my Credit Card that I used there was compromised and I think it happened at that hotel. A day or two after we stayed there someone started using my CC # to reload a Starbucks GC. They did it 6 times before I caught it $25 each time. I only used that CC there & much later when I was out in Colorado so based on when they started the bogus charges that seems to be where the CC # was stolen.

How long ago was that? Reloading a Starbucks card w/ a stolen card sounds like s seriously poor way to use the stolen card... But thx for the heads up...

 

[karrit2000]

How long ago was that? Reloading a Starbucks card w/ a stolen card sounds like s seriously poor way to use the stolen card... But thx for the heads up...

We stayed there June 12 & the charges started appearing while we were at WDW a few days later. That was the only place I had used that particular card in over a month so it was either the hotel itself or their online booking. I made the reservation at home over a secure connection

 

[dgaston]

How was your trip home?

 

[bobbiwoz]

We just returned home from Pigeon ?Forge TN, and we did not go out of our way to avoid traffic, but we sure wish we did! On our next trip we will avoid DC no matter what!

How was your return?

 

[sgtpet]

I live in NJ and we use to always take 95 south but last time we went that 81 route and it was fantastic. More miles and slightly more time but much more enjoyable and less stressful. I highly recommend it.

 

[gdrj]

Ok, so things kept coming up yesterday morning & we ended up not hitting the road until closer to 12:30 or so by the time we finished up at the banks etc.

Just saw this thread for the first time. If I had read it sooner I would have said you need to be in Springfield VA by noon on a Friday in the summer. Also when taking the express lanes I recommend merging back to the regular lanes in Dumfries. The lanes will slow down but the merge at the end of the express lanes is just crazy and the toll cost is about half. Also for those not from VA area, these specific "Hot lanes" go North in AM and SOuth in PM

While 81 can be a good alternative for some it really depends how far you have to go. The best option is to time 95 so you are getting through Springfield VA and South by noon. Saturdays you want to get through there probably by 9 AM.

 

[purpliequeen]

Original Poster - BF and I live in downtown DC. We did the drive from Silver Spring, MD twice and will do the drive again, this time from the heart of the city, this Christmas. Interesting reading your report. We will be monitoring traffic leading up until the weekend via Google Maps (you can click on the option to show traffic) and Waze.... although Google bought Waze so the info on Waze is used by Google Maps to select the "best" route. The part I least like about the drive is when the roads merge to two lanes as soon as you enter Georgia. Because we always travel during Christmas week there's no way to avoid the Georgia crawl.

Ugh... the drive is long, but glad to hear you were somewhat successful. Those changing tolls are so pricey!!! Painful! We also ended up staying in Florence the last two times... I'm a sucker for the free samples at Young's Plantation. Recalling these past trips is making me look forward to our upcoming one. Enjoy and safe travels home!