Driving from SF to DLR

[gatorfreud]

Hi: We are planning to drive down to DLR from San Francisco on a Friday night this summer - the only experience we have had driving it was on Thanksgiving morning, leaving at 4am and it was super easy obviously!

I am SUPER worried about the 60 or so miles we have to go on 580 - I drove that route to Modesto one Friday afternoon a few years ago and it took me 4 hours to get from SF to Modesto.

Is that drive still that bad? Are there hours that it is worse/better? Is it any better to go down the 101 route. HELP??!!

DH gets off work at 6pm - we could leave as early as 4 if that helps at all....

Ideas?

Thanks!
Kim

 

[Pomlover2586]

I'm going to assume your going over the Bay Bridge.....[I'm east bay] If you leave SF at 4 pm on the dot I would anticipate at LEAST a 2 hour drive to get from SF to I5......Oakland to San Leandro can be pretty jammed but the worst [particularly on a Fri] is Dublin/Pleasanton through the Altimont/\Tracy area....This last stretch alone can take an hour and a half or so all by itself [which suck because if it's clear you can drive it in 25 min]

If at all possible I'd leave either earlier Friday or early Saturday morning......DH and I make this drive about once a year [580 to I5] and we average about 6 hours total drive time.

 

[gatorfreud]

Other idea... DH has an office in Sunnyvale too, so he could position himself there and we could leave Sunnyvale and I guess take 101 to Gilroy and across? Again, leaving at 6 (or maybe 4)?

Better? Worse?

Kim

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I think 580 would be better trafficwise over 101. But I'd leave later (6-7) over 4 pm. Most are trying to leave the city early on a Friday. Also, 205 threw Tracy is three lanes now so it isn't "as" backed up there which helps the 580 traffic.

 

[Pomlover2586]

Isn't the 3 lane construction through Tracy still under way and not yet complete? My understanding was it wouldn't be fully finished until 2010....??

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Isn't the 3 lane construction through Tracy still under way and not yet complete? My understanding was it wouldn't be fully finished until 2010....??

All three lanes are open now. I don't think The center divide isn't completed yet.

 

[Pomlover2586]

Ah thanks for clarifying! I don't drive through Tracy often and when I last went through [3 or 4 months ago] they still only had 2 lanes and were doing construction!

 

[got2travel]

I used to do the 580 route on Friday evenings but now always go down 880 (coming from Berkeley area) to 101 to 152 in Gilroy. I think it's farther in mileage but I have not had the same traffic issues as I used to deal with on 580. The only real traffic I've dealt with going this route is approaching San Jose through Morgan Hill. It can get slow in other areas, but not stop and go like 580.

I'm usually on the road anywhere from 4-6, with earlier being better.

 

[BillyFan]

If you can leave from Sunnyvale, I'd take 85 all the way to 101 to 152 to 5. There is a carpool lane all the way down 85 and for a while on the 101. If you leave around 4 and take that route, it should take you about 6.5 hours.

 

[DL4my2kids]

The traffic is a nightmare. I don't have any alternativeroutes though because that is the way we go but we don't do it during commute time.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I used to do the 580 route on Friday evenings but now always go down 880 (coming from Berkeley area) to 101 to 152 in Gilroy. I think it's farther in mileage but I have not had the same traffic issues as I used to deal with on 580. The only real traffic I've dealt with going this route is approaching San Jose through Morgan Hill. It can get slow in other areas, but not stop and go like 580.

I'm usually on the road anywhere from 4-6, with earlier being better.

I must have bad luck. Everytime I'm on 101 it's a parking lot (and that's usually on the weekend)!! Lol

 

[gatorfreud]

OK so thanks for the opinions!!

I am thinking about trying the 101 thing... I don't know how bad it is, but I DO know that the Tracy 580 thing is horrid. I would guess that it can't really be any WORSE taking 101. Maybe not better, but not worse.

Any more folks out there who have done this drive??

Thanks so much for all of your insights everyone!

The only problem is that then DH's car will be down there in the South Bay... have to figure that one out, I guess we could just return home on the same route...

Kim

 

[PinkBudgie]

We live about 40 min above SF. We take 101 down to the Richmond/San Rafael bridge and take that to 580. We always leave about 6 or 7am in the morning and have never had heavy traffic going down. It takes us about 8 hours to get to DLR including rest stops. This last trip we left on a Wed in June didn't get on the freeway until almost 7am.

Coming home in the evening is another matter. The traffic is horrible and once we missed our exit for our bridge and ended up in SF! That was a nightmare because once you get into SF there is a sign that says 101 and points you off in some dirction but never tells you were to go after that. You end up in a maze of streets with no signs. Thankfully we had a GPS or we would still be there.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I live in the East Bay. From SF, I would leave no later than 2:00pm at the absolute latest. If you can't, then leave at 6:00pm. Leaving at 4:00pm almost guarantees that you will sit in heavy traffic for a long time on 580 eastbound.

Leaving at 6:00pm and going eastbound will probably put you in Anaheim between 12:00am and 1:00am depending on traffic, and I'd be surprised if leaving at 4:00pm put you there substantially earlier.

 

[merrrydeath]

If you can pick your husband up in Sunnyvale before 4, then you should be able to breeze down 85 and 101 before traffic gets bad there. For my trip in March, we got onto 85 from San Jose at 5pm on a Thursday and we were still good with traffic. You can take the carpool lane through part of 101 and then there are enough lanes to make it move quickly. 152 can get slower because it is just 2 lanes with semitrucks in the right lane, but you don't really want to go super fast over pacheco pass.

 

[MommiePrincess]

So my DH does the driving and navigating so ignore my lack of knowledge on this subject......but we are coming from San Jose. We split the drive because we have 2 little ones so we spend the night at Cambria going down and back. Last time we took 101 to Cambria and then 101 (1 for a bit/then 101) from Cambria to DL. Are you all taking 101 the whole way down or getting onto 5? We are debating the benefit/speed of 5 vs the scenery (at times) on 101? We will still be stopping at Cambria/San Simeon. Any inputs on 101 the whole way vs. 5? We will be driving on Sat/Sun going down and coming back on Sun/Mon of Labor Day.

 

[merrrydeath]

So my DH does the driving and navigating so ignore my lack of knowledge on this subject......but we are coming from San Jose. We split the drive because we have 2 little ones so we spend the night at Cambria going down and back. Last time we took 101 to Cambria and then 101 (1 for a bit/then 101) from Cambria to DL. Are you all taking 101 the whole way down or getting onto 5? We are debating the benefit/speed of 5 vs the scenery (at times) on 101? We will still be stopping at Cambria/San Simeon. Any inputs on 101 the whole way vs. 5? We will be driving on Sat/Sun going down and coming back on Sun/Mon of Labor Day.

Both 101 and 5 are long, straight, and rather boring. Neither one really outdoes the scenery of the other(in my opinion). With that in mind, 101 to 152, to 5 is a shorter distance than 101 the whole way. Are you stopping for the night because the kids get fussy with the longer drive? Can you go in the evening so they can just sleep through it? I wouldn't want to spend extra $ on a hotel in between SJ and Anaheim.

 

[gatorfreud]

As for me, I am hoping to get a couple hours in, stop for a quick dinner, and then they will sleep the rest... I hope!!

The did sleep about 8-11pm last year to Tahoe, so I am praying for the same luck!

I hope we can do the "leave Friday night" thing... I just don't think DH can take another day off work.

Kim

 

[merrrydeath]

As for me, I am hoping to get a couple hours in, stop for a quick dinner, and then they will sleep the rest... I hope!!

The did sleep about 8-11pm last year to Tahoe, so I am praying for the same luck!

I hope we can do the "leave Friday night" thing... I just don't think DH can take another day off work.

Kim

I always zonked out in the car whenever we took trips. Jammies, pillows, and snuggly blankets should do the trick to lull them to sleep I think.

 

[MommiePrincess]

Both 101 and 5 are long, straight, and rather boring. Neither one really outdoes the scenery of the other(in my opinion). With that in mind, 101 to 152, to 5 is a shorter distance than 101 the whole way. Are you stopping for the night because the kids get fussy with the longer drive? Can you go in the evening so they can just sleep through it? I wouldn't want to spend extra $ on a hotel in between SJ and Anaheim.

Yes, we do stop midway for the night with a 3 year old and a 7 month old. I'm afraid to try the night driving. What do you do when you check in (staying at DGC)....don't they wake up (I think my 7 month old would explode in tears being taken out of a car seat at midnight). I'm just afraid to try. I'd love to hear how you check in - put them in strollers for the trek to the hotel room, unpack the cars with the bell men etc with little ones. We stay half way along the coast to get a few beach hours in before sunset and a walk after breakfast then we are off for the remaining 3-4 hours. We did drive 101 the whole way from San Jose last time and it seemed to take 8 hours at least with the trek to the coast at San Simeon. I'd be curious to try the night drive next visit (so next August after this upcoming trip)....I'd welcome night check-in logistics with little ones in strollers, car seats etc.