Driving question :)

[disneymom0811]

So I have been going back and forth questioning which route is the best to get to Florida (from new york), the main one of course is the 95- I have heard many tell me about the famous Washington Maryland traffic. I think the best best is to leave sometime around 3 or 4am, I am the only one driving but I want to be able to take my time, going to need to make stops to eat, and stuff. We are going to stop over somewhere but I want to drive as long as I can before stopping for the night, hopefully around 8 or 9pm. So I found this random route through Delaware. It tells me to take us 13 which will take it through Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel, will bring you to end of Virginia, right before North Carolina. Anyone living in Delaware or are familiar with this, what do you think??????

 

[grimley1968]

I personally would favor just sticking to I-95, rather than going down 13 through Delaware. I'm not familiar with the quality of that road, but it looks well out of the way and once you get in to Norfolk, there is a LONG drive to get back to 95.

Here's another thread with an alternative to I-95: http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2522586

But if you time things right (avoid rush hours), getting through the Baltimore/DC/NoVA area via I-95 really isn't that bad.

 

[mckelvey72]

I live in MD and am about 15 minutes from Delaware (lived in DE all my life except the last 8 years).

Anyway, look into taking 301 in MD...between that and merging into 95 WAY down, it is a quiet scenic drive. Now if you need stimulation to keep you awake...301 might not be the way to go. It is tree lined, not much traffic, 2 lane road and you hit small towns along the way but long stretches of trees. It is a nice way to go though.

I went to vist my step-daughter in SC and we took 301 down...it merges into 95 but really far down to the point where 95 was just a 2 lane road. If your directions using Rt 13 in Delaware are taking you over Chesapeake bridge, then it is wandering you over to 301 anyway I believe.

Let me mapquest Disney from my house and see what it says...will be right back.

 

[mckelvey72]

Yeah it is a mixture of 301 to 95 to 295, back to 95 etc. It is 15 hours from my house and as I said...am close to Middletown DE.

Here is the thing with 13 (or Route 1) and 301...you bypass Baltimore/Washington areas which can be a huge bottleneck, depending on the day, time of year..if there are baseball or football games, is it during the week and are you hitting going to work traffic, going home.

So I would say you can do all 95 if you want one road and just drive. but if you want to miss some of the congestion...take 301 down and then hook into 95.
If you want, mapquest 1 Peddlers Lane, Earleville MD to Orlando FL and you will see the directions it gives me using 301 in MD.

Let me know if I can help in any other way!

 

[monorailsilver]

We just drove from CT to ft. Myers and back a few weeks ago.

We mainly stayed on 95, minus the few loops that were 195, 295s, 395s, etc...

We left Thursday evening at about 7. Drove for an hour and called it a night at my moms her house is about 30 miles from the NY border.

We hopped on the merit pkwy at about 6 am and only made it to santee, SC.

The only traffic we hit was after DC on 95, before Richmond. We made it thru NYC as well as southern Fairfield cty before rush hour and we were not in the DC area at that time either.

Taking that slower route in Delaware to the Chesapeake bridge was not an option because it would of added more time and we were anxious to get there.

I can tell you my Dh did all the driving. He wouldn't let me drive and when we stopped for dinner at around 6 he was feeling that 5am wake up. I know if we left any earlier we would of been done driving by about 5 pm.

 

[disneymom0811]

Thank you all so much

 

[Goofygirl17]

I've driven 3 times from shoreline CT as the only driver. The first time we took 95- it was about 21 hours total.

The last 2 times we took the inland route and it took about 19 hours total. It is a much more relaxing drive and skips all the DC, VA traffic.

 

[Malibustyle23]

I live in MD and am about 15 minutes from Delaware (lived in DE all my life except the last 8 years).

Anyway, look into taking 301 in MD...between that and merging into 95 WAY down, it is a quiet scenic drive. Now if you need stimulation to keep you awake...301 might not be the way to go. It is tree lined, not much traffic, 2 lane road and you hit small towns along the way but long stretches of trees. It is a nice way to go though.

I went to vist my step-daughter in SC and we took 301 down...it merges into 95 but really far down to the point where 95 was just a 2 lane road. If your directions using Rt 13 in Delaware are taking you over Chesapeake bridge, then it is wandering you over to 301 anyway I believe.

Let me mapquest Disney from my house and see what it says...will be right back.

I think OP is referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel which connects the lower eastern shore of md to va. I think you are referring to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge which connects the eastern shore of MD to the western shore of MD. I'd assume without out looking that 301 would take you across the regular bridge not the tunnel but again assuming.

I'd just try to drive through DC when it is not rush hour and go straight through skipping 13 and DE. Not sure if it's telling you to go all the way down 13 from top of DE to VA but while it is a straight easy road it can get congested through the small "large towns" and there is quite a few speed traps throughout. Personally I do not like driving on that side of VA once you pass the Bay Bridge Tunnel.

 

[ParrotBill]

I think you need to make it to Virginia by 5am to avoid some serious rush hour traffic around the beltway.

There are many, including me, who consider I-78 to I-81 to I-77 then I-26 back to I-95 as a viable alternate route. There is far less chance of delay, and much less congestion, with more 3-lane highways. It's a less stressful drive and your average speed should be higher than I-95. When I look at getting about 60mph on I-95 vs 70mph on the alterate route the time difference closes. Add any serious delay and the alternate route can now be better.

The only area with traffic issues on the alternate route is around Charlotte, and their rush hour is barely 45 minutes long and easily avoided compared to the timing of the whole Baltimore-Washington corridor.

 

[disneymom0811]

The US 13 is telling me it takes you all through Delaware, top to bottom, leaving you right by Virginia Beach. I'm the only driver so driving all night long is not an option, we will basically be driving all day long. I thought maybe 4am was a good time to leave?????? Thanks for all your input, I love disboards

 

[Brook1099]

We leave central Jersey generally around 1-2 am on a Friday. Take 95 straight thru ( MY DH does all the driving and insisits that is the way to go. Leaving at this time we have never had a issue with beltway traffic. One time we accidentally hit no tolls in our GPS and it took us 301, I have to say I rather enjoyed the route, but my DH said it wastes time..ok. Now on the way home usually a Saturday or Sunday, we ALWAYS seem to hit some kind of a back up in Virginia...ugg!!! We are less enthused especially because we r headed home.

This year we are leaving on a Saturday morning, so probably will push it til 3 am to leave hit 95 all the way thru to Kingsland GA and stop for the night, and continue next morning to Fla.

 

[chessie]

Rush hour traffic throughout the balto/washington areas are basically from about 6:30 am till about 11. Then it starts to pick back up at about 2:30 pm. I'm near Baltimore and my goal for driving 95 is to get through Richmond Va by 11 am. The rest is smooth sailing.

 

[Robert P]

I think you need to make it to Virginia by 5am to avoid some serious rush hour traffic around the beltway.

There are many, including me, who consider I-78 to I-81 to I-77 then I-26 back to I-95 as a viable alternate route. There is far less chance of delay, and much less congestion, with more 3-lane highways. It's a less stressful drive and your average speed should be higher than I-95. When I look at getting about 60mph on I-95 vs 70mph on the alterate route the time difference closes. Add any serious delay and the alternate route can now be better.

The only area with traffic issues on the alternate route is around Charlotte, and their rush hour is barely 45 minutes long and easily avoided compared to the timing of the whole Baltimore-Washington corridor.

OP,
If you do consider this route, keep in mind that Charlotte traffic (Charlotte is roughly mile marker 18 down to mm 1) often backs up to the Lake Norman exits (mm 30's). I agree that this is a viable alternative route, as opposed to I-95.

Also, over the past 2-3 years, the Columbia area (mainly approaching the exit from 77 South, then getting onto I-26 East) has been some of the worst traffic we have encountered. Any wreck or even mild fender bender on I-26 within 2-3 miles of the exit from 77 onto 26 creates a choke point for traffic.

Travel Safe!
Rob

 

[kandb]

We left once at 3am (went to sleep at 10pm, got 5 hours sleep, felt fine), took 95 the whole way. Got to DC area around 6-6:30 and had no problems with traffic. It did seem like there was alot of traffic traveling North in the DC area at that time but not south. We left from Northern NJ. Good luck.

 

[GranddadTom]

At the time of day that you are considering driving (it's a workday, right?) you are making too big a deal out of the Washington Beltway. Rush hour does not last until 11:00 am. I drive it every day. As long as you go to the East on the Beltway, you will be okay. Northern Virginia will be a slight problem because of construction but the total delay should be less than 30 minutes. By the way, Rt. 81 in Virginia is not three lanes, it is two lanes and it is full of semi trucks. It is the most dangerous road in the state of Virginia. And you will not average 70 mph on most days.

 

[disneymom0811]

Ok thank you- will try to avoid that highway then- not a fan of two lane highways- seems like 95 is the best way. Thanks again.

 

[disneymom0811]

Oh I forgot to mention, yes it would be a workday.

 

[Ukladmok]

I'm typing this from the Boardwalk having just completed this drive last Thursday. We left the central Jersey Shore at 2:00 A.M. Took the NJ Turnpike to I-95. Passed the Fort Henry Tunnel at 4:30, took the 495 East Beltway around DC and crossed the Wilson Bridge at 5:30. Didn't hit any traffic what so ever. 295 around Richmond and made it to Brunswick, Ga by 3:30.

Hope this helps your planning.

 

[disneymom0811]

Wow you made great timing- thank you for your response enjoy your trip!!!!!!