Driving to HH from NJ

[icydog]

Hi I am looking for a way to get to HH this morning that lets me skip the mess in Baltimore, DC and Richmond. I posted this on the transportation forum but no one answered me so i am taking this to my fellow DVC'rs.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=469578

 

[mudnuri]

Your pretty much stuck with 95 being your starting in NJ..

You can take the beltways around Baltimore/DC etc...

Your best bet is to plan your trip that you arrive there sometime between midnight and 5 AM...

Good luck- we always just grin and bear it, and head thru regardless of the timing...once we did go down 84, but I wont do that again either!!

Brandy

 

[jersey shark]

Hello Fellow Jerseyan:

What "mess" are you referring too???

Just avoid rush hour at all costs thru Balt, DC & Richmond and you'll be fine.

Other idea: If you're not in too much of a hurry and want a new route and a break from I-95, look at cutting thru Delaware (rt 13, I believe)...you'll be able to get all the way to Norfolk/Va Beach amazingly easily, although you willhave to spend about 45 min re-connecting to 1-95 in NC.

Happy motoring!

 

[edith76]

Take 81 in Pa. I can check on the exact route for you. We started going this way a few years ago rather than 95 and it is so much better. The mileage is a little longer but timewise it is the same or less and no tolls. We usually meet back up with 95 in Santee, SC. (We stay at the Hampton Inn there, but there are a lot of other choices as well). HH is not much farther - maybe an hour. This is the easiest way to avoid Washington and Baltimore and exits 1,2&3 on the NJturnpike. Let me know if you want exact directions (have to ask DH) but I think we take 81 to 77 to 26?

 

[Coastie]

Depending where you are in NJ, an option is the Cape May Ferry and take the "southern" route. Its a nice route but a bit slower than the hectic I95 method.

 

[Harley-Mouse]

how hard is it to get a room with my points I have to wait till the 7 month window. any time in aug will be fine.

 

[JimC]

Edith76,

Where do you cut over from I-81? Do you go down to Staunton and take the I-64 to Richmond? I had never thought of taking that route. I would think that I-64 to Richmond thorough Charlottesville wiould be a lovely drive.

We take I-81 to I-77 to I-74 to go to Wake Forest (Winston-Salem, NC) to avoid I-95. The distance is about the same and it is much nicer drive.

 

[msdis]

We have gone 84 to 81 to 77 to 26 to 95 twice going to WDW and the ride is so much better but to WDW it is about 2 hours longer. There are no big cities, no beltways, just a beautiful ride. However, this route is not recommended in the winter months as a lot of the distance is in the mountains and could be dangerous.

 

[JVL1018]

We have driven to HH twice(and WDW twice), we live in Northern Bergen County and we leave at 6 am( no NYC traffic), this puts us in Baltimore around 9 am(no traffic there), and DC around 10...no traffic there either..this is on a Saturday, though we have driven to WDW on Friday using the same schedule and we didn't hit any traffic either.
It also gives a good stopping point for breakfast, we stop in No. VA.
Instead of pushing all the way through to get to HH in one day, we stop in Lumberton for the night. We could easily do it in one shot, but we figure why bother when we'll get in too late to do anything anyway. The next moring we leave at 8 and are pulling up to the resort a little before noon to check in.

We just take the Turnpike to 95 all the way down across the Delaware Bridge, only going off when we hit the Capitol Beltway, we don't detour around Richmond either.

 

[edith76]

JimC
There are a lot of places to cut over but one of the visitor centers reccommended this route and we found it to be the best. We take 81 to 77 to 26 then 301(just watch for the sign for Santee, SC) connects you to 95. Once you are on 95 it is about another hour to HH. Works for Florida also. This ride is very scenic but I wouldn't use it if it is snowing or icy.

Travelling from my house in No. NJ to WDW it adds 100 miles to the trip, but timewise there is no difference. We travel to Florida several times a year ... have left every day of the week, morning , afternoon and evening ... and never seemed able to avoid all the traffic on exits 1,2&3 NJTurnpike, Baltimore and Washington. We were happy to find another route.

 

[pklein09]

If you want to avoid NJTPK exits 1, 2, and 3, then switch to I-295. It parallels the turnpike from exit 7A on down to exit 1. You can easily transfer to I-295 at exits 7A, 7, 5, 4, and 3. I grew up at exit 2 and currently live between 7A and 8. I still drive home to visit family (almost weekly) and use this alternative. I really think I-295 is the way to go if you want to avoid the last 3 exits.

Also, I lived in DC for a year and my parents used to come get me from S. Jersey. To avoid some of the Baltimore mess, they used to take the Francis Scott Key Bridge. In DC, you can try the Gladys Noon-Spellman Parkway. I think it's state route 295. It parallels I-95 between Baltimore and DC. It joins up with I-95 on the VA side of DC.

Best of luck driving!

 

[DisneyConvert]

The poster from Bergen County nailed it.

Leave EARLY and take NJTpke to bypass Philly to hit Baltimore ~9AM and DC ~10 AM. I leave from Mercer County so 6:30 AM is usually ok.

Then take a break because the toughest driving (but not most of the miles) are behind you.

The 295 bypass around Richmond makes it a lot easier too.

North Carolina is a long stretch but pretty smooth too.

Come to think of it, I think I stopped at South of the Border ~ 5PM and saved the rest for the day after.

Be safe and take some good music!

 

[BWVDenise]

We just drove to HH a few weeks ago from NJ (Gloucester County). I think you are about an hour north of me. If you take the NJ TP to I95, that is the way we go. It took us exactly 12 1/2 hours including stops (with 3 kids under 10 yrs old). We left at 3:45 a.m. Last time we did it, it took exactly 12 hours. We sailed right through Baltimore and DC. We took 295 around Richmond. No problems there. Hope this helps! We love HH and don't mind the drive. Even the kids are well-behaved the whole trip!!

 

[hmansure]

Originally posted by pklein09
If you want to avoid NJTPK exits 1, 2, and 3, then switch to I-295.

Be wary of major road construction on I-295. I travel this road daily and the traffic gets very backed up heading South between the Rt 38 exit (Moorestown) thru the exit for Woodcrest Station - especially during peak travel periods.

 

[gene21fan]

every year i leave woodbridge around 4am so i get
past the washington area by 8am

 

[msdisney53]

We drive down yearly and after many trips we think leaving early evening is the way to go.We usually leave somewhere between 5 pm and 7pm and drive straight thru taking I-295 to I-95.We like traveling thru DC and Richmond late there's very little traffic. The kids sleep most of the way and my DH and I switch off driving. We
eat breakfast around HH or Georgia.

Denise