DVC'rs that drive..NYC & DC Traffic? Suggestions.

[cpdwiz]

Ok, we leave next Thursday for WDW

We are driving from Mass, down 91 to 95 and all the way to Hilton Head

My questions are these

(1)We are leaving at 3am. Will we miss NYC traffic and DC Traffic?

(2)Is the direct route the best route? I have GPS to guide me.

(3)We will be making as few stops as possible. Bathroom and lunch possibly. Any idea on time to make Hilton Head, and I had heard its 5hrs from HHI to WDW.

Thanks gang

 

[Disneypubgal]

How long will it take you to get to NYC.... if you plan to hit it between 7 and 9:30 you will definitely be in the thick of traffic... We are from LI and and have made the drive twice... f you are planning on driving thru DC between 4-6ish you will also hit traffic there as well... is ther any way you could leave the night before and stop somewhere south of DC for the night????

 

[njmeisje]

The first bit of traffic that ALWAYS slows us down is the first stretch of southbound traffic as you come out of DC and into Virginia. All the way to Fredericksburg. There is an HOV lane - sometimes it closed. Other times the merge where the roads come together is soooo slow. After that, its smooth sailing.

When we drove last summer they were just starting a big construction project in Georgia --- cones the whole state!! We hit it very early in the morning, so it did not delay us --- but it could have been a mess later in the day. Check into that and see if its done.

Have fun and enjoy!!

 

[njmeisje]

Just wanted to add - its 11 hours from Central NJ to Hilton Head. Just for some context. And yes, about 5 hours from HH to WDW.

 

[kmann728]

You might be better off to jump on to 84 in CT and take that west to 87. Take 87 south where it merges with 287 and use that to connect to 95. It's a little bit farther out of the way but you miss all the NYC traffic that way. I drive to NJ from CT a couple times a year and always do my best to stay away from 95. More often than not that section between CT and NJ is always congested.

 

[ssawka]

If you hit DC between 10 and 3, you should be fine. If not, I would consider taking U.S. 13 south down the DELMARVA (Eastern Shore). You'd have to pay the $12 toll on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel, but you'd miss traffic and it is a beautiful ride. Basically, after you get across the bay, you'd take I-64 West to Richmond and back to I-95. U.S. 13 is a divided highway down the DELMARVA, but watch your speed as it is usually crawling with police.

 

[Cee]

95S is not bad in the morning(DC area) since everyone is going north. In the afternoon, it's a NIGHTMARE starting at around 3:00 p.m. until 7-7:30 p.m. Leaving on a Thursday is better. Fridays can be tough with folks heading to southern destinations for the weekend. Have a safe trip!

 

[5forDiz]

Original post edited below. post#12

 

[dcamdad]

Like others have noted DC traffic is normally fine between 10 am and 3 pm, further down 95 you will also want to avoid Richmond area traffic, take 295 ( Rocky Mount exit ) around Richmond/Petersburg.

 

[ssawka]

95S is not bad in the morning(DC area) since everyone is going north. In the afternoon, it's a NIGHTMARE starting at around 3:00 p.m. until 7-7:30 p.m. Leaving on a Thursday is better. Fridays can be tough with folks heading to southern destinations for the weekend. Have a safe trip!

This is true provided you get through the MD side early enough.

 

[lucyem]

We are slightly further north of you in NH. We leave about 7 pm hit NYC about midnight and the DC area before rush hour in the morning. NYC is still lots of traffic but moving over the Geo Wash bridge. DC is pretty empty but picking up. We get well through that area and then stop for breakfast. We stop in GA in the late afternoon for the night. Then get up early and will be at WDW for lunch somewhat rested.

On our last trip heading north we were in DC later in the day on a Sat and then late Sat night in NYC with no traffic through DC and the same amount of moving traffic in NYC.

There are ways to avoid NYC traffic and go around. The problem with going to WDW is that the drive is just so long the last thing we want to do is add hours to the drive. We like the night because we can just drive. Plus the kids will pretty much sleep until morning which means less fighting in the back and less bathroom stops

 

[5forDiz]

If your hoping to miss am DC traffic plan on being in Delaware by around 5:30am. We leave around 4-4:30am, we're in southern most part of NY(google OuterBridge on staten isl. to get idea of distance/time you'd need to travel to reach this point by 4/4:30 - its within minutes of NJ Tpke/I95 exit 10). We reach HHI in just about 14hrs and that includes stops along the way that total about 2hrs.

I would consider I84 too like kman728 suggested to avoid NYC but depending upon where in Mass. you're at if you are taking I91 or route 8 towards WaterburyCT to get to I84 then continue on I84 to I684 to Hutchinson Pkway into Queens,NY via Whitestone Bridge continue via Van Wyck Xway towards Kennedy Airport to Belt Pkway into Staten Isl to Goethals Bridge which leads directly to NJTpke((I95) at Exit 13; in the early morning hours before 5am these roads are clear & may be better alternative to taking I84 to I87, etc. From Brewster,NY area of I84 it is under 2hrs to Goethals Bridge crossing into NJ.

You will most likely get slowed down a bit in Virginia like poster njmeisje mentioned from just past DC to Fredericksburg but this is usually always the case no matter what time of day so don't dwell on that too much & like that poster said once you are past this area it is typically uneventful from then on.

Edited To Add : If you decide to travel DELMARVA as ssawka suggests I'd opt for Garden State Pkway to Cape May/Lewes Delaware ferry (70 minute crossing to Lewes) to reach DELMARVA peninsula.

Good luck

//////

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

Ok, we leave next Thursday for WDW

We are driving from Mass, down 91 to 95 and all the way to Hilton Head

My questions are these

(1)We are leaving at 3am. Will we miss NYC traffic and DC Traffic?Leave sooner. traffic in the NYC area starts 6ish. it's what 5 hrs to NYC from Boston? Another 3 hrs to DC?

(2)Is the direct route the best route? I have GPS to guide me.I-95 to I-287 to avoid NYC follow back to the NJ toll road and follow back to I-95 go straight through (under) Baltimore to I-295 " GO AROUND DC" Follow I-95 til you reach Richmond Va. Then follow GPS (FYI I'm a Truck driver who drive NJ to FL weekly for 5 years)

(3)We will be making as few stops as possible. Bathroom and lunch possibly. Any idea on time to make Hilton Head, and I had heard its 5hrs from HHI to WDW.Your best bet is to use map quest. Run the miles to each planned stop. Do a 55 mph avg for a set speed so you will be able to figure how many miles you will drive and about how long adding for traffic it should take to get to HHI

Thanks gangYour Welcome

I hope this helped. Enjoy your trip!! And sorry i couldn't help on the HHI to WDW distance.

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

95S is not bad in the morning(DC area) since everyone is going north. In the afternoon, it's a NIGHTMARE starting at around 3:00 p.m. until 7-7:30 p.m. Leaving on a Thursday is better. Fridays can be tough with folks heading to southern destinations for the weekend. Have a safe trip!

I-95 south from Baltimore is a NIGHTMARE in the morning!! Like an Major city, all traffic runs into the city and out in the afternoon. If you remember that much life will easier to drive. We drive every time from Louisville Ky to WDW and its 857 miles and a 13-15 hr drive. And that's only stopping for gas and bathroom stops. Bring food/drinks and snacks in the car for the drive. Makes it easier to get down the road. I also hope there will be more then 1 driver?

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

There is 1 other thing to help ya. look online to find out what the local AM radio stations in the major city's so you can listen to how the traffic is or isn't. My inlwas do it now

 

[dgaston]

I like the longer, more scenic 84- 81- 77-26-95 route. We have driven this several times from CT and arrive feeling best when we leave in the evening, rather than 3 am.

You can also drop back to 95 via 64 from 81 and this puts you back on 95 just south of Richmond, avoiding all the northern VA traffic.

I have a particular horror of DC traffic, as I've even been caught in traffic at 3 am.

 

[Sojas3]

I don't have advice, but I too am leaving Western Mass on Thursday to drive down. We'll be stopping off in the Carolinas.
Have a safe trip!!

 

[KYCruiseCrazy]

I like the longer, more scenic 84- 81- 77-26-95 route. We have driven this several times from CT and arrive feeling best when we leave in the evening, rather than 3 am.

You can also drop back to 95 via 64 from 81 and this puts you back on 95 just south of Richmond, avoiding all the northern VA traffic.

I have a particular horror of DC traffic, as I've even been caught in traffic at 3 am.

My goodness if your going to drive down on I-81 you might as well drive down to I-77 head south to Columbia SC to I-26 East to Exit 169a to I-95 south if your headed to WDW. This is Sooooooooooooooooooo scenic. Lot's of rest area's and places to eat or sleep. Abit cheaper then the I-95 corridor.

 

[cpdwiz]

I don't have advice, but I too am leaving Western Mass on Thursday to drive down. We'll be stopping off in the Carolinas.
Have a safe trip!!

I grew up with sojas in my neighborhood....wonder if u r them or related?

 

[Sojas3]

I have a friend in the Belchertown area that thought the same thing, but no the So=Sox and the jas= Jason Varitek...just a red sox fan at heart!!