How busy will these days be for driving? What's a better plan?

[mshanson3121]

Just curious how bad July 3, 4 and 5th will be for trying to drive home from Florida to Maine? DH is wondering if we should try and stay 2 or 3 more nights and instead of leaving for home July 3, leave July 5 or 6?

Or if we should just try and do shorter days, and instead of taking 3 days to get home, take 5 days (still leaving July 3)

 

[rwdavis2]

Very bad. The 4th is on a Saturday and you DO NOT want to be near Washington,DC with heavy traffic on I-95. I would leave on the 6th, Monday.

 

[mshanson3121]

Very bad. The 4th is on a Saturday and you DO NOT want to be near Washington,DC with heavy traffic on I-95. I would leave on the 6th, Monday.

Just found out that we have to check out Sunday, so... I'm sure that's still not going to be the greatest travel, but we will try and get off the 95 as soon as possible. I'm guessing that maybe trying to leave as early as possible Sunday, around even 5 or 6 am, and then stopping somewhere for the night around 1 or 2 might be a good plan?

 

[rwdavis2]

Sunday traffic going north south of DC will be bumper to bumper from at least Fredricksburg to north of DC. So, if you stop south of Fredricksburg on Sunday you maybe OK.

 

[mshanson3121]

We plan on taking RTE 81/84 (whatever it is), so we'll be off the 95 in Georgia. Will those routes be as bad?

 

[rwdavis2]

No idea.

 

[grimley1968]

For a drive that long, it may well be that an inland route like 81/84 would be about the same drive time, considering how packed 95 will be from about Richmond to Boston. I'm more familiar with DC's 4th crowds, but Boston seems about as into the 4th as DC. There are lots of ways to get to 81 from 95 well south of Richmond. Yes, it's a little out of the way for a while, but I think it'd really be worth it when you get to the mid-Atlantic states. There's always too much truck traffic on 81 for my comfort, but I bet the 4th wouldn't be all that much worse on 81 than a non-holiday weekend in re tourist travel.

 

[mshanson3121]

For a drive that long, it may well be that an inland route like 81/84 would be about the same drive time, considering how packed 95 will be from about Richmond to Boston. I'm more familiar with DC's 4th crowds, but Boston seems about as into the 4th as DC. There are lots of ways to get to 81 from 95 well south of Richmond. Yes, it's a little out of the way for a while, but I think it'd really be worth it when you get to the mid-Atlantic states. There's always too much truck traffic on 81 for my comfort, but I bet the 4th wouldn't be all that much worse on 81 than a non-holiday weekend in re tourist travel.

I've heard others say there's a lot of truck traffic as well. Is it bad (as in "less safe"?). We have no problem with the 95, but do NOT want to go anywhere near DC, NYC etc... So what other way is there to avoid those cities that doesn't add several hours? The 81/84, only ends up adding roughly 1 hour or so to our drive as opposed to the 95 (traffic not included in that factor, so may end up even quicker).

 

[grimley1968]

I've heard others say there's a lot of truck traffic as well. Is it bad (as in "less safe"?). We have no problem with the 95, but do NOT want to go anywhere near DC, NYC etc... So what other way is there to avoid those cities that doesn't add several hours? The 81/84, only ends up adding roughly 1 hour or so to our drive as opposed to the 95 (traffic not included in that factor, so may end up even quicker).

I don't think it's less safe in itself. I just don't find it comfortable if there's too much of it. My experience with 81 is mostly in Virginia, and the route 81 takes is parallel to the Blue Ridge Mountains, a sight I'd like to take in a little more than heavy truck traffic allows. For avoiding the Bos-Wash region, I'd still take 81/84.

 

[mshanson3121]

I wonder realistically, if we get up and out on the road by 6:00 am on Sunday, July 5th, how far could we get heading north in 6-7 hours driving? Our plan for that day will be to drive as far as we can and then get off the road when traffic gets heavy.