Need best route from Hershey Pa to AUTO TRAIN, Lorton VA

[deelovesdis]

Hi I am driving from Hershey PA to Lorton VA in a couple days to catch the auto train.

I live in NY near Kennedy Airport, but I think I would do better traffic wise to go to Hershey PA and then drive down to Lorton and bypass the Baltimore , DC traffic. Its bad enough I have to battle the NY metro traffic, Verrazano and NJ Turnpike, so any advise her is welcome.

What route should I take to avoid all that nonsense and do you know how long it would take from Hershey to get to Lorton?

Any help is appreciated!
DEE

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

I work right by the auto train. When you come down I-95 South take the Beltway I-495 towards Alexandria and cross over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Then you'll take the Springfield Bypass to put you onto I-95 South towards Richmond, from there it's just a couple of miles. You'll take the Lorton exit, exit 163. Turn Left onto Lorton Rd. and go just pass the Gas station on your right. The auto train will be on your left. If you see a shopping center with a Bank of America you've gone too far. Have a great trip, I hope this helps.

 

[deelovesdis]

THank you DIsney MAMA, so you are saying to come down 1-95 instead of going to Hershey?
I saw that the Woodrow Wilson bridge had ongoing construction, does anyone know if that is completed?

 

[padisneyfan]

I live near Hershey, Pa and you still have to deal with Baltimore/Washington traffic so there would be no advantage to coming that way. Traffic is a nightmare around DC.

Nancy

 

[NJRRK]

Traffic around DC is not any worse than NY; as long as you avoid rush hour you should be fine. We have used the Autotrain a number of times and we've always planned to be going around DC around mid-day. I sugguest using I-495 around the WEST side of Washington I've always found it a little easier. My MIL insists on using the Baltimore-Washington Pky from Baltimore then staying on the Anacostia Freeway to I-95, we've done that too and it's ok, but it can be heavy on a weekday, she always travels on weekends.

Going to Hershey seems to be way out of your way and since Lorton is just south of DC you're not going to avoid DC.

 

[deelovesdis]

Are you sure theres no way to avoid DC? What if I took 15 down from Gettysburg?

 

[NJRRK]

Don't stress out over this. Like I said as long as you hit DC at mid-day (10:30 to 2:00 ish) you should not have a problem.

 

[nordkin]

Are you sure theres no way to avoid DC? What if I took 15 down from Gettysburg?

15 down from Gettysburg will put you on 270 which will put you on thw west side of 495. Stay on 495 until the Springfield exit toward Richmond. It also has a rush hour, but dealing with the American Legion Bridge instead of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge is much easier. To get to Lorton from Gettysburg in non-rush hour will take about 2 hours.

 

[bdcp]

Are you sure theres no way to avoid DC? What if I took 15 down from Gettysburg?

Yes, you can avoid it completely. Take rt 15 down to rt 50, south of Leesburg, VA, then take 50 east to the Fairfax County Parkway,(this is how we go from where we live near Dulles airport) then take FFX county parkway S/E to rt 123 S/E to Furnace rd, then to Lorton Rd. The train station is on the east side of I-95 right off of Lorton Rd. Google it and you'll see for yourself. We did that route in '06 to avoid I-95 and it didn't take us any longer than going another route we use that avoids most of I-95. From Gettysburg, it's actually quicker to go 15 than down to the beltway. I gave these basic directions to someone a year or two ago on the main auto train thread that's been around for a long time and they loved the route.

Traffic around DC is no more a nightmare than any other large city. Everything is relative.

 

[DisneyMama2H&O]

A lot depends on what time you plan on hitting the area. If I am correct, the auto train leaves around 4 p.m. If you come through the area around noon you should be fine, any which way you come. The only problem with 50 & 123 are the number of lights you will hit, I'd take my chances on the beltway in the middle of the day. If you arrive early there is a Glory Days in that shopping center, you could always plan to eat a good lunch.

 

[bdcp]

A lot depends on what time you plan on hitting the area. If I am correct, the auto train leaves around 4 p.m. If you come through the area around noon you should be fine, any which way you come. The only problem with 50 & 123 are the number of lights you will hit, I'd take my chances on the beltway in the middle of the day. If you arrive early there is a Glory Days in that shopping center, you could always plan to eat a good lunch.

Having grown up in the DC area and done that trip for more than just going to the Auto Train, the lights do not add any real time to the trip. It's a very easy trip. Now, coming down 270 would be a major NIGHTMARE pretty much any time of the day.

 

[nordkin]

Now, coming down 270 would be a major NIGHTMARE pretty much any time of the day.

I have to disagree with you on this one. We use 270 a couple of times per week to and from Fredreick and never have had any problems. Rush hour is another story, but that is true for any of the roads around DC.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Just for the fun of it I did two searches in MapQuest from JFK Airport to the Lorton Autotrain Terminal.

Going "direct" is 268 miles and 4:48

Going with a stop at Hershey Park is 325 miles and 6:04.

And taking the West Side of the Capital Beltway always felt much heavier traffic for me than taking the East Side. And for several years I had a commute which took me half way around the Beltway twice a day; I learned to take the West and North only if there was a major problem on the South or East side.