Need serious advice from people who drive between Philadelphia and Hershey

[msim]

I will be arriving at the airport at 8pm. I have never been here before and I'm completely unfamiliar with the area. While I am not night-blind, I definitely prefer driving during the day. However, I would really like to drive from Philadelphia to Hershey the night I arrive. How safe is the drive? Are the roads very well marked and well-lit? Could someone who can't find their way out of a paper bag at times drive it at night?

Please be honest? Should I sleep in Philadelphia or get up and drive to Hershey before traffic gets bad on a Friday morning? By the way, when does traffic get bad on weekdays in Philadelphia? Thanks!!!

 

[Hannathy]

You'll be fine it is all expressway and then the turnpike. Very well marked. I don't want to give exact directions don't live their presently and they may have tweeked the exit numbers but at 8 at night you won't have traffic and will be fine. I'm sure someone here will give you exact directions or just mapquest it. I can smell Heshey already just thinking about it.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

I think I'd stay at one of the airport hotels the night before. Why chance it? There are always accidents/delays on 95 & the Schuylkill in the am, ya just never know.

 

[Hannathy]

That's why I suggested they do it at night there is way less traffic at 8PM than at 8AM. The schulkill is a mess in rush hour and if they are not used to express way driving it is much easier with 2/3 less vehicles. They would have to wait until 9 Am to be sure in the morning and i don't think that is worth it. It is only a 1& 1/2 hr. drive.

 

[CleveRocks]

From PHL you'll take I-95 North to I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway), and at some point I-76 becomes the PA Turnpike, which you'll take west to, I believe, Exit 20.

In Philadelphia during morning and afternoon rush hours, I-95 is no picnic but the Schuylkill is absolutely repugnant, insane, whatever you want to call it. I never took it during rush hour unless I had a full tank of gas, some reading material, and no need to use the bathroom. The Schulykill can crawl, but it can also be 70 mph bumper-to-bumper; neither seems like a good option if you're not used to it. Plus then there's the whole mess at King of Prussia getting onto the Turnpike at Exit 24. Mess, mess, mess during rush hour. Expect rush hours to be between 6:30 - 9:30 a.m. and 4:00 -7:00 p.m., very roughly.

In short, drive at night, avoid rush hour. Good luck!

 

[Soarin' Rocks]

There's an exit from the Turnpike just a few miles from the airport and it is very well marked. That being said, there are also numerous hotels near the airport in case you want to spend the night. There might even be a few hotels that will shuttle you to the airport and let you park there (I know they do this in Baltimore where I usually fly out of). It's worth checking into anyway. Good luck!

 

[shafke]

The drive should be no more than 2 hours Philly to Hershey. You shouls also pass at least 1 maybe 2 service areas along the way in case you need to stop for food or bathroom. I think the turnpike is only lit at the exits but you won't be the only one on the road so lighting should not be a problem.

 

[msim]

Thanks everybody!!! I really appreciate the advice. I hear I may be on some toll roads. Does anyone know how much money I should have on me? Thanks again!

 

[msmayor]

Bear in mind that while the majority of your trip will be on major highway, once you exit the Turnpike you will have to drive on a county road through farmland. Hershey is not right off the Turnpike, but another 20 minutes or so on a two-lane road. Some gentle hills, turns, a few traffic lights. You will also go through some small residential zones where the speed limit is 25-30mph.

Its by no means a difficult drive, but one you should make sure you are alert and awake when making it. Aside from the county road into Hershey, you'll need to be alert for deer along the Turnpike. My family routinely makes that drive a few times a year, all the way to Harrisburg, and its not unusual at all to see many deer day or night grazing along the highway.

 

[Hannathy]

The only toll is the turnpike and I would guess around 5.00 maybe less but they get a lot on that end of the pike. You don't need change you go thru a toll booth with a person.

 

[1000th happy haunt]

The drive should be no more than 2 hours Philly to Hershey. You shouls also pass at least 1 maybe 2 service areas along the way in case you need to stop for food or bathroom. I think the turnpike is only lit at the exits but you won't be the only one on the road so lighting should not be a problem.

You'll probably need about 2-1/2 hours to actually reach the park. I live in the Philly suburbs (on the PA side) and my drive on the turnpike is about 1-1/2 hours. Then it takes about another 30 minutes after you leave the turnpike to reach Hersheypark.

 

[CleveRocks]

There's an exit from the Turnpike just a few miles from the airport and it is very well marked. :

I think you're a little confused here, or your definition of "just a few miles" is very different from mine . PHL is nowhere near the PA Turnpike. PHL is roughly 25 miles from the King of Prussia exit. That's north on 95 and then almost the entire length of the Schuylkill Expressway. Good 30 minute drive right there, if there's no traffic.

 

[Disneyhappy]

I also live in a Philly suburb and we get to Hershey about once a year. I still print out directions on mapquest or Yahoo maps when we go. They are very good and the mile markers they provide are pretty accurate. I don't know that I would recommend taking 95N to 76E from th airport. I would take 95S to 476 to 76E to pick up the Turnpike. This will hae you on 76 the least amount of time and that road is a pain. I have to take 76 to work once a week. I left home at 7:10 this AM instead of my usual 6:30 AM and what is normally a 25-30 minute drive at 6:30 AM took me one hour! I hate Route 76!!! Someon else mentioned a Turnpike exit near the airport. If that is the case, tht may be your best bet but, again, mapquest will be accurate in telling you which is the best way to go in my experience. All the major expressways at that time of night should not be a problem (barring any major event at any of the sports arenas). Once you get off the Turnpike at the Lebanon exit (near Hershey), the mapquest directions will come in very handy. That will be the trickier part but not bad at all. Basically, you will stay on one road that I believe bears off at one point to conitnue on the same route number (which currently escapes me). I agree it will take 2-2 1/2 hours. Good luck!

 

[Kycha]

From PHL you'll take I-95 North to I-76 West (Schuylkill Expressway), and at some point I-76 becomes the PA Turnpike, which you'll take west to, I believe, Exit 20.

They changed the PA Turnpike exit numbers a few years ago to reflect the distance. So, old exit 19, which is the Harrisburg East exit, is now exit 247. This will take you to U.S. route 322 that will take you right to Hershey.

Here is a link http://www.paturnpike.com/for for the PA Turnpike which will show interchanges, service plazas, toll amounts and maps. Once you get beyond the King of Prussia exit, the traffic will ease up quite a bit. The route is well marked, and there are frequent emergency pull offs and emergency phones. You can tune your radio to 1640 am for the turnpike announcements.

 

[DonnaL]

I agree with Disneyhappy about taking 95S to 476 rather than 95N to 76 (Schuykill). We travel from NE PA to PHL airport on a regular basis and you shouldn't have any trouble on 95S and 476. At night you won't hit much traffic on 95 or 476. Actually, I'm not sure but I think you can avoid getting on 76 altogether. I believe if you go one exit past 76 you should be able to get on 276W (PA turnpike).

 

[Windjammer]

I also agree with Disney Happy and DonnaL. Take 95 south from the airport to 476 North (there is no 476 south at that point). Take 476 North to the Schylkill expressway (76). Take 76 West and at King of Prussia you can get on the Turnpike heading West.

If you are landing in Philadelphia at 8, you likely will not arrive in Hershy until between 11 and 12 pm (figuring in time for getting luggage, rent a car, etc.) If you don't want to drive all the way to Hershy that night, there are some hotels in the King of Prussia area, or you can get onto the turnpike and there are some hotels near exits. One I know of is a Holiday Inn (with an indoor pool) near Morgantown.

Hope this helps

Steve

 

[msim]

Thanks everyone!!

 

[tessqt]

I'll just agree with most others, if you don't have to drive in the morning rush in Philly on the "Surekill" expressway or the PA turnpike DON'T! When I read the post about the Turnpike being a few miles from the airport, I guess my idea of a few miles is 2-5, it is a good 10-15.

There are numerous hotels in the King of Prussia area if for some reason you run into trouble getting there, which you really shouldn't but you never know.

You should be fine there are rest stops along the turnpike, not alot but at least 1 or 2. If you feel uncomfortable, Morgantown is a good place to stop for the night, the turnpike is not too bad out that way during the morning rush hour.

Good luck, have fun Hershey is a blast! (but not as fun at WDW!)