Nj - Fl

[AEN]

This might get transfered to another forum, so I apologize if I posted the wrong place....

What do you think the best route from NJ to FL is if we are leaving on a Friday at 3:00pm?

Thanks

 

[don8life]

95 all the way. If your going to Orlando you want to jump on 4.
If you leave at 3 you are going to run right into rush hour around Washington and Maryland. BLAH! That could be a real nightmare.

 

[AEN]

That's why I was thinking about looping around 81 or taking the Bay Bridge/Tunnel, or even Ferry to the Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Any thoughts?

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Originally posted by AEN
Any thoughts?

Just one, FLY

 

[JVL1018]

It depends on where you are leaving from, we live in Northern Bergen County a few miles from the GWB, and it takes us 3 hours to get to Baltimore, 4 to get to DC-so for us-we would not leave until 4 pm, we'd miss the NYC traffic, get to Baltimore at 7 and DC at 8..much better than 6 and 7pm in those areas, in my experience.

 

[AEN]

Thanks for the thoughts. We will probably push it up to 12:00 or back till 4-5.

We are in Parsippany so, the distance is similar to Bergen County. I grew up in Lodi.

 

[gritzel4]

Hi AEN - Just a thought --

To avoid the traffic in and around Philadelphi - I would try to take 295 South to DE Memorial Bridge to 95 South all the way to FL.

We have made this trip several times by car (yuck) with our children (4 and 6 yrs old). Are you planning on driving straight through?

 

[AEN]

Yea, we plan on driving straight through.

We did it in '96 (wihen our son was 5 months old) and we went straight through to Hilton Head last year. Our kids are 8, 10 and 12 and we have the DVD to keep them occupied.

My wife said that she wants to do three hours on, three hours off so she won't get board this time.

 

[gritzel4]

We have always driven straight through with the kids - it helps if you let them run around McDonalds playplace just before their bed time.

The person who developed the VCR/DVD for the car should be blessed by everyone who uses them. Hopefully your kids will agree on what to watch

As for taking turns driving - there always comes that time (usually 2 - 3 am) when we are both tired. Best Wishes, enjoy your vacation and beep to us as you pass the Princeton area.

Pixie dust to you

 

[nanticoke]

I will just throw in my 2 cents for taking the Eastern shore route.

It is approx. 2 hrs from Del mem bridge to Salisbury driving down Rt 13. From Salis to bay tunnel is 2.5 hrs. From Tunnel thru norfolk area on 64 to Rt 58 and all the way to Emporia is approx. 2 hrs. When you hit Emporia you are 10 miles from the N.C. border. It is not as congested as Balt. and D.C. but you can't drive as fast as on 95.

I'm guessing it could take longer going the eastern shore route, but it will be less stress and less traffic.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

I would definitely recommend taking I-95; however, you should definitely either leave before noon or after 5:00pm. We took a trip to Williamsburg last month and came back via I-95. We got a later start than I had anticipated and we really got caught up in prime time rush hour.

It was bumper to bumper almost the entire distance from just before Arlington, VA to north of Baltimore. Thank goodness the kids we able to watch movies in the van. But it's to bad we don't have a video screen in the front. We moved so slowly I could have safely watched a movie during the time we were stuck in traffic.

By the way, we live just south of Trenton and have driven to WDW twice, straight through each time. Even though it can be a little tough, we've definitely found that it's worth it!

 

[AEN]

I thought about the Bay Bridge and Tunnel, but it will be a Friday and I didn't want to go anywhere near the shore, especially Ocean City.

Has anybody gone the 81 route (in Pa.) and cut back in around Richmond?

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by MOMTOMOOTOO
Just one, FLY

ROFL!!

Anne

 

[Uncleromulus]

Aen:
I've seen a # of posts on folks who took I-81 down and liked it. You have several options about where to get back onto I-95. Getting around the nightmare traffic around DC seems to be worth the extra time and distance involved.
I'd take it myself, except that we now beat the DC traffic by leaving at 4:00 AM on Friday. We're around DC just after 6:00, as the morning rush is getting impossible.

 

[AEN]

Thanks. I am going to go to AAA and get the trip tik using the Route 81 route.

 

[madhouserobey]

left on halloween 2003 at 2pm from baltimore area.was at n.c.in 5 hrs . try this .take I95 TO balt /washington parkwayto southeast freeway which turns into 395.then hit hov-3 lanes if you three or more people in the car.most traffic is going north on bw parkway during evening rush.will hit a little backup from 395in dc to just passed the pentagon.after that hov lane usually move pretty good until you get back to were they come back to main lanes of 95 way past washington.if you can't use hov lanes don't go near dc during rush hoursss.... i drive to dc everyday for work i should know about it's traffic