Route 1 from Philly to Orlando???

[vacationwoman]

Anyone ever drive from the Philly area to Orlando using Route 1 instead of
I95 ? I've heard too many horror stories about the driving habits of a large percentage of those using I95. Truckers and those pulling campers seem to be the worse offenders.

None of the mapping sites will give me info using route 1.

 

[Mickey527]

I can't imagine going down from PA to Orlando on RT1. You would have to plan on at least 4-6 days. Rt 1 is stop lights every block or so and I always seem to catch every one.
I am sure there are other ways other than 95. I think 81?
I drive down quite alot, in the past 15 years I would average 3 drives down each year, sometimes more. I have never had any problems with the truckers or campers. If you respect a trucker they will respect you. If you see they want to get by. move out of their way. If you need to pass them do so. Use your rear view mirror alot and watch for them when they get a bit close. If you are in the middle lane pull over so they can get by. If you are in the slow lane there is nothing you can do but wait for them to pass you. I know sometimes they creap up too close, just make sure there is enough room in front of you in case you have to stop or pull over.
The most important thing to remember is they are working, they are not looking for trouble. They have a specific time they are allowed to drive and have to pull over and sleep. They also have to get their load delivered in time. And don't forget all those weigh stations they have to go into. All this slows them down and seeing a "4 wheeler" block them only makes their life harder. I don't know any truckers but I do understand how tough their job is.
Truckers will signal you to pull back in front of them by flashing their lights at you if you have your signal on to change lanes. They will let you know that they feel there is enough room for you to pull in and they are aware of you.
I do see some people who are not familiar with driving campers and they tend to swerve a bit. I just avoid them. When they are going slow and I have to pass them I make sure there is enough room, otherwise I stay behind them until there is.
I have had popped tires and minor problems while driving down to WDW and I have never had a car stop to help. Truckers on the other hand will stop and offer help or call for help. this was before cell phones, but back when my boys were all under 10. I drove down alone with them and never felt threatened by truckers who stopped to help.
Oh, one more thing. When you see a truck driver slow down that should be a signal for you to slow down. They use their CB radios to alert each other when there is a trooper up ahead. I have followed this and in my many trips down to FL I have never gotten a speeding ticket even when I was going a little too fast.

 

[vacationwoman]

I realize taking route 1 will be time consuming and that's fine.
Figured it would be a nice scenic and leisurely trip and I would like to spend 3 or 4 days stopping along the way.

 

[supersuperwendy]

Well....I've thought the same question....

If you think about rt. 1 in our area....

through parts of philly its not the best...congested...dangerous in parts....

then in chester county...through chadds ford and kennet it can be congested....i'm familiar with it down through maryland but beyond that...who knows. It could take a very long time. I'd stick with 95.

 

[vacationwoman]

Well....I've thought the same question....

If you think about rt. 1 in our area....

through parts of philly its not the best...congested...dangerous in parts....

then in chester county...through chadds ford and kennet it can be congested....i'm familiar with it down through maryland but beyond that...who knows. It could take a very long time. I'd stick with 95.

You've got a point about the "congested and dangerous" parts in Phila. Wasn't thinking about that aspect.

I was hoping it would be nicer once out of this area. Maybe it's not.
Still was hoping for a leisurely, scenic drive (time is not an issue).
Anyone have any alternative routes that would be nice?

 

[pbharris4]

Route 1 from Alexandria down towards Fredericksburg, VA has a lot of lights. From Fredericksburg towards Richmond..not a lot of lights, but a lot of trees. Also just wanted to mention that if there's an accident on I-95..Route 1 is the "Bail Out" and gets just as congested plus there's construction moving in and out from all the new subdivisions going up.

On I-95 in VA truckers are not allowed to travel in the far left lane (buses can't either. You can always get in that lane, but you can't go too slow. Once you get past Fredericksburg, VA I-95 is a breeze with hardly any traffic all the way to FL, unless there's an accident and that can happen anywhere.

 

[CleveRocks]

Wait a second, I have to defend my native Northeast Philadelphia here.

From the northern city limit, the first 10 miles or so of Route 1 is a 12-lane (6 lanes each way) street that cuts through many neighborhoods. That's right, STREET, not highway. A 12-lane street sounds like it would run just great, but it's traffic lights every few blocks, very congested, but NOT DANGEROUS AS FAR AS THE NEIGHBORHOODS GO!!! I'll allow there are dangerous neighborhoods in Phialdephia, but not where Route 1 is a city street.

After that, it becomes a limited-access highway for several miles, but then links up with I-76 for less than a mile, then becomes another HIGHLY CONGESTED city street, called City Line Avenue, the city limit in that area. This goes for miles and miles, 2 lanes in each direction, through about a zillion lights and many business districts.

Oncew you get into Delaware and Chester Counties it does look a little bucolic at times but it's still heavily traveled and heavily congested.

I don't know where you're from, but picture a roadway that's shared by commuters, school buses making stops, tractor trailers, soccer moms running errands, etc. BUSY BUSY BUSY. At the wrong time of day, from Bucks County through to Chester County on Route 1 you could travel that maybe 45 miles in about 3 hours or more, if you hit everything just wrong.

 

[jennypenny]

OK, the neighborhoods in NE Philly are not dangerous, but the roosevelt blvd stretch of route 1 was rated the most dangerous stretch of roadway in SE PA--over 95!! That's why they are installing all of those cameras.

Jenny
(and yes, I lived in Philly for 10 years and now live in Bucks--love philly, hate the roosevelt blvd)

 

[jobie61]

You can pick up route 301 in Delaware and take it all the way into Richmond. It will at least by-pass DC. there aren't too many lights.

 

[Delaware Mike]

You can pick up route 301 in Delaware and take it all the way into Richmond. It will at least by-pass DC. there aren't too many lights.

Ah, yes....another Route 1...this time Delaware Route 1.

The land of tax-free shopping, and the $2.00-toll-over-the-C&D-Canal...

Actually, THIS Route 1 is pretty good. I recommend this route to anyone wanting to by-pass the dredded DC Beltway.

Take I-95 South to exit 4A, which is Delaware 1 South, or Delaware Route 7 South (same road).

Take Delaware Route 1 South, which does go over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal (C & D Canal), and yes there is a toll so have your EZPass with you.

Get off at Exit 136, and take route 299 towards Middletown, Delaware.

Go through Middletown, and US Route 301 is found on the west side of this little town.

Take US Route 301 for a scenic drive through Agrarian southern New Castle County and the Maryland Eastern Shore. This will take you over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge into the Annapolis area.

Continue following the signs for 301 south.

I love this drive, as it takes you through some very nice country settings (and some parts have traffic lights too.) But you miss the DC traffic.

(...and remember, there is no life west of the Eastern Shore.)

 

[melanie18]

When driving home from WDW right after 9/11, AAA detoured us off of 95 somewhere in N. Carolina area, it brought us through W. Virginia and eventually onto Rte 81 & onto the PA Turnpike. It was a really beautiful drive and the scenery was gorgeous through parts of it.

 

[CPT Tripss]

CleveRocks - a Viking here, but you gotta be nuts to try to go any distance on route 1 - unless you are way up in Maine.

 

[aynt79]

I would rather stay home than try to go Rt 1 all the way

We have driven FL to Maine and back many times, and for the most part the trucks or campers really shouldn't be your worst fear. I have seen many worse drivers in "normal" cars. I rather drive with the truckers than some of the crazy people out there.

I don't know about the other states, but Rt 1 in FL can go through some sketchy parts, and there definately isn't anything beautiful to see.

 

[Forevryoung]

Route 1 in Maryland (by the DC border) is going to take you through College Park... Where the University of Maryland is located

You would be nuts to drive through there (better around DC as opposed to through it like Route 1) Tons of lights and traffic at all hours of the day. Every corner has a light.

Beautiful campus though!

 

[CleveRocks]

CleveRocks - a Viking here, but you gotta be nuts to try to go any distance on route 1 - unless you are way up in Maine.

I totally agree. I was recommending AGAINST using Route 1.

VIKING???

 

[snowy76]

OK, the neighborhoods in NE Philly are not dangerous, but the roosevelt blvd stretch of route 1 was rated the most dangerous stretch of roadway in SE PA--over 95!! That's why they are installing all of those cameras.

ITA. Even thought I live in NY, I've spent a good part of my life driving up and down Roosevelt Blvd from visiting all the family I have in NE Philly/Bensalem. Roosevelt is crazy!!! I also remember seeing a "Dateline" story quite a while back about the 10 most dangerous intersections in the US (based on insurance claims). One of them was on RB, and the spokesman for the group that did the study recommended avoiding that entire stretch of road altogether. No wonder!

vacationwoman, if you're looking for leisurely, maybe you should drive west first toward Harrisburg and as a PP mentioned, take 81 from PA down toward TN.

 

[CleveRocks]

The intersections at Grant Avenue and at Red Lion Road are the two in the "most dangerous" category.

The problems there won't so much with The Boulevard per se but with the cross traffic. There were no lane lines painted for the cross traffic. People making left turns from the cross street onto The Boulevard would rush up in a line, waiting to turn left. This results in two solid lines of cars looking for a gap in the other line to squeeze through to make a left onto The Boulevard. AND THEN THE LIGHT TURNS RED. People panic, they have to get out of the way of the 12 lanes of traffic about to try to mow them down.

Not pretty.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Living in northern Maryland and DH working in Philly suburbs I can help out with Route 1 from Bel Air, Md to Springfield, Pa. Basically...don't do it! The lights, the traffic and most of it I wouldn't refer to as scenic. Like others said, it's not the safest road, especially in the areas going from two lanes down to one.
I travel 81 more times than I'd like to recall. The biggie there is that there are a ton of 18-wheelers, at least from the NY boarder to TN. I think it's a pretty popular route with the truckers. I also travel on 95 a lot. I prefer to stay away from it but I think I'd still take that over the other routes. We plan to do the drive one of these days when it will actually be cheaper for us to drive instead of fly. We're just going to plan to leave at like 9 or 10 at night so we get past Baltimore, DC and Richmond while the traffic is not so bad.
Good luck in your decision!

 

[CPT Tripss]

Cleve - thought you were from NE Philly . . . assumed you would know who the Vikings are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_High_School_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania)

 

[CleveRocks]

Cleve - thought you were from NE Philly . . . assumed you would know who the Vikings are. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_High_School_(Philadelphia,_Pennsylvania)

Now you know how much I think about Northeast High School.

I was a Railsplitter and my wife was an Eagle. Gold stars if you figure those 2 out.