Route 81/77 instead of 95 was definitely the way to go!

[Josh Hendy]

81/77 is our favorite route to get to FL from ON. The traffic on I-95 everywhere north of the NC/VA border is simply terrible. I remember once we were heading north on I-95 and stayed on it right through NC because we were visiting DC on the way home. NC was fine, but crossing from NC into VA it was like somebody turned on a switch - suddenly we were in heavy, heavy traffic and it stayed that way all the way to the metro station outside of DC. Whereas I-95 from the Carolinas south to Daytona where you turn off for Orlando is a breeze.

We've also been on I-95 for a short stretch in PA-DE when heading south to the DE-MD beaches and it's also like a solid wall of vehicles across something like 10 lanes of traffic.

The shortcomings of I-81 are that it can be quite hilly in PA and the asphalt can be a bit rough and bumpy. Having only 2 lanes in each direction you sometimes have to tangle with 18-wheelers and RVs either crawling uphill or charging downhill like a bat out of H-E-hockeysticks. There is another quite hilly section on I-81 in the southern part of VA where we had to get around a lot of trucks which were struggling up the grades.

The only stressful part of I-77 that I recall was around Charlotte where it cuts close to the center of town. You get some heavy traffic and those nasty "big city" exit ramps that are quite short and where the on- and off-ramps are close together, with lots of cars and trucks veering on and off the highway at high speed. But compared to the BosNYWash corridor on I-95 it's nothing.

The scenery in the VA part of I-81 (blue ridge and Shenandoah valley) is quite pretty, and the descent off the ridge on I-77 down onto the piedmont of NC is remarkable. If you have extra time I highly recommend taking a scenic detour on the Blue Ridge parkway which runs parallel to I-81. You can jump on and off almost anywhere and just a 2-hour side trip on a fine day is well worth the trouble. Just remember to drive very slowly and cautiously on the parkway, because if you don't then you're going to run into someone who *is* driving slowly.

 

[The VWL Five]

Hey thanks for the updates.

After a great deal of map digging we have decided to take the plunge and use 78-81-77-26-95 to Florida. The time of day we are leaving will for sure provide us delays in Philly, DE/MD and DC. That is a fact.

My investigation shows that early on in the trip there would be just over 100 mile + difference going 81 than 95 (example from DC due west to same point on 81 as an example) . Reason is you gotta head more south west early on opposed to going 95. That really threw me for a loop. But when I looked at the entire leg from 78-81-77-26 to the 26/95 intersection vs straight down 95 to the 26/95 intersection on 95 it is ONLY a 40 mile difference. Not bad at all.

Usually I would go 95 but my experince has shown we will surely hit traffic in Philly, where 95 connects to NJ Tpke in DE plus light traffic in Balt and most of all the crazy traffic in DC. The worst part of DC is in north VA where the HOV lanes and regular land are just INSANE.

I will try and post after we return.

Thx

 

[glen65]

It's been 2 years since I took this route and I will be taking it again this summer. Has anyone been this route recently? Any changes or major construction projects going on?
Thanks

 

[shnoukys]

Was wondering how that route is in Nov/Dec?

 

[1Grumpy9]

We are driving from Harrisburg in August and thought about taking this route, but it seems like it so far west to come back and go South, but if it will avoid alot of traffic, then it might be worthwhile. Has anyone done this route from our area and can comment if you think it took longer if the mileage is longer?

I live on the West Shore (Enola to be exact) and my friend and I went the 81/77 trip last October to Disney and my parents take it every year with a camper to Daytona for the winter (Jan-Mar). The mileage is longer but the time is shorter (even though google maps says longer). You don't have to worry about leaving at midnight and still getting caught in DC traffic. My friend and I left my house at 6:30am...stopped at Cracker Barrel in Carlisle for breakfast and stopped again in Orangeburg, SC for dinner at Chick Fil a and we made it to Daytona by 10:50pm. We hit some traffic on I-81 in VA right before the turn off for I-77. We lost about 45 mins there. We also lost about 15 mins for construction right below Charlotte. Other than that...we had no problems. We changed drivers most of the day every 3 hrs. I drove the last couple of hours since I knew where we were stopping in Daytona.

 

[ibcnu]

We are planning a trip to Panama City Beach from the northeast and am interested in traveling 81/77 to 85 through Atlanta, instead of 95 to Jacksonville. Is the 81/77/85 stretch through Virginia, NC, SC, GA hilly and alot of steep hills? I'm hesitant to take this route and put extra wear-n-tear on our vehicle as opposed to the flat road of 95 from DC on down. Thoughts?

 

[Ginny Favers]

Well, you'll put wear and tear on your brakes stopping for traffic all the time on 95. We were hesitant the first time we drove down on 81/77 so we quick switched to 95 and ended up in so much traffic. The past two times, we've driven down and back on 81/77 and it's been great. Yes there are more hills, but nothing outrageously steep-- it's on interstates, after all.

 

[RustManFan]

that is the way we went when we drove. and convenient for stopping at Gettysburg on the way home to NJ

 

[ibcnu]

Well, you'll put wear and tear on your brakes stopping for traffic all the time on 95. We were hesitant the first time we drove down on 81/77 so we quick switched to 95 and ended up in so much traffic. The past two times, we've driven down and back on 81/77 and it's been great. Yes there are more hills, but nothing outrageously steep-- it's on interstates, after all.

yes, but because we are driving to Panama City Beach I also have to deal with Charlotte and Atlanta traffic (the route circles around those cities). On the other hand, once we pass Richmond on I-95 it's clear sailing all the way to Florida and if you enter Baltimore or Washington DC in the middle of the night, you can clear those cities in a breeze. We once ended up going through Washington DC at midnight, literally, our GPS had us go straight through DC on 295 rather than around the Beltway on 495/95 because it was quicker!

 

[Ginny Favers]

yes, but because we are driving to Panama City Beach I also have to deal with Charlotte and Atlanta traffic (the route circles around those cities). On the other hand, once we pass Richmond on I-95 it's clear sailing all the way to Florida and if you enter Baltimore or Washington DC in the middle of the night, you can clear those cities in a breeze. We once ended up going through Washington DC at midnight, literally, our GPS had us go straight through DC on 295 rather than around the Beltway on 495/95 because it was quicker!

Try to time your route so you're hitting them at less busy times. I can't speak about Atlanta but I found that rush hour in Charlotte is nowhere near as bad as the traffic we experienced coming out of DC. That might have been because of construction, but it was terrible. We just sat and sat. At least Charlotte was moving.

 

[flabound]

Any updates on this route? heading south from RI Dec 20th 2015 and want to try a different route. Have done 95 so often and 81/77 was recommended. Wondering about weather and construction. Any tips? I am planning on driving straight through (2 drivers- we do it frequently) and am traveling with my pooch. Anything we should see? Anything we should avoid? Any traffic avoidance tips? We can take as much time as needed...we want to have an adventure!

 

[EpcotQueen]

We drove the 81/77 route on the 19th of December to the Atlanta area. As always, an easy scenic drive. Very little construction. A bit near Mechanicsburg in PA. Nothing too challenging though. Nothing in Harrisburg. 485 around Charlotte bypasses most of the worst there. In fact, in all of the drives we've done south/north, have never had an issue there. We stop for the night at Mooresville near Lake Norman at the Hilton Gardens Inn. Nice place. From 77 we take 85 into the Atlanta area. Atlanta is probably where you'll hit the worst traffic. Can't speak to south of Atlanta as we stop just north of Atlanta at son's place. As I've mentioned before, there are great rest stops along the majority of our route. We pack a picnic and eat lunch at one of them.

 

[Cindy R.]

Driving from Tolland, CT to Hilton Head in April. Any suggestions on places to stay if we want someplace at the 9 hour mark? We have always done the horrific I-95 route. I'd like to get through Charlotte in the early morning hours of day two. We are driving on a Friday. Thank you!

 

[HeatherC]

Cindy..we are also heading to Hilton Head for April break but we are driving 95 from Sturbridge area and leaving on a Wed.. We do the drive a couple times a year (my parents live in Bluffton) and have found that leaving at 6am actually works the best. We hit the NY/NJ rush hour around 9am which is pretty much over by that point and that puts us through DC before 3 and then it is usually clear sailing down 95.

If you definitely do the 81/77 route, I would highly suggest making it to the south side of Charlotte the first night. For some reason even on a Saturday morning it can be a pain getting through the city. Like I mentioned in my first post we have stayed at the Residence Inn on Tyvola Ave. There are also a couple other hotels near there.

From Tolland, that is about a 12 hour ride so if you left very early...like 4am you should reach it by dinner time. The next day it is about four more hours. If you don't want to drive that far the first day, I would hope that traffic would be ok departing in the morning, but we have hit traffic going through there on Saturday as well...but nothing like Rt. 95.

Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip! Maybe we will see you on Hilton Head! Have you been before? We love it!

 

[Cindy R.]

Cindy..we are also heading to Hilton Head for April break but we are driving 95 from Sturbridge area and leaving on a Wed.. We do the drive a couple times a year (my parents live in Bluffton) and have found that leaving at 6am actually works the best. We hit the NY/NJ rush hour around 9am which is pretty much over by that point and that puts us through DC before 3 and then it is usually clear sailing down 95.

If you definitely do the 81/77 route, I would highly suggest making it to the south side of Charlotte the first night. For some reason even on a Saturday morning it can be a pain getting through the city. Like I mentioned in my first post we have stayed at the Residence Inn on Tyvola Ave. There are also a couple other hotels near there.

From Tolland, that is about a 12 hour ride so if you left very early...like 4am you should reach it by dinner time. The next day it is about four more hours. If you don't want to drive that far the first day, I would hope that traffic would be ok departing in the morning, but we have hit traffic going through there on Saturday as well...but nothing like Rt. 95.

Hope this helps! Have a wonderful trip! Maybe we will see you on Hilton Head! Have you been before? We love it!

Thanks, Hesther.
Wait, didn't you start this thread 6 years ago saying avoiding 95 is the way to go? We go to either HHI or Kiawah every April. Last year we ventured to Myrtle Beach. What a nightmare NY and DC were. Down and back we had 4 extra hours due to traffic and construction. I just can't do it again this year. We plan to leave Tolland at 4 am. We are actually from Maine but visiting family for a night. We are going to stop at Mt. Airy, NC and then do another 4 am departure on Saturday, to HHI. We have twin 16 year old daughters so hoping to do the outlet shopping the first day, and get it over with
Last year it appeared no hour was early enough to avoid traffic on 95...keeping fingers crossed for perfect weather!

 

[HeatherC]

Cindy..I did start the thread. We take the 81 route if it is in the summer on a Saturday since 95 is a nightmare then. Our last couple trips were during the school year and not over a holiday week or weekend. For April we are leaving the Wednesday before break and then driving home the following Saturday.

We did the exact thing last April and it worked well...as long as we came home on a Sat. and not the Friday.

Hope this clears up any confusion!. Have an awesome time!

 

[bradykp]

So I drove to Florida from Essex County, NJ (near Newark) in November 2016 and we left around 7pm and drove straight through. I believe we also went straight through DC and not around it on the Beltway. We had some inefficient stops in the DC area trying to find coffee/gas/bathroom, but for the most part it was a smooth ride. We also stopped for breakfast in South Carolina for an hour at 7am, something I would never do again due to the amount of time we lost. Got to our Disney resort at 1:30pm. Not terrible, but we know we can do better.

This May we are driving again. We leave May 26th - which is Memorial Day Weekend. my wife took a half day, so we can leave our house as early as 1:15pm if we're ready to go as soon as she gets home. This is what made me think "oh no, that puts us right around DC right around 5:15pm". i spoke to AAA and they said it's not as bad as you'd think, since many people take off on thursday or get earlier starts on Friday. But it has me thinking about 81/77/26/95 instead. It's an additional 84 miles according to google maps. that seems like a lot of extra miles to make up for potential traffic on I95.

Google says this:

I95: 15 h 40 m to 18 h 30 m
I81: 16 h 10 m to 19 h 10 m

Surprised that both "best cases" are only 30 minutes different - which means google is counting on at least some traffic on I95 that makes up for roughly half the mileage difference. but i still can't get over that i'd be going 84 miles out of my way.

has anyone driving either route on Memorial Day Weekend friday?

 

[sparkellyy]

Any experience with increased traffic labor day week? Driving from RI.

 

[Pennstate6411]

We are from Harrisburg- 81-77 isn't a bad route- usually will go that way on the yearly trek to HHI.

 

[charmed59]

If you are hitting Charlotte when there is traffic on 77, detour onto the west side of 485. (Outer going south, inner going north) It's a loop that goes around Charlotte, and will dump you back onto 77. In general much less traffic.