Rt 95 tolls
 

Coming back from Florida,pulling a 24' trailer........first toll was Ft McHenery Tunnel $9.00. Then, just afew miles later was a Maryland toll for a whopping $23......$18 just for the trailer
$7.00 a few miles later in Delaware
$27.95 Jersey pike
$18 GW Bridge
$3.00 NY Thruway
$1.45 Mass Pike
$3.00 (2) NH tolls
NH and Mass are fine....reasonable, but the others are nothing but a shakedown knowing most people are just passing through and can't vote out the legislators who install the outrageous tolls. I feel sorry for people who have to work in that area and pass through every day.
I'm taking rt 81 from now on....a little longer but a whole lot cheaper.

MD / Delaware tolls
 

Having done many a trip to Annapolis to visit my son at the U. S. Naval Academy and later at Marine base Quantico, VA and now Cape Lejuenne, NC I found this to be faster and cheaper than RT 95 through Baltimore.

I jump off Rt 95 at Christinia Mall exit about six miles after the Delaware Memorial Bridge, cut down mid state DE towards Middleton and pick up RT 50

a side benefit is much less traffic and 55 - 65 MPH speed limits.

Route 50 take you over the Bay bridge, by Annapolis and connects you with Rt 95 just northeast of Wash DC. about 8 miles from Andrews Air Force Base.

The toll is 1.00 mid state DE to cross a small bridge and another 3.00 on the Bay bridge.

I sometimes also take Rt 295 in NJ from the Delaware bridge and rejoin the NJ Turnpike at exit 07, before Trenton. depending on traffic on the turnpike.

This is all from memory, so if anyones decides to follow my path, verify with your garmin or a good old fashion map.

I-81
 

Can't understand why folks stay on I-95 and fight the urban/suburban traffics. I travel Rte 3 to 495 to 91 to 74 and over to I-81. The Blue Ridge Turnpike is absolutely beautiful! I would stop at Doubletree in Charlotesville VA. Plenty of trailer parking and they allow pets! :D Cheap AARP and AAA discounts.

Not JUST Cheaper...
 

:cool: That's been my route for a decade—and I don't know that it's "longer".

There are seldom any traffic stoppages, no stop-and-go traffic, frequent rest-stops, no jam-ups at food stops, actual choice of gasoline brands for refuels, "RaceTrack" (cheaper) gas, no tolls, Autumn colors are still showing (in Autumn :o ) and the roadways are better maintained. The best part is: it's scenic! :)

There's glider-piloting over the Adirondacks, a geology panorama through Pennsylvania's Appalachian passes, and antique cars being trailered alongside you near Hershey. Many forested stretches through Virginia and North Carolina are reminiscent of a drive through New Hampshire! Speed limits tend to be consistent and higher.

If you travel on weekends, there's none of the usual bumper-to-bumper "rush-hour" traffic around major cities—and you don't need to take the "beltways"—just drive straight through the cities!

Going South from memory, take I-84, I-81, I-77, I-26 to I-95—thenceforth to wherever. ;)

Acres.....That route looks great. I took 81 once, but took it all the way to rt 75 in Tennesee which is longer. I'm definately going to try your way in march....77 to 26 to 95. Sounds like a nice ride and you're right, it doesn't look any longer than 95 .
I just have to watch the weather because I'll be towing a boat and don't want to catch a snow storm in the mountains.

thats the route I always take, too
 

There's some loooong downgrades on 77 - so make sure that your brakes are good. there is a stretch with several "emergency turn-outs" for runaway rigs.. They carved out a steep climb off to the side of the road and up the hillside. These are filled with soft sand, so between gravity and the sand to bog down a rig, they bring runaways to a stop. I've been caught there in an ice storm - not fun - so watch the weather, too.

I've compared the mileage of the two routes, and indeed, the inland route is longer - by about 75 miles. Only an hour longer if all goes well on 95, but there is always a hours worth of issues on 95..

I did the same thing....
 

Back in April we took our camper down to South Carolina. Took 81 down. There are some long upgrades and down grades on 81. On the way back, took 95 and like Samiam mentioned, got nailed with tolls and spent a lot of time in traffic going over the GW bridge.
Heading to SC again in April and will take 81 both ways this time.

If you ever wondered how the stop ramps work. Most have probably seen this but. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q__9C4-UsE4

I know this one is stated to be improperly designed, but it still would not be a fun ride. I have not been through those roads for many years. TomC are you saying that they no longer have the piles of sand, just alot of soft sand.

sand piles too
 

I didn't pay too much attention to the system, but now that you mention it - i think there were sand piles, too

Interesting post. I've made the drive from FL/SC/NC/VA to NH and Maine over 70 times by my count. I think I have sat in traffic jams on every section and also traveled at the worst times you possibly could. Beltway at rush hour, Thanksgiving holidays, labor day, independence day, through major snow storms, yada yada. I cringe thinking about some of those road trips.

Without traffic snarls, the fastest route is -> 95 -> New Jersey Turnpike -> Garden State Parkway -> 87/287 Tappan Zee -> 684 -> I84 -> I90 and then point to where in Mass/NH/ME that you need to go.

I learned that the only way to minimize the traffic woos was to travel during the night. This includes weekends because often you can get hit with weekend construction zones. Of the several trips I've made over the last few years it's worked well.

I-81 has several advantages and if I were pulling a trailer is what I would use. Otherwise I go with the point of least resistance.

Saw Mill Parkway
 

I might insert one adjustment to the route that you might try as the 287 connector from the Tappen Zee bridge to 684 sometimes is jammed up. Try the Saw Mill Parkway just about a mile after the bridge. Its a winding road but very nice scenery, and it moves well as non-adventuresome folks(slow-pokes) don't like to take it. It goes through Bill and Hillary's new home town Chappaqua and you can see the Reader's Digest Building just after that town on your right as you go north. One caveot though, do not take it during heavy rains as it can flood and hence is sometimes closed.

If - and it's a big if - you can hit it at night or on a weekend morning, crossing the Hudson River at the George Washington Bridge is the fastest route. Continue on I-95, cut over one mile to the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, CT, and follow to it to I-91 and then I-84. Otherwise I agree with the above routing with the Saw Mill Parkway addition. Don't forget to wave to Pam Smart as you go past the Harris Road exit in Bedford Hills.

Update...
 

1) I just traveled I-81 (once-again) recently. The rest of that routing went fine.
:)

One I-81 woe came up in NE Pennsylvania where, after creeping along in weekday afternoon traffic several minutes, I encountered a huge road sign that stated "Traffic Congestion Ahead". :rolleye2:

Traffic creeped along OK for the next five miles before opening up again, but if there's a suitable alternate routing around this point, travelers should be aware of it.

2) After paying a $1 (but unfamiliar) toll, I found I had missed my usual I-93 exit near Manchester—to 3 and 28. (Still a very scenic alternate drive via route 11...but...).

Is alien-abduction a possibility, or were I-93 exits re-numbered over winter? :confused:

Made me feel so good to avoid those tolls..............81 is much prettier and only adds an hour or two to the whole Florida trip. We had no traffic problems at all......smooth sailing all the way.

Myrtle Beach
 

We are headed down for bike week at 0400 tomorrow via 81, cutting over to 95 via 66 in Manassas, VA. This is a great route for scenery and for pulling a trailer.

The truckers seem to prefer this route given the # of major truck stops. We have a 32' enclosed trailer so that makes it our clear choice!

I must be blind. I can't find 91, 74 or I81 on the map. Can you give me a city one of them goes through so I can find the bread crumbs. Thanks

You can even find Woodstock just off of I-81 in VA ;)

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Wo...4&geocode=CITY

Oh Boy
 

I drive too fast to pay attention to what cities I pass through! LOL!

Take 495 to 290 to Worcester. Take 90 to 84, Mass Pike. 84 will take you through Hartford, CT. From 84 to 81 in Scranton, Penn. 81 will take you to WV, VA. I believe this is the Blue Ridge Thruway. Absolutely beautiful!

In TN, take 81 to Asheville and pick up 26 in Asheville, NC. 26 will take you to 95 in SC.

I goof. 91 is 90 and 74 is 84.