...to Boston (living in, moving to, suburbs)

[aries4118]

Hello Everyone!

I'm moving to Boston in little less than a month and I'm looking for some advice/recommendations. Yes, I'll be driving.

I've done the East Coast I-95 thing several times in the past. But, I've recently learned from earlier threads that I-81 through Virginia and Pennsylvania is the best/quickest route (plus, I've never been this way...and I get to go through West Virginia for the first time...I'm coming from Atlanta.). However, I have a few questions once I reach central Pennsylvania:

To get to Boston, is it best to...

1. Take I-84 (from the Scranton area) through central New England on in to Boston?

-or-

2. Take I-80 or I-78 to the NYC Metro Area and then I-95 up into Boston?

*Any and all information and advice (traffic patterns, mileage, scenery, etc.) is welcome! Thank you in advance!

[jayrandom]

If you're coming up 81, 84 is your best best. Much less crowded and pretty much a direct shot from Scranton. 80/78/95 can all get very crowded and should be avoided. If you're going in the absolute middle of the night, 78 from Harrisburg would be technically faster, but the difference on google is about 15 minutes difference from Atlanta to Boston--not really worth the risk.

Even 84 can get backed up at the wrong times, though, so try to avoid CT during rush hour if you can, especially Danbury, Waterbury, and the Hartford metro area.

[holden125]

Taking 78 will take a bit less time if there is no traffic, but there is often traffic in NJ/NYC and you're more likely to avoid traffic going through Scranton.

Even if you take 78, don't dream of taking 95 the whole way. 95 is heavily trafficked in western CT and often slow because 2 lanes each way in eastern CT and into RI.

There are several ways to go, but the best of them is probably taking 78 East to 287 North to the NYS Thruway (287 E/87 S). You cross the Tappan Zee Bridge and you are in Westchester Co. (NYC northern suburbs-on a clear day you can look to the right and see the city down the river on the left side). This area is likely to have some traffic at rush hours but is otherwise not so bad. You take 287 East to Exit 9A for 684 North, then Exit 9E for 84 East, which you take all the way to the end and the Mass Pike toward Boston.

[aries4118]

Hello jayrandom and holden125...

Thank y'all for all of the above information! I've decided on a route and all of y'all's information was very helpful.

I'll be living in Boston by mid-August...weird, but I'm excited.