Connecticut to Virginia Beach (Norfolk, Chesapeake: live in, price, best)

[Kitty46]

I am traveling on Saturday from the Hartford Conn. area to Virginia Beach. MapQuest has me going from Jersey Pike to 1-95S towards Baltimore. Then DE-1s via exit 4A , Merge onto US-13 S towards Salisbury/Norfolk crossing into Maryland - Looks like US-13S most of the way. Just checking if anyone is familiar with this route. I thought we would stay on 95 through DC but maybe this is a quieter route?

[htlong]

i go i 95 from richmond to ac but if i lived in newport news i would go that way ,rt 13 is a very pleasant country drive but you will need to pay a toll for the chesapeake bay bridge tunnel...but comming fro nj you should be used to tolls, try to avoid dc even on a saturday traffic is terrible!

[bassman1354]

if you stay on I95 instead of US13S to Hampton are the tolls less? its $12.00 just for the chesapeake!!bat tunnel

[rtandc]

You can take I95 from DC to Richmond and then I64 into Va Bch and skip the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel toll but being a Saturday I would take 13 and just enjoy the ride and save yourself the headache of possibly being stuck in traffic for hours on either I95 or I64....Just be careful once you are on route 13 because it is known as a speed trap ...but even having to obay the slower speed limits along 13 it will still save you travel time getting to Va Bch

[kentish06]

Route 13 is cheaper on tolls and shorter travel time with less time spent in traffic. Just watch your speed.

[Randomdude]

Originally Posted by bassman1354

if you stay on I95 instead of US13S to Hampton are the tolls less? its $12.00 just for the chesapeake!!bat tunnel

The tolls are as follows if you go down the NJ turnpike and over the Delaware Memorial

95- $20.05

US-13- $21.05, and I think there is another $1 toll when you get off 95 on to 13 in Northern Delaware. The difference is like $2.

The positives of US-13 are

1. No DC traffic, which starts in Baltimore, and extends about 30 miles in to northern VA.

2. No confusing capital beltway.

3. US-13 is a straight shot, and is a very relaxing drive.

4. No Hampton Roads bridge tunnel traffic (if you take 64 back to Virginia Beach), if you take the long way, 95 to 460 to 264, etc, you will add significant time to your trip. Best case scenario, you get clean traffic on 64.

[CosmicWizard]

I used to drive from VB to the Philly area on a regular basis. On one ocassion there was a delay getting on the the bridge tunnel on US 13. Not wanting to wait it out, I decided to do I-64 to I-95. After dealing with traffic and the extra 90 miles of driving around, I never took that route again. To me anyway, the toll to go across the Chesapeake bridge tunnel was well worth the price. I must have driven up and down US 13 at least 30 times. It is far less stressful than I-95. If you take US 13...WATCH YOUR SPEED IN DELAWARE.

[stacylee926]

Last summer we drove to Maine and your way is the way we went. So much traffic around the DC area that it just isn't worth it. Plus, Sat tunnel traffic at the HRBT in the summer is risky. Stick to 13 and you have much less stress and make better time.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by stacylee926

Last summer we drove to Maine and your way is the way we went. So much traffic around the DC area that it just isn't worth it. Plus, Sat tunnel traffic at the HRBT in the summer is risky. Stick to 13 and you have much less stress and make better time.

Absolutely! My in-laws all live in Mass. and that's the way we take to visit. Only headache is the George Washington Bridge! To avoid this, we usually leave at 3am from VaBch.

[effulgent7]

I also vote for Rte 13- I have gone that way and it is very pleasant. I usually take 95 but am ready to give it up after last week when my 4 hour drive turned into 8. 95 is just so "iffy" in the summer- hard to predict when it will be crowded, accidents, etc.