Best days to drive to Virginia Beach (Boston, Worcester: oceanfront, hotel)

[kittykat53]

I am planning a trip for mid-August to VA Beach from MA. Thinking about leaving on a Sunday and coming back the following Saturday, but wondered how the traffic would be. I've driven during the week, and it's pretty bad, but would it be worse on the weekend - does anybody have any opinions and experience doing this?

Thanks for any tips.

[lrfox]

I have made the trip from Mass to VA Beach dozens of times. It can be a pain.

The week is pretty busy because you pass through the bulk of the most heavily populated section of the country and have to deal with workday (night) traffic through all of those cities (Boston, New York, Providence, New Haven, Stamford, Bridgeport, Philly, Wilmington, etc).

In the winter months (exception being holiday weekends), traffic is a bit lighter, but in the summer not by much. There's a lot of traffic, even on the weekends, with all of the tourists and vacationers.

The best bet (hoping you have more than just one driver) is to drive overnight. I would leave either Saturday or Sunday evening (depending on what day you want to arrive) at about 7 or 8pm (as late as 11pm if you want to beat the Monday morning rush in the bigger cities). This way you can travel the most heavily trafficked area during the off-peak hours.

The route we traveled when doing this was 95 South to the New Jersey Turnpike (it's I-95 most of the way, but becomes I-295 in Southern Jersey... stay on the Pike/295). JUST south of Wilmington, DE you'll take the exit for Route 13/ The "Dupont Highway" (South)... stay on this road as it will eventually merge with Route 1 South and form the Korean War Veterans' Highway... stay on this for a long while. Stay on the Korean War Vets' Highway until you get to Dover, Delaware. It's here where you will split off of Route 1/Korean War Vets Highway. Take the Puncheon Run Connector exit to Route 13/ South Dupont Highway. Route 13 South is the road you'll take the rest of the way. It's a LONG and often boring road. It runs through Southern DE and the rest of the DelMarVa Peninsula to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel which will take you right accross the bridge tunnel and into VA Beach.

Anyway, after typing all that, I realized you have done the drive before and probably have your own preferred route. I would still suggest leaving at night as the Northeastern Portion of that route will be the worst and leaving at night gives everyone a chance to sleep in the car (again, assuming you're not the only driver) so leaving at night has a bunch of advantages.

Enjoy the trip!

[nycricanpapi]

Everybody come to va beach so we can have more northerners here lol=)

[DreamworksSKG]

Here is a route using Ferries and Back roads (worth a couple days extra ) :-)
more sights, less traffic hassles. :-)
Hope this helps! Enjoy! follow along in Google Maps :-)

I would suggest, takiing Mass Pike West
(though you might want to avoid the toll-booth areas, by going back roads) if there's still toll issues then

to 395 South

Take 395 South to New London CT.

Take the Ferry Cross Sound Ferry to Long Island -
a very nice boat ride across Long Island sound

you'll be at One of the tips of Long Island (the northern tip)

From there drive down the North tip through the Vineyards--toward Islip

Would be 25 South from Point Orient

to Sound Ave (West on Sound Ave) Which eventually becomes 25A

you can check out Wildwood State park on the way and Brookhaven state park

Turn L onto William Floyd PKWY
(County Rte 46)

Take the William Floyd Highway to route 27
(Sunrise Pkwy)

Follow Sunrise PKWY W
27 W

To the 112 Exit
take 112 S
through Patchogue

To West Main St.

L on S Ocean Ave

to Malden Ave to Brightwood St. to PARK DOCK and catch a Ferry to Fire Island :-)

backtrack back to W Main St. and follow West Main

(Country Route 85 Montauk Highway) :-)

Continue on Montauk HWY 27 A
West to HeckScher PKWY to the PARK by the ocean

follow back to Montauk HWY 27 A and continue W after

Continue along 27A Montauk HWY to Robert Moses PKWY
In West Islip

Go across the Causeway to the Oceanfront Islands

(Captree Island, Captree State Park)

Go along Ocean PKWY
along the water

(Gilgo State Park)

Check out Jones beach or even stay there overnight :-)

Go onto the Meadowbrook State PKWY

and then exit onto Loop PKWY across Adler Island
to Lido Blvd which becomes E Park Ave - at LONG BEACH

This makes a sharp L and R turn onto W Beech St.

Beech St becomes Park St. and you can check out Silver County Park (Atlantic BLVD)

Follow the 878 - NASSAU EXPWY

back across to the mainland

and exit onto Seagirt BLVD

Follow Seagirt BLVD to ROCKAWAY EXPRESSWAY at EDGEMERE

Follow Rockaway FWY which becomes Beach Channel Drive

Exit onto Roxbury Breezy Blvd to Gateway National Recreation Area -
breezy Point

Backtrack to the Marine PKWY Bridge and go across on Flatbush Ave

Exit onto Shore PKWY Leif Ericson Dr.

aT eXIT 8
EXIT ONTO Shore PKWY access rd.

to E 12th St

L on E 12th
and R on NEPTUNE AVE

Follow Neptune Ave

to OCEAN PKWY turn L on Ocean PKWY

You'll come to CONEY ISLAND which will loop around

to Neptune ave and you can go to Stillwell Ave and turn L

and then L onto Avenue Z
Avenue Z becomes Cropsey Ave, take cropsey Ave
to Bay PKWY

Turn L on BAY PKWY and exit R onto Shore PKWY

You will come close to the Verezzano Narrows Bridge -

and will have to exit onto 4th Ave.

at a V with 5th ave take the R Fork and then R onto 92nd St.

at 92nd St. Turn R onto the Exit Ramp for 278
Gowanus Expwy

Follow Across Verezzano Narrows Bridge

From here you can follow 278 across Staten Island Expressway to the NJ Turnpike

From here you can exit onto the 440 S
at Staten Island
W Shore pKWY

Continue on 440 S/W

to Garden State PKWY

Take Garden State PKWY S

through AMBOY NJ

Get off at the Matawan Rd. Exit
exit 120

And turn L off the Ramp

Follow Matawan Rd

to 35 South

Take 35 South along the shore (Jersey shore)

Route 36

take route 36 E to a L on Main St. to Port Monmouth Rd. (and check out Bayshore Waterfront Park) Backtrack and continue on 36 SE

along the shore

as you hit the Jersey Shore

36 will curve South

and be sure to check out Gateway Recreation Area.

Follow 36 South to Monmouth Beach

I'm sure if you need a hotel you can find one here

36 is now also Ocean BLVD

Check out Seven presidents park in Monmouth Beach

OCean Ave will turn into Kingsley St

Follow Kingsley to Lake St. to 71 South (South Main St.)

Follow 71 South to Sylvania and turn L on Sylvania back to Ocean Ave and turn R onto Ocean ave

following the ocean

Ocean Ave will become 1st Ave and then you'll hit Crescent Park
and turn R onto Washington BLVD

Turn L onto 71 South

follow 71 S
which is now Union Ave at Manasquan

Turn L onto 35 S
Cross the bridge on 35 S (Union Ave) and
L onto Broadway

Broadway Will take you back to Ocean Ave. and turn R along the coast

You will pass Bay Head and Montoloking

through Seaside Heights

Continue to follow 35 South to check out

Island Beach State Park

Back Track to Hamilton Ave, turn L onto 37 W

Cross the Bridge

to Bay Shore and continue West on 37

37 will take you to exit 82 Garden State PKWY

(You may want to check out Winding River Park just past the interchange on your R)

Follow Garden State PKWY route 9 S

South to exit 48
route 9 South New York RD

Follow Route 9 S New York Rd

check out the Edwin B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

At Absecon turn L onto 30 E

and go to Atlantic City

Could spend the night here
Cheap Motels

After a day or so at Atlantic city

follow Atlantic Ave
South

to Longport

Take 152 S

across the Inlet

and t hen S across the inlet again (ocean Drive Bridge)
(Ocean Drive)
(Gardens PKWY)

At the end of North St. just after the bridge on your L is a neat little Boardwalk along the coast for a couple miles :-)

After walking the boardwalk a bit

Continue south
down Wesley Ave

turn R at 51st St and then Quick L onto Central Ave

follow Central Ave to E 55th and turn R

then L onto
Bay Ave

Follow BAY AVE

Across Corson Inlet Bridge and stop at Corson Inlet State park

you will now be at Strathemere on S, Commonwealth Drive

Continue South on S. Commonwealth Drive

Which becomes Landis Ave.

Continue South on Landis Ave through
Sea Isle City and
Townsends Inlet

Past Seven Mile Island through Avalon

Take a L on one of the numbered Roads on your L and then R onto DUNE RD.

Follow Dune Drive (2nd Ave)
along the beach

at 105th St. turn R and quick L back onto 3rd Ave Ocean Drive (at Stone Harbor NJ)

Cross the bridge
(Grassy Sound Bridge)

Across Nummy Island

and the Jenkins Channel

to 147 N Wildwood -

Follow 147 South
(becomes W Spruce Ave, and W Anglesea Ave, and finally New Jersey Ave through Wildwood

Continue down new jersey ave to park Blvd

and then it will hook back up with Ocean Drive

Cross the Middle Thorofare Bridge

To route 109 - State Street

R on 109

follow 109 West

Exit onto Ferry Rd.

Ferry Rd (route 9)
becomes Lincoln Rd.

and ends at the CAR Ferry Terminal to Delware

Cape May-Lewes Ferry
CAPE MAY-LEWES FERRY

take the ferry to Delaware
80 min trip

From here once in Delaware

Take 9 South

to 1 South
(Coastal HWY)

L on Coastal HWY - 1

(oh just at Lewes- near the ferry terminal you might want to check out Cape Henlopen State Park)

Take 1 south along the Delaware coast

and check out the Delaware Seashore State park


Next motel point you might come to is B Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach



After that you would continue the coastal Highway down to Maryland

and could stop at Ocean City

day 2 or 3 depending on how long the long island trip took and if you stopped in NYC. -

and if you stopped at NJ

in maryland the coastal highway is route 528

Follow 528 south to the end

R on Ocean Gateway 50 W

L on 611 S Stephen Decatur HWY

(Check out Assateague National Seashore
across the bridge on 611 S/E

R on Berlin Lewis Shore rd - 376 W

At Berlin, Turn L on 113 Berlin Bypass
through Germantown

Continue south on 113 through some state forests and parks
Ironically on the Worcester Highway

L on 13 - S - Lankford HWY

At 175 E go E all the way to Assateague National Park

back track back to 13 South

take 13 south to Kiptopeke State park on the Chesapeke Bay
also check out the Eastern Shore NWRefuge

Have your toll ready or fast pass /ezpass
for the Chesapeke Bay Bridge and Tunnel

at Fisherman's Inlet


You will follow the Tunnel across Chesapeke Bay

Into Norfolk, from there turn Exit L onto 60 E (Shore Dr)

East to First Landing State Park

60 Will take you into Virginia Beach to end a fun filled trip :-)

With more interesting sights and less traffic hassles

Enjoy!

Might want to print googlemaps of the route and highlight with a highlighter the route :-)

[jayrandom]

Originally Posted by kittykat53

I am planning a trip for mid-August to VA Beach from MA. Thinking about leaving on a Sunday and coming back the following Saturday, but wondered how the traffic would be. I've driven during the week, and it's pretty bad, but would it be worse on the weekend - does anybody have any opinions and experience doing this?

Thanks for any tips.

You'll be better on the weekend than during the weekday. Just keep in mind that you will hit traffic in NYC if you choose to take the CBE even at way off peak times. Make sure to build that in to your schedule and you'll be happily surprised if it isn't horrible.

Luckily you can avoid DC by going down the Delmarva peninsula to Virginia Beach.

[bulldogz]

Tues. at 10:13 AM.