Traveling the NJ Turnpike (Morristown, Woodbridge: hotels, home, safe area)

[stltova]

I will be traveling on the Jersey Turnpike enroute to New England in a few weeks. I will have my two young children with me. What is the commute on that road like? I think we'll arrive on the pike in southern Jersey around 6pm or 7pm (we are leaving Norfolk, VA at 2 pm).

I hope to get as far as I can before hitting I-287 or the Garden State Pkway- stay the night, then finish my drive the following day.

So, if you have any advice- from exits not to stop off on, hotels to stay at, or any other good info for my drive, I'd appreciate it!

Also, is it better to take I-287 to I-684 or just take the Garden State Pkway to 684? (Time of day- sometime between 7 and 9 am)

Thanks!

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by stltova

I will be traveling on the Jersey Turnpike enroute to New England in a few weeks. I will have my two young children with me. What is the commute on that road like? I think we'll arrive on the pike in southern Jersey around 6pm or 7pm (we are leaving Norfolk, VA at 2 pm).

I hope to get as far as I can before hitting I-287 or the Garden State Pkway- stay the night, then finish my drive the following day.

So, if you have any advice- from exits not to stop off on, hotels to stay at, or any other good info for my drive, I'd appreciate it!

Also, is it better to take I-287 to I-684 or just take the Garden State Pkway to 684? (Time of day- sometime between 7 and 9 am)

Thanks!

I was down on norfolk / hampton a few weeks back visiting my nephew who is in the navy and my son who moved down there a few years back
What roads are you taking up to the turnpike ?
anyway
At that time of night you will still hit a little traffic between exit 5 and 8 but after that you should be fine, with 2 little ones you might want to stop for the night somewhere around woodbridge ....Maybe exit 10 or 11
That is where the turnpike and garden state meet up and there are some nice places to stay with easy access to the highways

As far as leaving the next morning i would either make it either earlier (but you have the little ones) or later (for the little ones) this way you won't hit all the rush hour traffic (if it is a weekday) if it is a weekend you should be fine with your times

Good luck and have a nice and SAFE trip

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by stltova

I will be traveling on the Jersey Turnpike enroute to New England in a few weeks. I will have my two young children with me. What is the commute on that road like? I think we'll arrive on the pike in southern Jersey around 6pm or 7pm (we are leaving Norfolk, VA at 2 pm).

I hope to get as far as I can before hitting I-287 or the Garden State Pkway- stay the night, then finish my drive the following day.

So, if you have any advice- from exits not to stop off on, hotels to stay at, or any other good info for my drive, I'd appreciate it!

Also, is it better to take I-287 to I-684 or just take the Garden State Pkway to 684? (Time of day- sometime between 7 and 9 am)

Thanks!

Hi - everytime I drive home from the DC area I take Rt 295N after you take the bridge from Delaware into NJ. Less traffic, NO TOLLS. It runs parallel to the Turnpike (you can actually see the turnpike right next to you at points, but you're riding for free, and they're paying! ). It just gets a bit tricky once you get towards exit 52, as 295 will veer in a different direction.

You could go 295N and around exit 57(?) you can hop back on the turnpike at Exit 7.

Where are you going in NE? Depending on the answer you may want to take the Turnpike to the GWashington Bridge instead of going 287/pkwy/684. If you decide to do 287 - the Marriott in Bridgewater is nice (it's not too far after you get on 287). I personally don't think you need to worry about staying anywhere around 287 - it's a safe area.

[stltova]

Thank you Brian and Tahiti- I appreciate you being so specific with exit numbers and hotels!!!

I am heading to a town north of Worcester, which is why I will go from 684 to 84.

Thanks for the tip about I-295. I wonder why AAA didn't send me that way to begin with?

[moneyguy]

hey stlva, how are you coming up from VA?

I lived in the DC area for a decade, but grew up in NJ, and live here now, so I have a little experience with these roads.

I HIGHLY suggest coming up through Maryland and Delaware. They are slower roads, but you don't want to be going through the DC beltway between 4-6pm unless it is a weekend (and even then, I'd avoid it if possible). If you left at 2 and drive non-stop, you would hit the Delaware Memorial Bridge around 6.

And if I were you, and not completely comfortable with the roads you are taking, I'd pay the extra couple of bucks and take the Turnpike. 295 gets a little goofy at exit 26, and you'd eventually have to get onto the Turnpike anyway. And I disagree about the Turnpike having more traffic. It doesn't bog down nearly as much as 295 (exit 26 and north) since there are so few exits, and therefore few merges. For example, in the first 40+ miles or so of the Jersey Turnpike (going north), there are a grand total of 4 entrance/exits!!! To each their own, but that is how I would do it.... 264 to 64 to 13 to 1 to Dupont Hwy to 40 to Turnpike (other small roads in there, but that is the general idea).

[stltova]

moneyguy- Yes, I plan to go 13 as you mentioned and will most likely stick to the pike in jersey vs. I-295. I don't mind paying the money, especially knowing there will be stops along the way. I found the NJ turnpike website- it's pretty informative!
Will I get confused going from 13 to 1 to dupont highway to 40? I can't take 13 to the Deleware Mem Bridge?
Thanks for your help!!!!!!! I really appreciate it!

[BrianH1970]

I'm not totally sure where in Virginia you're coming from, but if you're closer to I-81 you can take that north, hit up 78 West in Pennsylvania. That'll take you into New Jersey around Hunterdon County. You can stay on that road until you see the signs for the Turnpike or Parkway. At least you'll avoid the horrific Beltway traffic.

[BrianG]

Originally Posted by moneyguy

hey stlva, how are you coming up from VA?

I lived in the DC area for a decade, but grew up in NJ, and live here now, so I have a little experience with these roads.

I HIGHLY suggest coming up through Maryland and Delaware. They are slower roads, but you don't want to be going through the DC beltway between 4-6pm unless it is a weekend (and even then, I'd avoid it if possible). If you left at 2 and drive non-stop, you would hit the Delaware Memorial Bridge around 6.

And if I were you, and not completely comfortable with the roads you are taking, I'd pay the extra couple of bucks and take the Turnpike. 295 gets a little goofy at exit 26, and you'd eventually have to get onto the Turnpike anyway. And I disagree about the Turnpike having more traffic. It doesn't bog down nearly as much as 295 (exit 26 and north) since there are so few exits, and therefore few merges. For example, in the first 40+ miles or so of the Jersey Turnpike (going north), there are a grand total of 4 entrance/exits!!! To each their own, but that is how I would do it.... 264 to 64 to 13 to 1 to Dupont Hwy to 40 to Turnpike (other small roads in there, but that is the general idea).

Thats how i came back up from Hampton a few weeks back
with the one exception being i jumped on 113 and took that up till it merged back with 13 (saved 30 minutes from my last time)I got that tip from my son and nephew

[lammius]

Originally Posted by BrianG

Thats how i came back up from Hampton a few weeks back
with the one exception being i jumped on 113 and took that up till it merged back with 13 (saved 30 minutes from my last time)I got that tip from my son and nephew

I've thought about trying 1 down to 113, but I've never done it. I'll have to try that next time. I grew up in the Norfolk area and have fam down there that I visit a couple times a year.

stltova,

Your plan sounds good. There are several hotels located at Turnpike Exit 10. There's a business park there called Raritan Center and many of the hotel chains (Sheraton, Courtyard, and probably 4 others) are right there. Just google "raritan center hotels" and I'm sure you'll find all of them. There are a few hotels on Route 1 in Woodbridge near Exit 11 (Garden State Parkway exit) as well.

As far as heading out the next day, I'd agree that you're selecting the worst time in the morning to leave if it's a weekday. I would favor taking the Garden State Parkway over I-287. 287 is toll-free, but it takes you so far west and then back northeast. It's many miles longer than the Parkway route. I used to take 287 between Piscataway and Morristown and there was tons of congestion nearly the entire length of that trip. The Parkway has traffic problems too, and tolls, but it's a straight shot. The Parkway terminates at the NYS Thruway which is I-87 and NY's portion of I-287, so you'd then take the Thruway south/east toward NYC and cross the Tappan Zee Bridge. The Tap isn't tons of fun to cross eastbound on weekday mornings either. Stay on 287 East into White Plains, where you hit 684 north or the Merritt Parkway, whichever works best for you getting into New England. Good luck!

[stltova]

You Jersey people ROCK!! I love the details you are providing me!
Thanks
keep the info coming!!