Thanksgiving traffic from Raleigh to Mrytle Beach?? (Cary, Wilmington: transplants, home)

[ZoeMaui]

I expect traffic to be heavy going back up north but what about south? I will be taking the trip to Myrtle Beach and will be leaving 8am on Wednesday. My husband will be leaving around same time on Thursday. Are we expected to sit in a lot of traffic?

Also how do you get down to SC? I usually take 40 to 17 but HATE 17. It's such a long boring road. Wondering if there were any shortcuts. Thanks.

[SunnyKayak]

You may encounter alot of Floridian transplants heading home for the holiday but in my opinion taking 40 to 17 is kinda going out of the way.
You might want to try taking Hwy 1 to Hwy 501 straight shot in.
Or 40 to 95 til you reach Dillon SC and take 38 to 501

Have Fun.

[leighbhe]

Originally Posted by ZoeMaui

I expect traffic to be heavy going back up north but what about south? I will be taking the trip to Myrtle Beach and will be leaving 8am on Wednesday. My husband will be leaving around same time on Thursday. Are we expected to sit in a lot of traffic?

Also how do you get down to SC? I usually take 40 to 17 but HATE 17. It's such a long boring road. Wondering if there were any shortcuts. Thanks.

My husband is from fayetteville, so when we go to myrtle beach (at least 2 times a year) we go 95 to 87 (just passed fayetteville), to 131 (through bladenboro and whiteville) to 130, to 905 to 9 (in south carolina).

I know it seems like a ton of road, and you end up going through a bunch of small towns (which can be fun, bladenboro is my favorite), it still takes us (from wake forest) 4 hours to get to north myrtle beach.

Good luck!

Leigh

[Dire Wolf]

There are numerous routes to the Myrtle and NMB areas. The best to take usually depends on your exact destination. If you are going to NMB, then 17 isn't a bad option since Wilmington built the bypass. If you are going to Myrtle or Surfside, look to come in via 501/Conway area. etc.

A more scenic route I used to take when I used to go to NMB every week or two (before some of the current options existed):

I-40E to I-95S
Exit at Dunn/421, take 421 towards the coast (S?)
A ways after Spivey's Corner, take a right on 242
Pay attention to signage through towns, etc to make sure you stay on 242.
Eventually, after a very scenic drive, you'll end up at 701 (take a right) near Elizabethtown.
Continue on 701 till you get to 9 and take 9 all the way into NMB.

You hit a couple of slow towns (25mph) that are very small and quick to get through and then a couple more towns with light congestion, but nothing major.

I'm Mr. Speed Demon and have done the above in 2.5 hours, but this shouldn't take more than 3 hours from around the Crossroads area in Cary near Raleigh.

[rnc2mbfl]

In the days before I-40 opened to Wilmington and Hwy 17 made high speed travel possible all the way to Myrtle Beach, we all had to take the route that started on Hwy 70 in Garner. From there, we took Hwy 50 South to Benson. We'd then pick up 242 to 421 then back to 242. We'd go through Roseboro and Elizabethtown and pick up Hwy 701 toward Whiteville. Of course, in Bladen Co., we'd watch our speed because these small town police types loved stopping "city folk" from Raleigh and write them tickets...but I digress...We'd proceed from 701 to Tabor City on the NC/SC border and then take Rte. 9 in SC all the way in to Hwy 17 in North Myrtle. From South Raleigh and Garner, that trip typically took about 3 1/4 hours to NMB. Having done that for many years, I am MORE than happy to take I-40 to US-17! It's limited access the entire way and you don't have to worry about starting and stopping, small town speed limits, anxious police and afternoon "cruising" in Benson....Do they still do that anyway? From South Raleigh, you can be at the I-40/I-140/US-17 intersection in about 90 minutes From there, it should only take you 60-70 minutes to NMB. However you slice it, it should be a few minutes faster and your car will get better gas mileage on continuous cruise control.
Being a regular traveller of I-95, I'd do everything possible to stay off of it on holiday weekends.

[LRoyal10900]

Originally Posted by Dire Wolf

There are numerous routes to the Myrtle and NMB areas. The best to take usually depends on your exact destination. If you are going to NMB, then 17 isn't a bad option since Wilmington built the bypass. If you are going to Myrtle or Surfside, look to come in via 501/Conway area. etc.

A more scenic route I used to take when I used to go to NMB every week or two (before some of the current options existed):

I-40E to I-95S
Exit at Dunn/421, take 421 towards the coast (S?)
A ways after Spivey's Corner, take a right on 242
Pay attention to signage through towns, etc to make sure you stay on 242.
Eventually, after a very scenic drive, you'll end up at 701 (take a right) near Elizabethtown.
Continue on 701 till you get to 9 and take 9 all the way into NMB.

You hit a couple of slow towns (25mph) that are very small and quick to get through and then a couple more towns with light congestion, but nothing major.

I'm Mr. Speed Demon and have done the above in 2.5 hours, but this shouldn't take more than 3 hours from around the Crossroads area in Cary near Raleigh.

You can take I-40 a little further down to the Newton Grove (Hwy. 701) exit and get on 701 there. You'll go through the country too, go through Clinton, then E-town.....