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I should mention that the NJ Turnpike is infamous for the food choices at its rest stops unless you like fast food from dying chains like Roy Rodgers, Arthur Treacher's, chains I rarely see anywhere else. Of course they have Starbucks (surprisingly good sandwiches, and our choice), Burger King and Nathans, too. And they have that famous "don't you dare pump your own gas" feature at the service stations.
The turnpike itself is not the horrid thing many people say, but the scenery is "interesting" if you like industry and commerce.
I drive back and forth from Charlotte to Cape Cod, MA about every 6 weeks. I never, EVER drive through NYC itself. The tolls and traffic are ridiculous. From Charlotte, I head north on I-77, I-81 north in VA, I-78 east in PA, I-287 around NYC in NJ, then I-95 north when I-287 ends in Westchester Co. NY. The traffic is much better, fewer tolls, and a prettier drive than taking I-95 from NC.
The best way would be to take I-95 from up north then when you get into Connecticut take the Tappan Zee Bridge towards NY but away from NYC to the NJ Parkway south , then take the Turnpike south when you get around exit 130.
That way you avoid NYC entirely and NJ traffic is not as bad.
The NJ Turnpike is I 95 in the north part but not the south, (i 95 actually goes thru Pennsylvanian but the NJ Turnpike acts like a shortcut) but when you get into Delaware you will see signs for I 95 again.
Just my two cents....having lived in NJ & NYC more than most of my life. I now live in New England and still travel home to see family in South Jersey often.
95 from Maine all the way to 90 and then 90 to 87, then 87 to 287, then 287 to the GSP, then back to 95/NJT (turnpike around exit 129 in the Edison/Woodbridge area) and continue on your route to your destination.
I would completely and entirely avoid driving through Connecticut and NYC! You do not need to. It is backed up ALL of the time. I have left all hours of the day and night and it never fails...there is always some sort of stoppage.
On my frequent trips from Montreal to Florida i would time the NYC to Richmond leg of the trip to be done late at night like between 10 pm and 4-5 am. traffic was never a problem at those times.
Using Waze and maybe google maps at the same time, as you are driving, you have to make these choices. I drive the NE corridor a lot from DC to Boston and you never know traffic till you are closer.
More times than not, the fastest way is typically the GW Bridge, even though it's always congested and it's hard to really avoid at least some 95 congestion north of NYC in CT. Since they have finished widening the Jersey Turnpike, It's a lot better. One hint about that is I would use the truck lanes, they typically are less congested. Try to avoid the DC area during the evening rush (which starts about 3pm) or you will be delayed for hours on the beltway and 95 south of DC. Have an eazypass and use the HOT lanes.
Using Waze and maybe google maps at the same time, as you are driving, you have to make these choices. I drive the NE corridor a lot from DC to Boston and you never know traffic till you are closer.
More times than not, the fastest way is typically the GW Bridge, even though it's always congested and it's hard to really avoid at least some 95 congestion north of NYC in CT. Since they have finished widening the Jersey Turnpike, It's a lot better. One hint about that is I would use the truck lanes, they typically are less congested. Try to avoid the DC area during the evening rush (which starts about 3pm) or you will be delayed for hours on the beltway and 95 south of DC. Have an eazypass and use the HOT lanes.
The Cross Bronx and Major Deegan Expressways (especially the CBX) are a nightmare if you take the GW Bridge suggestion. I-287 sometimes slows around White Plains and Nyack at rush hour, but you could even take I-287 all the way to 78 west and then to I-476 south through eastern PA, though may hit some rush hour traffic in the western Philadelphia suburbs before rejoining 95 in Chester, PA, but its nothing like NYC traffic as the northern stretch of the Garden State Parkway can be congested in North Jersey, especially between Paramus and Elizabeth. This is especially recommended if you're going to Northeastern NC (the Outer Banks), where you may want to consider Delaware Route 1/US 13 south through Delaware, southeastern Maryland, and the eastern shore of Virginia, over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, then to US Route 17 south of Norfolk.
You'll lose about 3 hours if you take 84 to Scranton and get on 81 south, but it will add years to your life to avoid the anxiety of the NY-DC corridor.
The Cross Bronx and Major Deegan Expressways (especially the CBX) are a nightmare if you take the GW Bridge suggestion.
I've driven this route many times over the past 15 years, including about a dozen in '16, and never ran into "nightmare" congestion. In fact, rarely had any. I always crossed mid-day.
Just sayin.
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