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Myself and a friend each bought a house in the Tampa Bay area and will be moving within the next few months. He lives in Long Island and I live in Philadelphia. The driving directions from both locales all point toward a first choice of driving I-95 south straight through to Florida. The problem is I-95 is a nightmare from Philadelphia to Richmond (especially from Baltimore through DC) and bear in mind this will be while driving a rental moving truck, with caged pets.. I'm wondering if anyone has hopped off of I-95 north of Baltimore and headed over to follow I-81 south, picking up I-77 south and merging with I-95 near Charleston, SC? It says it takes 2 hours longer, but I have easily spent one hour sitting in traffic between Baltimore and DC, not to mention all of the slow downs. Thanks!
I guess it also depends on when you leave Philly. If you can get thru the DC metro area late at night it should not be so bad. But I95 is a busy Highway for its entire length, But easyer to drive in a rental then going thru the Mountains & Foot hills.
I'll leave early in the morning, and drive to around the halfway point to spend the night. I'll also have two cats with me. So between the fact I'm moving, utilizing a rental truck and moving two stressed pets with me, the idea of less white-knuckled driving is an attractive proposition.
If you are able to time your departure from your area during non rush hour, then your trip down 95 will be just fine.
I have made this trip many, many times with animals (dogs and horses), driving a van while towing a vehicle - you name it.
Just stick to your right lane, take a deep breath, use your indicators, drive carefully, and you will be just fine.
I just came back from the Baltimore-Wash, DC-McLean VA area where I drove vast amount of miles around 695 and 495 beltways and 95 - I found drivers to be far more courteous than Florida drivers. At least they used their indicators ... now that was refreshing. :-)
I have made this trip many times and my advice to you is to start driving at around 9 at night and you will be amazed at the way you will travel through. Take breaks but especially around RUSH hour in the morning. I like to stop once overnight but that's when I go it alone. Welcome to the neighborhood!!! Hope you enjoy the trip and the area.
Myself and a friend each bought a house in the Tampa Bay area and will be moving within the next few months. He lives in Long Island and I live in Philadelphia. The driving directions from both locales all point toward a first choice of driving I-95 south straight through to Florida. The problem is I-95 is a nightmare from Philadelphia to Richmond (especially from Baltimore through DC) and bear in mind this will be while driving a rental moving truck, with caged pets.. I'm wondering if anyone has hopped off of I-95 north of Baltimore and headed over to follow I-81 south, picking up I-77 south and merging with I-95 near Charleston, SC? It says it takes 2 hours longer, but I have easily spent one hour sitting in traffic between Baltimore and DC, not to mention all of the slow downs. Thanks!
I-77 doesn't merge with I-95 north of Charleston, SC. It ends at Columbia, SC and you'd have to take I-26 on down to I-95.
The only problem with going that route, aside from it being far longer, is that you'd have to take your rental truck down Fancy Gap, about 6 miles of 6% grade. If you're loaded pretty heavily and/or don't know what you're doing, you could get yourself into trouble.
But, why bother going all the way to I-95? It doesn't go to Tampa/St. Pete anyhow. I-75 does.
From Charlotte on I-77, go south on I-85 to Atlanta. Take the "Watermelon 500", (I-285) EAST, not west, around town to I-675 south to I-75 right on into the bay area. No sweat.
Or...just do what I would do and have done many, many times.
Stay on I-95 out of Philly down to the Delaware Turnpike south. Exit off onto Del Rt. 1 and follow it south to US-13. Stay on 13 south, down past Dover, right through the middle of Salisbury, MD (forget the bypass...it's too far to be worth it) and on across the Chesapeak Bay Bridge/Tunnel into Norfolk, VA. By this point, you've avoided Baltimore, DC and Richmond. It's a good, 4-lane road, though it's not freeway.
Once off the bridge, take I-64 east. That's right... EAST. You will actually be going south and then due west for many miles, but it's marked as east, so just trust the signs and not your five senses or instincts. It will bring you around to US-58 west, which you can follow for about 70 miles to Emporia, VA and catch I-95 down to Daytona Beach, Fl and I-4 west to Tampa, or you can stay on US-58 another 35 miles to South Hill, VA and pick up I-85 south via Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte, Spartanburg, Greenville, Atlanta and around to I-75.
Personally? I'd do I-95 to Daytona Beach and I-4 west.
I live near Charlotte and my favorite route to get to the Jersey Shore from here is to take I-77 north to I-81 north. I then take I-66 to I-495 (DC Beltway) to I-95 north. I take that up to the Del Memorial Bridge and take I-295 north up to I-195, which brings us to our destination on the shore.
I make sure we time it so we miss heavy traffic times on 66, 495 and 95 around NoVA, DC and Balto.
On the return trip, I like to leave the Jersey Shore around 11PM and drive through the night. I miss all the traffic that way! I take a nap after dinner on the evening we leave and the family sleeps all the way home.
BTW, I do the same thing when we drive from here to Tampa. I leave here around 11PM and take I-77, to I26 to I95. I stay on I95 to Daytona and then cut across I4 to Tampa.
I-95 isnt bad at all. You either leave philly at 3 in the morning to get to DC at 6. Or you leave philly at 7am to get to DC at 10am. All the traffic on I-95 goes northward to Philly, except for the slow up possibly going into Delaware in the morning. Dont take your 3 hour detour, I-81 can actually be worse, because its a 2 lane NAFTA highway. Also, dont take the chesapeake tunnel either, there are lights, and the cops down there are murder. Plus, its summer and your heading right to all the beaches.
Take the I-495 loop instead of going through Wilmington, DE.
I-95 from Balt to Washington is actually not that bad, most of the commuters take the Balt./Wash. Parkway anyway to get away from tourists. If you hear the traffic is backed up on I-95 in baltimore through the tunnel take the I-895 loop, but you should be fine through Balt. They finally fixed a lot of the mess on 95 in Northern VA, and since you will be going south you shouldnt have a backup in Northern VA on 95. Unless you go on a Friday, please dont leave on a friday you will regret it.
One thing I really do suggest, is when you get to Richmond that you take the I-295 beltway, I-95 through Richmond is tight, and can be rough. Most Richmonders (I used to be one of them) dont have a need to take I-295. And once you get in towards Petersburg you have clear sailing. I would stay on 95, less crowded then the 85 route with the crazies going to Atlanta. And then take I-4.
Watch the cops in Southern GA, especially in Camden county they are also bad. When you get into Florida be prepared to stop with your rental truck at the agriculture station, do NOT by pass this station, you will get pulled over, you will get a fine, and you will get your truck searched. They ask you if you have any plants that you are bringing into the state. Be prepared if you do, to show them however usually you dont have to.
They still havent finished construction on the I-95/I-10 intersection in Jax. The speed limit on I-95 in Jax is 55. If you take the I-295 loop around Jax its a couple of extra miles, but there is no construction and the speed limit is 65. Something to think about.
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