Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I usually take I78-I81 to my destination in NC but Mapquest says I95 is about 50 miles less door to door. Of course I95 has the DC traffic to deal with and a bunch more tolls. The question, is the I95 route a more pleasurable (shorter) drive? If an 11 hour drive can ever be considered pleasurable.
My family goes on a trip to Charlotte every summer to visit my wife's sister-in-law. We used to go the I 95 route, and one year decided to try the 78 to 81 to 77 on the suggestion of my sister-n-law. I have to say it's a much more pleasurable ride, less stress, better scenery. It might be a slightly longer ride, though I haven't checked. If it is, the extra 30-45 minutes in the car would be worth it.
Incidentally I think Mapquest sucks and I don't put too much stock in their trip suggestions and time computations.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,693,648 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by PDD
I usually take I78-I81 to my destination in NC but Mapquest says I95 is about 50 miles less door to door. Of course I95 has the DC traffic to deal with and a bunch more tolls. The question, is the I95 route a more pleasurable (shorter) drive? If an 11 hour drive can ever be considered pleasurable.
Especially during the summer I95 has all the East Coast traffic on it. There are several ways around most of the tolls, not all of them, but I'd rather be on I-81 myself.
We make the trip from Eastern NC to So. NJ several times a year. The last one was last weekend, left NJ on Sun. Memorial weekend. Left at 9:00 am and pulled into our driveway at 6:00 pm. Virtually little traffic. We take 113 and 13 and then when we get to NC we drive Highway 11 to home. We prefer these routes over I 95, less traffic and a more scenic views.
I'm coming from South Jersey so I'm not too familiar with the 78/81 route, but that actually doesn't seem to bad and looks like it has way less tolls. It is about 50 miles longer than 95 but with the traffic in DC it's probably a wash.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,693,648 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
I'm coming from South Jersey so I'm not too familiar with the 78/81 route, but that actually doesn't seem to bad and looks like it has way less tolls. It is about 50 miles longer than 95 but with the traffic in DC it's probably a wash.
GoPhils, when I go back to South Jersey from the Charlotte area, I go via the 85/95 route. The 78/81 route works well to North Jersey from here & points west. From Eastern NC, it's too far out of the way.
The trick is to keep off the Baltimore Beltway. Take the tunnel in Baltimore. The $2 toll is worth it.
GoPhils, when I go back to South Jersey from the Charlotte area, I go via the 85/95 route. The 78/81 route works well to North Jersey from here & points west. From Eastern NC, it's too far out of the way.
The trick is to keep off the Baltimore Beltway. Take the tunnel in Baltimore. The $2 toll is worth it.
Yeah taking 78/81 isn't really doable from SJ, but from North Jersey it seems pretty good.
I actually live near the Baltimore Beltway now...it isn't very fun but the DC beltway is 10x worse. Coming from NJ taking the Baltimore beltway is kindof out of the way anyway, but the tunnels back up sometimes as well. To get around DC sometimes I'll take 301 which hooks back into 95 a little north of Richmond.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
