Driving from NY to FL...Advice on route (living in, safety)

[JentleRain]

This is an old post, but I95 is a construction mess in Virginia and Maryland. Avoid at all costs. I just got back from Ormond-By-The-Sea (near St. Augustine) and it was a construction disaster.

[jd10025]

If you're a baseball fan, you may want to stop off in Baltimore and take a baseball game. Take a tour of Babe Ruth museum. You can also get some seafood.

[rlrl]

i remember reading that you can take I 95 to I 97 in Baltimore and then take I 97 into route 301. somewhere around the area north of Richmond you pick up route 207 maybe and take that to I 95. I think that is in Bowling Green, Va at exit 104

[Armyvet1]

I'm an ex New Yorker now Virginian. From New York the straightest shot would be 95. You could also if you want scenic take 81 south into Virginia, pick up 64 east toward Richmond, jump on the 288 bypass to go around Richmond, and pick up 95 on the other side.

Personally I hate 95, I won't use it past Fredericksburg. If we go visit DC, we usually do 29 north to 66 east.

[spencer114]

Route 13 down the Delmarva, across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, i64 west to Richmond, south on I95.

[TotalKaos]

After you spend a day being a tourist in DC, I would take the 295 E bypass toward Williamsburg, just to eat at Pierce's BBQ. Pierce's PITT Bar-B-Que About 45 minutes out of the way and 45 minutes back, just to eat some Q. It's worth it.

Then I would get back on 95 S until heading over to Charleston SC on I 26, to the very picturesque and charming southern city. This is about an hour's drive out of your way, then take US 17 back to 1-95, about 1.5 hours for this leg. This "detour" probably adds no more than 1.5 hrs of driving time, plus whatever time you spend in Charleston.

Then I suggest spending some time in Savannah, GA as it is another beautiful and historic southern city. This stop probably only adds about 30 minutes driving time. Get back on I 95 and do whatever you want in FL.

1.5 hours driving time to eat at Pierce's is a total lark, but again, I have done 4 or 5 times over a number of years and we always laughed about the detour being worth it.

Charleston and Savannah are just so beautiful. If you are going to take 4 days to do what you can do in 19 hours of driving, it doesn't seem too unreasonably to at least do these two cities along the way.

Have a safe and fun trip, however you decide to get there.

[mitsguy2001]

There are several places where you can use spurs or loops off of I-95 to bypass certain cities. It would be useful to tell the OP and others reading this thread which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

This is all based on looking at a map and not based on any real experience:

In NJ, I assume you would want to take the NJ Turnpike all the way down (which is not I-95 south of Exit 6) and then take the Delaware Memorial Bridge (I-295 South) back to I-95 south in Delaware.

In Maryland, you have at least 4 ways to get through or around Baltimore:
I-95 South through the Fort McHenry Tunnel
I-895 South through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
Bypass Baltimore using the eastern half of I-695 over the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Bypass Baltimore using the western half of I-695

Which of those is best for the OP and others?

Next, between Baltimore and Washington, you can use either I-95, or the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (MD 295). Which is better for the OP and others?

In the Washington area, you have at least 4 options:
Continue with I-95 South over the eastern half of the Beltway, over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Take I-495 over the western half of the Beltway
Take MD 295 / DC 295 / I-295 through Washington, then take I-95 over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
Take MD 295 / DC 295 to I-695 to I-395 to I-95 South in Virginia

Which of those is best for the OP and for others? There are also other routes involving surface streets and I-395, but I seriously doubt any of those are the best for the general traveler (although since the OP plans to visit Washington, that is what he/she will probably want to do).

In Virginia, you can either take I-95 South through Richmond, or bypass Richmond using I-295. Which is better for the OP and for others?

I-95 looks straightforward through North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

In Florida, there are at least 3 ways to get through or around Jacksonville:
I-95 South through Jacksonville
Bypass Jacksonville using the western half of I-295
Bypass Jacksonville using the eastern half of I-295

Again, which is the best for the OP and for others?

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by JentleRain

This is an old post, but I95 is a construction mess in Virginia and Maryland. Avoid at all costs. I just got back from Ormond-By-The-Sea (near St. Augustine) and it was a construction disaster.

I drove down to South Carolina in May. They are doing a lot of construction in Northern Virginia but it did not lead to any major traffic. I hit some traffic around Manassas VA on the way down but it wasn't that bad, the cars were doing like 30 MPH for maybe like 10-20 miles. This was on a Thursday afternoon. On the way back, I hit traffic somewhere north of Richmond and that was a little worse, but still no big hassle. That was on Sunday afternoon. I took 95 all the way down to I-26 to Charleston, same way back. Took me about 12 hours 1 way. Next car I buy has to be a 6 cylinder before I make a drive that long ever again.

If you get caught in traffic going through DC it's pure hell. My parents did the drive to Florida when me and my little sister were kids and on the way back we were stuck in DC for almost 3 hours.

[donna30]

I'm leaving on Friday don't want to drive at night but was thinking of taking 31 south on the other side of Delaware? Don't want to be on I 95 too much traffic

[Kefir King]

I poked my way down and meandered along skyline drive and took in Luray Caverns and a tour of Charleston and lovely Savannah. Couple days.
Zoomed back on I-95.