NE to SW Florida drive (Jacksonville, Tampa: home, live in, costs)

[ExSnow]

My wife and I are driving to Florida in November and are trying to find out the time when we will encounter the least traffic on the route we have chosen. The plan is to take the Garden ST Pkwy from the NY line to the NJ turnpike crossing into Delaware then around Baltimore and DC after which it's a straight shot. Driving at night is not an option for us so we plan to leave about 6am from the Tappan Zee area.

The question is will we hit less traffic on a Saturday or Sunday morning or a weekday? As long as we get around the major metropolitan areas, the trip south of DC seems relatively easy.

I think I know the answer but I'd like to hear from a veteran of the drive.

Mike

[jambo101]

Less traffic is a relative term, driving daytime between NY and Richmond cansometimes be congested the whole way and i've seen times when I-95 is a traffic jam going through N/S Carolina due to sheer traffic volume.
On my frequent trips from Montreal to Tampa i usually time it so i pass the big cities overnight. but if you cant drive nights my only recommendation would be to take I-80 over to I-81 go south till you meet up with I-77 then I-26 meeting up with I-95 north of Savannah. then to finish your trip I-95 to I-4 in Daytona then i-275 in Tampa then on to I-75 to Venice.

[macrodome2]

Originally Posted by ExSnow

My wife and I are driving to Florida in November and are trying to find out the time when we will encounter the least traffic on the route we have chosen. The plan is to take the Garden ST Pkwy from the NY line to the NJ turnpike crossing into Delaware then around Baltimore and DC after which it's a straight shot. Driving at night is not an option for us so we plan to leave about 6am from the Tappan Zee area.

The question is will we hit less traffic on a Saturday or Sunday morning or a weekday? As long as we get around the major metropolitan areas, the trip south of DC seems relatively easy.

I think I know the answer but I'd like to hear from a veteran of the drive.

Mike

We've done your drive from Morristown, NJ to Venice, FL in early Oct and Oct 31/Nov 1. We find it easiest to travel on Sat and Sun because you don't find as much road work. We leave between 8 and 8:30am which gets us to Washington a little after lunch time. Then through Richmond (there is a bypass around Richmond- take it. It isn't that much longer if at all and much more pleasant drive). We try to get to Lumberton, NC which is about 20 from SC, then finish the trip from SC to FL the next day. Orlando is always fun.

We generally start out driving 2 hours each, have lunch, then each drives 1.5 hours, then 1 hour then 30-60 min to the end. Takes us about 10-11 hours each day.

Just make sure you're doing the northern half on a weekend. You can leave on Sat or Sun, and return on Fri or Sat. We've done both and the only issues we ran into were a couple of bad accidents on two of the trips which can't be predicted.

[photoman_6]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Less traffic is a relative term, driving daytime between NY and Richmond cansometimes be congested the whole way and i've seen times when I-95 is a traffic jam going through N/S Carolina due to sheer traffic volume.
On my frequent trips from Montreal to Tampa i usually time it so i pass the big cities overnight. but if you cant drive nights my only recommendation would be to take I-80 over to I-81 go south till you meet up with I-77 then I-26 meeting up with I-95 north of Savannah. then to finish your trip I-95 to I-4 in Daytona then i-275 in Tampa then on to I-75 to Venice.

or take I-10 instead of hooking up with I-95. You can then catch I-75 all the way down.
The I-80 route suggested above has a lot less traffic but some of the hilly areas can be hair-raising

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

We make this drive every year or two, as our families live in Connecticut. You'll probably sit on stop and go traffic on and off through Richmond, then you'll fly right down the rest of the way with no trouble. We try to drive on weekends, but if we can't, then we leave New England at dinnertime and try to get to Richmond. It's about eight hours, but we miss most of the heavy traffic. Then we stop for the night and get on the road again at about 8 or 9:00. We get home in the later evening, maybe 9 or 10. If you can split it up over three days of driving instead of two, you can stop wherever the second night. Maybe Savannah area, or drive until you hit Jacksonville to make the last day substantially shorter.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by photoman_6

or take I-10 instead of hooking up with I-95. You can then catch I-75 all the way down.
The I-80 route suggested above has a lot less traffic but some of the hilly areas can be hair-raising

Not sure how you hook up with I-10 without getting back on I-95 and driving to Jacksonville...
You could take I-81 all the way to Knoxville then hook up with I-75 but it is a few hundred miles further.

[macrodome2]

You didn't say whether you want to end up on the east coast or west coast of FL, but since you mention I95 is a straight shot, I'll assume east. If however, you want to end up on the west coast, and take some of the alternate suggestions, be careful of coming through Atlanta on I75. Some of my neighbors in Venice are from the Midwest and they all complain about going through Atlanta.

[snoop424]

Why don't you take auto train ? Save on gas and wear and tear on your vehicle. No traffic!!!! I live in North Jersey and took the train last November it was great left VA woke up in FL....

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Whatever you do - DO NOT BE IN THE DC AREA AT RUSH HOUR - which starts at 2 PM and ends around 7 PM - you will be sorry!

[Cuzzant]

Originally Posted by snoop424

Why don't you take auto train ? Save on gas and wear and tear on your vehicle. No traffic!!!! I live in North Jersey and took the train last November it was great left VA woke up in FL....

A good option.....


I just looked up a date in November at random (13th). The cost for two to travel (and car) is $430 (coach) or $905 (compartment with private bath). The costs includes dinner and a small breakfast the next morning.

We have taken the train several times and love it. Much better than driving all the way, IMHO.

If we didn't have our cat, we would definitely take the Auto Train to snowbird.

Patiently waiting for them to open up a sleeping car for people who travel with pets......