Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Next week I am driving from Mass. to Ft. Lauderdale. Hoping to leave around 6pm Wed., and need to be down there by around midday on Friday. Haven't driven down there before, so I am looking to find the best way there. Any tips with NYC and DC? Heard the rest is pretty much is RT 95, but any advice would be appreciated. Also I am crazy to leave Wed eve, and hoping to be down there by Friday midday (don't want to drive all day/night)?

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

avoid the cross bronx expressway in NY like the plague. It can be bad at any hour but during rush hour its worse than sitting through a barbara streisand movie

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Jay,

I've made the trip countless times. I just stay on 95 the entire way. By leaving at 6:00 you will pass right through NYC and if you keep on truckin' You'll fly through Washington DC around 1:00 am.

Once you are past DC, the ride is a breeze.

Kurt

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Biggus is absolutly correct. If your not trailering stay in the left lane on the cross Bronx. Once on the NJ Tpke (I-95) do not get confused when you get to Trenton. The NJ Tpke runs straight down to the Delaware Memorial bridge, I-95 will run you through Trenton and down through Phili eventually to the Del Mem bridge. STAY ON THE NJ TPKE. When you approach Dc, you'll follow the signs i-95/495 south around the city. Try to stick with it and get rest on the south side of Richmond, Va. All the major citys (Phili,Baltimore,DC,Richmond) really suck during rush hour. When the speed limit drops to 55 through the citys, watch yourself. If you can not make it to the south side of Richmond, try to make it on the south side of any of the major citys mentioned. When I drove tractor trailers I shut down to rest at truck stops NOT at the roadside "pickle parks" namely rest areas. The best truck stops would be Petro's or Flyin J. Great food and secure parking unless your moteling it.
Also, do yourself a favor and purchase an atlas available at any book store or truck stop.
Good Luck and have a safe trip. Stan.

PS, On the way up north when you get to Delaware it may be confusing with the I-95/NJ TPKE thing. Just follow the signs to NJ TPKE. Otherwise you'll trek through Phili.

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

You won't be hitting any traffic on 95 in Philly late at night. But the construction has cut 95 from 4 lanes down to 2 in just 1 small section. at the worst traffice times you can drive right through Philly on 95 in about 45 mins so with no traffic it would be a breeze

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Ditto on the above and get an atlas. Be sure to take "295' (it circles around the city on the west side and then rejoins I-95 south of the city) around Jacksonville. That will save you time and hassle with a WHOLE lot of less traffic to deal with.

If you gas up on the NJ turnpike, be sure not to touch the pumps, they go ballistic if you do that there. Guess NJ figures anybody who drives a vehicle is to stupid to pump gas.

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

So driving through NYC at night is the best way to go, or should I take the Tappan Zee bridge?

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

You'll be fine as long as it's after 9:00 or so.

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Heading out this afternoon, possibly at little earlier, which may put us down in NYC around 7-8 o'clock.

Any last tips?

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

dont get pulled over.... 8-)

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Running over the Tappan Zee bridge saved me time last time I went from Maine to Florida. The road was kinda rough but would assume it's been repaired by now. Lot less traffic to deal with. After going both routes I would always go that way now.

Good luck and be safe. Russ

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Stay away from the DC area between 6:30AM - 9:30AM and 3:30PM - 6:30PM. You will be a much happier camper.

Take 95 South straight out of Baltimore, and follow the 95 South side of the DC Beltway (East side of city). Cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and soon after you will hit the 'Mixing Bowl' to head South down 95 toward Richmond; getting off of the DC Beltway. You will see signs for 395, 495 and 95 South. Follow 95 South; which will be a huge fly-over, lots of construction, and you may see some traffic around here, but its not worth getting off if you do not know the area. Good luck.

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Thats a hell of a trip, especially if you are trailering. I went from Washington DC to St. Petersburg FL just last weekend. Left Thursday at 1pm arrived in St Petersburg FL Friday around 9:30 (stopped for 4 hours in FL). Then left 5pm Friday evening and arrived back home by Saturday at 11:30 (stopped for 2 hours and a half). It was 960 miles one way. Your trip has got to be 1400 miles or so. I did mine by myself and was quite a ride. Construction on 95 was really not all that, just a few 10-15mile areas. Good luck.

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Thanks for the tips! Funny how I plotted the trip using AAA Triptik and Mapquest, and they both gave different routes. For example Mapquest said to take 495 around DC and AAA said to take 95 on the East side. Different ways through NYC, and AAA said to take Florida's Tnpike instead of 95. Both said to take 295 around Richmond though.

Here's what I am planning to do at the major cities:

- If I get to NYC before 9pm, I'll take the Tappan Zee bridge instead of 95 straight through

- Take 95 around the East side of DC

- Take 295 around Richmond, unless it's 2-3 AM (thoughts on this, since both Mapquest and AAA said to take 295)???

- Take 295 around Jacksonville

- Not sure whether to just stay on 95 after that, or pick up Florida's turnpike - probably just stay on 95.

Sound good?

Re: Driving from NE to Florida - need help
 

Everyone's suggestions are spot on.
I've driven the route from Orlando to Toms River, N.J. many times. The DC Beltway and the Baltimore areas are the worst. Especially during rush hour. Once past that it's smooth sailing. Watch your speed in Georgia and South Carolina. Even more so in all the construction areas. A good radar detector will help. Warning: Virginia does not allow detectors of any kind to be used.
When you hit Florida stay on I-95, don't try the Fl. Trunpike. For one thing you'll have to go way out of your way to get to it and at some point you'll have to get back on I-95 to reach Ft. Lauderdale anyhow.

Leaving Wed. (today?) to be here by Fri. morn?
Cutting it close. It takes me 21 hours to drive from Orlando to central Jersey and that's with no stop over. We only stopped for food, fuel and potty.
If we stop for the night it's a 12 hour run from central Jersey to North/South Carolina border and another 10 hours from there to Orlando.

Good luck, drive safe.