help me plan my drive to Boston

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything above. If I were the only driver, I would make sure to take a stretch break in northern NJ before the NY city stretch. That’s the one section where there may not be regular rest stops, and it can be slow and stressful driving.

[Anonymous]

I’ve occasionally used Ikeas as an alternative Times stops in Elizabeth NJ and New Haven but ymmv on whether it’s a great idea or a waste of precious minutes.

[Anonymous]

good to know about James Gandolfini. I have been dropping a pin in the middle of the Cuomo bridge to get nav to take me that way.

The GW bridge always puts me in a bad mood so I try to avoid.

[Anonymous]

Merrritt parkway is good unless there's an accident because there's just not a lot of room to navigae traffic around. I have family who live close to the parkway itself and remember a couple family trips where we were literally stuck on that parkway for an hour miles from our destination. This was before traffic apps though, now when we go through I just keep an eye out.

[Anonymous]

Also the Merritt parkway isn’t great at night— think it was built for scenic driving so it has more curves and less lighting, altho trucks are banned from it.

[Anonymous]

Leave at 9 pm or 4 am. It sucks, but cuts 1-2 hours of traffic off the drive…

I just follow Waze every time and it does a pretty good job of finding the fastest way up there.

Always stop to pee and get gas in New Jersey once you’re approaching NYC there’s no good gas stops for a while, and then, depending which way you go, bathrooms can be kind of mediocre north of NYC. Like you might end up with a Dunkin/Subway with a wait instead of a massive rest stop with 50 stalls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just get on the road, set up your traffic app and drive. It isn't that far. You are driving through the most populated region of the United States. There are tons of places to get gas, buy food, etc.

Useless post.

Not wrong, though.

+1 it’s what we did last night. Just pointed the car north at 8pm and called a residence inn at 11, pulled over at 1130 and will finish the trip this morning. This is the first time we haven’t just driven straight through.

Best days/times for use is tuesdays leave dc between 430/5 am. Or Sunday morning but typically

[Anonymous]

If you do tapenzee bridge how do you avoid Hartford ct which is where I hit most my traffic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you hit New York, Hutchinson Parkway to Merritt Parkway (non-commerical traffic only).
Avoid I-95 after New York. It's not well maintained, gross & crowded.

Yes, and generally I like taking the Garden State Parkway up to the Tappan Zee, then 287 to the Hutchinson Parkway. It's slightly longer than taking the GWB, but I really dislike the GWB/Cross Bronx. I'd only go GWB if there was a major traffic jam on the Tappan Zee route.

Totally agree with this. We make this trip several times a year and while it might be longer mileage wise, it is quicker 99% of the time. The GWB is such a time suck.

[Anonymous]

PP and also wanted to add that we leave at the crack of dawn. The earlier you hit the road the better the odds that the trip will be smooth.

[Anonymous]

Flights to Boston from DC are pretty cheap…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once you hit New York, Hutchinson Parkway to Merritt Parkway (non-commerical traffic only).
Avoid I-95 after New York. It's not well maintained, gross & crowded.

Yes, and generally I like taking the Garden State Parkway up to the Tappan Zee, then 287 to the Hutchinson Parkway. It's slightly longer than taking the GWB, but I really dislike the GWB/Cross Bronx. I'd only go GWB if there was a major traffic jam on the Tappan Zee route.

Same here, but don’t get lost looking for Tappan Zee signs or GPS routes. It’s called the Mario Cuomo Bridge now. Waze always tries to reroute me to the GWB even if I select the Cuomo route. Learn the route ahead of time so you don’t get off course. I have learned to set my GPS to the James Gandolfini Rest Stop and it helps prevent Waze from freaking out. We almost always stop there anyway before/after crossing the bridge.

I was literally getting ready to post this, right down to the part about the gps trying to constantly reroute unless you set it to the James Gandolfini Service area. Glad to know many of us regulars have found the same success on the trip north.

[Anonymous]

I had to make the drive often when pilots were striking and 1/2 the time I’d do North through Harrisburg/Scranton and it was 40 minutes longer on the map but usually 20 minutes longer in practice but a beautiful stress free drive.

Sometimes mspquest would take you south of Scranton and the same no traffic/scentuc.

Don’t do that in the Winter you can hit snow/ice.

I normally get to Boston in 8 hours with a stop left at 4 am had to be there at 1 gave me an hour cushion

A few times it took me 10 hours when I left late, going through NY/Ct during rush hour or hit an accident, 95 North once had construction that stopped traffic for 1/2 hour at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Flights to Boston from DC are pretty cheap…

And often run late if you are time specific , but going there has less delays than coming home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you do tapenzee bridge how do you avoid Hartford ct which is where I hit most my traffic

Surprising- I have driven between NYC and Boston many times and rarely hit traffic in Hartford. Pretty much every route eventually puts you on 91 into Hartford, then onto 84 to the Mass Pike. You could divert onto 95 before you get to New Haven- there is another parkway connecting the Merritt Parkway to 95- the Milford Parkway about 5 miles before New Haven.

Most people don't go that way because 95 through Rhode Island is a little bit longer, but that is a normal way to go if your end destination is in the south or southwestern parts of the Boston area.