Arlington to Niagara Falls Road trip
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Anonymous
| Heading to Niagara Falls this weekend from Arlington. Once I get out of the DC Metro area tomorrow afternoon via I-270, would you recommend Route 15 or Route 219 to upstate New York. Pros/cons? Thanks. |
Anonymous
| We take Route 15 to Rochester and consider it a lovely and relatively easy drive (though mountainous in parts). No experience with Route 219. |
Anonymous
| We stopped at a relaxed B&B in Pennsylvania to break up the trip, as we had small kids. The Afghan Hound, if I remember rightly. |
Anonymous
| If you have younger kids and decide to drive through Lewsburg, PA, there is a great municipal park there with picnic tables and a great playground. Travel safely! |
Anonymous
| I did this trip a few years back. We just followed whatever route google maps told us was quickest. I think we ended up driving 270 to 99 to a bunch of other roads right through central PA. I found it more interesting because there are lots of small roads and mountains and trees than going through Pittsburgh. |
Anonymous
+1. We travelled this route several times and 15 is usually easy (I would take 322/22 for the section through Harrisburg though, and rejoin 15 north of the city). There's a place called "Reptileland" that always looks busy, our kiddo is still young so hasn't asked to stop there yet! |
Anonymous
I've driven 15 more times that I can count. It's beautiful in the fall. Good stopping points for food/gas/restrooms are just south of Harrisburg, Williamsport (Wegmans for food and bathroom) and then after you get into NY around Corning. The winding road down into Williamsport is always fun. 
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Anonymous
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We take 219 from NWDC to Buffalo. There are big stretches in central PA that are comparatively empty -- an hour or more between towns without any good spots to stop for e.g. bathroom breaks or to stretch your legs. It's quicker that the alternate routes for us, though.
Will you be driving straight through or stopping overnight? |
Anonymous
OP here. Thanks all for your input. I'll be driving solo straight through on my way there. Had heard 219 is windy and mountainous vs. Route 15 which is a little bit longer mileage wise but takes around the same time or just a few minutes more. |
Anonymous
You're right -- 219 isn't such a great road, if that's a concern. I'm looking at the times on google maps and they are really only about 15 minutes difference (also the road through Pittsburgh is quicker than through Harrisburg, which surprised me). We are usually traveling on holiday weekends though, so maybe that makes the back road quicker? IDK. I think it's six of one and half a dozen of another, honestly. Also, IIRC, there may be parts of 219 with spotty cell service, if that's a concern. |
Anonymous
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Where will you stay? If you stay on the Canadian side, beware of the bogus "tourist fee/tax". We had to called Hilton Corporate and got them to resolve it. I will never stay on the Canadian side again.
(only the Niagara Falls area has this problem) |
Anonymous
Staying with friends. Thanks for the heads up though. |
Anonymous
+1 especially for the Williamsport Wegman's! |
Anonymous
| 219 is faster. I found it to be a lot faster because you never hit any traffic that you'd find around cities. I had cell reception the whole way. That said, while there are gas stations for bathrooms along the way, otherwise it is a lot of country aka no real places to stop and eat, walk around, etc. I found you basically need to stop near Altoona on the way up, and before exiting NY state on the way back, because in between there isn't much. |
Anonymous
| Go 15. |