Op again, we have an ez pass and non napping kids, but I think if I can convince Dh to do a 6am departure, we will be good. Cheers!

Leave by 7:30am. Arrive by 10:30 and either beach or go to the park for a while (we like north side in OC). Aim for a car or stroller nap if doable then check in to your rental

You'll be fine with a 6am departure. Have fun!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been driving to DE beaches for 30+ years and my rule is over the Bay Bridge by 8am on Saturday at the very latest. As for Sunday, you leave as early in the morning as you can or as late as night as you can. Middle of the day is always a nightmare.

Op here. How long does it take to get over the bay bridge? Could we leave at 6am and be okay?

The Bay Bridge is about an hour away. Traffic to the bridge usually isn't bad. If you have an EZ Pass it speeds up the bridge crossing.

I have never spent 7 hours to get the beach. The worst was about 4 hours to get home on a Sunday afternoon. But we are normally going to Lewes.

Anonymous wrote:I have been driving to DE beaches for 30+ years and my rule is over the Bay Bridge by 8am on Saturday at the very latest. As for Sunday, you leave as early in the morning as you can or as late as night as you can. Middle of the day is always a nightmare.

Op here. How long does it take to get over the bay bridge? Could we leave at 6am and be okay?

I have been driving to DE beaches for 30+ years and my rule is over the Bay Bridge by 8am on Saturday at the very latest. As for Sunday, you leave as early in the morning as you can or as late as night as you can. Middle of the day is always a nightmare.

Leave after 6:45 and it's a nightmare of traffic. Well worth it to wake up one hour earlier instead of sitting in 3+ more hours of traffic.

We have done this drive seven times in the past 10 years, many times with napping toddlers. (Thank goodness the youngest is finally done napping!). Yes, it's better to leave really early (we usually left by 7:30 a.m.), get there in 3 hours, and aim for a nap in your lap or on the beach or somewhere else once you're there. (After you've arrived and had lunch, just drive around town for a little bit till the baby falls asleep...) It really can be a 6+ hour drive if you leave the DC area at noon.Getting a nap in the car doesn't make the rest of that horrible drive worth it, in my opinion.

Ha. No, not a seven hour nap, but we thought it would cut down on the awake time in the car.

So, if I am hearing correctly, the earlier we leave on Saturday the better? We cannot get the keys to our rental until around 3 or 4:00, so should we just go early, stop for lunch etc. on the way?

Sorry if this is an obvious question. We are new at this. We usually go to the NC beaches but are pretty sick of that drive.

Anonymous wrote:Np. I have the same question. We have a small child who naps around 1:00, so we were thinking of leaving around 12 or 1 on Sat. so he could nap in the car. Is that too late?

Does he nap for 7 hours? It might take that long

We always leave to go to the beach on Sunday. Before 7 am. No traffic. Anytime after 8-9am is a nightmare. Coming back on Sunday is brutal between 4-7pm. Leavin after 7 it's still traffiic but not nearly as bad.

Np. I have the same question. We have a small child who naps around 1:00, so we were thinking of leaving around 12 or 1 on Sat. so he could nap in the car. Is that too late?

Am I right in thinking Sunday morning would have less traffic vs. Saturday morning?

But hand in hand with that, Sunday night would be worse that Saturday night?

We left at 7:00am on the dot a few weeks ago and didn't hit any traffic. We were there before 10:00am.

We are heading to Bethany in Late August and wonder what time would be best to leave from the area (rockville) to avoid terrible traffic? What about on the way back?