Driving from DC to Boston. Suggestions?

[EagleKeeper]

Take Henry Hudson Parkway up along the Hudson river - very relaxing
Rt 2 across northen Mas is pretty with minimal traffic. You will not speed but also have little stress.

The Mass Pike west of Worchester is an easy drive

 

[thepd7]

Yes. Hell, I used an Ez-pass to go from Chicago to Long Island last summer. Even though the midwest has "I-Pass", the Ez-Pass was still accepted through all the toll plazas on the way.

Sweet, I think that might decide it for me. I had it shipped to Austin since I knew I would need it immediately when I got to Boston (I live down town and my family lives right off the mass pike 20 minutes west).

 

[thepd7]

Take Henry Hudson Parkway up along the Hudson river - very relaxing
Rt 2 across northen Mas is pretty with minimal traffic. You will not speed but also have little stress.

The Mass Pike west of Worchester is an easy drive

Gorgeous area, I was in the Berkshires for work in August. I've already driven 24 hours this trip though so speed is king now.

 

[thepd7]

can anyone comment on police on the toll roads in Jersey? In Texas cops stay off the toll roads for the most part, I'd like to be cruising around 7-8 over the speed limit. Any problems?

 

[seepy83]

I recommend route 15 in CT (merritt parkway) to break the monotony of interstate driving..

If you do this and you've never driven on 15 before, just be aware that almost all of vehicles entering have a stop sign right before they enter the highway, so if you're in the right lane there might be people who don't know how to accelerate pulling out in front of you and taking way too long to get up to speed.

15 is a great ride when it's not rush hour and there's no accidents.

 

[dfuze]

I'm actually meeting someone in Hartford so I can't go around. I know 84 to 90 isn't bad though.

I live north of Hartford, if you can get through Hartford before 4pm you should be clear sailing, after 4pm especially on a Friday is a nightmare.

 

[sohcrates]

Stay around 10 over the speed limit on Jersey TPK and you should be fine. I do see cops quite often, especially near holidays.

I do the DC to Boston drive at least 4 times a year to visit the in-laws. It is horrible! But if you can drive later at night it tends to be better (except for roadwork in connecticut). I have tried the alternative routes and frankly i would rather battle traffic than add 60 miles to my trip.

I added up the tolls there and back once and it was almost $45. Which amused me because i can pretty much drive from DC to Cali or DC to Florida and not pay a dime. Grrrr...

 

[thepd7]

Stay around 10 over the speed limit on Jersey TPK and you should be fine. I do see cops quite often, especially near holidays.

I do the DC to Boston drive at least 4 times a year to visit the in-laws. It is horrible! But if you can drive later at night it tends to be better (except for roadwork in connecticut). I have tried the alternative routes and frankly i would rather battle traffic than add 60 miles to my trip.

I added up the tolls there and back once and it was almost $45. Which amused me because i can pretty much drive from DC to Cali or DC to Florida and not pay a dime. Grrrr...

Thanks for the advice! I'm going to head out now and brave the tolls to try and get to Boston around 6.

 

[acheron]

From DC:

Take 95N
To 695W around baltimore
pick up 83N to Harrisburg
Arround Harrisburg, pick up 81N to Scranton (don't look for dunder miflin, it ain't there)
In scranton, take 84E until you hit I-90 in Mass
Take I-90 east until you hit the big dig
Go to Sam Lagrassa's for dinner and then hit the elephant walk for brews.
Pass out.

I've driven the above route ~90 times in the last ten years. It is a little longer than taking 95N all the way, but you save ~$50 bucks in tolls each way, and the risk of traffic is FAR less. The only issue is that there seems to be perpetual construction on 81N through PA.

Good luck, and have fun.

Yeah, I've done that too, but that route is what I meant by "you can go further west than cut east but it's not worth it". YMMV I guess if you like that way.

I suppose it depends on how much traffic you hit on 95; if you get into a huge traffic mess, then yeah you should have taken 81 instead. But I've generally been lucky on 95 and been able to speed along the whole way, so it takes much less time than 81. It's a bit of a gamble I guess.

 

[acheron]

done. Is it the same for the entire east coast?

All the northeast coast, from New England down to Virginia, then west into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia.

Oh cool, Wikipedia has a map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:E-ZPass_system_map.svg

 

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Do NOT take the cross Bronx Expressway, it's a freaking nightmare, and depending on how late you get to Providence, you may want to circle around it via 295, they were having some late night construction that made 4 lanes of traffic into 1, and even at 10pm on a Sunday evening, it was gridlock.
Oh, and try to NOT get gas in CT, it's freaking expensive as hell, and NJ is all full serve per state law.
Drive safe man.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Try to take US50 over to US 9 and then north to the Delware Bridge & NJ Pike. 65mph with no issues

No tolls and no Baltimore & Wilmington traffic

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Hmmmm, google says that adds an hour and a half...decisions decisions.

Also, I haven't heard of Sam Lagrassa's, what's good there?

Google assumes you go the speed limit. We have made the trek from DC to Boston using that route in 7 hours and 20 minutes.

The Chipotle Pastrami sandwich kicks serious ass.

Here is the menu - enjoy

http://www.samlagrassas.com/take-out-menu.php

 

[dank69]

Probably too late for you to read this, but if not, one more vote for 84 rather than 15/95 out of NYC on a friday from 3-4pm. 15/95 is hell every day at rush hour and on fridays even more so.

 

[LordMorpheus]

buy an ez-pass. You can get them at grocery stores. You pay 25 dollars, but they put those 25 dollars on the account so the transponder is effectively free. You get cheaper rates on toll roads and get through the booths much much faster.

 

[thepd7]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I left DC around 10 or 10:30 and took 895 under the Baltimore Harbor then 95 through NJ. I did take the Garden State Parkway up to the Tappan Zee bridge, then 287 back to 95.

I thought I was going to be fine since I got back on 95 around 3:15 going out of NY, unfortunately I did hit some traffic from where I got back on 95 to New Haven. Probably slowed me down around 30 minutes. Once I hit New Haven and (around 4 PM) and went north to Hartford it was clear sailing. I had dinner with my Aunt and then headed to Boston about 7:30, got here by 9.

Again, I really appreciate all the tips. If I do the drive again I'll take the route noted by a few members which goes further around.

 

[dank69]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I left DC around 10 or 10:30 and took 895 under the Baltimore Harbor then 95 through NJ. I did take the Garden State Parkway up to the Tappan Zee bridge, then 287 back to 95.

I thought I was going to be fine since I got back on 95 around 3:15 going out of NY, unfortunately I did hit some traffic from where I got back on 95 to New Haven. Probably slowed me down around 30 minutes. Once I hit New Haven and (around 4 PM) and went north to Hartford it was clear sailing. I had dinner with my Aunt and then headed to Boston about 7:30, got here by 9.

Again, I really appreciate all the tips. If I do the drive again I'll take the route noted by a few members which goes further around.

Yeah I wish I saw your thread sooner. Traffic from NYC to New Haven is always a bitch. 30 minutes is not too bad, you got lucky.