Driving Directions MD to Maine - avoid New York traffic

We will be traveling to Wells, Maine for vacation again this year - coming from Maryland, however, we always travel through New York and get stuck in the traffic trying to get over the George Washington bridge in New York. Does anyone have a different route that they could recommend or any secret to getting around it. It really is the only part of the road trip that we dread. It has been suggested that we try the Tappanzee Bridge, but I have heard that bridge has the same traffic problems. Maybe someone knows a truckers route to avoid New York altogether. (No offense to any New Yorkers intended) We would like possible like to stop in Cape Cod for a day or two on the way up or back. Grateful for any and all suggestions.

Driving Directions MD to Maine - avoid New York traffic

Check out this from last fall - somebody asked the same question!

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g28940-i175-k87854…

Driving Directions MD to Maine - avoid New York traffic

My first suggestion would be to check out Airtran or Southwest Airlines! Airtran now flies into Portland, Maine and Southwest flies into Manchester, N.h. or Providence, R.I. Very reasonable reate( %26lt;$80 each way) If you really want to drive, I%26#39;d still go 87/287 over the Tapanzee Bridge and avoid NY City proper. A lot depends on your travel times, however.If you start out very early or leaveafter rush hour you should be allright. Weekdays are obviously preferable to weekend travel! Good luck

If you don%26#39;t want to drive in NYC traffic, you really don%26#39;t want to drive in Boston traffic. And there%26#39;s no way I know of to avoid hideous traffic when going to Cape Cod.

The best solution to avoid traffic around Boston to/from Maine-Cape Cod, is to make the wide swing via I-495. It also depends very much on when you make that leg.

If at all possible, avoid trying to get on/off the Cape Friday-Monday AM. Terrible choke points at the bridges.

We usually leave Jessup, MD on a Sunday about 5am. Stopping for coffee on the way out. When we hit the GW Bridge, traffic is usually moving well.I think we make about 3 stops between MD and Wells (2 bathroom/snack/soda breaks and one lunch). It takes about 8-1/2 hours averaging about 70mph. We do listen to the radio to see if there is any back up on the GW; then, we take the Tap. A little out of the way, but the hubby likes to keep moving. Hope this helps. We%26#39;ve been driving MD to Wells about 20 years and this is the best we%26#39;ve found.

From the SE Pennsylvania area we avoid NYC by using I-287 to NY Thruway to I-84 and then North or East. Avoid GW bridge %26amp; the paying way at the Tappan Zee like the plague. Of course, timing is everything.

My first question would have to be from what part of MD, if from the western part (say west of Baltimore) then I would possibly suggest getting to I-81 and up to I-84 and then heading east on I-84 all the way into central Mass. This is the route I always take anytime I heading south (or coming back home). It is much more scenic and avoids most of the big cities including NY. The drive through the PA and CT hills is really nice. It will add a little distance but all and all will probably save time (and definately save your sanity) as you avoid the traffic. It is in my opininon just a much more pleasant drive. If you are interested tell me your starting point and I will compare the time and distance with my Delorme software and let you know. Also if you are interested there is a nice little alternate route (Hwy 209 in Eastern PA) that is a great drive and only adds a 1/2hr or so to your drive, it gets you off the interstates for a bit.

Hi Club!

Your problem will always be, how do I cross the Hudson River?

Here are your options, in descending order with the best one last.

1) You already know about the first three choices: Verrazano Narrows Bridge to Brooklyn and Holland and Lincoln Tunnels to Manhattan. The Lincoln and Holland deposit you in Manhattan traffic. You can skip Manhattan if you follow the Verrazano, taking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278), or perhaps the Belt Parkway and the Van Wyck Expressway (I-678) to reach I-95 in the Bronx.

2) If you don%26#39;t travel at rush hour, the George Washington Bridge is the most direct route, and the simplest for navigating. Just follow the signs for I-95. When I did it, during off hours, I just breezed through.

In the Bronx, at Ex. 6 switch to the Hutchinson River Parkway, known as the Merritt Parkway (Rt. 15) in Connecticut. It%26#39;s a delightful tree-lined 4-lane drive with no large trucks. The bridges on the Merritt are built too low for big wheelers. Naturally, you won%26#39;t go this way if you%26#39;re towing a high trailer yourself or driving a Stanley Steamer.

3) For you, I think the Tappan Zee Bridge is the most practical alternative route. It takes you around New York City by the Garden State Parkway through the outer suburbs, avoiding the worst (but not all, of course) of the traffic. As you%26#39;ve discerned, it isn%26#39;t exactly a country road, but it%26#39;s less likely to be congested than the GWB, especially if you%26#39;re not traveling at rush hour.

4) I live in Nova Scotia. People driving motor homes or those from here who are petrified of the city traffic even in Halifax take I-84, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, six-lanes, 75 miles north of New York City. If you don%26#39;t mind the little extra driving, take I-81 via Harrisburg, PA to Scranton, then join I-84. You%26#39;ll reach Hartford, and then the Massachusetts Turnpike, never once driving on busy I-95.

As one writer suggested, you can both travel to Maine and visit Cape Cod on the way back by taking I-495, never once venturing into Boston traffic.

5) You wanted the secret route. Here it is, the Bear Mountain Bridge, not far from West Point. Starting out on the Pennsylvania routing for I-84, once you%26#39;re in New York state follow the signs for US-6, a scenic two-lane highway much quieter than the Interstate. It saves you neither time nor distance, but I think it qualifies as the secret route.

Happy travels, and let me know if I can help further.

David

capetien10@gmail.com

Rockville, MD is suburban DC, thus going up around Phila, by going over the I-295 bridge (DE to NJ) and up thru New Jersey, options then are hitting NJ Tpk to the Garden State pkwy to the NY thruway, up 1 exit to I-84 East. By going via I-81 thru PA and then I-84 would seem to be pushing the miles and a wider angle around.

Because of our location we use Rt 202 to Somerville,NJ pick up I-287 to the NY thruway, and then Newburgh bridge(I-84)

The Newburgh bridge avoids possible backup down at Tappan Zee and the GW.

Also, an early start certainly helps. Usually the earlier the better. Check out construction projects before you leave, no matter what route you take.

I have traveled south about 15 times, and have always used a TripTik from AAA. AAA always routes me across the TappanZee bridge. In all those years only about one time has there been real slow going across the bridge.

From there head to I-84, thru Harford, I-90 and on to I-495 to I-95. AAA claims this to be the most direct, fastest route.