CONNOLE1056

In a month, I will be driving from Rhode Island to Orlando. Last year I was told 95 south is the "old way" to go and I should instead use route 81.I was also told it was shorter. I looked into it & have read that it is longer in miles and about two hours longer in time, but a nicer drive. I don't care about scenery, as I am driving through. However, why else would a person purposely spend more time on the road? I planned to give it a shot because some people claim the distance is greater on route 81, but the driving time is shorter. If I do not see a difference on the southern drive I will take 95 home on the northern drive. However, I do not know HOW to get to route 81 from RI, nor from Orlando. I have searched online and cannot find anything. When a Walmart employee told me a particular Garmin GPS allowed users to enter desired routes, I bought the GPS and found this was not the case! It seems Garmins do NOT have this function. So I now have two Garmins that will not be of help. Will someone please tell me the route? Is 81 off 95? I know that if I change course the GPS will recalculate the route, but I have no idea where to veer!! Also, if I decide to go home via 81 I will not have a clue how to do that. I would appreciate it if someone would take the time to help me. Thanks.

tomfuller

Take US 6 west out of Providence to get on I-384 near Manchester CT. I-384 puts you on I-84 near Hartford.
Take I-84 all the way to Scranton PA where you get on I-81.
Take I-81 all the way through Harrisburg and through the Shenandoah Valley of VA to I-77 just past Pulaski.
I-77 takes you through Charlotte. Get on I-26 near Columbia South Carolina which takes you back to I-95.
When I lived in central PA I went this way several times to avoid the Baltimore and DC fiasco.
Whether you save any time depends on what type of traffic jam you encounter on the Baltimore or the Washington Beltway.

Gretchen

https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0525743,-74.7338024,8z

emalloy

We've done both from CT and as mentioned, the time for either route depends on traffic.

If you leave RI between 6 AM and 8 PM you are very likely to get a traffic jam on 95. Starting in New Haven there are usually stoppages there and/or New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, Washington DC. These can be just due to extra volume during busy times, but construction and accidents happen often too. I don't think in many trips south we haven't encountered slow downs at some point in the trip.

Driving 81 can have construction or accidents as can any route, but when we've gone that way it has taken the same or less time than going 95 even though it was almost 100 miles farther. There are fewer tolls on this route also.

If you are willing to travel at the less busy hours, then most likely 95 will be faster. We found that leaving home in the middle of CT before 4AM eliminated most of the traffic slow downs in CT and NY and got us through New York City by 7 AM . There were often slow places in NJ or Baltimore or DC/northern VA, but once we got past Richmond VA things usually moved along nicely. If you leave RI after 8 then you might get through the NY area without too much stop and go, but will be in the afternoon gridlock around DC.

We found driving 81 less stressful, 95 faster if handled as mentioned.

Ackislander

I-95 is 19 hours of driving plus gas, toilet, food, tolls, add two hours for rush hour (3-7) from Beltsville, MD to Fredericksburg, VA.

I-84/81 is 20 hours but no tolls and no DC rush hour.

It's a wash, really.

The part that worries me is your plan to drive for 20 hours straight through. No offense, but that's a really bad idea.

sludick

You will likely run into congestion on I-26, so allow some time for that. It's not like DC rush hour, by any means, but it has sometimes cost us an extra hour. Also, Charlotte traffic has just exploded, and you might be stuck in that for another hour or two depending on when you travel through.

Yes, probably a wash either way.

tomfuller

If you do go on the route I described, stop for the night along I-77 somewhere near Statesville NC.

Ackislander

If you stop in Staesville, eat at the Little Pig BBQ. ASK FOR DOUBLE HUSH PUPPIES.

vincenzo32951

I mentioned the word "map" to my son the other day, and he joked, "What's a map?"

After reading the OP, I now realize it's not a joke.

Gretchen

I thought the same thing. My favorite way of planning is to put down a map and pins for destinations. SO easy to see possibilities.

CONNOLE1056

Thank you. I could not put down pins because I didn't have any idea where to put them! I was simply told to use the route & that I should get on in PA, which is a fairly large area to just drop a pin and hope it is somewhere close to where I want to be. I am leaving sometime between 4-6PM, driving a bit and then getting a hotel I did not say I was driving 20 hours straight, though I know I could do it. Last year I made the trip in 2 days, getting from RI to SC the 1st day. The second day I got to WDW in the late afternoon. Since I have the extra night this year, I decided to leave then and get 4-6 hours in. CT traffic always sucks, no matter the time. DC, Baltimore and NY aren't much better. Hartford is the most annoying to me though & I know I will hit it because of the time I am leaving. The time isn't set in stone, but I feel better on the road, rather than sitting at home waiting for rush hour to end. I will be sitting either way... I may try hush puppies again. I am used to clam cakes & found hush puppies boring in comparison. My southern cousins love them!

CONNOLE1056

I actually do know how to read a map. I do teach the skill to my students & can therefore assure you that there are children being taught to do this. I do not equate using a GPS and asking for assistance to having a low level of intelligence & find the rude comments unnecessary. I was under the impression that the forums were to be used for such things as I asked. I have read several that were very similar, but none that basically called anyone a moron simply for asking for help. Posting a map was extremely rude. You may want to think about your flippant & condescending post the next time you are unsure of something & seek help. Maps do not update automatically, alert users to traffic, accidents, road work nor other delays, so I prefer using GPS devices. Another plus, is the GPS may be mounted where it is visible, but not obtrusive. Other benefits include voice alerts for upcoming turns & exits legal speed limits (which often change due to road circumstances) and locations of hotels, gas stations, banks eateries and rest stops.
To those who kindly helped, I appreciate your responses. I am certainly going to investigate the information you provided me.

vincenzo32951

"However, I do not know HOW to get to route 81 from RI"

Gretchen

. I could not put down pins because I didn't have any idea where to put them! I was simply told to use the route & that I should get on in PA

And now I see that I was the one that was rude for posting a map!! Dear heavens man, what do you want when you post

", I do not know HOW to get to route 81 from RI, nor from Orlando. I have searched online and cannot find anything. "