NJriverchick

I will be heading to the Outer Banks on a Saturday in mid-June. We have a house rental in Duck with a 3pm check in. I have been hearing horror stories of Saturday traffic jams and hours of bumper to bumper traffic crawling to the Outer Banks.

So how bad is it? How long will we be crawling? Do you have any tips for avoiding the worst of it?

Any input is greatly appreciated. (We are coming from New Jersey)
Thank you!

Dukey1

Be helpful, a little, if we knew what your origin is.

We rented on the OBX for years and did the drive from Arlington, VA, many times and not just in the summer.

The changeover days are usually Saturday or Sunday; cannot remember which one has more changes but I suspect it may be Saturday.

I would advise this and I am sure a bunch of people are going to roll in and contradict me and that's OK:

assuming you are not taking either of the pay ferries in order to absolutely (more or less) avoid those jam ups (and yes they do happen) you could

1. Go on Friday and spend the night in a motel.

2. Go on Saturday, and I mean REALLY EARLY (I'm sorry but you can sleep in the other 364 days of the year), get there (do you know whether your rental is rented the week prior to yours or not?) and plan on spending the time shopping or at the beach while the place is being cleaned, etc.

3. Go really LATE like getting there almost after your rental office is closed (they all have some provision for picking up the keys "after hours).

4. Repeat No's 1, 2, or 3.

NO , nobody KNOWS when the "traffic won't be so bad" for certain.

NJriverchick

Dukey - Thank you for answering. We are coming from NJ, and yes our rental is occupied the week prior.

I will look into options for early or late arrival.

Dukey1

OK, from New Jersey, and I assume you've already decided which route to take to get to US 158 and despite it's being widened to four lanes some years ago it is 158 which suffers the backups.

You might consider simply staying overnight and closer to the area rather than somewhere across the Wright bridge and that way you could get up and drive across early in the day on Saturday. There is a much larger selection of overnight possibilities around Norfolk/Newport News.

Other than near Duck itself you could look at somewhere like the Hilton Garden Inn in Kitty Hawk or even the Hampton Inn in Corolla although that's north of where your final destination probably is.

NJriverchick

Those are great suggestions - thank you!

Dukey1

As a follow-on I would suggest you consider taking Del Rte 1 (toll road)from I-95 south to 113-to 13 South (as opposed to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry from the bottom of the GS Parkway) and across the bottom of the bay on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I would also pay to use the Chesapeake Expressway (as opposed to Battlefield Boulevard) to get myself out of Tidewater Virginia and into North Carolina.

One way or the other, have a great trip and time on the OBX. Truly a wonderful place IMO.

Ackislander

That is really good advice, Dukey.

NJriverchick

Thanks again Dukey - OBX sounds heavenly.

Dukey1

Oh, it is unless you get stuck in traffic.

aliced

We did this trip with the extended family twice, both times staying to the north in the Duck area. It took some hours (2??) once over the bridge headed north. They pretty much split the rental check-in days on Saturday and Sunday so either day will take possibly lots of time once over. If you stay across bridge at another chain, yes, you could start out at 7 a.m. and be in Duck for breakfast, but beach and parking is limited as private for most of the properties, so you'd have to plan something. You do not want to continue up to Corolla as check-outers will be headed south during the 11-3 (or whatever) window as well.

Dukey1

If you are renting a cottage, usually you can actually park AT that cottage without issue. The agency simply asks that you not go inside until the cleaning is complete. Bring a suit.

NJriverchick

You know, I think I will contact the rental agency and ask what they recommend. Maybe they have some ideas. Thank you!

Dukey1

Let us KNOW what they tell you.

Randal3

Traffic shouldnt be bad at all.

I found a place off https://www.twiddy.com/outer-banks/ last June and we had no issues at all regarding traffic and etc.

You are going to love the Duck area!

Dukey1

Randal3, there's just one little problem: you did not say when you traveled, i.e., time of day or day of the week. Since the whole notion was about WHEN to arrive there you're exact feedback would be helpful.

NJriverchick

By the way, I spoke with our rental agency and they recommended that we should try to get to our destination VERY EARLY in the morning....like dawn. Even though we can't check into our house until 4pm, they recommend that we get there early and spend the day at the beach or something.

KathyK

We have not been to Duck since 2006 but went for many summers before that. We drove from Buffalo and stayed in Virginia about two hours from Duck the night before. We would leave there around 8:00 am in our bathing suits and did not experience any traffic. We spent the day on the beach waiting for our rental to be ready.

NJriverchick

Thanks KathyK - sounds like that's the way to go.

KathyK

Yes it always worked for us. Plus it gives you an extra day at the beach.