Are there any suggestions for short cuts to enter Cape Cod? I will be leaving from Albany, NY.

No such things as shortcuts. I would leave as early in the day as possible. Take 90 East to Exit 11A (on Mass Pike)to 495 South.

If you have access to a GPS that gives you traffic info, the main choice you'll have is whether to aim at the Bourne or the Sagamore bridge.

Sagamore is the one that hooks into the more direct routes from Boston and then more directly onto the "spine" highway, rte. 6, on the Cape. For that reason, it can be more crowded, but Bourne hooks more directly to routes from the west (I-495, I 195) and funnels people down to Falmouth, Woods Hole or Hyannis, so IT gets busy, too.

If it were me, I'd do what tchoiniere suggests and avoid Boston -- go via. I495, and yes, as early as possible. BUT it doesn't take much to tie one bridge up so if you can find traffic info as you go, it'll help. Then have a detailed Cape map.

By the way, the worst tie-ups are on the weekends, of course, but even on other days during the summer, the most congested area is Rte. 6 between Yarmouth and Orleans. It shrinks down to two lanes and can be a beast (in both directions).

Here's a website with traffic conditions but I have no idea how up-to-date they keep it: http://www.smartraveler.com/scripts/...ityname=Boston

What day will you be leaving? I used to work for the Mass Pike and traffic getting on the Mass Pike from NY starts to back up around 3 pm on Fridays for people heading east. Then you will hit the massive rush of people at 495 and then the rush onto the Cape.

I took the "long way" - I guess that would be Rt 6??? through Sandwich, etc; I loved it. I planned it so it wouldn't be anytime Friday through Monday, just in case. I took the Sag Bridge, drove in from a suburb.

This afternoon (Friday) at 5 PM, there was no backup at all on the Sagamore Bridge and a reported 1 mile on the Bourne.

I left North Andover, MA, at 3:15 and arrived in Hyannis at 6. Heavy traffic in Somerville, Boston Tunnel, Braintree and Marshfield.

Typical for August except that the new flyover junction at Sagamore has made that area move much more smoothly.

You can also get Smartraveler reports on your cell phone by dialing 511, then follow the menu.

If one bridge is backed up, head for the other.

You really need a road map in addition to GPS if you have it. With GPS, you may get sent to Ocean Street rather than Ocean Ave, for example. Or drive way past your destination because street numbers are incorrectly mapped. Not the fault of the GPS, rather the town mapping submitted.

With the new traffic patterns, we don't bother with "shortcuts". It's probably quicker to endure a bit of a backup than go miles out of your way. And, it's easy to get really lost.

I just saw that you posted this same question under two different subject headings.

I am assuming you are new, because that is a "no,no" unless your first title is vague ("Best place to eat") with no city.

Even if you hear that there is a backup at the Bourne Bridge, by the time you can cut off to Sagamore it may be too late. Also, as mentioned earlier, you can get lost on one of these "shotcuts". Thirdly, traffic conditions can change quickly and by the time you cut over to the other bridge, traffic could clear at the original place and be backed up at your new goal. (After this happened to me one or two times, I just sigh and wait it out.)