Boston to NYC with a Uhaul
 

Hi- I know I've seen this question on here before, but now I can't find it. Moving Easter morning - I need to get from Boston to Astoria area. I am not familiar at all with driving into NYC area, only around; nor where I'm restricted with a truck. Looking at either a 10ft or 12ft truck. Guessing I need to take 90 to 84 to 91 to 95, and then what? I despise 95 so want as little time as possible on it. Thank you.

That is quite a trip and on Easter morning yet.

I can understand your not liking 95. I live only a few blocks from the highway (in the Northeast Bronx) and see it backed up all the time.

I suggest you take 95 into the Bronx and then the Bruckner Expressway (278) to the RFK/Triboro Bridge into Queens. The first exit in Queens - right over the bridge - will leave you off in Astoria (Astoria Blvd/31st St).

Have a safe trip.

You can't really avoid I-95 coming from Boston, though you can come across the Mass Pike and down 91 down through Hartford. I don't think that's out of the way, but you still have to go through New Haven this way. I don't know a way to avoid it. I do think traffic will be fairly light on Easter Sunday for what it's worth.

How about Mass. Pike west to 84 to 684? That avoids New Haven, though you'll have to go thru Hartford. But I can't imagine much traffic there on Easter morning.

Just avoid anything that is called a "Parkway" - to avoid a potentially huge fine. Also - where are you planning on parking this in Astoria - on the street might not be possible.

Thank you. I know I can't avoid 95, just want to minimize the time on it. No need to park anywhere - going straight to Uhaul and storage in Woodside right off of Brookyln Queens Exp. West. Figure if I leave early, traffic should be ok.

Yeah, the driving would be the least of my worries.

Get the smallest truck you can manage -- not that you will have a lot of choice, whatever you are promised -- and live with it. Do a Google map of your route and just live with that, too. Get as early a start as possible since you will run into going-home- from-grandma traffic in the PM. It should not be busy in the morning.

I would plan to unload on arrival, another reason for an early start. A U-Haul truck (Penske is MUCH better, by the way) sitting at the curb is an invitation to thieves who feel that it has got to be full of good stuff like plasma TVs, 1957 Stratocasters, and a load of computers. Only you know if they might be right. It would be really good to have someone who can help you so that one person is with the truck at all times. Maybe it is a good enough neighborhood that this would not be a problem, but I wouldn't leave a truck unlocked in Somerville or Brighton, even long enough to carry stuff inside.

Can you move into your destination on Sunday? Some places have rigid restrictions on when you can move, particularly elevator buildings which have to hang pads in the elevator.

Know where you can return the truck and what to do with it after hours, which Easter Sunday is almost by definition. The less time you have responsibility for this baby, the better.

I left my last one outside the razor wire enclosure on a scary block in Roslindale. I backed it up to the fence, and I took time stamped photographs of the condition of the vehicle and of my hand dropping the papers into the lock box. Not my problem after that! But it was fine. My paranoia.

This is likely to be a lot less trouble than it seems, but better prepared than surprised.

One more thing: if you are traveling from the south side of Boston or the southern suburbs (Dedham-Milton-Quincy-South Shore) it is faster to take 95 all the way. There is less traffic and there are no tolls, although I-295 and I 95 in Warwick are heavily patrolled and they write lots of tickets.

Prepare to be horrified by the price of gas in NYC unless you are a Californian, in which case it may look almost like a bargain.

All of the google maps directions are putting me on the Hutchinson Pkwy... my destination is 2645 Brooklyn Queens Exp W; what's the alternative? Thanks.

You CANNOT take the Hutchinson River Parkway. It is illegal to travel that road in a U-Haul. You MUST take I-95, which more or less parallels the Hutch, or one of the other routes that are suggested above. Those ARE the alternatives. Googlemaps offers different options. Choose the one you like the best, but you can't take a Parkway.

You also need to determine if you can physically drive the truck on I-91. There are various steep road grades on the stretch between I-84 and I-95. If you determine that those grades aren't for you, then suck it up and take I-95 all the way.

You're getting great suggestions here so I feel a little guilty suggesting that you go I-95 to New London, get on the NL-Orient Point Ferry (to Long Island), go west on Rte. 25, to Long Island Expwy (I-495) and on into NYC.

The cost of taking a truck on a ferry is generally high. In have done it in a car but would not do it in a truck.

The destination you gave is a UHaul rental return/storage center. Your route to there is basically I 95 to I 687 to I 287 but these roads all have names in the NYC area, which you can get from Google Maps.

I looked up your route on Google Maps Mobile, and it was indeed as illogical as you reported, which is a major pain, and Google Maps did not manage the alternate route function well. Try it on a computer, where it works.

If you are unloading into a storage area at this facility, forget all the scary stuff I wrote but make sure they are open on Sunday.

I have driven a Penske rental truck on I 91 between New Haven and Hartford and did not have any difficulties with grades.

I've found that mapquest.com is a little easier to use when you want to eliminate a road. Just highlight the road and the option to avoid that comes up.

If you want to avoid Hartford, take 84 to CT 2 east (a left exit) then to rt 3 towards Wethersfield (takes you over the river) to 91 south (a left exit).