lookn4adeal

College student looking for other-than-toll PA turnpike route (driving) to Newark from DC. Travelling March '08. Would Amtrak be a good alternative to driving? Time for driving route and/or Amtrak would be appreciated. Thanks!

nytraveler

Well - considering how hard it is for anyone under 25 to rent a car - and the huge premium they charge if you can find a renter - Amtrak would seem the best choice.

Just hop Amtrak at Union Station to Newark (NOT New York) Penn Station. Times vary by Acela (faster, but not much, but costs more) versus regular Metroliner., There is very frequent service - so go to Amtrak.com to see what trains work with your schedule.

nyer

Are you ending up at Newark Airport? as nytraveler mentioned, its easy to go from DC to Newark by Amtrak and then continue to the airport stop (and the monorail to the terminals)

The "other than toll PA turnpike" part is a little confusing.

First, one correction is that you'd never be on the PA turnpike, only the NJ turnpike, and then some additional tolls on I-95 in MD and to cross various bridges and tunnels. It is probably about $10-15 in tolls (I have EZ pass, so I don't know what the current cash rates are).You can definitely easily avoid the toll on the lower few exits of the NJP by taking the almost parallel I-295 for part of the way. For the rest of your trip, alternate roads may be longer,and end up costing you more time and or/gas money. Why is avoiding toll roads so important?
If you're looking for cheap, you're usually taking about some combination of buses rather than train

lookn4adeal

I have my own car. Would like to avoid the NJ (correction noted) turnpike if possible. Headed for Hampton Inn Newark (on Passaic Ave). Amtrak is $75 each way--Whopping! Is it really cheaper to take the toll roads than to meander and spend another hour or two? Tolls are in Baltimore, on the NJ turnpike, and later on 81.+

doug_stallings

If you are really looking for cheap transportation, you can take the Chinatown bus from DC to New York and then hop on the subway and then the PATH train to Newark for $1.50. You can probably walk from the stop in Chinatown to the WTC PATH station, saving the subway or bus fare, if you don't have a lot of luggage. This isn't the quickest way, but it will coast a total of $43 round-trip ($40 for the bus, $1.50 each way for the PATH).

As you've been told, Amtrak is an excellent, though expensive, alternative. And it's not always just $75. It can be much more depending on the time of travel.

basingstoke2

If you are driving, you can avoid much of the NJ Turnpike by taking 295 as you exit the Delaware Bridge (stay right on bridge). Take 295 to exit 56. After mile 18, whenever there is a fork, take the one to the right. At exit 56 go right at the top of the ramp for about 1/2 mile and left at the intersection. The ramp to the NJ will be just to your right and put you on at 7A. It takes no longer to go this way. At the intersection before the Turnpike there is a Pilot gas station that usually has the lowest priced gas between DC and NY.

lookn4adeal

thanks all

basing...this is exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you!

Budman

You also might consider taking Rt 50 towards Annapolis, cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Rt 301 to Rt 896. Rt 896 jogs over to Rt 1 after the toll, to Rt 13 and then over the Del Memorial Bridge. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge toll is $2.50. You save the Harbor Tunnel Toll ($2), the Susquehanna Bridge Toll ($5), and the Del Turnpike toll ($2). It's 10 miles longer than taking Rt 95, but there is zip, zilch, nada traffic.

Once across the Del Mem Bridge, follow 295 to Rt 195 East. That will put you on the NJ Tpk at 7A.

nyer

lookn4adeal, the "shortcut" that basingstoke2 mentioned (using I-295) is the exact same one I did. You will save about $4 each way by doing this. Its a perfectly easy detour, though I usually only take it to exit 5 of the NJT, rather than exit 7.
Nothing wrong with saving a few bucks, its just that the search for roads other than toll roads, IMHO, is often a waste of time as you end up on some 2 lane road, or a "miracle mile" with lots of mall traffic, traffic lights etc. Not worth the savings for me.

basingstoke2

nyer- Try exit 56 on 295 as described to get on the NJT at 7A- 3 exits further north. 295 is a multilane highway that is parallel to the NJT. It often has lighter traffic than the NJT. There are also savings other the tolls. Gas is less at most of the stations along 295 and there is more choices for food. The Wendy's at the Pilot station is one of the better Wendy's around and has high turnover.

There is also a privat bus line that leaves from Pikesville in Baltimore to midtown NYC. If anyone is interested I can find out the name of the company. It requires reservations and the fare is $55 up and back the same day, or one way if not coming back the same day. They use high end buses.