Can any of you local Fodorites recommend the best way to get past DC without undue trauma when driving south on I-95? We will be driving from Philadelphia to North Florida next Wednesday. My mother sometimes resorts to 301, but it's pokey.

If time is of the greatest of importance, the only way to get around DC is either the Beltway or Route 301(the old John Wilkes Booth route) through southern Maryland and Northern Neck Virginia.

You don't have much choice other than 301 unless you want to go way west on 81 and down the Shenandoahs to 77. That's pokey too because it adds lots of distance, but it's pretty and not I-95.

301's "pokey"ness is not so bad early in the morning or later after dinner/rush, and in any case is often a godsend compared to the I-95 parking lot.

Actually, your best bet is not a different route, its just a different time of day. For large stretches of the day, the Beltway and 95 South aren't bad (unless there is a wreck).

Could you time your trip so that you don't hit the Beltway until after 10 a.m., and you're past Springfield by 2 or 3 p.m.?

If you think 301 is "pokey" then you don't have much choice. Delaware 1 to US 113 South to 13 to Norfolk and over to 95 but it just isn't worth it if speed is your goal.

Leave very early and it might help..you realize, of course, that rush hour around here gets well underway for many as early as 6 AM.

I believe you can take 13 South way into North Carolina and take Route 64 or 264 west to Route 95.

I agree with kgh - stick with the main roads (95/495) - but definitely plan on when you're going to be going through the DC area. If you hit us around 10ish, you'll be fine all the way through...

We were going to try to time it that way, so hopefully that'll work. You always hope that locals have some magic formula (or know what roads to absolutely avoid) but Washington traffic is Washington traffic. Thanks, all.

Actually, we do have secrets, but we never tell.