Drive from Ohio to NYC
 

Myself and 3 friends are driving to NYC from Ohio for a bike ride in NYC. We are driving with 4 bikes on our car. I realize the ride to NYC is about 8 hours. What could the real drive time be allowing traffic as we get closer to NYC? We will be arriving on a Friday. I say we leave Thursday evening after our work, drive 4 to 5 hours, stay at a hotel on highway and head into NYC possibly avoiding horrible rush hour stuff and having another half day in NYC. A couple of the gals are saying do it all in one day. We have a hotel in the lower Manhatten with valet parking. Suggestions please!

I'm in the camp that likes to do an 8hr drive in one day. Get up and on the road early, by 6am, and you'll hit the NYC area early afternoon & should be fine crossing the George Washington Bridge at the end of I-80, then down the west side.

About the bikes... where do you plan to store them? Last time I did a serious ride in NYC (NYC century a few years ago) I kept the bike in my hotel room. Valet parking in NYC usually means they take the car to a local parking garage. If I did not have a secure place at my hotel to lock them up I'd cable lock them together in my car, then let the valet park the car. Then you'd have to get the car when you wanted to use the bikes.

If this is for a serious ride and you want to use your own bikes - I get that. But if this is just for casual riding around town, consider the NYC bike ride sharing program. www.citibikenyc.com/

Thanks about the bikes. We are contacting hotel about storage. Serious ride, fundraiser 2017 TD Five Boro Bike Tour. 32000 riders, 40 miles. Start in Manhatten go thru5 boros, ending at Statin Island. We too have bought bikes in hotel rooms....Making it crowded for sure. LOL

One warning: IME, Friday is the worst driving day to head into the NYC area. That said, if you plan to leave by 6 am for the 8-hour drive, make damn sure you leave by 6 am.

Where in Ohio are you driving from? Are you crossing I80 or the PA Turnpike? Can make a big difference on your approach.

Where in Lower Manhattan is your hotel? Even if you come across the GWB, it can make sense to travel down the FDR.

We are coming from Columbus, Ohio so will start going east on 70. We are staying on 52 William St., within walking distance of 9/11. Does that help with our approach into NY?

Have driven from Columbus many times via 70 & PA Turnpike. You need to allow 12 hours. Not sure where you got 8 hours.

Mapquest shows 2 routes, The I-80 route through Youngstown is 24 miles more but only 7 minutes more. Mapquest shows 8:37 to 8:44 for the trip.
I would stay away from the PA Turnpike just because of the route through Harrisburg and Allentown.
I-80 ends at the GWB.

I'd go as far as Pittsburgh (well, just south probably). There are some decent places to stay around Bentleyville. I did this drive last summer. It took me a little over 12 hours to get from NYC to Dayton (including stops). I-70 is a punishing highway with a lot of construction and trucks, but it's the most direct route. From Pittsburgh it's about 7 hours into NYC on a Friday.

If you are going downtown, I'd recommend taking the Holland Tunnel. It's a very slow approach, but it's the most direct route to your hotel. That's why I don't recommend I-80 because it's a more northerly route that will require you to drive down the Westside Highway in NYC and could add an extra hour onto your trip. Even with the slow approach, the Holland Tunnel is a huge time-saver.