I need to be in the Cape Cod area, Wellfleet to be precise, on July 18 & 19 (a Tuesday and Wed) for a work meeting. Nice, I know! I am planning to drive from Ithaca, NY on Monday the 17th and drive back on Thursday, the 20th. I will be driving by myself and am mostly concerned with getting there, rather than sight seeing, so I plan to take the NY Thruway / Mass Pike toward Boston, exiting 495 and working my way up to Hwy 6. My question is about traffic on 495 and then 6. Is is terrible? Are there times of day I should try to avoid? Any other advice? I have never been to the Cape Cod area before, so any advice is very much welcome.

Getting over the bridge on a weekday should not be a problem. The only traffic that I would expect would be on 495S but then only if you hit there at 4-6pm. Sometimes the exit from the Mass Pike to 495 backs up but I believe that is usually on Saturday mornings.

Ditto. Its the weekends that you have to worry about.

After all that highway driving, it might be a nice change of pace to take route 6A after you cross the Canal.

It ends up merging with route 6 at the Orleans rotary where you will continue on to Wellfleet.

Just a thought.

I know you will love Wellfleet. Try to get to What one evening, be sure and have lunch/dinner at The Wicked Oyster, in the village, have a glass of wine on the lawn of Winslow Tavern, and catch the different and locally made gifts at the shop on the pier. Mac's seafood for lunch on the bay-and Newcomb or Cahool Hollow for a day at the ocean. Hope the weather is great! You'll have no problem getting here during the week.Great place to have a work meeting!

Thanks to all for this good advice. Looks like I need not worry about traffic. Capecodshanty -- thanks for all of the tips. My worry now is that I might not want to work at the work meeting

It's a long drive to the Cape from Ithica so you might want to forgo taking the scenic route, 6A, once you are over the bridge. But for a visual treat that will only take you a minute (really) out of your way, take the road to Fort Hill in Eastham. The National Park Service sign to the Fort Hill Area is just a mile after the Orleans rotary. Follow the Fort Hill Area sign to the most spectacular overlook on the outer Cape. You will be looking at the Atlantic Ocean over Nauset Marsh...just breathtakingly beautiful! It will only take a minute...and it will get you in the Cape Cod mood after a long drive! You will love the outer Cape!