Driving VA to VT - Which Way Is Better?
 

On Saturday, Sep. 17, I will be driving from Lorton, VA, to Burlington, VT. Mapquest is showing two possible routes, with a driving time difference of about 45 minutes. I would like to see if anybody knows of any particular pros or cons about either route that might help me decide which way to go. This is not a sightseeing trip, although if given a choice I’d rather see scenery than urban blight…..

Option 1, driving time 10 hrs 3 mins. This is the most easterly route and basically takes I-95/I-295 to I-87 north to Albany where the two routes merge.

Option 2, driving time 10 hrs 49 mins. This route stays farther west of NYC. It takes I-270 to I-81, to I-88 to Albany where it connects to I-87 and merges with Option 1.

My instinct tells me to take the western route (Option 2) and avoid getting too close to NYC, but I know nothing about traffic, road conditions, or flooding along either route so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

cslasor, there are several threads on this forum discussing the merits of those two routes. Option 2 is definitely more scenic; we last drove it before the recent weather events so I can't comment on flooding, but we did run into some minor construction in PA (we never sat in traffic but there were a few lane closures where things slowed down just a bit). On a Saturday that should not be too much of a problem. There are lots of trucks on I-81 but we often prefer that to I-95.

You might want to check the latest traffic reports on http://www.511ny.org/ or call 511ny. Same for Pennsylvania if taking the I81 option.