magnoliabelle

We are driving from our home in NH to Raleigh NC and want to avoid tolls if it does not add a lot of drive time. We also want to spend the first night about 7 hours into the trip since we have young children. Any suggestions on a great online map source for trip planning since Mapquest is not the best and on Google maps I cannot figure out how to avoid tolls. Tips on where to stay the first night would be very helpful and consider we need a hotel in a very safe area. We will be staying at the Hampton Raleigh/Cary once we arrive. Suggestions for restaurants that are local favorites would be great! Thanks!

210

From where in NH? That makes a big difference. Did you try www.freetrip.com? Choose a scenic route

hills27

AAA has great maps, and if I remember correctly, you can tell it to avoid tolls. But having driven to Boston many times, I believe it's pretty impossible to avoid the tolls in NJ.

I suggest leaving as early as possible. Just scoop your kids up as you are about to walk out of the house and put them in the car. That way, they'll sleep for a few hours. You'll be able to drive a bit longer then.

djkbooks

Avoiding tolls would probably add only an hour, two at most. But, you'll want to have good road maps along in addition to any driving directions you get on the web.

Microsoft Streets & Trips is worth every penny when planning a road trip.

We drive from Nashua to Baltimore often and can get there in seven hours with no stops or major traffic slow downs.

If you stop for lunch, etc., consider an overnight at the Staybridge Suites in Newark, DE, just off I-95, Exit 3. We also like the Hilton Garden in White Marsh, MD, just off Exit 67.

A terrific family friendly restaurant is Athena II, just off I-91, Exit 12. Low prices, huge menu, good food. We often stop for food to go if we're not hungry on the way by.

You could always pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at any of the very nice rest areas along the way. Sometimes we just pick up subs, chips, soda near our home. We have a travel fridge which is wonderful to have on road trips.

rkkwan

Let's look at the actual tolls on your route. Many tolls are one-direction only, so it's different southbound and northbound. And we don't know where you're starting from, so I'll use Manchester, NH.

Southbound:

Rte 3 in NH, $0.75

Masspike, $0.50 Exit 10 (I-290 Worcester) to Exit 9 (I-84 Sturbridge)

I-95 NYTP NE Extension, free southbound.

George Washington Bridge, free southbound.

NJ Turnpike, $6.45, from Exit 18 (GW Bridge) to Exit 1 (Delaware Memorial Bridge).

Delware Memorial Bridge: $3 southbound

Delaware Turnpike I-95: $3

JFK Highway I-95 in MD: free southbound

I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel or I-895 Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore: $2

Total toll: $15.70

How to save?

NH: I-93 instead of Rte 3 - - $0.75
MA: US20 - $0.50
NJ: Get off Turnpike at Exit 5 and jump over to I-295 for $4.95 (or to save another 40 cents, use Exit 7, but it's more complicated to jump over) -$1.50 or -$1.90

DE: Get off I-95 at Exit 1 in Newark, DE. Take 896 north, 1 miles. Rte 4 west 1.5 mile, then 279 for 2 miles and jump back on I-95. -$3

Baltimore: Take I-695 west around the west side of the city. -$2

Total saved: $7.75 to $8.15. Actual toll: under $8

It'll take much longer detours to go around the other tolls. And Raleigh is too far east in NC to take I-81/77 instead of I-95.

rkkwan

Or, you can just take I-84 to Scranton then I-81 down to Baltimore and then rejoin I-95. Free.

In fact, for northbound, because of the high toll ($5) on the JFK Highway in MD (I-95) and crossing the Hudson ($6), you probably HAVE to take the I-81/84 route to avoid most tolls. Plus, this route bypass traffic near NYC.

dfrostnh

For the first part of your trip, we have found that from the Concord NH area to Hartford CT the fastest way is to take Rt 89 to 202/9 over to Keene, then to Brattleboro to get Rt 91 south to Rt 84. There are no tolls thus avoiding the Hooksett Toll on Rt 93 and the Mass Turnpike. Our son always used to take this route driving between Jacksonville NC and NH. There is rarely much traffic from Springfield MA north. Rt 202/9 is not a divided hwy but the speed limit is 55 most of the way. The MD and DE places recommended by DJKBooks sound good. Avoid the Aberdeen MD exit since this is near a military base and the budget hotels are "iffy". We always felt safe though.

PaulRabe

If minimizing tolls is your main object, here's some more tricks I've learned over the years.

1) take I-287 around the NYC area. This will add miles, but probably not time, to the drive through. At Edison, go south on either Hiway 1 or the New Jersey Tpk. The latter is suggested, as driving on Hiway will probably cost more due to additional gas expense from stop and go driving. If you do take Hiway 1, go around Trenton on I-95 towards Philadelphia.

2) if heading south on the NJ Tpk from NYC, go west on I-195 on Exit 7A. Take either I-295 south (to avoid Philly traffic) or Hiway 29 into Trenton. If you do the latter, watch the signs in Trenton carefully, in order to go south on Hiway 1 (toll is $1, but that's cheaper than going around Trenton on I-295). Then take Hiway 1 to I-95 south.

3) There is no toll south on the MD Tpk, but the toll is both ways on the Del Tpk.

4) If going north on I-95 through MD, exit north on Hiway 24 at Exit 77 into Bel Air. When you reach US-1 in about seven miles, go north. Stop for gas along US-1, as it's cheaper here than in Pennyslvania. Continue north on US-1 into PA until you get to US-322, then head south on that road towards the Commodore Berry Bridge. Cross the CB Br (like all bridges, it's free going into NJ), then head north on I-295. I've generally found that traffic on I-295 is no worse, and usually better, than that on the NJT.

magnoliabelle

This forum is fantastic and a huge thank you to everyone as each post has such helpful and useful information! I love the hotel suggestions and the restaurant off I-91 and the toll breakdowns are awesome! Thank you all. Our starting point is Nashua, NH and you are making the drive plan so much better. I have been a Fodorite for over 20 years and find it indispensable. Keep your fingers crossed for us guys as the job prospect is incredible!

rkkwan

"I have been a Fodorite for over 20 years"

No way! I thought that term refers to people who hang out on this forum, not that they've used the guidebooks...

SAnParis

Gas is over $3/gal. & you're worried about a few tolls ?! How much will the extra mileage cost you to avoid the tolls ? If you are going 2 hours out of your way, there is no way you are saving any $$ + you are wasting the two hours. How much is your time worth ??

magnoliabelle

SAnParis this has also been considered (fuel price for the addtional drive time) however avoiding tolls means more than tolls since we can avoid some of the traffic. it will all depend on when i get out of meeting on the day of departure but we want to have several options.

rkkwan

Or, the OP could have asked the question based on principle. Most of these roads were built decades ago and all the bonds paid for. These states just continue to collect tolls to put into the state coffer.

If you happen to go through northern Ohio, you'll find lots of heavy 18-wheelers going on US6 and US20, which parallels the Turnpike. Ohio doesn't rebate fuel tax/tolls to the truckers, so instead they create traffic hazards to all these small towns, and the weights of the trucks destroy the highways. Still, Ohio decides they'll spend more money to rebuild and repave those roads rather than reduce the cost for the truckers to use the Turnpike.

SAnParis

Perhaps I misunderstood the intent of the question. But to plan a trip to avoid tolls ?? I still don't get it. Someplaces you're actually better off. In Puerto Rico no one uses the toll roads (except for us tourists perhaps) so it is well worth a few extra $$ for better roads + time saved. I travel to Ohio quite a lot & I don't mind paying the tolls in W.Va. as that stretch of raod is always safe, regardless of the weather conditions.