jim_deitsch

My family of 4 and I will be coming home from Disney Dec 12th driving from there to Boston. We always use I-95, but were thinking on trying another route home. I-95 can be such a pain going through Washington and NYC, New Jersey...anyone have any experience driving that I-81/I-84 Route? Especially this time of year (snow, etc?)...any help/comments are greatly appreciated

Gretchen

Stay tuned to the weather channel. I81 is a great road north and misses all the major metropolitan areas.

Dukey1

The only "problem" on I-81 might be the number of semi-trailers. A couple of years ago there was an extra highway patrol presence placed on the route in Virginia.

The last time I used it I was on it early in the day as well as during the day and there didn't seem to be that many trucks using it.

There has been periodic construction but it appears to be well-maintained and it certainly doesn't equal the absolute zoo which is the stretch of I-95 between Richmond and the bottom of the Washington Beltway.

ekscrunchy

We chose to drive that way last December, from NYC, and again from South Florida back to our NYC home. Although it is a bit of a long slog through Pennsylvania, and takes longer, I liked it much better than I-95. I do not remember an out-of-the-ordinary amount of trucks.


http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ea-islands.cfm

vincenzo32951

I-81 will take longer, but some people like it because it is less congested. It's really your call.

I-84 allows you to miss the NYC/GW Bridge traffic, and is the route I always take. (I hate the GW Bridge route.) I find that I-84 takes no more time than I-95, and at times is faster. The one tricky part is trying to miss Hartford at rush hour, especially on Fridays.

BTW, I've made that trip to Boston about 50 times.

Gretchen

I have to admit I am often amused that people not the heavy use of big semis on I81, as if they are banned from I95. They move right along!! LOL

Gretchen

that would be "note" the heavy use. LOL

Dukey1

Gretchen, nobody said they were banned from I-95 and if you don't think that a couple of years ago in Virginia there was such an identified "problem" with them on I-81 that the Governor called for an increased presence of the Highway Patrol that's perfectly fine with me.

Why do you think the semi drivers USE I-81 anyway?

Gretchen

YOu fail to recognize sarcasm--you talk as if there were no trucks on I95.
I am also not saying there isn't heavy truck traffic on i81. It's an interstate and it is a hypotenuse so it cuts down on distance.
If you've ever been on I70 in Ohio, you'll know what heavy truck traffic looks like--also.
"couple of years ago a problem". Maybe not so much now?

I81 is a perfectly good and safe road to travel, in my opinion it it gets you to where you are going--and you can miss 3 major metropolitan centers doing it.

jim_deitsch

Folks, thank you! These are great answers! Please keep them coming!