CT to Va Beach ?s

[goofygirl17]

Hi all,
We're going to Va Beach in a few weeks (swapped my mother's timeshare) and I'm trying to figure out the best route to take. We're leaving from the New Haven area on July 10th around 9 am. We're going to make it a two day trip and stay somewhere overnight so the kids can swim, play etc and then go the rest of the way on Saturday. Last time we went (2 years ago) we stopped at a Hampton Inn right before the Delaware Bridge. I haven't figured out where to stop this time.

I think we're going to take the Merritt pkwy and then I'm not sure which way to go. Last summer we went to Avalon, NJ so we took the merritt to the tappan zee bridge to 287 to 87 to the Garden State. I'm not sure how I should change that route to head to VA. I've tried using mapquest but can't get it to avoid 95 though NY.

I'd appreciate any and all advice regarding the best route to take. I know we're going to go down rte 13 and over the chesapeke bay bridge tunnel but I'm not sure of the best way to get there to avoid traffic.

Thanks!
Goofygirl

[wackymother]

To avoid New York City, you could take 287 to cross at the Tappan Zee Bridge rather than the George Washington Bridge, then take the Palisades Interstate Parkway south to join up with 95 in Fort Lee.

[Marty Giggard]

From: New Castle, Delaware

Take Dupont Hwy/US-13/US-40
Stay on S Dupont Hwy/US-13

Continue to follow US-13
Continue on Delaware Rt 1 S
New Rt 1 is a Partial toll road

Slight right at Puncheon Run Connector
(signs for Norfolk/US-13/Salisbury, MD)

S Dupont Hwy/Old Camden Rd/US-13
Continue to follow US-13
Delaware - Maryland State Line

Take the ramp onto US-13 S/US-50 E

Salisbury, Maryland has a few fast food
restuarants and hotels/shopping areas
Nice place to stop and take a break....

Continue to follow US Rt 13 S
Maryland - Virginia State Line

Continue on Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel/US-13
EZPass Toll $12 - Nice Restuarant and Fishing Pier

Continue to follow US-13
Take the ramp to Shore Dr/US-60
Turn left at Shore Dr/US-60
Continue to follow US-60

Turn left at Laskin Rd/US Route 58

To: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Approx. 236 miles – about 5 hours depending on summer weekend traffic.

[Nickfromct]

They best way to go to Southern NJ from Ct is to take the Merritt Pky to the Hutch in NY follow that to the Cross County Pky and then take the Henry Hudson Pky south to the foot of the GW bridge. You have to pay a ~$2 toll on the Henry Hudson, but its well worth it. Go over the GW and then you can go straight down 95. If you leave New Haven around 9, you'll miss most, if not all, of the traffic.

[njdoofus]

Another route - a bit longer, but you avoid NYC, the GW and the wildcards of Great Adventure & shore traffic in New Jersey:

Merritt/Hutch combo to 287, over Tappan Zee to Garden State Pkwy south, exiting at 78 west (about 25-30 miles or so). Take 78 west all the way to Allentown, Pa. and 476 south (Pa. Turnpike). Take 476 to the end, and it meets with 95 in Chester, Pa., so you skip the Delaware Memorial Bridge as well.

Bay Bridge route is a nice choice - I think I read somewhere that 113 is faster than 13 through Maryland, but I can't confirm that.

Good luck with the trip.

[goofygirl17]

Thanks for all the advice. I've figured out how to zoom in on mapquest and alter my route so I've been playing with that. So far I have the merritt to the tappan zee to 287. I haven't finished yet.

Thanks again!
Goofygirl

[deemac]

I do not like that long, long bridge, but it beats 95.

[goofygirl17]

I've been fiddling with mapquest and this is what I have so far...

95 S

Take exit 38 toward CT-15/Merritt and W. Cross Parkways

Merge onto Milford Pkwy

Merge onto CT-15 S via the exit on the left twd NY City

CT-15 S becomes Hutchinson River Pkwy S

Take the Westchester Ave exit 26 toward I-287 W/White Plains

Turn Slight right onto Westchester Ave/CR-62 W

Merge onto I-287 W toward I-684 /White plains/Tappan zee Br/Brewster

Keep left at the fork to go onto I-287 W/I-87 N/New York State thruway N (portions toll)

Merge onto I-287 S via Exit 15 toward New Jersey (crossing into NJ)

Keep left to take I-287 S toward Perth Amboy

Take the I-95/New Jersey turnpike exit

Take the exit on the left toward Trenton and South

Take the exit toward Cars/Trucks-buses

Merge onto the New Jersey Turnpike S (Portions Toll)

New Jersey turnpike S becomes I-295 S/US-40 W (portions toll) (crossing into Delaware)

Merge onto US-13 S

US-13 S becomes DE-1 S (portions toll)

Merge onto US-13 S via Exit 97 toward Salisbury/norfolk (crossing into Maryland)

Merge onto US-13 S toward Norfolk/Ocean City (crossing into Virginia)

US-13 becomes Charles M Lankford Jr Mem Highway/Lankford Hwy (portions toll)

Lankford Hwy becomes US-13 S

Take the US-60 ramp toward VA beach/little creek

Turn left onto US-60 E/Shore Dr

.... (the rest is little local roads)

Does this look like the quickest way around NYC and the George Washington bridge as well as any other traffic hotspots in NJ etc?

Thanks!!!
Goofygirl

[njdoofus]

Originally Posted by goofygirl17

Merge onto I-287 S via Exit 15 toward New Jersey (crossing into NJ)

Keep left to take I-287 S toward Perth Amboy

Take the I-95/New Jersey turnpike exit

Whoa now - The 287 route through NJ takes you on a wide swing west. You would be better off taking the Palisades or the GSP down to the Turnpike.

[goofygirl17]

Thanks NJdoofus- so now I'll play w/ mapquest and try to get it to take me from 287 to the GSP to 95

Thanks!

[gorevs9]

Originally Posted by goofygirl17

Last time we went (2 years ago) we stopped at a Hampton Inn right before the Delaware Bridge. I haven't figured out where to stop this time.

A few years ago on our trip from RI to VA, we spent the night in a hotel on the Delaware side (New Castle area) of the Memorial Bridge. Rates were cheaper than the NJ side. You can still hop on Rts 1 & 13 south through Delaware (Rt 1 is a toll road and parallels Rt 13).

Originally Posted by njdoofus

Whoa now - The 287 route through NJ takes you on a wide swing west. You would be better off taking the Palisades or the GSP down to the Turnpike.

It adds about 30 miles, but the drive can be more pleasurable, and no GS parkway tolls to pay.

I used to take Rt 206 from I-287 through Princeton to Trenton and then I-295 south to DE (avoids both the GS Parkway and the NJ Turnpike). Unfortunately over the years, Rt 206 has become more congested and might not be worth the extra time.

Definitely take the Merritt Parkway. It's a nice drive and will avoid all that nasty congestion in Western CT, but I'm sure you know that already.

[gorevs9]

I'll be heading in that general direction on Thursday, but since I'll be pulling a trailer, I can't take the Merritt Parkway.

What is the construction situation on the western part of I-95?

Mike

[goofygirl17]

I haven't been through that part of 95 recently so I'm not sure about the construction. The CT state website might have construction schedules.

[goofygirl17]

Does this sound better?

16: Merge onto I-287 W toward I-684/ WHITE PLAINS/ TAPPAN ZEE BR./ BREWSTER.

17: Take the GARDEN STATE PKWY exit, EXIT 14A, toward NEW JERSEY.

18: Merge onto NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY S (Crossing into NEW JERSEY).

19: NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY S becomes GARDEN STATE PKWY S (Portions toll).

20: Merge onto NJ-17 S via EXIT 163 on the LEFT toward RT-4/ PARAMUS/ G WASHINGTON BRIDGE.

21: Keep LEFT at the fork to continue on NJ-17 S.

22: Merge onto NJ-3 E via the ramp on the LEFT toward NEW YORK.

23: Take the N.J. TURNPIKE ENTRANCE exit.

24: Take the TURNPIKE SOUTH exit.

25: Merge onto I-95 S/ NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE S (Portions toll).

26: Keep RIGHT to take NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE S toward CARS-TRUCKS-BUSES (Portions toll).

27: NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE S becomes I-295 S/ US-40 W (Portions toll) (Crossing into DELAWARE).

28: Merge onto US-13 S.

29: US-13 S becomes DE-1 S (Portions toll).

30: Merge onto US-13 S via EXIT 97 toward SALISBURY/ NORFOLK (Crossing into MARYLAND).

31: Merge onto US-13 S toward NORFOLK/ OCEAN CITY (Crossing into VIRGINIA).

32: US-13 S becomes CHARLES M LANKFORD JR MEMORIAL HWY/ LANKFORD HWY (Portions toll).

33: CHARLES M LANKFORD JR MEMORIAL HWY/ LANKFORD HWY becomes US-13 S.

34: Take the US-60 ramp toward VA BEACH/ LITTLE CREEK.

35: Turn LEFT onto US-60 E/ SHORE DR.

36: Turn SLIGHT RIGHT onto GREAT NECK RD N/ VA-279 S.

37: Turn LEFT onto FIRST COLONIAL RD/ VA-408 S. Continue to follow FIRST COLONIAL RD.

38: Turn LEFT onto WISCONSIN AVE.

39: Merge onto I-264 E.

Thanks!

[njdoofus]

If you are going to take the GSP, you might as well go all the way down to around exit 129 and pick up the Turnpike there. You don't want to get involved with 17 & 3. Driving through NJ is a chore, no matter how you go. (I do it daily. ) You never know where the landmines will be. Maybe your can rent a hovercraft and fly right over.

[goofygirl17]

Njdoofus- A hoovercraft sounds great! Wonder what kind of mileage they get? So exit 129 will take me to 95?

Thanks again!
Goofygirl

[njdoofus]

Yes. Exit 129 connects to the NJ Turnpike/95.

[goofygirl17]

Thanks!

Goofygirl

[danrucker3]

Goofygirl;

I live in VB; and my wife and I travel up to NYC to visit our daughter a couple times a year. I highly recommend taking Del#1 to HWY#13 and across the Bay Bridge/Tunnel into Virginia Beach. It is a toll road; but well worth the time savings. I think the Bridge/Tunnel is $12 and it also costs a couple of bucks ~$5(?) to pass along the DEL#1 highway. Coming across the bridge/tunnel will put you on shore drive also and you can take that right to the resort area.

Have fun on your trip!!
-Dan

[goofygirl17]

Thanks Dan- That's the route we're going to take I really don't like driving my full size- extra cab truck over the bridges and through the tunnels but that's the best way to go so we'll do it. We live on the shoreline in CT but can't wait to get to the waves!

Goofygirl