Going To Florida From The East Coast- Secret Route

[AirgunSavant]

I'm up here in the corner of MD- DE-PA- within 8 miles of the three states.
I'm looking for that secret route to the Florida Line- I95 side-East side.

The biggest slow down and hassle that kills an easy trip is Baltimore-Washington, and Richmond. It really stinks on I95- 301 used to be great but it's just as bad.

Anybody have a secret route- I end up in Palm Coast Florida.\

I used to travel to Canada often and saved 3 hours hitting the back roads.
I'm not lazy but does anyone have a proven route that I can look into and tweak if required.

Thanks!

 

[Wolf359]

Google maps or Waze is the way to go these days. Did a trip from MA to MD and it routed me around traffic in NY and Delaware. It's live so as the traffic develops, it routes you around it. It was sorta crazy, at one point I got off some local exit, went through a couple local roads and then got back on the highway, saved a half hour going around a backup.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Thanks- that's what I'm looking for.
The GPS wants to run you down 301 here and it is now worse than 195.
It can be stressful though as some of those apps run you through nowhere and you think you're lost forever but magically end up on a main road.

 

[Kuato]

Have a look at using Route 81 through Hagerstown. The time you spend getting out that direction will more than pay for the time and frustration of going through Baltimore DC VA.

Or you could try the 2am strategy, but still might hit a backup.

 

[racer12306]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Have a look at using Route 81 through Hagerstown. The time you spend getting out that direction will more than pay for the time and frustration of going through Baltimore DC VA.

Or you could try the 2am strategy, but still might hit a backup.


Problem with going down 81 is the time to get over there and then the time to get back to the east, depending on where you are going (Panama City area or Jacksonville area). Google says it adds 1.5hrs and in my experience 81 can have it's share of issues.


We went to Disney in 2014 and just took 95 all the way down. We left at 4am and had no problems except for a couple of construction zones that weren't really that bad.

Also, with the amount of overnight construction there is such a thing as leaving too early. There was a period of time where I wouldn't leave for work before 5am because of the construction.

 

[Kuato]

Like I said 12306, that 1.5 hours will easily be.made up if you hit DC traffic. I have personally driven the 45 miles from Springfield to Fredericksburg on 95 and have taken 5 hours to do it. I will never drive that stretch of highway again. I'll take the slightly.longer route with a definite travel time over the shorter route with a huge potential for delay.

 

[cpayne5]

I'm in NW Virginia and go to FL (Sarasota area) a couple times a year.

We get on 95 at Fredericksburg, and there to Richmond is by far the worst part of the entire trip. Either middle of the day on a weekday or at night are the only times it's semi-tolerable.

On the way home a couple years ago I took I26 up through Columbia SC, Charlotte NC to I81 and then up the Shenandoah valley. It took longer, but was easier on the nerves.

95 is generally the fastest way, but there are definitely some potential headaches along the way.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Thanks guys- sometimes it can be life and death too.
It gets crazy with lane shifters in that area and all of a sudden some nutcase is trying to swing four lanes over in 50 feet. Crazy.
Then the I295-495-695 and so on.
I'm within minutes of Route 1 and 40 as well but Route 1 takes you through the worst DC has to offer.

It maybe tempting to swing west and go back east but Hagerstown is a hall from Elkton-Fairhill MD. I'm 8 miles from the U of D.

 

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Thanks guys- sometimes it can be life and death too.
It gets crazy with lane shifters in that area and all of a sudden some nutcase is trying to swing four lanes over in 50 feet. Crazy.
Then the I295-495-695 and so on.
I'm within minutes of Route 1 and 40 as well but Route 1 takes you through the worst DC has to offer.

It maybe tempting to swing west and go back east but Hagerstown is a hall from Elkton-Fairhill MD. I'm 8 miles from the U of D.


I was on the way to Myrtle Beach a few weeks back and some dude did that on 95 in NC. Someone in the car must have really had to go because they decided to exit NOW. Cut across both lanes of traffic, across the grassy median, and finally onto the ramp for the rest area. Nevermind the chaos they left in their wake...cars going every which way. We were a few cars back and ended up off the road and in the grass, avoiding other cars that were avoiding other cars. Fun times. Luckily, we didn't trade paint with anyone.

 

[NormanBuntz]

I lived in central VA for 13 years. No place I have ever driven (except Rome) has more idiot and moron drivers than Northern VA. And there is no magic route to Florida.

 

[Brybo86]

I will also recommend the use of the waze app when dealing with bad traffic patterns

 

[bullwinkle]

Amtrak Auto Train! Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL.

 

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Amtrak Auto Train! Lorton, VA to Sanford, FL.


We took the auto train once. My wife and I took my parents. I was the only one who could sleep on the train (the noise and the rough ride kept the others awake). My wife says we'll never take the auto train again. Ha! We had two of the bigger rooms and transported a Toyota Highlander. Total was $2200 round trip. I think it was 17 hours on the train, too. Add a couple hours to each end for loading/unloading. Lorton to Sanford on 95 is 11ish hours.

There were lots of snow birds on the train with us, though, and lots of stories about how they always take the train (and love it).

It was neat, but wasn't our cup of tea. Might be yours, though.

 

[Jarlaxle]

What about us13 through the Capes?

 

[Prune_Juice]

I see lots of smaller lines through mid-PA down through Central VA... IF I remember, I did US 303 or 343 (?) to 81 S, took it clear through VA, and continued all the way south. Even ended up taking 75 S at one time.

Sounds like from about where you are at, OP. Head west first some how. Apologies that I don't exactly remember the routes, but the US-343 or 303 S through VA to 81 S all the way out to 77 S is what I appear to be remembering.

 

[KD0AXS]

This is the secret route:

 

[AirgunSavant]

Originally Posted By: KD0AXS
This is the secret route:

lol, yeah that be it.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Thanks everybody. I'll look into it further. Some good info here.

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: Kuato
Have a look at using Route 81 through Hagerstown. The time you spend getting out that direction will more than pay for the time and frustration of going through Baltimore DC VA.

Or you could try the 2am strategy, but still might hit a backup.


I live in the Hagerstown area. Avoid that section of 81 during the summer at all costs.

 

[FSully1]

81 to 77 to 26 to 95

OR 81 to 77 to 321 to 95