Travel Restrictions on I-95 from South Jersey to Disney?

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Just ballparking from memory, but taking the 695 loop seemed to only be about 20 minutes longer than going through the tunnels.

[Beckers 1,136]

My husband drives this way 4 or 5 times a week for work and he said there is construction and a ton of cops there, no way you will be able to make it without being pulled over.

[Travisma 1,317]

As Rennie said above you would be taking a chance by going thru the tunnel.  We have had good luck taking the Francis Scott Key Bridge but in recent years I always avoid all the cities by taking I-81 and then 66 to 17 to 95 in VA.

 

I don't think that would work too well coming from NJ though. I would either do the 301 option or the 113-13 to the Bay-Bridge-Tunnel.  

 

The Bridge-Tunnel route is very pretty but not very fast, also they have a pull over for RVs to check your propane is turned off before the bridge-tunnel entrance. The toll is expensive but worth it IMHO to avoid DC-Baltimore.  Plus you get a one-of-a-kind view of driving across the water.

 

If you go that way there are some nice campgrounds, good seafood, and the Mariners Museum in Norfolk where you can see the parts of the USS Monitor that were recovered a few years ago.

We hit the bridge-tunnel on our way to Chincoteague Island.  I thought it was further up and was surprised when I started seeing the signs for it.  $13 for a car, but the granddaughters loved it.  It was the first time for them to go thru a tunnel.

[Beckers 1,136]

I loved the baby bridge tunnel! It's neat. We always stop at the rest area on it. When we were kids my parents would lets us get scratch off lotto tickets there and I won $50 once.

[ependydad...Doug 176]

Just ballparking from memory, but taking the 695 loop seemed to only be about 20 minutes longer than going through the tunnels.

Correct. I timed it by GPS once- she said we added 18 minutes to our arrival time (which is fictional when towing any way).

That was going east and using the Key Bridge.

IMO, there are enough RV parks on I-95 that cater to transient/overnighters that it's not worth the stress of making reservations. If you can break them without penalty, I would suggest doing so.

[adinack74 0]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! You helped me convince my husband to take an alternate route. We are going to take 301 to bypass Baltimore. Now my husband doesn't want to wait until Ruther Glen to get on 95. He wants to do 301 to 50 (at Bowie) to 495 to 95 all around DC. Bad idea???

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Correct. I timed it by GPS once- she said we added 18 minutes to our arrival time (which is fictional when towing any way). That was going east and using the Key Bridge.

 

It's about the same going west.

 

I like the Key Bridge route, but the bridge height and potential for crosswinds freak DH out when we're towing.

 

So unless he's asleep, I go west. 

[jmaul 65]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! You helped me convince my husband to take an alternate route. We are going to take 301 to bypass Baltimore. Now my husband doesn't want to wait until Ruther Glen to get on 95. He wants to do 301 to 50 (at Bowie) to 495 to 95 all around DC. Bad idea???

 

Again, depends on time of day. We were forced this way since there was construction on a railroad crossing that had closed 301 further south at the time. Spent an extra 2-3 hours in traffic thru all of 495 and 95 down to Fredericksburg. 

 

Maybe at that point you can look at the traffic on Google Maps and make a decision on the fly.

 

Enjoy.

[parrothead7368 aka Norm 101]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! You helped me convince my husband to take an alternate route. We are going to take 301 to bypass Baltimore. Now my husband doesn't want to wait until Ruther Glen to get on 95. He wants to do 301 to 50 (at Bowie) to 495 to 95 all around DC. Bad idea???

 

Problem is that is usually where the traffic starts to build up.

 

Best Regards,

Norm

[ependydad...Doug 176]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! You helped me convince my husband to take an alternate route. We are going to take 301 to bypass Baltimore. Now my husband doesn't want to wait until Ruther Glen to get on 95. He wants to do 301 to 50 (at Bowie) to 495 to 95 all around DC. Bad idea???

It takes just shy of forever to get from 301 to 495 and you're still open to the worst parts of the DC beltway and I-95 in northern Virginia. That east side and top part of I-95 can be brutal.

If I was going to take 301, I certainly would get south of the city before going back to I-95.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

Our choice is to stay on 301 to Ruth's Glenn( exit 104 on 95) the northern section on 95 in Va can get nasty in either direction.

[Travisma 1,317]

Correct. I timed it by GPS once- she said we added 18 minutes to our arrival time (which is fictional when towing any way). That was going east and using the Key Bridge. IMO, there are enough RV parks on I-95 that cater to transient/overnighters that it's not worth the stress of making reservations. If you can break them without penalty, I would suggest doing so.

Garmin?  Our rental had the Hertz Assistant and they don't show the arrival time like the Garmins.  It has a spot for miles to arrival, and another for time till arrival both of course are constantly changing as you travel

 

I like that feature on the Garmin just for the reason you stated, you can see if a change of route is going to add or subtract time from the original time when you started out.

 

Google Maps acted like the Hertz GPS also, constantly counting down.

[arthuruscg 34]

Thank you so much for all of your replies! You helped me convince my husband to take an alternate route. We are going to take 301 to bypass Baltimore. Now my husband doesn't want to wait until Ruther Glen to get on 95. He wants to do 301 to 50 (at Bowie) to 495 to 95 all around DC. Bad idea???

It will take you longer and you will still have to deal with the backups on the beltway and I-95.

 

You are better off running 301 all the way south.

The I-95 express lanes are for cars only. VA has figured out they can make $ now ticketing the people pulling trailers on the express lanes now.

 

I would take US 301S until the US 207 buypass which dumps you on I-95 south of the the express lane slow down.

Waze will tell you if it is faster to take I-95 or 295 around Richmond.

[arthuruscg 34]

We're planning on leaving NJ around 4:00am and stopping in Savannah overnight.

You would be in prime time traffic going around the DC beltway. There will be a britty big backup/slow down around the Woodrow wilson bridge.

 

If you are looking at Google maps, you can put in your departing time and date to get and expected travel time. At the time you are leaving the expect difference between runnign US301 and I95 is within a few minutes due to the backups on I95.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

The I-95 express lanes are for cars only. VA has figured out they can make $ now ticketing the people pulling trailers on the express lanes now.

 

Good to know!  When I took them in April coming down for WWW, I was just driving a car.

[pixiesteno 2]

I would go with getting back on to I95 just above Kings Dominion as it can be really hairy in further north in tow.  We spent the last year towing either the RV or a cargo trailer to and from western NY to GA and having to get on to I95 in Fredericksburg was a b *&%h every time.  Now we found that riding the right lane was easier than trying to stay in the center.  I would make sure that I was moving over to the center lane by Exit 89 and then moved into the left lane at the first sign for I295 loop so that I could actually get on the 295.  We found that the 295 loop will usually drop off in traffic by the time that you pass the exits to go to Norfolk area.  When we moved the RV from Western NY to GA we stopped for the night in NC at a campground, I think it is Crossroads??, at Exit 173 on I95 in NC.  We were late coming in but they just let you pull in the overnight spots and then you go to the office in the morning to take care of your bill.  Really nice place.  Also there is the second exit south of Jacksonville FL on I 95 that has separate parking for RV and you can sleep overnight in your rig.  Safe travels!

[fladogfan aka Gretchen 259]

We left Northern Virginia area on a Thursday a couple of weeks ago.  Got on I-95  just above Dumfries (I think) and immediately hit stop and go traffic all the way to and through  Fredericksburg to about 6 miles south of it.  A lady at a rest stop just north of Fredericksburg said it was busy on  Fridays and Saturdays and now Thursdays were just as busy.  If I was coming from the north I'd use the Bay-Bridge tunnel and avoid all that mess if at all possible.  It puts you south of Richmond/Petersburg traffic!