Best Route Frm Iowa I80 to New Brunswick, Class C+toad

If you don't have a transponder, they have cameras that will read your license and send you a bill.

You don't need to get multiple I-Pass transponders. Illinois allows registration of multiple vehicles to one transponder, we have 2 cars and one motorhome registered to ours. Vehicle license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions are entered in the system. They have velcro type attachments to allow you to move the transponder between vehicles.

I know it's not in fashion to praise governments, but Illinois really did the tolling thing right when they upgraded to join the EZpass system. They remodeled their toll plazas and established an "open road tolling" system where you no longer have to stop at a toll booth to pay a toll. Traffic backups are reduced and you can often breeze through tolling stations at highway speed.

The system reads the transponder, license plate and counts axles and then charges the corresponding account. During the pandemic it has allowed them to eliminate person to person contact by closing manned toll booths and allowing people who don't have transponder to pay tolls online (the system has recorded your license plate to catch people who try to game the system)

Living in the area, it has made travelling around Chicago much easier. USUALLY.

Northern Indiana residents and visitors know that I94, IN2, US20 is a good alternative to the toll way, at least as far as Elkhart. I can't vouch for US20 (or US30 further south) heading on into Ohio.

I can see using I94 across Michigan if heading to a Canadian crossing, but don't know if turning south to Ohio is worth the extra miles and navigation steps.

If you want to avoid surprises and navigation mishaps, it may be better to stick with the tollways to Cleveland, and accept the cost. But I've only driven that area in a car. Years ago I did have a small boat trailer in Chicago, but that was in the days when you threw a handful of change at the toll booth.

Matt_Colie,
That is an interesting route. I will plug it into our streets and trips to see if I can visualize how this works. At my age I need to minimize any surprises. I have had to make 30 mile recovers because of a wrong exit (Cleveland is my nemesis). Haven't taken this route for about 15 years.

I am trying to get my overnight locations preplanned so we know where we will stop each night. I know that often plan B has to be added, but at least we have a plan A to start with ;-).
Thanks
Rolin

Rolin,
I have more time to write now.
Your old plan was not bad, but Canadian fuel prices have done the same thing ours have. (Gasbuddy works for Canada too, but the conversion both currency and volume is up to you.)

I can't help you with the toll transponders and here is why.
We don't use any....

From Chicago, Get to I-80 near Hammond, there is a short piece of I-80 that is toll. Not worth it to try to by-pass that.
About Gary, I-80 joins I-94. I-80 goes south into Ohio and become an over patrolled toll road again. (With out of states plates, do not speed in Ohio.) Watch for the split with I-94.
Take I-94 most of the way across Michigan. Just past Ann Arbor, Catch US-23 south.
When you see I-475 EAST - That is where you want to go.
Exit 20 will be I-75 Go NORTH (doesn't seem right, but trust me).
Exit 207 will be I-280 South (there feel better?)
Exit I-280 at exit 7 and look for signs for 2 (Ohio 2) and go East.
This will look like a mistake for about 30 miles, but when you cross the Portage River, little Rt 2 become toll free limited access highway. (Remember what I said about speeding in Ohio?)
Near Lorain Ohio, pick up I-90(2) East bound (now no toll) and stay with it through Cleveland.
2 & I-90 split at exit 185 and you want to stay with I-90.
At exit 37 catch I-86 to New York. That becomes what gets called the Southern Tier Expressway. Just as fast and the NYST, but No Tolls.
In Corning I-86 becomes NY17 at Exit 54. Stay with 17 until it dumps you onto I-81. The next exit will take you across the Chenango River to I-88. When you get to Schenectady, my capability as a native guide gets weak.
But, you have just added about 10 miles and 20 minute to the drive and saved a small fortune in tolls.
From here we would have been going dowm the coast (CT,RI or MA). I am not sure where you want to be.
Matt

Dturm and Germania,
Thank you very much for your insights. I will order two I-Pass from Illinois and put one in the foil baggy thing. I don't believe that we will need it for the toad but just in case we want to do some sight seeing on the return trip. It is nice to know that you only need one I-Pass for the motorhome when towing a toad. I was a bit nervous about how this would work...didn't want a big fine to greet us after our trip.

Matt_Colie,
I totally agree with you about avoiding the Megoplis. Before Covid (to avoid toll roads) we would enter Canada at Sault Ste Marie, exit at Corwall into New York, across Vermont, New Hampshire into Maine. Some beautiful country, but slow and required multiple Canada/USA boarder crossings to get to Nova Scotia.

Getting older and this year looking for the most fuel efficient, speediest, and least stressful/tiring route. We have a time constraint on the Eastward route. Plan to take our time on the return trip and do some sight seeing (visit some national parks)

Rolin,

I can't add anything about the toll passes.

What you may not know is that the east coast is best thought of as Megopolis. It is functionally one city from Rockport MA to Petersburg VA. It extends from the coast inland about 100 miles inland (give or take). That is what you want to stay away from unless you need to venture in there. How you get to Maine so you can cross into Canada is up to your taste in travel.

We would never go into the Megopolis were it not for family there.

Matt

Just 1 responder is necessary on the motorhome on any east coast EZ pass system. If you have one on the toad and motorhome it will cost you more money. Having said that you will need a separate transponder for your toad for traveling on toll roads while sightseeing, the trick is to remember to remove toad transponder when towing ,EZpass provides you with foil envelope to put transponder in for those instances.

We got an IPASS from Illinois. We have used it locally (IL and IN) and, on a trip east through Ohio, PA, NY and Mass. We had a single transponder in the motorhome and nothing in the toad. We have also been able to use it crossing into Louisville from Indiana (bridge toll) and on some of the Florida toll roads. I think most states rate a motorhome towing as a different class.

As far as route, you are going to pay for the convenience of using a limited stop more direct route. We thought it worth the cost.

BTW, Illinois does not charge a monthly or annual fee for the transponder and their web site makes it really easy to load your account as needed.