JoeH wrote:
If you do decide to get a transponder, I've heard that the NC quick pass is the way to go. It works in most of the Eastern seaboard and is the least expensive .
It's worth comparing costs generally for various EZPass members. If you have electronic statements and a credit card for auto-refill, there are no additional fees from New York and the transponder is free, for one example. (That's the New York Thruway Commission, not the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which has a different fee structure....)
Traveling without EZPass is not at all impossible, but it is less convenient and in many cases costs more.