Gettysburg PA to Ohio without using the PA Turnpike

It depends where you are starting from and in what order you visit those attractions. If you go to Niagara falls first, you can take 219 to I-80, then RT 322 to 15 south to Gettysburg.As some have said, many sections of Rt30 have a lot of stop and go traffic.

bobsallyh wrote:
If you are thinking about taking "good old US 30" from Bedford or Breezewood to Gettysburg forget it. As a former 50 plus year resident of Chambersburg, it is just a plain PITA!

US 30 from Bedford to Breezewood is good road, mostly 4 lane.
East of Breezewood it gets interesting. I would avoid that section of 30.

Ya got two choices. The pike or US 30.

If you are thinking about taking "good old US 30" from Bedford or Breezewood to Gettysburg forget it. As a former 50 plus year resident of Chambersburg, it is just a plain PITA!

I'd use Google Maps and put in the start/end information then click and drag their suggested route to avoid the turnpikes.
BTW why do you want to avoid them?
It appears there are two types of travelers. One, like us, wants to get to where we are going via the easiest and fastest way, eg. interstates.
The other considers the trip part of the experience and appreciates the non-interstate routes as in days of old; prior to 1952 and President Eisenhower.

larry cad wrote:
Unless you are a gluten for punishment, use the turnpike. It gets you as close as you can get to G'burg and right near Shanksville. Yes, it's expensive, but you save time and fuel. Do not succumb to temptation by getting off the turnpike onto 30 too soon. There are some wicked 6 degree winding hills that do not play well with big rigs. If you are going to Niagara first, you may be able to take I80, but it doesn't go close to G'burg and you will have to take some other roads to continue from 80 on south. From G'burg, take the turnpike to Shanksville. It just doesn't make sense not to. BTW, where are you staying in G'burg. Gettysburg Campground is a great place, with large sites, and really nice owners. Have fun.

That would depend on your definitions of wicked and punishment. US 30 is not all that bad coming from someone who lives in the area. At least not as bad as its made out to be by flatlanders and out of state travelers who are used to interstate highways. Granted you might not want to travel it in Februrary but its not a road where your going to blow up the tow vehicle and cook the brakes off if you know how to drive. If you want to avoid the largest grades, which are between Bedford PA and Ligonier, just run 30 to Bedford and then take 31 which takes you almost past Shanksville and eventually puts you on I70 30 miles east of Washington PA.

US 30 is not like some narrow road with turns so tight you take up both lanes, and you climb and descend the exact same mountains on either the turnpike or 30. The turnpike is faster, but 30 is a nicer drive scenically.

In which order are you going? There might be a way to miss some of the Turnpike but probably not all of it. Also it might not be as cost affective to route around as you think.

Unless you are a gluten for punishment, use the turnpike. It gets you as close as you can get to G'burg and right near Shanksville. Yes, it's expensive, but you save time and fuel. Do not succumb to temptation by getting off the turnpike onto 30 too soon. There are some wicked 6 degree winding hills that do not play well with big rigs. If you are going to Niagara first, you may be able to take I80, but it doesn't go close to G'burg and you will have to take some other roads to continue from 80 on south. From G'burg, take the turnpike to Shanksville. It just doesn't make sense not to. BTW, where are you staying in G'burg. Gettysburg Campground is a great place, with large sites, and really nice owners. Have fun.