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bsshelby
Explorer
May 13, 2013

Route from Paducah, KY to Gettysburg, PA

The second week of June we are planning on going to Gettysburg and then Lancaster PA. We will be leaving from Paducah, KY and are trying to decide between going through KY to Morgantown WV then Hagerstown MD and then to Gettysburg (several choices from Hagerstown to Gettysburg). Or up through Ohio, Cincinnati, Columbus, then Wheeling WV and I-70 to the PA turnpike and across and down to Gettysburg. We have been to this area once before in a car. I think there would be more mountains through WV, but not sure about the later part of the Ohio route. My previous trip on the PA turnpike was expensive and the worst interstate condition I have ever experienced. Would like the opinion of someone that might have been the WV MD route or the Wheeling to Gettysburg route. Thanks for your responses
  • Get a copy of Mountain Directory East to help decide what route to take. Driving the Interstate system is far easier on the driver than the back roads especially in the mountains.
    Eating out one less time will pay for the tolls.
  • The Ohio, WV, PA trip is faster. The turnpike is very expensive but we find we make better time that way. WV route has many mountains and you are constantly going up, then down, then up again. Eats up your time. PA has mountains but you don't seem to go up and down quite as frequently. We have family in KY (Frankfort area) and we've done both many times. We usually bite the bullet and pay the tolls and travel the turnpike. As far as the quality of the road on the turnpike just be aware the quality of EVERY road in PA is crap. We Pennsylvanians just seems to learn to live with it. Just enjoy the good things about PA. There are lots!!