What is the best route: NJ to Fort Meyers Beach, FL?

If you are near the Coast in Jersey, consider taking the Ferry to Delaware and then US-9 to DE-1 to DE-24 to US-113 to US-13. After the Bay bridge Tunnel you can take US-17 or stay on US-13 to US-17 which will take you to I-95 about 30 miles from the Georgia border.

I-81 is a nice ride, but best keep an eye on the weather in February.

I stay off of 95 by taking 301 through Delaware, Maryland, and Virgina, coming out on 95 around Richmond. There are a couple spots with lights and traffic, but it's not bad IMHO.

Big Katuna wrote:
Call me weird but we drive back and forth to Maine to central Florida and I don't get on 95 the entire trip until we are in Maine.
Get over to 81S anyway you like then take it south to I-77S to I-26E to 301S to I-75 (just above Ocala) to Ft. Meyers. Avoids DC, Jax, Orlando. It might be a few more miles but the roads are way better, good scenery and one big snafu on 95 can chew up hours.

I like that way best also.

Big Katuna wrote:
Call me weird but we drive back and forth to Maine to central Florida and I don't get on 95 the entire trip until we are in Maine.
Get over to 81S anyway you like then take it south to I-77S to I-26E to 301S to I-75 (just above Ocala) to Ft. Meyers. Avoids DC, Jax, Orlando. It might be a few more miles but the roads are way better, good scenery and one big snafu on 95 can chew up hours.

Have to agree with you about I 81. Much less crowded and a heck of lot more scenic.

Call me weird but we drive back and forth to Maine to central Florida and I don't get on 95 the entire trip until we are in Maine.
Get over to 81S anyway you like then take it south to I-77S to I-26E to 301S to I-75 (just above Ocala) to Ft. Meyers. Avoids DC, Jax, Orlando. It might be a few more miles but the roads are way better, good scenery and one big snafu on 95 can chew up hours.

Having been that way a few times from NJ, it all depends on time of day. It has taken 4 hours just to get out of NJ sometimes. The same goes for DC. A few months back 4 hrs to get thru DC. I have done RT95 Sunday nights and it was smooth sailing down 95 late at night but my preferred route is usually RT78 to RT81 to either RT77 back to RT95 or RT75 thru Atlanta. Atlanta all depends on the time again. This way is usually very relaxing using cruise control, easy exits to get gas and reduced tolls. Adds extra time/gas but I rather drive than sit. RT95 in NJ, MD and VA is stop/go that is so frustrating when towing....

marc515 wrote:
Planning a trip to Fort Meyers Beach in Feb, and it looks like the best route for a class C would be: NJ Turnpike, then 95 south; 695 & Francis Scott Bridge around Baltimore; stay on 95 south to Jacksonville FL, and that's where I need some help on the best route.

Thank you

Just before Jacksonville, get on I-10 westbound and run across the state. Then south on I-75 directly to Ft. Myers.

To avoid frustration when searching, Ft. Meyers is spelled without the first "e"." Some computer programs will reject it and not search.

I agree, if you can avoid the Baltimore-DC area, do so. February can be a dicey time to drive up in the northeast, you know that. If it were me, even in February, I'd go down the DelMarVa on 13/113, cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and then take 58 from Norfolk out to Emporia to catch I-95. Traffic is minimal from Rocky Mount NC all the way down to Jax, so there should not be a big problem there.

There's no direct route from Jax to Ft Myers. It looks like I-95 to Ft Lauderdale, and then I-75 across the 'glades is one route, or you could head down I-4 through Orlando over to St Pete and then south. Pick 'em....

the best route would be to avoid I-95 around Baltimore and DC down to Fredericksburg.
bumpy