Forum Discussion

linnemj's avatar
linnemj
Explorer
Aug 05, 2018

Acadia to Philadelphia area

We are looking for an alternative route to avoid New York City metro area as we travel south. Avoiding some tolls would be nice too! Thanks for your suggestions.
  • I hate I84 in CT, hilly twisty speed limit changes and construction. A couple of Sunday mornings ago I tried I95 tp I287 to the Garden State and it was good. To me way better than I84. I normally travel at night and take 95 all the way but it was morning so I tried that and it was fine.
  • I-290 does not connect directly to I-84. You need to get on I-90 (Mass Pike - tolls) through the dreaded Charlton stretch or US 20 (traffic and lights, but no tolls).

    Having done this trip a few times, I would just stay on I-90, pay the tolls and catch I-87 south. Pick up the GSP or take I-287 around to Mahwah and pick up I-95.

    I-84 is miserable at the I-90 interchange, through Hartford and in the Waterbury-Danbury stretch.

    I have done I-95 through CT over the TZ bridge and down the GSP on a Sunday and it's manageable. The only issue is the continuing construction in the New Haven area that has been going on for 25 years.
  • I would AVOID the GW Bridge at all costs!!! Tappan Zee is a much better plan. ST
  • I would love to hear what route you actually are taking. We are traveling from Philadelphia to Acadia on the 17th. I was thinking of taking the Tapan Zee bridge instead of the the George Washington.

    Also was wondering if you ran into any height restrictions. We are in a Class A 12'6 clearance.
  • It's hard to completely avoid the greater NYC area without going very far out of your way. I-287, somehow or another, is not an unreasonable route. I think perhaps I took I-287 to US 206 when I went to Pilly most recently (a few years ago now), but I might have used some road other than US 206...my memory is hazy.

    If you have some extra time, taking US2 across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont (probably it's easier to catch I-89 at Montpelier, where it parallels US2) and then US7 south to VT 22A and crossing into New York where convenient and taking I-87 south is not a bad route to take. You could cross either at Chimney Point/Crown Point (VT 17 to NY 9N south to NY 74 or NY 8 over to I87--or just 9N all the way down to the interstate) or at Fair Haven (US 4 to NY 149, or stay on US4 to Glens Falls). These are generally two lane roads, with some turns and towns with lower speed limits and so forth, but not ill-suited to RV travel.
  • I can only knowledgeably reply for my neck of the woods, but I would suggest picking up I84 in Hartford, and taking that west, to Newburgh, where you could take I87 to I287 south,in Mahwah, and pick up NJ turnpike (I95) in Perth Amboy,NJ.Turnpike is tolls.
    Just a suggestion. Safe travels!

    P.S. looking at map, If you decided to go the I 84 route, you could pick up I 495 above Boston, take that to I 290
    , and take that to I 84, but that's just me looking at the map, don't know that route personally.

    Kevin