Best and quickest route Albany NY to Florida

[Iwannago]

Always bypassed Baltimore and Washington by taking 81 but thought this year of going straight through.
Mapquest and Google come up with different ways around the citys.
Any ideas?

What is the best way around Washington and Baltimore ????
Thanks

[BillMFl]

tomkaren13 wrote:
Found a slightly different route. I-88 t0 I-81 then I-66, but don't take 17 continue on another few miles and take 234 to I-95. 234 is a great four lane road and is a better ride the 17. Less traffic lights and traffic. If you have a Virginia map check it out.

Will have to try that. I66 has way fewer steep climbs than I64. And I77 is even worse. I've been using I66 to avoid Blue Ridge mountains and the very heavy truck traffic on I81. The only way to drive I81 is to go slow in the right lane and force all the trucks to pass. Love I95 once you hit Georgia and Florida, nice smooth 3 lanes. My two overnighters are Fayetville RV in Wade SC and Coastal Ga in Brunswick. Both have nice level pull thru's for large class A's with toads plus easy on/off 95 but far enough from road noise.

[GraciesDaddy]

If I were traveling that way, I would definitely stop at Cherry Hill Park just off I-95 & The Beltway (I-495) for a few days and tour D.C.

But that's just me. 😉

[tomkaren13]

Found a slightly different route. I-88 t0 I-81 then I-66, but don't take 17 continue on another few miles and take 234 to I-95. 234 is a great four lane road and is a better ride the 17. Less traffic lights and traffic. If you have a Virginia map check it out.

[BillMFl]

I have tried them all but truck traffic keeps getting worse every year on I81. Now I usually cut over on I66 to 17 to 95, but 17 in the Fredricksburg area is a construction mess now. So last week I opted for I64 to Richmond bypass to I95. About 50 miles longer but no construction and shorter drive time. Got gas as cheap as $2.92/gal off I95 on the way home to Florida. I was paying $3.45/gal in Maine all summer.Love seeing it below 3 bucks. Very few trucks on I95 compared to I81. Trucks were bumper to bumper in both lanes all the way south on 81. What a pain.

[Gaetan]

I drove around Washington and baltimore as per my GPS last fall, I had not done that way for about 10 years now I remember why, and I will never go this way again never....
From Albany take I88 to I81 I66 and 17 to I95 or the more relaxed way I81 to I77 I26 to I95
You will save turnpikes and stress and you will love driving to Florida
Have a safe trip
Gaetan

[Big_Katuna]

I do Maine to Florida via 81 to 77 to 26 to either 301 or back to 95 depending on where I am going. Better roads, better scenery , less traffic. Hardly any longer.

[Roman_Duck]

living a little southwest of Albany I would go I-88 to I-81 south to Rt 15 south in Harrisburg PA down to Rt 17 in Warrenton Virgina. Skip NYC all of Jersey , All of Delaware and the worst of Maryland. The best part is no tolls, no congested traffic and nice scenery.
When you get onto rt 17 head east and pickup I-95 so. outside of Frederickburg VA. and head to Florida . from my location to fredericksburg is about 6 and half hrs enjoy the ride

[K_Charles]

It might not be any quicker to go I95 but you'll like the tolls and the bad roads.

[intheburbs]

I've done it not so much by picking the optimal route as picking the optimal time. I make sure I'm driving through Baltimore/Washington either at noon or midnight.

My best advice? Leave Albany around 5 PM. That'll have you going through NYC around 7:30-8 PM. The NJ Turnpike should be emptied by the time you get there, then push on through DC around midnight to 1 AM. Stop just south of DC, get a good night's sleep, and the rest is easy.