East Coast Trip -- ways around NYC and Boston

[MiRV]

We are making a trip up the East Coast this summer. We'll be spending time along the coast most of the way and I'm already "Mapped" my route (tentative). However, I see that Boston and NYC has lots of tunnels and bridges in which the wife doesn't like going thru/on in the RV. So, I'm looking for alternative routes around these areas.

Does anyone have a way to get around NYC and it NOT be a long road out of the way? They same thing for Boston.

Again, looking for a route with no tunnels and LARGE bridges.

Thanks

[yrusoslo]

No sense coming to the east coast, if you don't go to NY & Boston

[Dick_B]

Search this forum for `Boston' then search the results for `tour' and read the posts about staying outside Boston and taking the tour bus to see the sights. Under NO circumstances would I try to drive into Boston no matter what the vehicle. After the tour you'll see why.

[NHIrish]

Crowe wrote:
Where are you coming from and going to? Taking 495 around Boston is the long way. I'd recommend 95/128 (same road, labeled differently depending on which part you are on). You can't take propane through Boston on 93. Big fines. You WILL have to cross a bridge in NY no matter what route you take. We usually take the Tappan Zee but even though the Newburgh Bridge is a little further I think it's a less stressful route.

x2

[Crowe]

Where are you coming from and going to? Taking 495 around Boston is the long way. I'd recommend 95/128 (same road, labeled differently depending on which part you are on). You can't take propane through Boston on 93. Big fines. You WILL have to cross a bridge in NY no matter what route you take. We usually take the Tappan Zee but even though the Newburgh Bridge is a little further I think it's a less stressful route.

[Roadpilot]

Take the Tappan Zee around NY and 495 around Boston. Or take 84 from PA into NY and cross at Newburgh instead of the Tappan Zee.

[NY_RVer]

There is another bridge further south in NY, Tappan Zee Bridge, but it is 3 miles long. You can get to it from 287 if you are coming up through NJ. You can follow 287 East to 95 North into Ct. Same as everywhere else, have to avoid rush hours morning and evenings. Morning traffic on Tappan Zee is East bound, and vice versa. In the morning, you will also hit traffic on 95 North in Ct. for a bit. Unfortunately this is the shortest way around NYC to put you back towards the coast.

Good luck and enjoy the trip, whichever way you go!

[darsben]

To avoid New York you will have to stay in NJ on 287 to the NYS Thruway and cross at Newburgh on I84 which is over 1 mile long bridge Or continue to the crossing over at Poughkeepsie which is over 3000 foot bridge and very high up otherwise you go Albany and take I90over the Hudson about 1300 foot bridge

[kknowlton]

I would never drive a camper through NYC or Boston, ever! Boston has at least 2 circle routes around it, which will have traffic, but no tunnels and no bridges that are that scary. Let's face it, if you need to cross a river, you are going to need to cross a bridge.

A good route that goes way around NYC which we used, is to take I-84. We got there from I-380 in PA, north from I-80, as we were coming from the west - and yes, it will be a long way around. Beautiful drive, though, mostly through countryside, and not a ton of traffic. If you don't want to go that far west, you could use Rte 209 north from I-80; it follows the Delaware River on the PA side, and is a pretty ride too. If we can pull a 34' TT through there, you should be ok with it as well. Not the fastest, but scenic, and the bridges aren't scary.

If you were wanting to visit NYC on this trip, a good base camp, which is along that I-84 route, is the KOA in Newburgh, NY. Nice historic area along the Hudson, and the CG arranges bus tours to the city at least several times a week. Nice campsites too; some of them are nice & wooded, but still plenty of room for large rigs.

If you want to stay along the coast, then you'll just have to deal with the NJ/NY commuter traffic. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

The closest-in beltway around Boston is I-95, which follows the old Rte 128 route. Lots of traffic, but it's a big city. Middle of the day, the traffic isn't too bad, just during rush hour it can get busy. There's another interstate beltway, but it's quite a bit farther out. Don't take I-93 through Boston or you WILL end up in tunnels.