Florida Keys heading North along East coast

[VTLee]

We will be leaving the keys the first week of May. All of our trips to Fla have been to the West coast and we will be going to the Keys by way of the Tampa area. Looking at the map for returning home it looks like the east coast could be a traffic nightmare. We will be towing a small 18 ft. TT and it looks like the Turnpike or I-95 would be the choices. Which one is better? Any other routes? When we get to Jacksonville we will take I-95 north to SC and then head over to the coast.

[magicbus]

ford truck guy wrote:

bobsinn wrote:
When heading up the east coast we take the TPK to Jupiter then get over to I-95

X2

**We also jump from the turnpike to 95 around Fort Pierce..

Either way, avoid 95 and the Miami area as traffic is congested..

When I lived in the Keys (Big Pine) and basically “commuted” to NJ this was my path of choice. Driving my RV and towing or just driving my Grand Cherokee I still went the same way as traffic dictated.

Dave

[Mich_F]

Another vote for taking the tpk to 95 in Jupiter. Take the tpk extension in Florida City up to the main tpk and get off in Jupiter where it's a mile or less to the 95 on ramp. Staying on the pike until Ft Pierce costs a little more in tolls and it's not worth it in my opinion. Taking the pike you will avoid driving on I 95 through Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. There are stretches along I 95 through those cities where you can have 4,5,6 lanes of crazy. The possible issue on the turnpike is that there are stretches where it is only two lanes. An accident along those stretches could make for a long day.

[Big_Katuna]

The turnpike costs money so people that can’t afford it take 95.

This translates to more junky old cars and trucks, couches sitting in the road, etc on 95.

I prefer the turnpike up to around Jupiter.

[ford_truck_guy]

bobsinn wrote:
When heading up the east coast we take the TPK to Jupiter then get over to I-95

X2

**We also jump from the turnpike to 95 around Fort Pierce..

Either way, avoid 95 and the Miami area as traffic is congested..

[bobsinn]

When heading up the east coast we take the TPK to Jupiter then get over to I-95

[jk31668]

use 95. more lanes and no tolls. avoid miami area and jax during rush hours.