New York to Tennessee

[nystitcher]

Hi all - we'll be taking a trip from Long Island, NY to the Gatlinburg, TN area soon and I was wondering if anyone could recommend the best route to take? I found 2 different routes using Google, one through VA and another that's about 100 miles further and goes through West Virginia. Not in a big rush to get there, we'll stop overnight along the way I am just wondering if the West Virginia route might have less traffic.

Appreciate any comments or suggestions. Thanks!

[DouglasC]

You didn't say how much time you have allotted for this trip, but if you have the time and are interested in seeing some nice scenery, consider traveling on portions of the Skyline drive in VA (parallels I-81) or further south the Blue Ridge Parkway. The BRP ends at U.S. 441 on the NC side of the Smokies and you can just drive over the mountain to Gatlinburg. All in all, a beautiful trip but you should allot several days to drive the whole thing (about 570 miles) with 35 MPH speed limit on the Skyline Dr and 45 MPH on the BRP.

[hsk1977]

cbshoestring wrote:

hsk1977 wrote:

I really appreciate this description, as it's making me wonder if we need to change our route from Elizabetown, KY, to Plattekill,NY, next month. It will be our first long trip, and our plans were to go I-64 to I-79 to I-68 for part of the trip. Maybe we don't have other options that make sense...I'll have to look. We are new RVers, and this is our first long trip, so this is all unknown to me!

Good ol' E-town.

Spend a bit of time north of there....protecting the gold.

You could take 65N to 265, skirt around Lou-i-vull, pick up I-71N. Take that thru Cincy and Columbus to I-76E thru Akron which will become I-80 near Youngstown. I-80 thru Pennsylvania to I-81N then I-84E in to NEW YORK.



My two cents...:B

I looked at that route. I wasn't sure how much of a pain it would be to go through larger cities as far as traffic goes. I guess we've gotta pick the lesser of two evils! LOL Thanks!

[cbshoestring]

hsk1977 wrote:

I really appreciate this description, as it's making me wonder if we need to change our route from Elizabetown, KY, to Plattekill,NY, next month. It will be our first long trip, and our plans were to go I-64 to I-79 to I-68 for part of the trip. Maybe we don't have other options that make sense...I'll have to look. We are new RVers, and this is our first long trip, so this is all unknown to me!

Good ol' E-town.

Spend a bit of time north of there....protecting the gold.

You could take 65N to 265, skirt around Lou-i-vull, pick up I-71N. Take that thru Cincy and Columbus to I-76E thru Akron which will become I-80 near Youngstown. I-80 thru Pennsylvania to I-81N then I-84E in to NEW YORK.



My two cents...:B

[cbshoestring]

nystitcher wrote:
cbshoestring (great username!)

"Shoe string" is a Mel McDaniel's song that I have always enjoyed.

My "handle" on the c.b. radio is Shoe String...not that many people use the c.b......or handles.

[hsk1977]

cbshoestring wrote:

I-68...you better like hills. Lost of long, long, long pulls. Many have towns at the bottom of the hill (lower speed limit and "S" turns) making RUNNING FOR THE HILL nearly impossible.

I-79... more hills and built in a way that winds through the mountains. Read as twisty road.

Rt 19... DO NOT SPEED in Summersville. They are famous for speeding tickets. They especially like trucks and out-of-towner's using rt-19 as a short cut from I-79 to I-77.

NOW you get to PAY A TOLL to ride on a portion of I-77 that has been claimed by the WV T/P.

What did you get for your effort. More traffic on a hillier, twisted roadway, that you had to pay to drive on??????? SIGHTS....none, these roads twist thru the mountians with nothing to look at or stop for...swing thru a town...back out in to nothing-ness.

PLUS....I am not a geographical guy, but I am pretty sure that I-81 runs along a valley (a bit up and down) whereas 68 will have you cross over a mountain, only to cross back on 79.

I would stay on I-81 unless you like driving and putting wear and tear on your drivetrain for no reason.

I really appreciate this description, as it's making me wonder if we need to change our route from Elizabetown, KY, to Plattekill,NY, next month. It will be our first long trip, and our plans were to go I-64 to I-79 to I-68 for part of the trip. Maybe we don't have other options that make sense...I'll have to look. We are new RVers, and this is our first long trip, so this is all unknown to me!

[nystitcher]

Thanks all! Jim & Nicky I will PM you about those campgrounds along the way. Definitely not going to do the drive in one day so will need at least one overnight. Appreciate the advice.

cbshoestring (great username!) I know all of that to get back on 81 doesn't seem right to me, thanks for the tips on all the roads, you gave me a chuckle too!

And lbrjet - yes for sure it is summer and our vacation, I'll take a little traffic over a day of work! And we drove to CA on 80 last year and enjoyed it especially the further out west we went. We timed Chicago right (by accident) as we hit it on a Sunday morning so flew through. The way back was a different story though I have never seen so much construction and traffic it was ridiculous! 😉

Thanks again all!

[lbrjet]

I81 is a nice drive. There will be traffic, but hey it is summer.

[cbshoestring]

The other route says I-81 for 68 miles to enter Maryland, then it's I-70 for 25 miles, I-68 for 111 miles to enter W. VA, then I-79 90 miles, US-19 for 67 miles, then I-77 for 67 miles to enter VA and back to I-81 148 miles to enter TN.

ALL of this, just to end up back on I-81 :h


I-70....nothing but traffic fleeing Balt & D.C., You'll get enough of that on I-81 as people head home. No one really lives in the cities, they all commute from western MD, VA & WV.

I-68...you better like hills. Lost of long, long, long pulls. Many have towns at the bottom of the hill (lower speed limit and "S" turns) making RUNNING FOR THE HILL nearly impossible.

I-79... more hills and built in a way that winds through the mountains. Read as twisty road.

Rt 19... DO NOT SPEED in Summersville. They are famous for speeding tickets. They especially like trucks and out-of-towner's using rt-19 as a short cut from I-79 to I-77.

NOW you get to PAY A TOLL to ride on a portion of I-77 that has been claimed by the WV T/P.

What did you get for your effort. More traffic on a hillier, twisted roadway, that you had to pay to drive on??????? SIGHTS....none, these roads twist thru the mountians with nothing to look at or stop for...swing thru a town...back out in to nothing-ness.

PLUS....I am not a geographical guy, but I am pretty sure that I-81 runs along a valley (a bit up and down) whereas 68 will have you cross over a mountain, only to cross back on 79.

I would stay on I-81 unless you like driving and putting wear and tear on your drivetrain for no reason.

[darsben1]

safe travels

[linnemj]

We travel from Maryville, TN (near Gatlinburg) to north of Philadelphia 4-5 times a year. Stay on I81 all the way.

There are lots of campgrounds along that route for overnight (or longer) stays. You can PM me if you want recommendations.

[nystitcher]

Thanks gbopp, I think that is good advice to stick with I-81. And darsben1 I know, it is always nuts trying to get on or off of Long Island. For some reason last year we totally lucked out on our first trip in this RV (went to CA!). We left Long Island at 7pm on a Friday in June and hit zero traffic on the Throgs Neck and GW. It was pretty shocking and very appreciated - I think that someone was looking out for us! 🙂

[darsben1]

nystitcher wrote:
Thanks for the reply DrewE. So it looks like both of the routes use I-78 to get onto I-81. The "shorter" route says to stay on I-81 for almost 500 miles, passing through Maryland, WV, VA and then entering TN.

The other route says I-81 for 68 miles to enter Maryland, then it's I-70 for 25 miles, I-68 for 111 miles to enter W. VA, then I-79 90 miles, US-19 for 67 miles, then I-77 for 67 miles to enter VA and back to I-81 148 miles to enter TN.

We'll only be on I-95 early in the trip at the GW bridge which if we don't time it right I'm sure will be major traffic!

It always is when I cross it after coming to L.I. (Holbrook Area). I never seem to be able to time it right because I refuse to travel in the early early A.M.
I am not a fan of I78 in PA but there is no BETTER choice

[gbopp]

Unless there is something you want to see along the alternate route, I would take I-78 to I-81. Folow 81 into Tennessee.

I would rather travel the side roads but, when you're going from point A to point B the Interstate is the best choice.

[nystitcher]

Thanks for the reply DrewE. So it looks like both of the routes use I-78 to get onto I-81. The "shorter" route says to stay on I-81 for almost 500 miles, passing through Maryland, WV, VA and then entering TN.

The other route says I-81 for 68 miles to enter Maryland, then it's I-70 for 25 miles, I-68 for 111 miles to enter W. VA, then I-79 90 miles, US-19 for 67 miles, then I-77 for 67 miles to enter VA and back to I-81 148 miles to enter TN.

We'll only be on I-95 early in the trip at the GW bridge which if we don't time it right I'm sure will be major traffic!