Best way to York from New England

I have been on the OGR forum since the early 00s...and I have say that in some form or another this is the first time I have ever seen total agreement. Stay away from 95, the Cross Bronx the George Washington Bridge....

Since 1984 we were going south on The Palisades to the Jersey Tpke to the PA tpke. Just a flatout boring drive. About 2002 only two of us went and we hit a wall of traffic west of Philadelphia that we sat for an hour. That was the last time . Now we're on 287 to 78 to 222. Its about 3 hours. No drama, some scenic vistas, some bottlenecks. If there is no rain.....its a 3 hour tour.

rat

I have lived in New England for 25+ years, but I'm still a Type-A NJ/NY guy.  I'd drive through the streets of the Bronx if I thought it would save 15 minutes.  (But it doesn't, so I don't.)

Everyone here seems to be saying not to take the GWB, but from 10am until about 2pm and from 8pm-5am, the GWB will likely save you 20 minutes over any other approach.  Yes, there can be a traffic jam during those hours, but it's the exception not the rule.  During the morning rush, the Tappan Zee (and I-287 that feeds it) can be almost as bad.  

Since you live north of Hartford, I would do the following:

1. IF YOU WILL BE DRIVING THROUGH NY METRO DURING RUSH HOUR, the I-84 bridge into Newburgh, NY might be your best bet.  My rule is to avoid NY Metro during the morning rush, not just any one bridge.  
2. IF YOU'RE DRIVING THROUGH NY METRO OUTSIDE THE MORNING RUSH HOUR, almost as soon as you get in your car, turn on WINS 1010 AM and switch between it and WCBS 880 AM.  One station has traffic reports "on the ones" (i.e., 8:01, 8:11, 8:21, etc.) and the other has traffic reports "on the eights".  You're never more than seven minutes from a "bridges and tunnels" update.
3. Take I-84 to I-684.
4. By listening to the traffic reports, you can make the last-minute call concerning getting off 684 and onto 287 and going over the Tappan Zee or continuing south and going over the GWB.  Remember, all other things being equal, the GWB will save you 20 minutes over any other crossing.
5. Once you're south of NYC, how you get to York is up to you, but I personally prefer I-95 -> I-78 -> I-81 -> I-83.  I find this to be the fastest way from the North.

Having said all that, here's how I've done it the past few years with great success:

1. Take Amtrak to Philadelphia
2. Rent a car at the Hertz office inside 30th Street Station.
3. Drive 90 miles to York (I-76 -> Rt 222 -> Rt 30).

The advantage of the train is, well, it's a train.  More to the point, you can sit with your laptop and get several hours of work done as you ride versus clenching the wheel white-knuckled as you bomb across the Cross Bronx.  There's a 2pm-ish Saturday return train that you can easily catch after the Halls close.

HTH.

Steven J. Serenska

Hey, I recognize that route from a trip to CT a long time ago.

I'm very good with maps but it is almost impossible to find paper maps anymore.  Gas stations want big bucks for them, if they even have any In stock.  State Tourism offices are too often out of free maps.

I like my GPS since it offers alternate routes I may not have thought about.  Also gives tips for shopping and dining.  

Guys at work call me Mr GPS not because I rely on the little screen, rather they think I have all the maps memorized in my head. 

If you belong to "AAA", you can get all the maps and travel guides you want for free.

There is also MapQuest, for the few of us without GPS. 

Noted experience last fall, our Scout trip to the Grand Canyon. 12 passenger van, 4 adults, 5 scouts and more electronic devices than imaginable.  Some one did bring a multiple 12 volt outlet but still the number of cords from the Dash board outlets look like some of the underlay wiring pictures posted on the forum.   GPS was great.

We did pick a significant weather event from National news, northern Nevada into Utah that had effected traffic on I 15. Detour and construction work didn't appear on any of the GPS devices.  Always a good idea to check the news events and weather reports.  

There are restricted speed zones.  Road Construction season is well under way in Pennsylvania.  Use caution, drive safely.   

I've done all of the routes mentioned. Problem with Scranton is road repairs, single lanes, and often snow or sleet in the higher elevations.  

Another option that most would say don't take (but we often do) is 222 from Pt Jervis through the Delaware Water Gap, then across 80 for a very short distance, down

33 to Bethlehem, across 78 to 222, down 222 to Lancaster then over 30 to  York.  Most of this route is now divided highway and reasonably fast, particularly around Reading (which was once a nightmare).  Still, Route 30 into York can be slow, and there are sections of 35- 45 mph speeds but little traffic. This route enables you to miss most of the trucks, cross the Hudson at Newburgh, avoid Scranton and Harrisburg, and see some beautiful scenery.

Lew Schneider

Woops.  It's 209 through the Delaware Water Gap from Pt Jervis to  East Stroudsburg.

Lew Schneider

Steve,

interesting sugestion on the GWB.  Things to ponder.  

I plan on leaving the house in Southwick 8-8:30 am my GPS is a smart GPS that receives traffic updates and adjusts accordingly.  more tha likely I won't decide until I punch in the hotel address before I leave, see what options it gives me.  I am leaning 84 to 81 in Scranton as Eddie and others have suggested But thanks for all the input everyone

for those going earlier than Wednesday could possible give us a heads up on road conditions

Interesting comments. I think we will continue taking Amtrak on our 4+ yearly trips from Phila to Boston.

I'll have to consider the train in the future.  Have way to many side trips planned on the way back Saturday.

One more thing, remember, "better safe, then sorry".

Richie

Gary:

One other way I avoid NY Metro traffic is to leave late the night before.  I don't know if you're doing anything in particular on Wednesday, but leaving your house at 5pm-ish will put you in York late at night, but you'll sail straight through the NYC area.

For many years, my routine was to leave New England at 5-6pm on Wednesday night and drive straight to York, arriving at approximately 11pm.  You can sleep in on Thursday morning because the halls don't open until noon.  At times, I also stopped in the middle of nowhere in PA (e.g., Kutztown), found a Super 8 or a Motel 6 for <= $50, and drove the rest of the way on Thursday morning.  This also has the advantage of making one of the hotel nights a cheap one.

One last item: On your trip home on Saturday, if you're thinking about the GWB, check to see if the Yankees are at home.  They play on Saturday afternoons and you can get clobbered coming off the bridge if 50,000 extra people are rolling up the Deegan after the game.

If the Yanks are away or the game is still in progress, you're likely to sail across the GWB on a Saturday afternoon.  Again, the radio is your friend and, if there are any issues, you can divert to the Tappan Zee fairly easily if you hear about any problems prior to the junction of I-78/I-287.  On the drive home, I normally tune in beginning in Allentown, PA so I can understand the dynamic of the NY traffic patterns well in advance.

Enjoy it.

SJS

>> It's 209 through the Delaware Water Gap from Pt Jervis to  East Stroudsburg.

Excellent alternative!  209 avoids the Water Gap.  It's 2-lane, but trucks are banned on that section.  Some very scenic spots on 33 and an amazing view where it joins 78.

According to MapQuest it's only 27 minutes more driving time than Tappan Zee/287/78, and you avoid that rough section of 684 and the twisty Saw Mill Parkway.

You do know the average speed limit on  rt.209 from PT. Jervis to the Del water gap is 35-40 mph (with limited passing and lots of cops). I'd take RT. 84 to 81 (And I do!)

In my opinion the best route to anywhere is what Google Maps says.  Running GM on your phone in the car gives you real-time traffic info and is amazingly accurate due to the millions of sensors Google has on the road.   Those sensors being every phone that is powered on, in a car and has GM installed. Driving a long distance without real-time traffic updates is just asking for trouble and delays in this day and age.