Best route D.C. To Boston on a Friday in July

[elaine]

we're headed to Boston from D.C. On a Friday in July. We will leave Thursday pm and spend the night near phily. We would like to avoid major cities, congestion. What is best route for Friday am to Boston? We could vary route and go via Harrisburg or Allentown if that would be a be better.

 

[Luanne]

Go by train?

 

[elaine]

Driving our SUV. We have 5 persons and picking up a 6th after Boston to go to NH TS for a week.

 

[silentg]

Are you going into the city or a suburb? We have traveled to Boston for years. We usually take 495 N and go around the city. But if you have to go into Boston, take 93 N to downtown Boston, if you are traveling during rush hour in the morning, there is an express lane for cars with 2 or more occupants. What timeshare in NH are you staying ?
Silentg

 

[elaine]

Thanks. My question was more about the route to get from D.C. to Boston vs going into Boston itself (we are going to stay near Cambridge and mass transit or taxi into B for 1 day). Looks like we could up 95 or via Harrisburg etc. Also wondering which outer loop was best for NYC or do we go way north and cut back down to Boston area? We would be leaving from either phily or other area (depending on route) @ 9 on Friday. So arriving near B @ 2ish?
We are staying at pollard brook.

 

[silentg]

We usually come thru Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York ( upper state)., Connecticut, Rhode Island then into Massachusetts if heading to Cambridge, Mass Pike and Storrow drive are best bests traffic wise. MiL lives on North Shore as well as other family members. 495 gets us around the city without driving directly in. If you have time in Cambridge the Museum of Science is worth a trip.
Silentg

 

[NKN]

Mass Pike west into NY.
South on the Taconic Parkway...love the Taconic...so peaceful.
I forget where, but somewhere you switch over to I-287, probably near Fishkill, and bypass NYC AND CT.

Not a lot of choices once in NJ. My sister likes going down through Delaware.
She used to live between D.C. And Balt.

Nkn

 

[vacationhopeful]

Avoid NJ (first and immediate thought).

Then I thought about the above.. When you get into Delaware, that the Delaware Memorial Bridge and right onto the NJ Turnpike. Avoid I-295 as that will take you thru the interchange where the Walt Whitman Bridge, 1-295 & the North/South freeway merge/split/converge & is under construction. PLUS all the weekend traffic heading down to the Jersey Shore from Philadelphia.

NYC traffic to the Jersey Shore will be in the wrong direction for your trip (IMHO).

So, my piece of the trip is nearer to where I live & travel. South of Trenton and north of the Delaware.

 

[elaine]

so, we decided to drive mostly on Thursday, as Fridays seem worse. So leaving tomorrow from VA @9 am driving to spend the night 2 hours outside of Boston. Confirming from someone up that way that taking I95 to the outer loop of 287 around NYC, then either connecting via 684 to 84 thru CT or up to Newburgh (if it looks like less traffic) is a good way to plan to go? Thinking of staying in Danbury or outside of Hartford for that night. Thoughts? thanks, Elaine

 

[WinniWoman]

I say 684 to 84 because you will be more east and little if any tolls. If you go towards Newburgh you will have to cross over the river anyway and go back the other way.

 

[tonyg]

84 is a nightmare from Waterbury thru Hartford at times, take the Taconic Parkway north before you get to CT and then get on the Mass pike and take that all the way to the Boston area. Watch out for deer on the Taconic.

 

[chapjim]

Do not cross the Hudson on the George Washington Bridge.