Get me from Philly to Dartmouth

April 4, 2009 4:30 PM

What's the best way to drive from near Philadelphia to Dartmouth in New Hampshire?

It's college tour time for our lpsgirl. We'll be driving from Valley Forge, west of Philadelphia, to Dartmouth in New Hampshire. GPS and Google maps point us through New York, and Bridgeport and Hartford and up from there. I'm looking at an alternate route that goes up the I-87 west of NYC and then cuts east across to New Hampshire. The western route looks longer on a map and by Google and GPS. But the proposed route looks laden with traffic. Oh, and we'll be driving on a Sunday with flexibility to leave anytime.

So, anyone driven this before? What's the best way? Go up and come in from the west, or be more direct and risk traffic around populus areas?

Thanks hivers.

posted by lpsguy to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

I've done most of that route. It's a fine alternative. They'll still be a lot of traffic and tolls, but at least you won't have to deal with the bridges and interchanges around NYC. I usually stay on 87 all the way up to Glens Falls before cutting over to Rutland.
posted by saffry at 4:52 PM on April 4

I forgot about 206 through Princeton. I think that was only a two lane road and densely populated. So be prepared to get off to a slow start on your trip.
posted by saffry at 4:57 PM on April 4

Sunday's a fine day to drive. I live in NH and used to live in Philly. I do most of this drive several times a year. Here's what I do/did:

Penn Turnpike to the Jersey Turnkpike to 195
195 to Garden State Parkway
Parkway north to NY state, crossing the Tappan Zee bridge
Pick up I95 again in CT
95 to 91 (New Haven)
Straight up 91, and then pick up the directions from there to Dartmouth.

The slowest part for me is generally 95 in CT between the point where I join it and New Haven. But that's on weekdays.

The other option is 84 to 684 to the Mass Pike to 91. That works too.

The other way works, but here are the things I hate about it:
It's boring.
It's less populated, fewer places to stop for food or a pee break.
On the part going through VT you will average slower than 60 mph.
It's physically more mileage.
The 87 tolls are high.

The main thing to know is that if your central worry is traffic, it's going to be negligible on a spring Sunday. Just don't try to go over the GWB.
posted by Miko at 5:18 PM on April 4

Thanks Miko. Google and GPS were taking me over the GWB. Somehow I knew I didn't want to do that.
posted by lpsguy at 7:21 PM on April 4

I'm late to this party, but as a Dartmouth alum, I always feel like I have to chime in about anything Dartmouth related.

Whoever said to avoid the GWB is right - that's the only major issue on the route. To over the Tappanzee (or however it's spelled).

Congrats on lpsgirl getting in! Not a derail, but if you have any questions/want to know anything, I'm an '06 alum, MeMail me.
posted by SNWidget at 8:14 PM on April 4

I'm a big fan of that 84-to-the-Mass-Pike route, or at least I was back when I was driving from NYC to Boston all the time. 84 was faster and much less hassle than 95/91. Fewer cops, too.
posted by CunningLinguist at 9:05 AM on April 5

I did the trip frequently to get home to NH from NJ when I was in college. Agree to avoid GWBridge at all costs.
If it's a low-traffic time of day, I would suggest crossing Tappan Zee, then taking 684 to intersect 84 and then across to intersect 91 in Hartford. However, that does get rough when traffic is heavy. The even lighter route is 84/NY State Thruway all the way up to the Mass Pike, and take the Mass Pike across to 91.

As far as getting up to the Tappan Zee or NY State Thruway, I often avoided the Garden State Parkway just from lack of experience, and would get off the NJ Turnpike right onto 287, which takes you straight up to both 84 and the Tappan Zee bridge. I'd definitely avoid 206 in Princeton, as it's slow and surprisingly congested during daytime.
posted by davidnc at 5:45 AM on April 6