<p>Hopefully someone will be able to address my question. We will be driving D2 to Allentown, AP for her freshman year in a couple of weeks. Mapquest, MSN maps, Rand McNally, our GPS, etc. all split evenly between which way to go - some say to take I-80 all the way across PA to I-476, then head down to Allentown. Others route us around Pittsburgh, and take a more southern route. It’s been years and years since I’ve traveled I-80, and remember it being a fairly decent interstate, but we’ve never traveled the southern route. Both routes take us as far as Cleveland, but after that we have to choose the more northern route, or the more southern route.</p>
<p>Is this a trip anyone has made fairly recently and do you have any suggestions. When I did an interstate construction search, it seems both routes have their share of construction zones, so that doesn’t really inform us one way or another.</p>
<p>Allentown is right off Route 78, which has its ups and downs as far as traffic and construction. I take it several times a year and have had various experiences, from no delays at all to very slow traffic through five-mile construction zones, but it isn’t usualyl too awful. Route 80 is more of a major through interstate and can be very bumpy and potholed, depending on where and when you travel–lots of trucks, even more than 78, but again, no set rules about it. I would say go with whichever route appeals to you more in terms of lunch stop, scenery, and so on. </p>
<p>I drove to Dayton a couple of years ago taking 78 to 76 (PA Turnpike) and found that rather pleasant and very scenic, though obviously it is a southerly route for those coming from Chicago–but then again, as noted, Allentown is just off 78.</p>
<p>One issue: If you take the PA Turnpike, that is a toll road, and a fairly expensive one. So it will cost you to go that way. On the whole, I think it’s in better shape than I-80, and prettier, and I suspect it will wind up being a little faster (less construction, and you get to do the hypotenuse of the triangle on I-78), but there isn’t going to be a huge time or quality difference between the two routes.</p>
<p>EDIT: I just looked at a map to check myself. I-80 is so much more direct, that it really doesn’t make sense to swing as far south as the PA turnpike would make you do – probably an extra 100 miles, not worth it.</p>
<p>Allentown will be the biggest challenge. As far as I80 vs. the Turnpike, in good weather there’s no difference (other than the tolls) - take one route there and another home. You’re more restricted on the turnpike for rest stops. But when winter hits, I’d stick to the turnpike. Also - keep an eye on your speedometer - both roads are watched, traps are set and our fines are high. Gotta pay for that construction somehow!</p>
<p>Just a note that if you do take the Turnpike, I-Pass works on Pennsylvania toll roads and anywhere that takes E-ZPass. We didn’t realize it last year after dropping our son in Pittsburgh and continuing east until an irate toll collector yelled at us and waved us on (the transponder was on the front floor of the car and had registered).</p>
<p><Where can I use my I-PASS? </p>
<p>You can use your I-PASS on the Illinois Tollway, Chicago Skyway, and anywhere E-ZPass is accepted. Visit the E-ZPass web site for a complete listing of participating agencies and organizations.*I-PASS is not accepted at airports and other non-roadway facilities that accept E-ZPass. ></p>
<p><Where can I use E-ZPass?</p>
<p>Wherever the E-ZPass logo is displayed in states including New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and West Virginia. In New Jersey, this includes the toll roads of the NJ Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway, and all Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Delaware crossings. ></p>
<p>yep… got the I-Pass for all our cars. Now if Ohio would start using it we’d be set.</p>
<p>The many years ago that I referred to traveling I-80, I remember the prolific number of state troopers we saw; at that time the speed limit of I-80 was 55 mph, so it was very painful to keep at that speed. At least now they’ve raised the speed limits in PA, cause it’s a wiiiiiiiide state.</p>
<p>JHS, I have noted the extra miles by going the southern route, but since some resources suggest we take that route, I figured there must be a good reason for them to advise it since it does look like it’s extra miles. Sometimes the shorter distance isn’t always the quickest.</p>
<p>Iggelsfan: I’m thinking along the same lines as you; take one route there, and one route back. Seeing that the Little League World Series will be in full swing on our way back, I think H is going to lobby for a stop in Williamsport… just because he can and thinks it would be cool. That would require us to take I-80 on the return trip. So we’d take the PA turnpike on the way there, unless someone else has really strong suggestions about not doing it that way</p>
<p>My vote is for I-80. The turnpike takes you too far south. At least that’s my thought for the good weather drive. For bad weather, I would suggest a flight out of ABE! </p>
<p>My daughter did the reverse drive for her four years of college. We live near Allentown and her college was in Illinois.</p>
<p>kathiep: thankfully we should only be making this trip at the beginning of the year and year-end. For Christmas, her sister, who attends school in Syracuse, will drive down to Allentown, pick her up and the two will drive home together… visa versa for returning in January (for parents weekend, we will probably fly in). So, if the weather is bad in December/January when they are driving back, which interstate(s) is better?</p>
<p>I would suggest the turnpike in iffy weather. The northern tier of Pennsylvania is more isolated, mountainous and doubtful cell service. My daughter went to college in Southwestern IL, less then an hour from St. Louis so it made more sense for them to take 78 from here, then get on the turnpike in Harrisburg and then route 70 through Ohio and Indiana. </p>
<p>My daughter did fly for a couple of breaks. There are often very good deals from ABE and it’s an extremely easy airport to get to and the parking is pretty cheap. If your Syracuse daughter drove down they could leave from here. I preferred that sometimes to the 16 hour drive. </p>
<p>My kids tease me about this but I’ve bookmarked <a href=“http://www.weather.com%5B/url%5D”>www.weather.com</a> and often checked their college town’s weather just to see what was going on where they were. I liked to brag about the good weather at home.</p>
<p>I’d go with I-80 if it were me, for the Sept. trip. However, teri, I would recommend rethinking the plan for your older D to drive to Allentown from Syracuse and then both of them to drive the rest of the way home. Has she done the drive to and from home at Christmas from Syracuse before? That’s a lot of driving through the snowy mountainous roads in NY and PA at that time of year.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Syracuse to Allentown is not a nothing drive. It’s probably 3-1/2 hours. Syracuse-to-Allentown-to-Chicago is one hell of a trip, even if you take two days to do it (which you probably should, unless the drivers are willing to spell each other and to be disciplined about sleeping when they’re not driving).</p></li>
<li><p>Alwaysamom is right about the snow. Interstate 81 between Syracuse and Wilkes-Barre is a very good highway, but it passes through some areas that regularly get heavy lake effect snow south of Syracuse. Same thing for I-80 in western PA and I-90 in northern Ohio. You can get a lot of snow on that trip. I wouldn’t get apocalyptic about it. I drive up and down 81 every Thanksgiving. There is almost always a bad 30-45 minutes of snow in there somewhere, but generally it passes and I don’t have to stop, just deal with white knuckles a bit. But you have to be ready for it, and ready to stop if you need to.</p></li>
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<p>I disagree with all of those suggesting the PA TPKE in bad weather. There is a long stretch of the TPKE south of Pitts…with tunnels through the mountains…that is VERY curvey and does not have a center median…just a center barrier. It snows frequently. I-80 is not as curvey, and has a wider center median. Although…maybe the routing is taking you on the PA TPKE well after the parts that are south of Pitts.</p>
<p>Perhaps there is construction on I-80 that is causing the travel sites to route you on the PA Tpke? Once in the summer we got stuck for 3 hours on I-80 because a bridge was closed…for just a day…and we were routed around on local roads.</p>
<p>Yes, in the winter it gets very dicey all through the trip area. I spent one entertaining Thanksgiving stuck at a truckstop near Snowshoe, PA. Aptly named.</p>
<p>D1 is a senior, so she’s made many Syracuse to Chicago (and the reverse) trips, but, you’re right, always with one of us. We do not allow her to make the drive by herself. The reason she will drive home for Christmas is so she’ll have her car here for the month to get back and forth to work. We are a somewhat well long-distance traveled family and have made several trips straight through, including Chicago/Houston/, Chicago/Florida Chicago/North Carolina, and some others that were easily 700 miles in one day. We switch off well, complementing each other’s preference for when to drive and how long one can go without asking for relief. As far as Christmas goes, I’m sure she will drive to Allentown in one day, then leave for home the next. My bet is that she can find someone to give a ride to Allentown or surrounding area so she’s not alone for that portion either. If Ds need to stay overnight somewhere, and split the trip to Chicago into two days, that’s fine. I feel very secure that there are two of them - my older D is very responsible. Also, older D has made several trips to Morgantown, WV, and the D.C. area with her roommate, who has friends attending college down there, so she has made lengthy trips before and would not take risks if the weather were not cooperative. </p>
<p>We’ve actually been on I-90 on our way to Syracuse in lake effect snows, so yes, we know what that can look like, too. D2 and I drove from Buffalo to Syracuse last October a week after that freaky early snowstorm that caused so much damage, and saw what can happen from lake effect snow. </p>
<p>Knowing all these scenarios were coming up (first year they’re both in school on the East Coast), we made an early graduation present purchase this last weekend for D1, a new small SUV. With her job, she can afford 1/2 the payment each month, until she graduates, then will pick up the payments. When she and I were car shopping, I kept asking all the ‘safety’ questions… wanted to know about airbags, roll-over statistics, 4-wheel drive, etc. We also splurged on the navigation system (I have had one on my car for 2 1/2 years and can’t do without it), so we’ve taken every precaution possible. What’s funny, is now that she has a financial investment in the car, she has become so protective of the car. She woke me up at 3AM this morning to switch cars around so she could put her ‘baby’ in the garage when severe weather moved through!</p>