<p>We’ll be leaving Princeton around 4:00 pm on a weekday for Boston. I don’t have any experience with this drive, but I’m comfortable in traffic and am approaching it expecting it be be difficult.</p>
<p>I-95 is the shortest route, but I’m sure it’ll be a zoo. I-287 to I-84 is longer but I assume faster.</p>
<p>Or…</p>
<p>I could delay our start a few hours to try to avoid rush hour, but then we’ll get in very late.</p>
<p>Any advice?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>If I were making that drive, I would take the Tappan Zee, not the GW, then up 95 to 91 (I think) to 84 to the Mass Pike. If I were planning on a 4 pm departure, I would drive for about an hour and half, then find a place for dinner to wait out some of the worst of rush-hour traffic.</p>
<p>Are you sure driving is the best option? Could you take NJTransit into NYC or to Newark, then catch Amtrak to Boston? Unless you have to have a car in Boston, this would save a lot of time and stress. Good luck.</p>
<p>Agree. As I have posted before …never, NEVER, NEVER go over the GW bridge eastbound.</p>
<p>Tappenzee is ok, but during rush hour it will get backed up.</p>
<p>Going across the NB/Beacon bridge I-84 will be more open.
But 84 through Danbury in rush hour is very bad.</p>
<p>What I always do is take 84 to the Taconic to Mass Turnpike east right into Boston.</p>
<p>
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<p>This is mostly good, but you still have to travel on a very crowded part of 95 at a bad time of day. Is there an alternative?</p>
<p>There is absolutely no way I would make that drive during rush hour. You will not only hit traffic leaving NYC, but believe it or not, there is rush hour in CT too…95, 84 and 91 can all be affected. </p>
<p>Wait and leave Princeton about 7…enjoy a nice dinner in Princeton and then get on the road.</p>
<p>Cross posts. See above.</p>
<p>Leave at 3PM or delay departure, enjoy dinner in Princeton and get in very late.</p>
<p>…as long as you are not going to turn into a pumpkin or mouse. </p>
<p>If you absolutely feel you must leave at 4PM, go straight up Rt 1. Yeah, I know, but getting over to the Turnpike will waste even more time. Either cross over to 95N near Edison and take the Garden State Parkway North, or stay on Rt 1 until you hit garden State Parkway. Take that to 87E, across the Tapp, bare left 287, then to 684 to 84. </p>
<p>You’re trying to leave a margin between you and the city.</p>
<p>But again, leave at 3PM or delay your departure. You will seriously enjoy Princeton for dinner.</p>
<p>We have lived in northern NJ for 30+ years.
Enjoy dinner in Princeton and arrive in Boston late but sane.</p>
<p>We live in NJ and daughter goes to school in Boston. We have found the best route to be 287 north to the tappen zee to the saw mill river to 84 to mass pike (90). However, none of this is possible during rush hour. Leave after dinner and get there late at night!</p>
<p>I agree with musicmom and kiddie re the timing, but if you must leave earlier, take the Tappan Zee and then the Hutchinson Parkway/Cross County/Merritt Parkway to 91 to 84 to the Mass Pike instead of taking 95.</p>
<p>PS we have also taken the Saw Mill but it is winding, has many more lights, and is just a “harder” drive. Plus there are no on-road rest stops on Saw Mill to 684 to 84. There aren’t many on-highway rest opportunities on 84 south of Hartford. Lots of rest stops on the Merritt and 91.</p>
<p>Second, third and fourth (however many it is) the notion that you do not leave Princeton at 4pm. This traffic isn’t fun. You’ll likely hit a jam on 95 in CT, too.</p>
<p>Sherpa…there aren’t too many threads on this forum where respondents all agree. Seems like we are all saying…do not leave Princeton at 4 . Enjoy a nice dinner in Princeton. I bet folks here will even give you suggestions!</p>
<p>I agree the traffic on 95 in CT is a mess you should avoid.</p>
<p>Amazingly I left southern Westchester County last Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. and hit hardly any traffic all the way to Boston. Took Hutch, 684 and 85. I avoid 95 if I can.</p>
<p>“We have found the best route to be 287 north to the tappen zee to the saw mill river to 84 to mass pike (90)”</p>
<p>Either this ^ or 287N to 87N (NYS Thruway) to 84E to Mass Pike. You completely avoid the Tappen Zee this way.</p>
<p>The 287 to 87 to 84 way is our first choice. It’s,a little longer but avoids the traffic in northern messy NJ.</p>
<p>We take the same route that thumper suggested. It may be longer, but only if there are no traffic jams going the Tappen Zee route. It’s much saner.</p>
<p>And actually…if you take that route, you actually might be able to leave about 5 or so…I wouldn’t go,earlier because of the rush hour traffic north of the NYC metro area (which you will mostly miss by taking this route). But like we all said…there IS rush hour in CT!</p>
<p>I routinely drive from NJ to Boston. 95 in CT is just the worse. You can expect to be caught in traffic in NJ into NY, but I agree with other posters, avoid the GWB and shoot for Tappan Zee. 91 to 84 isn’t so bad. I prefer early morning since it just is smoother, but my husband likes late night driving. Either way , it is usually not that bad for traffic</p>