Rt 95 south

[Beachsun12]

Can someone send me a map of the right way to go avoiding the tunnels. From Mass to Ft Myers. Thank you.

[hometool]

i do not have a map but the route i use from south shore mass to st.pete 495 to 90 to 84 to 81 to 77 to 26 to 95 in so carolina to 10 to 301 to 75 to 275 a few hills but only tolls is mass pike headed south and northbound add bridge on the Hudson

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by Beachsun12

Can someone send me a map of the right way to go avoiding the tunnels. From Mass to Ft Myers. Thank you.

The only tunnels you have to avoid on 95 are in Baltimore. Instead of going through them, take the beltway around Baltimore.

If you are looking for path from MA to FL, here's one we use:

- Mass Pike west to NY
- 87 south
- 287 to 202 to 31, then 295 at Ewing, NJ
- 295 to the Delaware Memorial Bridge
- 95 to Baltimore
- 695 (beltway) east (cross Francis Scott Key Bridge)
- 95 to Washington, D.C.
- 495 (beltway) west
- 95 to Richmond and eventually, FL

We try to transit the Baltimore-Washington area on a weekend.

You can bypass Washington by taking 97 (south of Baltimore, off 695) to 3 to 301. A bit slow through LaPlata, MD, and the Potomac River bridge has 11-foot-wide lanes.

We've tried going the western route (84 to 81- avoids Balto-Wash altogether), and found it not to our liking. Lots of RVers do like it, though.

[carl.swoyer]

Originally Posted by Beachsun12

Can someone send me a map of the right way to go avoiding the tunnels. From Mass to Ft Myers. Thank you.

Mass Pike 90,to84,to81 in Scranton to 66 in Port Royal Virginia to 17 to 95s to Jacksonville FL and pick up 10 west to 301 south to 75 South

[SkiSmuggs]

We avoid I-95 as much as possible because of the heavy traffic, congestion, accidents, etc. From Vermont, we take 87 to 84 to 81 as a much more pleasant alternative.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Looks like others have helped but I noticed you are kinda new on IRV2 and wanted to say hello! Have fun and keep her between the ditches!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[carl.swoyer]

Originally Posted by carl.swoyer

Mass Pike 90,to84,to81 in Scranton to 66 in Port Royal Virginia to 17 to 95s to Jacksonville FL and pick up 10 west to 301 south to 75 South

Forgot to mention Free overnight at Sam's club in wilkes-barre Pennsylvania and also at the cracker barrel in Port Royal VA.
Also @ 17&95 a nice Walmart just before you get on 95s. Another stop is right off 95 called Bass lake in South Carolina they accept passport America. They are about 5 miles south of South of the border.

[DeWat]

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

The only tunnels you have to avoid on 95 are in Baltimore. Instead of going through them, take the beltway around Baltimore.

If you are looking for path from MA to FL, here's one we use:

- Mass Pike west to NY
- 87 south
- 287 to 202 to 31, then 295 at Ewing, NJ
- 295 to the Delaware Memorial Bridge
- 95 to Baltimore
- 695 (beltway) east (cross Francis Scott Key Bridge)
- 95 to Washington, D.C.
- 495 (beltway) west
- 95 to Richmond and eventually, FL

We try to transit the Baltimore-Washington area on a weekend.

You can bypass Washington by taking 97 (south of Baltimore, off 695) to 3 to 301. A bit slow through LaPlata, MD, and the Potomac River bridge has 11-foot-wide lanes.

We've tried going the western route (84 to 81- avoids Balto-Wash altogether), and found it not to our liking. Lots of RVers do like it, though.

The 301 MD/VA (Gov. Harry Nice Memorial) bridge is not for everyone, you may want to look at it on Google Earth before you commit to it. (I love it, but DW normally goes in the back and will not talk until we've crossed). If you get there and it's not to your liking, you will be going 45 minutes to an hour back the way you came just to get on I-95 and cross the Wilson bridge, which will put you in the stop-and-go traffic that you're trying to avoid and finally taking somewhere around an extra hour & a half to 2 hours just to get to the point on I-95 where 301 (actually 207) comes out at exit 104 in VA. If you do end up taking the 301 bridge, the toll for cars is $6, tag axles coaches $12, and tag axle coaches towing $36. Sorry, don't know the toll for non-tag coaches. MD charges one-way on their east coast tolls, so there's no toll to cross the 301 bridge from VA into MD.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Originally Posted by DeWat

The 301 MD/VA (Gov. Harry Nice Memorial) bridge is not for everyone, you may want to look at it on Google Earth before you commit to it.

I agree. We have avoided taking that bridge the last two times we went past D.C.. This is how Wikipedia currently describes it:

The bridge is narrow (one 11-foot (3.4 m) lane in each direction with no shoulders), steep (up to 3.75 percent grade), and has a reduced speed limit (50 mph on the main span, even slower through the toll gates and plaza).

Unmentioned is that the "guardrail" consists of Jersey barriers. They look awful short from the cab of a Class A.

Finally, I seem to remember that the left-most lane on the MD toll plaza was an E-ZPass, but was very narrow. I went through it by accident, at about 1 mph. I believe the right-hand lane is E-ZPass for truckers and RVs. Better to approach the toll plaza slowly and slide right to get the wider lane.

The drive south on 301 in VA is nice, and two lanes in each direction, mostly. Some spots don't have much shoulder, though.

We like the 301 "bypass" of which the bridge is part, and may take it again, but it'll take some willful forgetting for that to happen.

[DeWat]

Sorry for revisiting just the 301 bridge portion of the OP, but I think it's important for anyone considering going over the 301/Nice Bridge to know ahead of time what it looks like. As mentioned, if you get there and are not comfortable with it, or if it's closed to high profile vehicles due to high winds (it does happen), it's a long way back to get on course to go from MD to VA or from VA to MD... especially going from MD to VA. I wanted to add this to my earlier post, but had to wait until I got home to move it over from DropBox since iRV2 doesn't support DropBox anymore (I can see why, but that's another subject). Here's an old 1 minute dash cam video of a front row seat going just a little over half way over the 301/Nice Bridge from VA into MD: https://drive.google.com/open?id=12U...q5UHDg2GDDzZX-

[chuckster52]

Originally Posted by Beachsun12

Can someone send me a map of the right way to go avoiding the tunnels. From Mass to Ft Myers. Thank you.

I would go >>>>
495 to 90 to 84 in Newburgh N.Y.
South 87 to Sufferin to 287for 45 miles to 78
78 to 81 to 77 in Max Meadow,Va
77 to 20 in Columbia,SC
20 West to x-113 in Madison,Ga pickup rt 83
Rt 83 for 45 miles to 75
And 75 right to Ft Myers

Many great places to overnight,whether free or Good campgrounds...depending how far you drive per day
But,if you want a few ,let me know....C

[Beachsun12]

Myrtle beach to Providence without going threw the tunnels in Baltimore. Any suggestions?

[Chargerman]

Why not just go through the tunnels? Just have to be sure propane is turned off.

[carl.swoyer]

90 to 84 to 81 in PA to 66 in Port Royal Virginia ( cracker barrel overnight) then 17 to 95. Just a 1/2 mile from 95 is a Walmart for a good overnight. 95 s Into Jacksonville, pick up 10 west to 301 south. Then 75 s. To Ft Myers hardly any traffic on this route.