Trip from The Villages to Portland Maine
 

Does anyone have suggestions or ideas on best route based on your experience? I pretty much expect to take I95 for the majority of the trip. We will be traveling with 2 cats (not going to be much fun) and expect to limit the daily drive to 6 or 7 hours out of expected 21 hours. With that in mind stopping in Florence SC is a possibility. Any ideas what the next stop could/should be? Best ideas in getting around/through NY area? Thanks in advance.

IMHO, I would head off 95 in Virgina and go towards Harrisburg PA, you avoid Baltimore and Wash DC, then you have several choices to continue north.

Take 95 to 26 to 77 to 81 to 84 to 290 to 495 to 95

That's much of the route we take to upstate NY to avoid I95.

I would recommend taking 485W & N around Charlotte, unless you like traffic. Also watch rush hour there. That would miss about 19 miles of 77. It is about 5 miles longer. You'll most likely still hit some traffic on 77, but you should miss the worst by not going through Charlotte.

Thanks, never tried that. Going through Charlotte is typically the worst traffic of our entire trip, excluding unavoidable accidents and construction. Will try that next time.

The route everyone is giving you, is probably the best ... going through Harrisburg. I make the drive 4 or 5 times a year and there's no way I'd go near 95 North of Richmond. I won't drive through Richmond, Washington DC or NYC under any circumstances ... you never know what you're going to get there.

I think you may want to re-evaluate your ETA. I don't know where in Maine you're going, but there's no way to do it in 21 hours, that I know of. I doubt you can do it in less than 23-24 hours of Driving.

Waze says it's 20 hours to Portland & if you can get within 20% of Waze time on a trip that long, you're doing well. In the history of Waze, I don't think anyone has beaten their time on a trip over an hour.

This is my Route:

Take 301N to Callahan, FL then in Gross, Florida, catch I95N

Take I95N through to Virginia.

Take I295N around Richmond, VA and back onto I95N towards Fredricksburg, VA

You're now 800 miles from TV

From Fredericksburg, VA, take Rt. 17 North Towards Winchester, VA & Harrisburg, PA, which picks up 81N (goes across W. VA, MD & PA)

Take 81N towards Scranton and then take 84E towards Orange Lake/Newburg and Worcester, MA. Get on the Mass Pike in Sturbridge and take the Pike to 290 in Auburn/Worcester. From Worcester take 290 to I495 in Marlboro/Berlin. Take 495 North to 95N in Amesbury.

(You'll cross the Hudson River in Newburg, so you'll avoid everything in and around NYC)

Don’t go through Northenr VA/DC in the afternoon. Go around or make that a stop, and go through in the early AM

We used to go to Fredericksburg and then cut across to 81 in Winchester. Then we tried taking 26 to 77 to get to 81 and found that to be a much better route. I95 is just too unpredictable once you get north of Georgia. There is no way we would drive I95 north of Fredericksburg!

We drove to MA for Christmas last year, we used to do it with one stop over night, then we went to two nights, this last trip we took three nights. Even that is too much for us now. Next years we'll fly (not ideal, but not much choice). ANd yes, we did the I26 to I77 etc every time.

Get thru Charlotte on a Sunday. No Prob.

95 is terrible. Stress inducing parking lot snarls and congestion with crazy drivers. Go up through PA. scenic, relaxing, safer.

I hope this is not a permanent move (with the cats).

Did is route two years ago and without question it’s the best route to Bar Harbor.
 

Go this way. This the best route. I suggest that you add a FREE app to your phone or iPad… it’s called iExit. It shows you gas stations, restaurants, and lodging on your trip as you drive. And it’s FREE … NO advertisements .. there are additional choices on the app. It shows you the next 3 exits on your drive as to gas station… and the prices…. The same for lodging and you can call with just a touch on the app. Or get directions with a touch…..
I wouldn’t travel without this app.
I also use it here in TV to see what the local gas stations are charging with in about 10 miles radius….
Have a safe trip….

I-81 avoids Washington DC and New York City.
Charlotte NC is the worst traffic on that path.
I have found that Jonesville NC is a good overnight spot.