<p>I will have a rental car and really dread the idea of driving in NYC traffic. Mapquest would have me cross the George Washington bridge. Would it make sense to use the Tappan Zee instead? That is, would it be less stressful without being a lot longer?</p>
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I will have a rental car and really dread the idea of driving in NYC traffic. Mapquest would have me cross the George Washington bridge.
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<p>What I would do is this:</p>
<p>Cross the GWB and follow signs to the Henry Hudson Parkway, northbound (it's the first exit on the New York side of the bridge). Go north on the Henry Hudson Parkway; Cross the Henry Hudson Bridge and continue (the HH Parkway turns into the Saw Mill Parkway). Take the exit for the Cross-County Parkway. Take the Cross-County Parkway across Westchester. Follow the signs for the Hutchinson River Parkway, northbound. The Hutch turns into the Merrit Parkway, which will take you to New Haven.</p>
<p>Although this route technically passes through NYC, it should let you avoid any serious NYC traffic. Also, trucks are forbidden from using parkways in New York, so that's one source of stress gone.</p>
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Would it make sense to use the Tappan Zee instead? That is, would it be less stressful without being a lot longer?
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<p>It would be a decent amount longer, but not outrageously so. Maybe 20-30 minutes extra depending how you go.</p>
<p>Another option:</p>
<p>As you approach the GWB on I-80/I-95 North, the road will split into "Express" (on the left) and "Local" (on the right). Bear right into the "Local" lanes. As you come up the long hill to the GWB, you will see an exit sign for Fort Lee/9W. I think it's exit 72. It's a left hand exit. Take that exit which gets you off I-95 just before the toll booths for the GWB. When you come to the light at the end of the exit, turn left. Stay in the right light and go about 3/4 of a mile. You will go through a traffic light and bear right onto the Palisades Parkway North. Follow the PPN to exit 4 (9W North). Note that you will see other exits for 9W before this -- don't take them. Get off exit 4, go the traffic light and turn left onto 9W North. Follow this and it will eventually intersect with I-287 right at the entrance to the Tappan Zee Bridge. The PPN and 9W-N are a very pleasant drive with great views of the Hudson River on your right, scenic overlooks where you can stop, and much less traffic. I've been using this route for years to avoid NYC when I drive back to Connecticut from visiting my family in Philadelphia. It works really well. From the Tappan Zee, you have several choices to get to New Haven. If you need more info, let me know.</p>
<p>How about using AMTRAK? $41 one way, a little over two hours, including transfer in NYC.</p>
<p>The Tappan Zee will be a fine route; check a map or Mapquest to see what works best for you; coming from Princeton I think you would be best off taking Route 1 north to the NJ Turnpike north to the Garden State Parkway north to the exit for the Thruway south and east, which leads you to the Tappan Zee and then following the appropriate interstate (95?) to New Haven.</p>
<p>The 9W suggestion might be okay but I would not really recommend it--generally I avoid taking 80 east anywhere near the GW Bridge because it is prone to traffic jams and by the time you get to Fort Lee you may have sat in traffic a while. I concur with avoiding the GW Bridge in any case; the GW itself is not too bad when traffic is moving but but getting off the GW and being on those highways going through th Bronx is not great--usually awful traffic.</p>
<p>Although I am a believer in using trains when possible and convenient, a train trip from Princeton to New Haven is not necessarily convenient or pleasant, especially if you have to carry a suitcase and/or backpack and/or laptop. The schedules are not always convenient if you are changing trains and have to coordinate arrivals and departures. I suspect it can take longer and cost more if things don't work out just right, and you lose the flexibility that having a rental care provides. (From Princeton to NY Penn Station by NJ Transit takes more than 75 minutes and requires a trasnfer at Princeton Junction; thus it is probably more like a three hour trip from P'ton to New Haven by train, given that you have to allow time to switch trains in NY. There are also Amtrak trains between P'ton Junction and NYC but not as many. Either way, there is an inevitable layover at Penn Station.)</p>
<p>I concur with Mattmom's route. I live in North Jersey, and frequently drove through New Haven on my way to my D's college in Conn. I always took the Parkway up to the Thruway and then to the Tappan Zee. Much less stressful than city traffic.</p>
<p>Long before I discovered the Palisades Parkway/9W shortcut, I regularly used the route suggested by Mattmom. That will work, but it is decidedly the long way around NYC because it takes you pretty far north and the point at which the GSP and I-287 intersect is well west of the Tappan Zee Bridge. Also, there are portions of both the GSP and I-287 on this route that are just as subject to heavy traffic/jams as the route that I'm suggesting. The key to my route is to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE the "Express" lanes on I-80 East/I-95 North because they are anything but, particularly at rush hour. The "Local" lanes, however, nearly always have far less traffic and are much less subject to delays, even during peak periods. I've never been sure why this is the case, but it is. I use this route even on holiday weekends when I-95 around the GWB is a nightmare, and it still works beautifully. Anyway, proceed as you see fit, but that's my two cents.</p>
<p>Lskinner's way should work fine--between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm--and after 7 pm. Avoid Rush hours at all costs.</p>
<p>Driving around Manhattan does require some planning!</p>
<p>Mom58 - Do you have flexibility in your schedule? Driving through NYC on I-95 is usually a smooth ride between seven and ten PM (smooth referring to traffic flow, not road surface!).</p>
<p>Thanks everyone.</p>
<p>I originally planned to use the train, but I was going to need a car for at least part of the trip (Lafayette, Colgate, and UR are on the itinerary). A one-way car rental was going to cost as much for a couple days as keeping the car for a week and returning to to my start point.</p>
<p>I think that if we go to the morning tour and information session we will be leaving Princeton shortly after noon (on a Tuesday, if that makes a difference), maybe as late as 1:30 depending on what we do for lunch. Would I be better off leaving hours later?</p>
<p>Thanks again. I will print this thread and study a map.</p>
<p>Get on the road before 1 pm and have lunch in New Canaan--or somewhere on the Conn shore....??</p>
<p>If you're interested in shore dining, I recently ate at Knapp' Landing in Stratford. Lovely spot right on the water ~Exit 33 on I95. It's in Lordship on Cheers' map. (Yale is about 15 minutes north ~Exit 42 on 95.) On the other hand, if you can keep on trucking, New Haven has tons of great places.
PS My husband is a huge fan of that 9W shortcut in NJ. I myself can never quite figure it out coming from NJ.</p>
<p>Gbesg's way is a good one, but it can be even quicker if you get off the NJ turnpike (after the meadowlands toll exit 18) & take Rt 46 to Fort Lee. Then get on either 9W (You'll have to deal with some traffic lights) or the Palidades Parkway. If you are going to leave Princeton by 1PM, you'll have no problems with GWB traffic, which you can get caught up in even if you are not going over the bridge.</p>
<p>Mattmom's route is much better during rush hour. The Garden State Pkwy moves well in the northbound direction even at 5pm. You'll be over the Tappan Zee before that's even an issue. </p>
<p>We just took a tour of Princeton this weekend. It lasted about an hour.</p>
<p>If you are going to take the Tappan Zee from Princeton (usually an excellent idea), take 206 North to 287 North to the Tappan Zee. Skip all the Route 1/Turnpike/Parkway garbage. I do Princeton to Boston frequently and almost always go this way. Even Philadelphia to New Haven I used to go 202/287 or 95/31/78/287 instead of NJ Turnpike.</p>
<p>206 seems like a rinky-dink road and is sometimes frustrating, but it is the quickest way in my experience.</p>
<p>Oh my, to see someone post "Knapp's Landing" is such a coincidence, as I actually live nearby and have been there more than one or twice!
For seafood on the way to New Haven how about <a href="http://www.scribnersrestaurant.com/?%5B/url%5D">http://www.scribnersrestaurant.com/?</a> Its in Milford, off I95, and has great seafood.
And I second (or 3rd?) the Garden State Parkway to 287/Tappan Zee Bridge to Hutchinson/Merritt Parkway route. Once you're on the Merritt, you can switch over to I95 in Stratford and continue on to New Haven. Living in So CT most of my life, that was the way we always took to drive down south to avoid the NYC traffic, and I find myself still doing it when we visit our southern relatives.</p>
<p>Rent a GPS from your card rental company, or buy one for $300. For the amount driving you'll be doing, it will be worth it.</p>
<p>There is no foolproof way to make the trip but in my experience traffic on 206 between Princeton and 287 can be very, very slow especially with all the new residential and strip-mall devlopment that has spring up in the last few years; it is shorter in miles but not necessarily in time. Also, if you leave Princeton in early afternoon and take the big-highway route you will miss the worst of rush hour and be across the Tappan Zee before things get really bad. Note that local roads like 2-6 get very slow earlier--once it is time to start picking kids up at school, around 2:30, but the big highways generally stay somewhat more fluid until business rush hour appproaches--I'd say until 4:30 or so.</p>
<p>206 is slow, but it seems like it will still be quicker than going to the turnpike which requires you to go very very far east and out of your way. 1 is no picnic, at any time of the day. 206 from princeton to 287 is a half an hour, 40 minutes tops, and shorter if you leave at 1-1:30. Plus 287 is pretty clear all the way to the tappanzee usually</p>
<p>In my experience, 206 to 287 is 30-40 min if there is no traffic; much longer if there is; and the transfer from 206 to 287 is pretty confusing... especially in the opposite direction: from 287 to 206. Having a GPS should help a lot. </p>
<p>And actually, there's no need to go east from Princeton to get to the turnpike; there's a 20-minute drive on Rt 1 North to New Brunswick, and there one can take the turnpike which is pretty close to Rt 1 (Turnpike Exit 9). That's how everybody gets to Newark airport from Princeton.</p>
<p>I usually use GWB when driving to Boston, but that's because I do it very early in the morning. Hwy 95 is not the same as driving in the city (which I never did and have no intention of ever doing). It's just a highway crossing NYC. But if the trip is planned at the time when there's lot of traffic, Tappan Zee is much, much better. Last time I spent more than 30 min waiting to get on GWB (and then 95 was clogged for 15 miles in CT... lost another hour).</p>
<p>Hmmm, never heard about the 9W shortcut... should try it next time.</p>
<p>I agree with marmat. I live in Princeton and we drive up to western Mass to my D's school. 206 to 287 will take you quite far west since New Haven is north and east of Princeton. That will easily add another hour to your journey.</p>
<p>Although we don't go to New Haven, our route across to Westchester County at least will get you around the NYC traffic.</p>
<p>We'll take Route 1 up to New Brunswick and pick up the NJ Turnpicke either at Exit 9 or 10. Take that north and follow signs to the GW. Take the Local Route to the GW and look for signs for the Palisades Parkway.</p>
<p>Take the Palisades Parkway North to Exit 4. Then take 9W north to the Tappan Zee. You can then stay on 287 all the way until it intersects with I95. Good Luck.</p>
<p>By the way, you should fill up with gas some where in NJ since it's much cheaper than NY or Connecticut.</p>