Best Route to/from Long Island - July 4 Weekend

[MASTERNC]

I am traveling to visit a friend on Long Island the weekend after July 4.  I will be traveling from Philadelphia on Friday and returning Sunday.  I am not too worried about traffic Friday (since a lot of people I imagine will take the day off) but expect Sunday to be a nightmare.

My two questions are:

1.  Going between NJ and Staten Island, is the Outerbridge or the Goethals Bridge better?  I have taken Goethals to and from JFK once but noted that the Outerbridge expressway connects with I-278 just off the Goethals Bridge and takes you further south on the NJ Turnpike.

2.  Depending on traffic Sunday, I was thinking of either exiting onto US 1 from the Turnpike and following that into PA, or taking I-287 up to I-78 west to Allentown (and then heading down the NE Extension).  Any thoughts on these options?

Thanks

[Duke87]

Goethals vs. Outerbridge is six of one, half dozen of another if you're coming from the south. Outerbridge will get you off the Turnpike sooner and thus save you a bit on tolls, though, so might as well go there.

287-78-476 is fine for a nice drive, but you don't need to go that far out of your way (also note that due to lack of a direct connection your route would actually be 287-78-309-22-476).

US1 is a really good free alternative to the turnpike and long distance holiday travelers don't know it exists, so stick with that.

[SteveG1988]

One option, take the trains up there, if traffic is a big worry.

Septa To Trenton-Trenton to Penn Station via NJ Transit, Penn station to Long Island RR, Probably would cut a lot of time and save money

[dfilpus]

Another option from I 78 to Philly is PA 611/US 202. PA 611 is a pleasant drive and not usually busy.

[Alps]

Sunday, good luck leaving the island into NJ at all. I don't know what you were thinking of as a route, but I'd recommend the Northern State to Cross Island and up to either Throgs Neck or Whitestone Bridge. Just get off the island right away and don't try to fight your way through the boroughs. Once up there, I can only imagine you're better off taking I-278 west, I-87 north, and the first exit into Manhattan, and make your way up to the GWB that way vs. trying to take I-87 to I-95 ramps under construction on a holiday.

In NJ, from that point, I'd take I-80 west, I-287 south, US 202 south, down to Valley Forge. If you decide to go a different way and you're on I-95, I'd still take I-287 to US 202. US 1 isn't that bad on a Sunday either, though.

[dgolub]

Goethals vs. Outerbridge is six of one, half dozen of another if you're coming from the south. Outerbridge will get you off the Turnpike sooner and thus save you a bit on tolls, though, so might as well go there.

Just listen to a traffic report on the radio and see if there are any delays that might make one faster than the other.  If not, it's equal time and distance, although NY 440 will save you a little bit on tolls.

[MASTERNC]

FYI the return trip went well.  Traffic in NY was minimal (a few slow going sections, mainly due to disabled vehicles or even a bicyclist riding along the Belt Parkway with a cop following him).  The VMS on the NJ Turnpike noted major delays south of US 1, so I got off and went south on US 1, which went very smoothly (other than traffic lights).