Road trip advice -- Niagara Falls, NY to Newark, NJ

[Kacie Jane]

Greetings all.  Here's the situation, followed by a couple of questions.  We're going on our honeymoon in August, and spending the first half of the week in Niagara Falls, and the second half in NYC/New Jersey with the Newark Airport hotel as home base.  I'm not particularly against tolls, just nothing extremely exorbitant (i.e. looks like $19.35 to take the Thruway the whole way).

1.  What's the fastest way?  I was surprised when Google came up with 90-81-380-80, but looking at the map, I can see how going through Scranton could make sense.

2. For reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I-86/NY 17 has always been my favorite highway, even though I've never been on it.  (I have been on most of NJ 17 -- I think I'm only missing the part south of 3 for the clinch.)  I'm totally okay with it taking 30-60 minutes longer. (the last road trip we went on was Bellingham, WA to Missoula, MT via WA 20/US 2/ID-MT 200.) But should the small towns where it's not yet freeway -- and/or construction where they are improving it -- be enough to scare me off of this route?

3. Following from question 2 (and the main reason for this post) -- how the heck do you get from Buffalo to 17?  Looking at the map, there are approx. 4 viable options... (1) I-90 to I-390, (2) US 20 either mainline or Alternate to I-390, (3) NY 400 to NY 16, and (4) US 219.  Which of these (or is there one I'm missing) is the best?


Many thanks in advance. 

[Nexis4Jersey]

When i go up to Canada i always take NJ 17 , to I-87 North , NY 17 / I-86 West to I-390 North to I-90 West and the reason i don't take I-90 the whole way up there, is when it gets clogged there aren't many Alt options for miles.  Overall there is less traffic, the way i go anyway.  So you just flip that and go east instead of west.  Once your in NJ , you take NJ 17 South to NJ 3 in Rutherford and take that west to NJ 21 (1mile) South and take that straight to the Airport which is about 20-40 mins on 21 form depending on Downtown Newark Traffic.  Please do stop off at our wonderful Ironbound section they have some of the greatest restaurants in the Region.

[TheStranger]

I went on NY 17/I-86 in 1998 going westward from NYC and the Highland Falls/West Point area (to Buffalo) and the views in the Southern Tier were spectacular, so I say go for it.  My parents chose to take 390 to get to the Thruway (and then to Buffalo/Niagara Falls) when we headed out there, though I would have preferred checking out US 20A all the way west, instead of that slight backtrack east to hit up I-90.

The 17/86-390-20A route to Buffalo is about 30 miles shorter actually than some of the all-freeway routes that Google Maps suggests...

[froggie]

But should the small towns where it's not yet freeway -- and/or construction where they are improving it -- be enough to scare me off of this route?

It shouldn't.  Horseheads and Painted Post are finished.  I believe the only traffic signal remaining is the one in Parksville.

3. Following from question 2 (and the main reason for this post) -- how the heck do you get from Buffalo to 17?  Looking at the map, there are approx. 4 viable options... (1) I-90 to I-390, (2) US 20 either mainline or Alternate to I-390, (3) NY 400 to NY 16, and (4) US 219.  Which of these (or is there one I'm missing) is the best?

90 to 390 is the only one that doesn't involve traffic signals or 2-lane roads, but involves a little bit of backtracking.  One other option would be take 90 to Batavia (Exit 48), then "cut the corner" on NY 63 and NY 36 down to I-390.  It's about 20 miles shorter than 90-to-390.

[WNYroadgeek]

If you're willing to briefly stray into Pennsylvania, I-86 terminates at I-90. Otherwise, I would agree with froggie that 90-98-63-36-390 is your best bet. 90-400-20A-36-390 would work well, too.

[Roadgeek Adam]

I've done the 80 -> 380 -> 81 route to Syracuse. Its a really fast route (would've taken us 4 hours, had we not detoured at Whitney Pt.)

I would suggest the above to do come via Newark, but turn on 280 and 21 after 80

[deathtopumpkins]

Moving this to the Northeast board as it is specific to that region.

[Nexis4Jersey]

I've done the 80 -> 380 -> 81 route to Syracuse. Its a really fast route (would've taken us 4 hours, had we not detoured at Whitney Pt.)

I would suggest the above to do come via Newark, but turn on 280 and 21 after 80

280 is a mess and is confusing in the Newark area , i don't think that will be a good idea.

[Kacie Jane]

Yeah, I've gotta say, I'm surprised by Google Maps suggesting I-280 and non-freeway 21 through Newark as the best way to go.  Granted, I don't think I've ever been on that particular portion of highway, but it seems like it might be something to avoid.  We'll probably end up taking 17 to 3 to the Turnpike to get to the airport.

It seems that the consensus is that 86/17 is a great way to go, and we can more or less choose our desired route from Buffalo to I-390 out of a hat. (It'll probably end up being US 20A.)

Of course, if we end up starting out late, we could very well end up seeing if Google is right and the Scranton route really is an hour faster.

Thanks for all the replies (and the thread move, apologies) -- although this trip isn't for another four months, so feel free to debate further. 

[Nexis4Jersey]

Oh no you don't , trust me take 21 down through Newark & to the Airport its much more easier.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Uh, I didn't google that, I did that by head, and you can always divert off 280 at 21, which SB (unless there is a game) isn't bad, or the Parkway

[Michael]

As others have said, all freeway routes aren't always the best.  One option is to use NY 400 and various other state routes to get to NY 17/I-86, then use US 15 to US 6 to I-380 to I-80.  Another option uses the same way to get to NY 17/I-86 and uses I-81 to get to I-380 and then I-80.

The only problem I can see is going through the towns between Buffalo and NY 17/I-86.  I haven't been in much of Western New York, so I can't say for sure.  The same goes for US 6 in Pennsylvania.

[mightyace]

As others have said, all freeway routes aren't always the best.  One option is to use NY 400 and various other state routes to get to NY 17/I-86, then use US 15 to US 6 to I-180 to I-80.  Another option uses the same way to get to NY 17/I-86 and uses I-81 to get to I-180 and then I-80.

The only problem I can see is going through the towns between Buffalo and NY 17/I-86.  I haven't been in much of Western New York, so I can't say for sure.  The same goes for US 6 in Pennsylvania.

I think you mean I-380 in PA as both your routes travel I-380 but don't come that close to I-180.

[Alps]

Oh no you don't , trust me take 21 down through Newark & to the Airport its much more easier.

You're wrong.  Avoid 21 through Newark during the day.  From 80 to the airport, the best way is 287-24-78.  280-21 is the shortest distance but 21 is not for the faint of heart.  280-Turnpike is longer than 24/78, tolled, and it's confusing to get to the airport from that side.  Much easier to access from 78 east.

[Nexis4Jersey]

LOL what are you smoking , its easier to take 21 , which i take all the time to the Airport or Train Station , as long as its off peak you'll be fine.

[Kacie Jane]

As others have said, all freeway routes aren't always the best.

Oh no you don't , trust me take 21 down through Newark & to the Airport its much more easier.

You're wrong.  Avoid 21 through Newark during the day.  From 80 to the airport, the best way is 287-24-78.  280-21 is the shortest distance but 21 is not for the faint of heart.  280-Turnpike is longer than 24/78, tolled, and it's confusing to get to the airport from that side.  Much easier to access from 78 east.

As I said in my original post, generally speaking, I don't have a problem taking non-freeway routes.  But it's very different taking such a route in Western New York than it is in urban New Jersey.  I'm originally from central Jersey, so I'm well-versed at getting to EWR from the Turnpike, both 13A and 14, (as well as from the Parkway/I-78) so confusion there isn't really an issue... whereas approaching it from an entirely new direction would be, and not an enticing option on my honeymoon.

Plus, we'd probably be getting there at the tail end of Friday evening rush hour -- probably a good time to avoid Newark city center. (That was probably an important detail I left out of the OP...  )

We'd probably be coming in from the north (taking 17 all the way to I-87) rather than I-80 in from the west, but I hadn't thought of taking I-287 south from the Thruway to 24/78.  It's longer than routes involving 17, the Parkway, and/or 21, but skirts the area more and probably not quite as heavily trafficked.  Keeping in mind that I'm not looking for the fastest way so much as the most enjoyable one (i.e. scenic and not sitting in traffic jams), could that be the way to go?

[Alps]

We'd probably be coming in from the north (taking 17 all the way to I-87) rather than I-80 in from the west, but I hadn't thought of taking I-287 south from the Thruway to 24/78.  It's longer than routes involving 17, the Parkway, and/or 21, but skirts the area more and probably not quite as heavily trafficked.  Keeping in mind that I'm not looking for the fastest way so much as the most enjoyable one (i.e. scenic and not sitting in traffic jams), could that be the way to go?

In that case, stay on 17 instead of hitting the Thruway.  You get a nice scenic drive through the mountains, and you can bear off and drive the Hillburn Bypass (former 17, since landscaped into a 2-lane road instead of a four-lane NYSDOT expressway).  That's right by where you hit the Thruway again at Exit 15A with signs telling you to get on the Thruway for 17 - just keep going to the light and make a right, and head straight over the hill.  You'll merge back into 17 on the NJ side.  Take 17, and if you want scenery, you can drive 202 out to 23 and take 23->46->3->Turnpike.   Otherwise, you can take 17->3->Turnpike and drive through a project I took a look through (on the plans/engineering side) - between 46 and 3, there's some signal work being done.

[agentsteel53]

LOL what are you smoking , its easier to take 21 , which i take all the time to the Airport or Train Station , as long as its off peak you'll be fine.

you are , some kind of a moron.

LOLLIEZ.

good bye.

user has been banned for being indistinguishable from the 400 million other script kiddie idiots on the internet.  In a fair world, we'd approve 400 million accounts of douchebags that fail to account for reality when forming their arguments, respond to far too many stimuli (read: more than zero) with "LOL", punctuate as though Daniel Webster were the anti-Christ, and generally lower the level of discourse to something indistinguishable from fetid garbage.  

We don't run a fair world here.

[Michael]

I think you mean I-380 in PA as both your routes travel I-380 but don't come that close to I-180.

Yeah, that's what I meant.  I just edited my original post to fix that.  Thanks.

[hbelkins]

As others have said, all freeway routes aren't always the best.  One option is to use NY 400 and various other state routes to get to NY 17/I-86, then use US 15 to US 6 to I-380 to I-80.  Another option uses the same way to get to NY 17/I-86 and uses I-81 to get to I-380 and then I-80.

Uh, no. I drove US 6 from US 15 over to US 220 last year. Not a fast route at all.

The only problem I can see is going through the towns between Buffalo and NY 17/I-86.  I haven't been in much of Western New York, so I can't say for sure.  The same goes for US 6 in Pennsylvania.
[/quote]

[hbelkins]

user has been banned for being indistinguishable from the 400 million other script kiddie idiots on the internet.  In a fair world, we'd approve 400 million accounts of douchebags that fail to account for reality when forming their arguments, respond to far too many stimuli (read: more than zero) with "LOL", punctuate as though Daniel Webster were the anti-Christ, and generally lower the level of discourse to something indistinguishable from fetid garbage.  

We don't run a fair world here.

This is the guy who thinks that they should toll I-80 and use it for rail, right? And the one who claims to know all the plans of Amtrak or CSX or whomever but says he can't reveal his sources?

[Scott5114]

user has been banned for being indistinguishable from the 400 million other script kiddie idiots on the internet.  In a fair world, we'd approve 400 million accounts of douchebags that fail to account for reality when forming their arguments, respond to far too many stimuli (read: more than zero) with "LOL", punctuate as though Daniel Webster were the anti-Christ, and generally lower the level of discourse to something indistinguishable from fetid garbage. 

We don't run a fair world here.

This is the guy who thinks that they should toll I-80 and use it for rail, right? And the one who claims to know all the plans of Amtrak or CSX or whomever but says he can't reveal his sources?

The one and only.

[agentsteel53]

This is the guy who thinks

not as far as I can tell.

[Kacie Jane]

Now that all that ugliness is behind us, I've gotta say... if this is still true about I-280/NJ 21, it is certainly not a route I'm going to be taking...

[agentsteel53]

Now that all that ugliness is behind us, I've gotta say... if this is still true about I-280/NJ 21, it is certainly not a route I'm going to be taking...

hey now, someone has to keep I-278 honest for "worst route in the Eisenhower system", and since I-95 in Somerset County is entirely out to lunch...