Best/Fastest Routes or Cheats around tolls...

[Duke87]

The simplest way to go around the toll on the New England Thruway is thus:
Get off exit 16, head east into New Rochelle, make a quick two lefts, go up Palmer Avenue to Mamaroneck Avenue, go left and get back on the highway at exit 18.
We used to do this all the time... but over the years more local traffic and lights have made the detour slower and the advent of EZPass has made going through the toll faster. For $1.75, it just isn't worth it anymore.

When there was still a toll on the Hutch, this was the way to ditch it (NB): get off at exit 7, make a left. right on Pelham Pkwy, right on Columbus Av/NY 22, right on Sandford Blvd, left on Wolf's Lane, left back onto the parkway at exit 9. Southbound it was basically the same in reverse, getting off at exit 8 directly onto Sandford Blvd.
But, it's been 15 years since it was necessary to do this to avoid paying a toll.
And it was a mere 25 cents, anyway.

[thenetwork]

Buffalo to Detroit: Canada.

Tolls on all the international crossings.

But going west to east through Canada, there is no toll going over the Peace Bridge into the US nor on I-190 East out of Downtown Buffalo..

[akotchi]

I managed to get from Hartford to DC without paying a toll, I used:

91 South to 84 West to 684 South to the Hutch then 95 South to NY 9A South (Henry Hudson Pkwy/West Side Hwy) to 78 West (Holland Tunnel) to NJ 139 South to US 1 South to I-95 South all the way to DC (including the weird exit thing on the Delaware Turnpike).

Using that route, you'd have still paid a toll on I-95 in Delaware.  And the same route would have 3 tolls on the return trip north.

There are also the tunnel tolls in Baltimore, unless you use the western quadrant of the Beltway.

From my home in SE Pa, I have used I-95 to SR 896 in Delaware and U.S. 301 to my father's house on Kent Island, MD, and to my mother's house in Annapolis.  This, too, only works south/westbound, and would continue along U.S. 50 to D.C.  Wasn't specifically to avoid the tolls, but it is a quieter ride.

[Brandon]

Milwaukee to Chicago or Indianapolis:Take US41 instead of I-94 to the Edens.  For Indy - After Chicago, Bishop Ford to Borman to I-65.

Madison to Chicago - go through Milwaukee and use above or take US 12 straight in and get on to the Kennedy or Eisenhower.

EDIT: Note these routes are slower - not as many free interstates in NE Illinois

Fine routes, if you want to spend all day getting around Chicago to Milwaukee or Madison.  Me, I'd rather get the I-Pass, pay the toll, and be there in less than half the time.

[SSOWorld]

Indeed Brandon, and the Illinois tolls aren't as pricey as say the PA Turnpike.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Buffalo to Detroit: Canada.

Tolls on all the international crossings.

And nowadays (or shortly) a passport, which the majority of Americans don't have.

[WillWeaverRVA]

Surprised no one's mentioned DE 2/4/896 around the toll entering/leaving DE on I-95...given how badly traffic backs up here, using those roads to dodge the toll is much faster than waiting it out...

[cu2010]

Buffalo to Detroit: Canada.

Tolls on all the international crossings.

But going west to east through Canada, there is no toll going over the Peace Bridge into the US nor on I-190 East out of Downtown Buffalo..

The same is true of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, though there are still tolls at Grand Island.

Either way, much cheaper to go through Canada, not just toll-wise, but gas-wise. Driving south of Lake Erie adds significant time to the trip (though I've been held up over two hours at the Lewiston border station in the past, which are the longest two hours in the world when you're hungry!)

[agentsteel53]

And nowadays (or shortly) a passport, which the majority of Americans don't have.

really?  Out of all my friends, I'd say at least 80-90 percent have them.  And not just those who live in San Diego and like going to Mexico.

[Truvelo]

I'm surprised how bad people want to avoid to pay a few bucks for using a road. I can understand it's worth it if you're driving a toll route everyday, but why bother for one-time drives?

I have to agree. A couple of weeks ago I drove from Boston Logan Int'l along I-90 to I-495. Before my visit I had looked at ways of shunpiking but the alternative routes didn't appeal to me. In the end it was only around $5 in tolls for the whole journey so shunpiking may have actually cost more in gas with stop-starting on the free routes.

[yakra]

Bypassing the Hampton NHTP toll en route ME -> MA:
NH33, NH151, US1, and NH107 backta I-95

[agentsteel53]

Bypassing the Hampton NHTP toll en route ME -> MA:
NH33, NH151, US1, and NH107 backta I-95

I think there's some easy way to bypass the toll coming south from 89 and turning onto 93.  Take 293 or something?  I forget; haven't done it in years, and the one time I tried it, I did it inadvertently.  

speaking of 293 - the shield gallery needs a photo of an interstate 193 shield.  That was the former number.  Anyone got one?

[Bryant5493]

Georgia 400's the only toll road in Georgia.

To avoid it, if you're at Lenox Mall, follow Peachtree-Dunwoody Road northbound to Glenridge Connector, turn left, and left at the second light onto Georgia 400 North.

To avoid the toll both on the Westside, follow I-285 North to East to the Georgia 400 exit, and there you go.


Be well,

Bryant

[Alps]

Bypassing the Hampton NHTP toll en route ME -> MA:
NH33, NH151, US1, and NH107 backta I-95

I think there's some easy way to bypass the toll coming south from 89 and turning onto 93.  Take 293 or something?  I forget; haven't done it in years, and the one time I tried it, I did it inadvertently. 

speaking of 293 - the shield gallery needs a photo of an interstate 193 shield.  That was the former number.  Anyone got one?

No, the toll is between 293 and 89 for a reason.  You have to go straight on 89 and hook a right on 3 (or is it 3A, I'm lazy).

[Alps]

Surprised no one's mentioned DE 2/4/896 around the toll entering/leaving DE on I-95...given how badly traffic backs up here, using those roads to dodge the toll is much faster than waiting it out...

Absolutely.  Here are some more MD toll related ones:
NB Susquehanna - I tend to leave Baltimore on 1, but 95-24-1 can work.  Follow 273 back into DE and either go straight to 95 or cut down 896.  Kills two tolls with one stone.
Baltimore - I only know this one SB, but I imagine it's similar NB - 95S to 895S, first exit to Moravia Rd.  Make a left, take 40 West through Baltimore, make another left onto 395 or 295 and continue south.

[bugo]

I've mentioned it here before, but going westbound on the Muskogee Turnpike, instead of exiting off at US 69 and paying the toll, you can exit at the service plaza and make a U turn and exit going EB where there is no toll.

[hbelkins]

Tolls on all the international crossings.

correct, but still significantly faster - even if you account for international crossings, which tend to be a lot faster coming into the US from Canada than from Mexico.  isn't the bridge toll something like $4 each way?  How does that compare to the Ohio Turnpike?

Given the increasing frequency with which border crossings are compared to digital anal exams, and the need now for a passport, would it be worth it?

[yakra]

No, the toll is between 293 and 89 for a reason.  You have to go straight on 89 and hook a right on 3 (or is it 3A, I'm lazy).

3A.

[OracleUsr]

Surprised no one's mentioned DE 2/4/896 around the toll entering/leaving DE on I-95...given how badly traffic backs up here, using those roads to dodge the toll is much faster than waiting it out...

Absolutely.  Here are some more MD toll related ones:
NB Susquehanna - I tend to leave Baltimore on 1, but 95-24-1 can work.  Follow 273 back into DE and either go straight to 95 or cut down 896.  Kills two tolls with one stone.
Baltimore - I only know this one SB, but I imagine it's similar NB - 95S to 895S, first exit to Moravia Rd.  Make a left, take 40 West through Baltimore, make another left onto 395 or 295 and continue south.

No offense, but I did that back in 1998 (the Tydings Bridge bypass) and that was the most circuitous route I have ever seen.  The toll on the bridge at the time was only $4 Northbound.

[njroadhorse]

Easy cheat from northern New Jersey to avoid the Turnpike tolls to get to Baltimore:

78W-81S-83N. It's quick, easy, and the only toll there (over the Delaware) is reasonable and unavoidable regardless of where you go

[froggie]

78W-81S-83N.

IMO, using 222 and 30 to "cut the corner" between Allentown and York works better than staying on the Interstates.

[Ian]

To cheat the tolls on the Everett Turnpike in New Hampshire, northbound you can take exit 7E to US 3 north, follow it all the way up to NH 101 east, then back onto I-293/Everett Turnpike (free) northbound.

[iwishiwascanadian]

I did the toll-free route to DC from Hartford (95-NY 9A-NJ 139-US 1-95-DE 2/4/896-95-695-95) and it added some time but it was worth it southbound to avoid about $20 in tolls.  But the toll-free route northbound seemed to be so far out of the way we bit the bullet and paid up.  I suppose its because of the one-way tolls across the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. 

[OracleUsr]

Easy cheat from northern New Jersey to avoid the Turnpike tolls to get to Baltimore:

78W-81S-83N. It's quick, easy, and the only toll there (over the Delaware) is reasonable and unavoidable regardless of where you go

Are you sure you don't mean 83S?

[myosh_tino]

How to "cheat" on San Francisco Bay Area bridge tolls...

Destination: Sacramento (avoid Carquinez or Benicia Bridges... $5 toll)
From San Jose --- I-680 north to I-580 east to I-205 east to I-5 north
From San Mateo/Redwood City --- CA-92 or CA-84 east to I-880 north to I-238 south to I-580 east to I-205 east to I-5 north
*Note: Mileage-wise, these routes are considered the "long way".

Destination: San Jose (avoid Golden Gate Bridge... $6 toll)
From Marin --- US 101 south to I-580 east to I-80 west to I-880 south

Destination: San Francisco
From East and North Bay --- Sorry Charlie.  Unless you want to drive 80+ miles out of your way (loop south through San Jose), there is no way to avoid bridge tolls.