Baltimore-Jersey drive...worth it? (advice requested)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

OK, here’s the tale.

I need to be in Philadelphia–well, Mt Laurel, NJ–for a long weekend in late April. (I’m going to a family event with my son and mother.)

So, I recently went trolling the internet for ticket prices from Phoenix. All sites and all airlines are currently charging $385 each. Ouch. EXCEPT: Southwest, my fave airline, has a straight-through for only $220! Saves me a bundle!

BUT…they don’t fly into Philly directly–only to Baltimore.

So…do I fly into Baltimore, land around 2pm, and drive up to NJ, thereby saving nearly $400? (We were planning to rent a car in any case, so that expense is not an issue.) Or, is it not worth it, wait and see if ticket prices to Philly go down any?

Suggestions, advice, or info about the road from Baltimore to NJ?

Thanks! -Theobroma

2

Baltimore to Philly isn’t a big deal – straight shot up 95, about an hour and a half. There’s traffic, it ain’t scenic, but it moves.

3

I don’t know where Mt. Laurel is. However, it’s only about an hour from my place to Philly, and I’m an hour to BWI. The roads are fine, just your everyday Interstate highway and/or Jersey Turnpike. Delaware charges you for the privilege of being in their state. You can wave to us on the way through!

4

BWI to Mt. Laurel is 120 miles, according to Mapquest. I’d do it.

5

Made the drive many times. Traffic is heavy pretty much always, but it’s definitely less than 2 hours even with bad traffic. Drive offensively and you’ll be fine. The scenery does leave something to be desired; old refineries and chemical plants are not pretty.

6

If you don’t want to rent a car, you could look into taking Amtrak to Philadelpia; there’s a train station at the Baltimore airport. Fares seem to be $46 one way per person.

7

It’s an easy run. We drive from Jersey to Baltimore 3-4 times per year… We usually catch a ball game at a real park instead of the stinkin’ Vet. Sometimes, just visit the Harbor area.
Straight up 95, and over one of the bridges to Jersey. Seems like the Walt Whitman bridge would be best, then onto 295 in Jersey.

Taking the train gets you to Philly, but doesn’t get you to New Jersey.

Definitely worth shaving 400 bucks. I have friends that hit BWI and drive up to save $.

8

To Philly, it’d be 1 hour 45…but to Mt Laurel, tack on 30 mins.

2 hours is reasonable, and 2hr 15 min is too.

9

I used to work in DC and had a vendor up in NJ I had to visit every few months. If you’re going to South Jersey near Philly it’s not that bad at all.

I’d save the dough. Get yourself something nice.

10

Piece of cake. Pretty much the entire north Atlantic area (D.C. to New York bounded by Philly on the west) is within driving distance. Population density is so much higher around here than out West that there’s simply nothing all that far away from anywhere else.

–Cliffy

11

I dunno about tacking on half an hour to go to Mount Laurel. I’ve left to go to Dave and Ginger’s from both Philly and Cherry Hill, and there was no noticeably difference in time.

12

huh? Have you seen NJ traffic recently, especially getting to Mt Laurel?

Balt to Philly is 90 mins. Philly to anywhere like Mt Laurel is 30 mins.

Philly to over a bridge and to a point just over any bride would be 15 mins. Mt Laurel ain’t at the base of the bridge.
It is very reasonable to set the expectations of someone making the Balt to NJ run at 2hr 15 min.

I live in NJ, commute to Philly and Delco everyday, and visit my customers in NJ…around Mt Laurel…Cherry Hill…Marlton…Mt Holly.

Get off 295 anywhere in NJ and you’ll burn 10-15 mins the first 3 miles.

I recommend the drive, but have the correct expectation. 2 - 2.5 hours is a reasonable expectation.

13

If they’re traveling from Baltimore, there’s no reason to go into Philadelphia. Straight into NJ is the way top go.

I agree that 2-2.5 hrs is a safe bet on time.

14

Easy as pie. Make the drive. Here’s a tip that’ll save you 15-20 minutes- coming out of Friendship…er…BWI, get on 295 north towards Baltimore, then get on 895 north- the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Stay on 895, it merges back into 95 north of the city, and going this way will save you 15-20 minutes, as I said.

15

It depends entirely on the time of day you’re doing it. I used to make the drive down I-95 to Baltimore on Saturday mornings sometimes when my sister went to school there. It was a pleasant, beautiful drive of which I treasure the memory.

I would not want to do it during rush hour.

16

But, as Mr. Moto pointed out, you don’t have to go through Philly to GET to Mount Laurel. I agree with the 2-2.25 hour time frame you gave. I just don’t think it’s half an hour MORE from Mt. Laurel than it is from Philly. Sorry if I was confusing.

17

Thanks, guys! Think I’ll do it. I’ll book tickets this weekend.

I don’t think Phoenix to LA is any big deal (5-6 hours) so this should be no problemo. Flight lands at around 2pm Baltimore time, so we could grab some quick grub after we get out of the city and maybe beat the worst of the rush hour. Coming back would be Sunday morning, so no traffic issue at all.

Of course, since I haven’t been local Philly since I was 8 years old, I know nothing about roads or times…and Mapquest is a computer program, not a commuter who knows the area.

Thanks for the useful tips, too! I’ll check out that 895 route, Weirddave. Don’t really need to go into Philly. The cousins live in Marlton, and the Bar Mitzvah is in Mt Laurel (I think).

Boy, when I promised 3 years ago to come out for the Bar Mitzvah, it seemed so far off…they grow up so fast…snif