opinions needed driving to port of baltimore

[pearle1]

Hello everyone ~ I am cruising with my mom sunday 9/27 leaving from Ct and driving to Baltimore. I am looking for opinions ~ was planning on driving that day, but the Pope will be in Philadelphia, PA and wondering what that might cause traffic wise ~ So my question is this:

Would you leave early morning and drive, or go the day befor and stay overnight?? Thanks!!

Edited September 22, 2015 by pearle1

[beauty1492]

Go the day before. Why worry about traffic. and east coast traffic can be a bear! there are many hotels that do the stay and park. We park at the port for a fast get a way after the trip.

[snc_cam]

we just went on the Splendor out of NYC last week and drove up/back the day of the cruise and the morning we got back into NYC. Both times traffic was light and took us 3 hours from the Lincoln Tunnel to get home. Drove the NJ Turnpike/I95 the whole way (other than thru the tunnel and getting home). Am not sure what the traffic will be like with the Pope in Phila but if you stay on the turnpike, I would think it shouldn't affect you much.

[sweenbean21]

Definitely go the day before and stay at a hotel that will transfer you to the pier. You will save money to get a room, free breakfast at the hotel in the morning and the shuttle to the pier..as opposed to paying to park at the pier.

[KevInPitt]

This can be dependent on your personal choice and circumstances. My opinion would be if the drive is more than 6 hours, drive in the day before and do the hotel/shuttle thing the day of sailing.

 

If your drive is less (as is mine), drive in the day of and park right at the pier. This may work out slightly more expensive than a hotel/shuttle stay but the convenience of not waiting for the shuttle to and from the hotel is worth it. Drive right in, park and walk on the ship. When you get back, walk right out to your car and you're on your way.

 

Of course this is personal preference on my part and therefore my recommendation. Others suggesting different alternatives may work just as well or even better for you.

 

(Pope traffic shouldn't be an issue as you will be highway driving and I don't think the Popemobile has an EZ Pass.)

 

Happy Sailing!!

Edited September 22, 2015 by KevInPitt

[Oventek]

Jersey turnpike will be unaffected.

[jen&samcantwait]

I would go the day before & get a stay/park package, too long of a drive and too many variables. I even do this & I'm only about 1.5 hours from there, usually cheaper than parking at the port & gets an extra day in your vacation, lots to do in Baltimore. You can find hotel suggestions on the East Coast Departures board.

[vaka08]

I would go early- philly has already closed roads and the pope won't be there for a week.

[cantthinkofanythingfun]

You don't go through Philadelphia on the way to Baltimore. You go right from the Jersey Turnpike to the Delaware Turnpike.

[ConshyCrock]

I would go early- philly has already closed roads and the pope won't be there for a week.

 

I second this as someone who lives in the Philly area. They're already towing cars down there in preparation of the pope's visit and they've been warning us for months that the city is going into quasi-lockdown mode. You'll probably hit minimal traffic and avoid the headache on the highways but, just to be safe, I'd leave a day early.

[JennN]

You don't go through Philadelphia on the way to Baltimore. You go right from the Jersey Turnpike to the Delaware Turnpike.

 

Agreed. However, Delaware is always a nightmare. It's taken me excess of 4 hours sometimes in the summer months and weekends to get through those lousy 5 exits!

 

You never know what delays you might encounter - with air or auto travel - so I'd go the night before.

[fair-winds39]

Hello everyone ~ I am cruising with my mom sunday 9/27 leaving from Ct and driving to Baltimore. I am looking for opinions ~ was planning on driving that day, but the Pope will be in Philadelphia, PA and wondering what that might cause traffic wise ~ So my question is this:

Would you leave early morning and drive, or go the day befor and stay overnight?? Thanks!!

We sailed the Pride a few weeks ago. We live on the outskirts of Phila. Our cruise left on Labor Day weekend. Not just because of the holiday, but precisely what other posters have mentioned, do yourself a favor and go the day before. We did a Park & Cruise w/Best Western, and the cost was $149 and included the overnight stay, shuttle back and forth from pier, and parking the car for the week, plus complimentary breakfast if you want it. We've done it twice so far, and we'll do it again in early 2016.

[summersigh]

I would go the day before as well because of the stuff going on in Philly. It might be a good idea to see if you can find a schedule of events going on that day involving the Pope's visit and plan your time to pass by the city during a time when most visitors will be involved with those events and not flooding the highways :)

[chocolate melting cake]

We also live in CT and have cruised on the Pride two times. Both times we've gone in the night before. There are just too many problems that can crop up between 95 (or the Merritt) in CT, the Jersey Turnpike, etc. It is much more relaxing to go in on Sat., then stay the night in a motel that will shuttle you back and forth to the ship. If you have the inclination walk around the Inner Harbor Sat. evening---start your vacation a day early and avoid the stress of HAVING to make it on Sunday. Enjoy your cruise.

[RecoveryDude]

No Question: Go the night before. I live in Delaware and I'm well aware of the 95 traffic situation. It's so "hit or miss" sometimes light and sometimes bumper-to-bumper on weekends. ....and that's not taking into account the "pope situation" - Even without the Pope being here, accidents can happen ANYTIME and cause multi-hour traffic backups! I'm sailing out of Baltimore in February and already have a reservation for a hotel the night before. :)

 

Why risk your vacation when it really doesn't cost much more to go the night before and do that park and sail from an area hotel? Plus, it gets you in Vacation Mode ... and you can get to the port EARLY the next morning ... and get on right after the Plats/Diamonds/FTTF and be up on the Lido deck having lunch before noon.

 

Definately go the night before :)

 

Hope this helps!

 

Jeff aka Recovery Dude:)

[aflyingbuttress]

We are also sailing out of Baltimore and driving from CT. We're going the day before because you just never know what could happen. Flat tire, major accident causing traffic, getting sick, some sort of urgent thing you need to take care of. Who knows?

 

We're not doing the park and cruise thing though. It's cheaper but when we get off the ship we just want to leave, and we don't want to deal with transferring my daughters car seat into another vehicle.

[pohlerbear]

I'm from South Jersey so same drive. We did a stay and park package through Trinity reservations. It was the same price as parking at the port so it was a no brainer for us

[pearle1]

Thanks everyone ! Great advice and suggestions - we have made the decision to go the night before - just curious - people who did the park and cruise through trinity - which hotel did you stay in ?? Thanks again !!

[Tony O]

If you are driving down from Jersey I would suggest you look for hotels in the White Marsh area Several hotels offer park and cruise packages.

You are right off of I 95 South about 10 minutes north of the cruise port .

You have a Hilton Garden Inn ,Fairfield Inn & Suites to name a few.