Driving to FLL - I75 or I95?

[Wayfairers]

We are driving to FLL from TN and usually take the I75/FL Turnpike route. It is a little closer and I am assuming traffic flow is better on I75/FL Turnpike than on I95. But, since I've never tried I95 and we like to drive different routes I'm wondering if it is worth trying. Is I95 busy since it runs down the coast?

[royalcruz]

I-95 is busy in spots once you hit Palm Beach County. The FL Turnpike is an alternative route that is less busy but it is a toll road.

[JohninDC]

You are better off paying the tolls and avoiding I-95. Good luck! :)

[Oviedo32765]

The only time I have found I-95 NOT busy is early Saturday or Sunday morning.

 

Monday thru Friday it is very busy during the rush-hour traffic, and just plain busy all other times.

 

Throw an accident in there and traffic stops! :eek:

 

I drive down from the Orlando area and take the turnpike.

[crewsweeper]

We use I-95 when going to Port Canaveral. Avoids Orlando. But for points south I-75/FL Trnpke is better. I use the tolls going between Miami and FLL/Boca when there for work related travel. Much less hassle.

[skrufy]

If you want to drive I-95 this time, you can take it to FT. Pierce where the Florida Turnpike and I-95 come right next to each other. Jump on the turnpike and you will bypass the Palm Beach traffic.

[Wayfairers]

Thanks everybody... guess we would be better avoiding the traffic and doing the old I75/FL Turnpike route. I do like the Ft Pierce idea though... I'll keep that in mind in case we decide we do want something different.

[DanJ]

Correct me if I'm wrong, or misreading what's being asked, but is it not about an hour east on I-10 from 75 over to 95 at Jacksonville anyway? And then you still have the same mileage from Jacksonville as you would have from the 10/75 split. Same deal if you split off 75 at Macon and take 16 over to Savannah to catch 95. You still end up wasting miles going east instead of southeast.

 

If I wanted to add miles for something different, I would probably just stay on 75 the whole way, past Tampa and Ft Myers etc, and hook up with 595 at Sunrise and go right into Port Everglades.

[Wayfairers]

Correct me if I'm wrong, or misreading what's being asked, but is it not about an hour east on I-10 from 75 over to 95 at Jacksonville anyway? And then you still have the same mileage from Jacksonville as you would have from the 10/75 split. Same deal if you split off 75 at Macon and take 16 over to Savannah to catch 95. You still end up wasting miles going east instead of southeast.

 

If I wanted to add miles for something different, I would probably just stay on 75 the whole way, past Tampa and Ft Myers etc, and hook up with 595 at Sunrise and go right into Port Everglades.

 

Yes, I've also looked at that route and I'm seriously considering it for the route back home - we took that one a few years ago.

 

I try to make the drive part of the trip and not just something that has to be done - I don't always succeed, but I try. I scour the internet for hikes, sites, restaurants, festivals, etc along the way whenever we are driving somewhere. We usually end up taking a combination of highways and interstates - straight highways get old when you have almost a thousand miles to cover. My ideal car trip would include a couple of hour(ish) long stops along the way.

[pmCruiser]

We are going to attempt driving from Minnesota to FLL for our next cruise, so I’m very interested in alternative routes. While I’m not trying to stray too far off of the OP, I believe that the FL Tpk is a toll road. So, taking I-10 to I-95 and then going south to FLL will add mileage (and possibly time); staying on I-75 will be faster. But, I understand that FL tolls are quite expensive (being from Minnesota, we don’t have any toll roads as such, so I have a tendency to avoid them unless I can see real benefit to taking them). Does anyone know what the toll is from the northern end of the FL Tpk down to FLL? Thanks.

[DanJ]

We are going to attempt driving from Minnesota to FLL for our next cruise, so I’m very interested in alternative routes. While I’m not trying to stray too far off of the OP, I believe that the FL Tpk is a toll road. So, taking I-10 to I-95 and then going south to FLL will add mileage (and possibly time); staying on I-75 will be faster. But, I understand that FL tolls are quite expensive (being from Minnesota, we don’t have any toll roads as such, so I have a tendency to avoid them unless I can see real benefit to taking them). Does anyone know what the toll is from the northern end of the FL Tpk down to FLL? Thanks.

 

If I calculated right on the http://www.floridasturnpike.com website, it's about $17 from I-75 in the north to I-595 in the south, about 250 miles. I think you can buy the transponders from various gas stations and service centers down there to save you having to stop at toll plazas (where they still are used anyway).

[pmCruiser]

Thank you, DanJ, for your research. I found the FL Tpk web site to be quite confusing. In some areas they seem to use toll traps whereas in other areas they use a ticket system.

 

Now, using the AAA On-Line TripTik, it appears as if taking I-75 / FL Tpk rather than I-10 / I-95 will save about 30 miles and about 30 minutes -- at a cost of $17.00 for tolls. Is it really worth it? There’s no way that I would use $17.00 of gas to go 30 miles.

 

In addition, the default AAA route takes me off of the FL Tpk and onto I-95 just north of West Palm Beach. This is the area that a previous poster indicated should be avoided during times of heavy traffic? Since traffic is probably worse during rush hour, I would think that I-10 / I-95 is probably the better alternative as long as rush hour can be avoided. But, since I've never driven this before, I'm always open to suggestions from those that have firsthand experience.

[royalcruz]

You can buy a Sunpass mini transponder online. It costs 4.99 which is instantly rebated when you add 4.99 in credit online to your acct. Maybe the turnpike only saves you about 30 minutes but you won't likely get stuck in traffic jams and with the Sunpass you don't have to wait in any toll lines either. The tolls are cheaper by Sunpass...I think you save about $3 from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, for example.

[pmCruiser]

You can buy a Sunpass mini transponder online. It costs 4.99 which is instantly rebated when you add 4.99 in credit online to your acct. Maybe the turnpike only saves you about 30 minutes but you won't likely get stuck in traffic jams and with the Sunpass you don't have to wait in any toll lines either. The tolls are cheaper by Sunpass...I think you save about $3 from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, for example.

Good information. Thank you.

 

It’s too bad that states with toll roads can’t get together and recognize the transponders from other states. I travel somewhat frequently between Minnesota and New York and have acquired an E-ZPass transponder. It is recognized by Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York (it is recognized by other states, also, but those are the only ones that I travel through). I do find it to be very convenient and, yes, I do appreciate the discounted toll rates.

[Wayfairers]

It’s too bad that states with toll roads can’t get together and recognize the transponders from other states.

 

I agree completely.

[DanJ]

Thank you, DanJ, for your research. I found the FL Tpk web site to be quite confusing. In some areas they seem to use toll traps whereas in other areas they use a ticket system.

 

Now, using the AAA On-Line TripTik, it appears as if taking I-75 / FL Tpk rather than I-10 / I-95 will save about 30 miles and about 30 minutes -- at a cost of $17.00 for tolls. Is it really worth it? There’s no way that I would use $17.00 of gas to go 30 miles.

 

In addition, the default AAA route takes me off of the FL Tpk and onto I-95 just north of West Palm Beach. This is the area that a previous poster indicated should be avoided during times of heavy traffic? Since traffic is probably worse during rush hour, I would think that I-10 / I-95 is probably the better alternative as long as rush hour can be avoided. But, since I've never driven this before, I'm always open to suggestions from those that have firsthand experience.

 

The AAA route is probably set to look at absolute shortest highway distances. Thus, putting you on 95 where the turnpike meets 95 is the more direct route to Port Everglades, since the pike meanders west again from there. It's probably only really saves the 3 or so miles you have to go east on 595 from the turnpike.

 

For me, it's not just the gas that I would save by the shorter drive. It's also the aggravation. You'll find a lot less truck traffic on a toll road when a free road is nearby, as well as other traffic. I usually find toll roads are in a little nicer condition as well, but I can't say for sure if that applies to the majority of the FL pike.

[rkacruiser]

I have driven to South Florida using both I-75 to the Florida Turnpike and I-75 to I-10 to I-95. Never have tried I-75 to 595 and then into Fort Lauderdale. I have always been told that I-75 traffic around Fort Myers area is badly congested almost all the time. May have to consider this for the future inasmuch as I, too, like a bit of variety when I go someplace.

 

I find the I-75, I-10, I-95 route an enjoyable one to drive. Pleasant scenery and traffic is not any worse than most places--except in Miami. One time, I got off I-95 and went down A1A and really found that to be a good drive, although one needs to not be in a hurry.

[doncarlos]

every $ spent on turnpike vice 95 is the best bang for your buck you will get that day ......it saves on pain pills and trangualizers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!