Travel from Toronto to Teaneck, NJ -- which route?

[xcell]

Once I cross the border, I plan to take:

 

I90 then I81

 

But should I take I86  or  continue with I81 (I80).

 

Not sure the roads -- which one is mostly highway?

 

End goal is to get to the Hampton Inn, Teaneck so that I can get the GWB next day to get to my cruise.

 

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[mking8288]

I don't drive as much as I used to between these 2 points but even during the winter months, I would stick with I-380/I-80, down thru the Pocono Hills toward/to the Delaware Water Gap for NJ, just an inexpensive, one-way EZ-Pass toll at the state line - toward Teaneck.  It's a long & at times, boring drive, but better than the Thruway's stretch ... plan for some meal, coffee/restroom & fuel stops along, allow 8 to 9 hours with 2 drivers, get out & stretch, swap & get some fresh (chilly) air & nap in the passenger seats.

 

From Binghamton onward, heading south - it's all well-maintained divided 2 lanes interstate highway,  steady flow of traffic & trucks, and patrolled by state troopers - rest & fuel stops well marked & spaced apart ... even during some rather nasty winter storm, short of major blizzards, DOT crewd keep it clear & passable with plowing & ice-melt/rock-salting ... driven on it on 4 winter (not just all-season) tires with one lane passable, nothing that drivers in the lake region aren't familar with.  Once you cross into NJ, it's basically a flat run to the GWB & about 75 minutes (gasoline is slightly cheap in NJ vs. PA) 

 

I86 - distance & time-wise is nearly identical, if you have real-time GPS-based navigation, check it on the day of  travel to see ... in the real, real, real old days, when it was Rt. 17 - go thru quite a # of towns & villages with varied speed limits, nowadays - improved & better but no recent experience driving on it.  Someone else to/from Ontario should help ... 

[kochleffel]

I live along I-86/NY 17, west of Binghamton. In nice weather it is much more pleasant than I-81 and I-80, but I probably wouldn't use it in the winter since it passes through the Catskills and is more vulnerable to bad weather. In fact, I'm just back from a weekend in Manhattan, parking at Port Imperial (Weehawken) and taking the ferry, and I drove on I-81, I-380, and I-80 in both directions.

 

From the Peace Bridge or wherever you cross, I'd suggest that you take I-90 (the Thruway) toward Rochester, then I-390 south to I-86, following that east to I-81 in Binghamton. To my mind, taking the Thruway all the way to I-81 is more annoying, not to mention having higher tolls.

[TruckerDave]

You didn't mention what time of year you are doing this.  Millage wise there really isn't much difference between taking i90 to Rochester and taking i390 down,  Syracuse to 81 or staying on all the way to Albany and taking 87 down.  I just checked all three (using Buffalo as a starting point and Teaneck as endpoint) and there wasn't but about 30 miles difference between them. They all ended up around 400 miles (+- a car length).

[kochleffel]

19 hours ago, TruckerDave said:

You didn't mention what time of year you are doing this.  Millage wise there really isn't much difference between taking i90 to Rochester and taking i390 down,  Syracuse to 81 or staying on all the way to Albany and taking 87 down.  I just checked all three (using Buffalo as a starting point and Teaneck as endpoint) and there wasn't but about 30 miles difference between them. They all ended up around 400 miles (+- a car length).

 

This is true. My chief reason for preferring 390-86-81 is that this route has the least in tolls. It's hard to say what difference winter weather might make: the Syracuse area has particularly heavy snow, but there is a common belief that toll roads have more resources for plowing and salting, although I don't know whether this is true. I-90 and I-87 in New York are the Thruway, so highest tolls with that route.

[LB_NJ]

I would check one of the road apps (eg google maps) and the weather along the route the day before the trip and then use it the day of travel and while traveling.

 

Traffic can be extremely variable.  Especially if weather is bad or it is a holiday in the states.  The apps are not perfect however they are useful.  Also, traffic in New Jersey and parts of PA can be OK or absolutely horrendous if you are traveling during rush hour.  Especially for some of the roads near Teaneck, I used to work in that area of the state. 

 

NOTICE:  Route 17 near Paramus is NEVER GOOD.

 

I go from New Jersey up to the Finger Lakes area of NY a couple of times a year and I always check the day I am leaving to see which route to take and continue to use the app while traveling.