RE: Driving help, Virginia to Columbus Oh...

[Gone-Camping]

 
Ok, I ve been studying the maps, mapquest, and the Rand McNally Trip Maker program, have found about 3 different route s to get me from here to there!
 
 I ll list them in order of fasest to slowest according to both mapquest and Rand McNally. However, all three give approximate drive times of 11.25 to 11.75 hours....
 
 First is from Tidewater region, I-64 to I-295, to I95, take the beltway I-495 to I-70 and head west to Columbus. I get to drive through all the fun cities like Fredicksburg Va, Washington DC, Hagerstown Md, Frederick Md, Wheeling WV, and Columbus Oh...
 
 The next suggest route was I-64 west to I-77 north, to I-70 west. The only major cities are Richmond (piece of cake), Charlottesville (also piece of cake) and Charleston WV (unknown), and of course Columbus Oh... This route may be more scenic than the other one, but definately full of hills and mountains. How many more compared to I-70?
 
 The 3rd route would be I-64 to WV State route 35, which goes deep into Ohio, then Oh state route 29 north into Columbus...
 
 Anyone have any comments, I m " all ears"

[birol]

 Gone-Camping
Almost 12 hours from Norfolk to Columbus
 
 We left Williamsburg at 7 am and we were home at 8:30 pm, with an hour of unscheduled stop at the Canada border .... 12 hours with a lot of rest stops if we excelude the customs stop and the duty free stop
 
 My MS streets and Trips guesstimates it to be 9 hours and 31 minutes at legal speeds., 591 miles.
 
 I64  to Richmond
 
 I95 to Washington DC
 
 I70 all the way to Columbus.    Looking at the map this seems to be the fastest way ... Anything else I made it calculate is shorter in distance buy much longer timewise ....
 
 Good luck.
 
 Birol

[Gone-Camping]

 Gone-Camping
Ummm, perhaps, but I m going past Columbus actually, to Lakeview Oh. The shortest drive time I ve been able to come up with adding in actual address et al, is 11 hours and one minute, that s via Washington DC.... Miles are about 650...

[birol]

 Gone-Camping
Ohhhhhhh, that IS different, 667 miles, 10 hours 45 minutes ......
 
 We used to tarvel (drive) around a lot, and ulness I want to sighsee, I normally take the interstates to cover long distances quickly. That is a long drive, good luck ! Are you going to sleep in the hybrid on the way back ? Lucky Duck !

[Gone-Camping]

 Gone-Camping
ABSOLUTELY!!! []
 
 I m hoping to leave on a Friday morning, arriving in the evening. If I can get
 there early enough, I ll try and take delivery of it that night, then stay at the
 Indian Lake State Park right there in town. I ll then split the drive back into
 2 segments, probably stopping in WV or western Va somewhere, thereby
 possibly getting 2 nights in the new trailer []
 
 And Birol, my PU is still for sale?!?! []

[cpine]

 Gone-Camping
I have gone through Charleston on 77 many times and its also a piece of cake. In order to make time and also to avoid the major cities  I would take option 2 on the trip out. Then choose an alternate route for the return. Depending on time of day traffic can get a little stressy around Columbus. The landscape around Columbus and to the North is all flat and any route you take should be easy, you just have to stop at a traffic light or 2 in each town.

[Gone-Camping]

 Gone-Camping
Hmmm, option 2 was the one that probably least interested me, somehow I thought it would be a long way around, though the drive times indicate it s about the same.
 
 Question, how many of those little towns are there if I take option 3??? That route would give me a more scenic view of them all, and provide an interesting look into the way people in that  area live. I m pretty keen on using secondary hiways over the interstates for reasons such as stated, plus they generally have less traffic, and less traffic problems. Hmmmmm....

[cpine]

 Gone-Camping
Cliff,
 
 Option 2 and 3 both take you to Charleston. From there you could make the decision (depending on current conditions) whether you want to stick with the Interstates or go onto the smaller roads up through Ohio. I do not see route 29 to Columbus though, could it be 23? If you wanted to avoid Columbus totally you could start angling toward your destination by taking 207 NW out of Chilicothe. On your Road Atlas all those secondary roads are about the same, farm country, small towns. One is about as fast as another. As far as which route has more mountains, I don t know, you have to cross the Appalachians either way. My logic would be to avoid all those big Cities that could tie you up with traffic and hassles.

[SheBantam]

 Gone-Camping
Cliff, I have been both ways from Delaware.  When my brother lived in INdy. I would pick him up on my way south to Louisville KY. I would head up the PA Turnpike and go around Columbus and Dayton to Indy.
 I agree, the southern route (I 64) is more scenic, this was the only place I had any problems with sway on the Jayco (going down the mountains a hair too fast). Pretty steep grades.
 You can also go up I 81 to the PA Turn pike at West Harrisburg. Grades are better on the turn pike and I 81 is not too bad as far as grades. Then it is a straight shot to Columbus, may be a little longer though. Take the by pass around Wheeling, there is only a mile or two difference than going through.
 
 Charleston WV is easy, rush hour can be a little tricky if you stay on I 64, but you take I 77 towards Parkersburg WV/Marrietta, Ohio.