Driving Boston to New York in Winter

[Laura35]

Hi,

My two friends and I are currently planning a little road trip from Boston to New York, in the first week of January. Two of us are confident drivers and I have driven in the US before (we are from Australia). We are keen to see Providence on the way. We are just concerned about the weather and driving conditions around that time?

All the websites I have checked thus far say its about 1hour to Providence and then 3h 30 or so to New York from there?

Also any suggestions on any other places we should check out on the way through?

Any advice is greatly apprecaited!

Thanks so much,
Laura
Australia

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

For starters, you are almost guaranteed to encounter snow. Of not falling at some point as you drive, then at the very least plowed up by the side of the road, in parking lots, clogging streets, etc. Now matter how much experience you have or how 'confident' you are in your abilities, you must accept it that driving on snow and/or ice is an entirely different animal from whatever you are used to. It is a skill which must be learned slowly, at low speeds, on local streets, with help at hand, and not barreling down the motorway. I would strongly urge you to simply stay off the roads during any nasty weather and let the very competent road crews do their job and remove the white stuff before you venture out.

The times you list are for driving only and assume clear dry roads and almost no traffic. They do not include time spent stopping for gas or restroom breaks, eating, stuck behind a truck (fortunately, we don't have road trains here), or any untoward weather delays. Add to your projections time to visit a couple of worthwhile detours: the 'Cottages' in Newport,RI and Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

Laura, you can't do much better than follow AZBuck's advice.

You do not say where in Oz you are, but if you are on or near the east coast, I have a suggestion for you. Between now and October take a trip up to the alps, Kosciusko country. Particularly if you hear about heavy weather up there. I know from Melbourne and Sydney it is easy enough to get there, but further afield, it could be a challenge. Still, if you are up there for a few weekends before your trip, you will get some idea of what it is like driving in those conditions. Well, actually, you won't really. You will just get some idea of what it is like to drive in snow and on black ice. In the States you will have to contend with a lot more traffic than you can possibly imagine .... unless of course, you have already been there. But I can assure you, if you have taken the trip from Jindabyne to Charlotte's Pass half a dozen or more times in adverse weather conditions, you will get a good idea of what it is like driving in winter, in North America.

Lifey in Melbourne