Atlanta to NYC

[Tom Hodson]

Hi All,
My wife and I, both Irish and with limited US driving experience - Santa Monica to San Francisco- are planning a July drive from Atlanta to NYC. Any advice and tips would be very welcome.
Tom

[AZBuck]

Céad Míle Fáilte! Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

There are three basic routes from Atlanta to New York, so your first task is to pick one based on the time you have available for the drive and what you'd like to see and do along the way. If time is short, say two days, then you're pretty much limited taking the Interstates (Motorways) I-85 and I-95 are the most direct, but would involve driving through some of the worst traffic in America. A more reasonable option that can still be driven in two days is I-75 to I-40 east and I-81 north, finishing off with I-78 into New York.

Now, if you have a few days to spend sight-seeing on the way up, you have a basic choice between following the Appalachian Mountains or following the Atlantic coast. Both offer great historic sights, relaxed back roads, and scenic opportunities. They are described in a bit more detail here. But in any event, take a look at all three options, and if you'd like, we can help you adjust any one of them to better fit your particular circumstances.

AZBuck

[Tom Hodson]

Many thanks AZBuck, I really appreciate the welcome. We will have about 5 days and hope to do some site seeing.
Tom

[Tom Hodson]

Thanks AZBuck,
We will take the Appalachain Mountains option and change our plans to finish the road trip in Washington DC, then travel on to NYC by train. Could we reach Washington DC comfortably, with some sight-seeing in 3/4 days?
Thanks for the help.
Tom

[AZBuck]

Following the Appalachians from Atlanta to Washington would only require about 700 miles of driving (depending on exactly how you go). So you only have to cover about 200-250 miles a day, a pace that leaves a lot of time for a leisurely pace, the odd side trip or two, and plenty of time out of the car checking out small towns, scenic natural settings, and historic sites.

AZBuck

[Tom Hodson]

Go raibh maith agat (many thanks) AZBuck,
We will plan on that.
Tom