Quote Originally Posted by AZBuck View Post
Raleigh to Boston is just over 700 miles if you stick (roughly) to I-95 most of the way up, But that direct route, which is the way most mapping software will send you, is one of the worst drives in America with lots of traffic, lots of tolls, and not much in redeeming scenery. If you're willing to go a bit out of your way, you can have a much more relaxing and enjoyable trip and still make it in under two days by staying inland of I-95 and the major cities that it goes through. US-264 east out of Raleigh will get you to I-95 north. At Petersburg VA you'd switch over to I-295 thus bypassing downtown Richmond and returning to I-95 north of town. Just north of Fredericksburg, however, take US-17 north to US-15 north to Harrisburg. There get on I-81 all the way up to Scranton PA and I-84 east through Hartford to the Mass Pike (I-90) into Boston. All of that is about 100 miles longer, but lets you miss Washington, Boston, the MD DE and NJ Turnpikes, and (shudder!) New York City. Instead you get a scenic drive up some great surface roads through Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania; scenic Interstates through the Appalachians and Poconos; and far fewer tolls. With a relatively early start out of Raleigh, your overnight stop would be around Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, leaving you about 300 miles (or about 6hours) of driving on day 2.

AZBuck
I have made the trip both ways, I95 and the more scenic route. The scenic route is SO worth taking a little longer. I cannot imagine doing that trip any other way from now on. Scenic, you feel safer, good planning and a nice motel stay makes it such a pleasant trip,
not overexhausted, which is dangerous. Put your favorite music on and the scenic way is the way to go!!! ;)