Boston to Ithaca

[RedAR]

Because I've never made this trip ever, can anyone give me the FASTEST route from Boston to Ithaca?  I've checked mapquest.com, but have found in the past that mapquest does not always give the best routes.  It gives a 330 mile trip.

Also, what is the real-world time required to make the trip?  mapquest.com says the trip should take 6:18 hours.

Thanks.

[jtwcornell91]

The standard way I know is:

Mass Pike/NY Thruway (I-90/87/90) to Schenectady
I-88 from Schenectady through Oneonta to Bainbridge
206 from Bainbridge to Whitney Point
79 from Whitney Point to Ithaca

206 and 79 might be sketchy in bad weather, in which case you might want to fall back on the official directions which probably tell you to go via Syracuse.

[Al DeFlorio \'65]

I'd suggest the Mass Pike to the NY Thruway to Route 80.   (I think that's the right number, and I'm not gonna go looking for a map.;-))

Get off at route 206 and cut across to Whitney Point, where you pick up 79 into Ithaca.

[Al DeFlorio \'65]

John's right; it's route 88.

[jtwcornell91]

Huh.  Mapquest does give the right directions (as does Yahoo).  Of course, Mapquest's directions do say "BINGHAMPTON" ;-)

[melissa]

yup route 88 is the way to go. i'd say plan for 6 hours to be on the safe side tho should be more like 5 1/4. If you are a daredevil you can usually drive pretty fast on 88 (its practically empty and in the middle of nowhere) but once you get off it things could be slow depending on traffic and weather. from what i hear, we are supposed to get some bad stuff on friday. hope not!!! if the weather is bad it could easily turn into 7 or more hours.

[judy]

I did this trip for 4 years...
My fastest time was 5 hours 15 minutes straight. I've had a couple of friends make it in 5 with stops for food and gas...

Mass pike west all the way to the border.

Once in NY, you can either get out at exit B1 to stay on 90 and go through Albany or continue on to the Thruway. Staying on 90 through Albany is shorter distance-wise but the speed limit drops to 50 or 55mph. 90 Will meet back up with the Thruway.

On the Thruway, exit 25A off to 88 towards Binghamton. Get out exit 8 for 206 at Bainbridge. Follow 206 for about half an hour going 55-60 to Whitney Point and turn right at the Hess station onto 79. You're now 30 miles from Ithaca and follow 79 all the way it. It becomes State St.
NOTE: Speed traps in NY once you're off the highway from 55mph down to 30mph in the towns.

If it's snowy, you can take the Thruway to 81 and get off at either exit 11 or 12, either one and just follow 13 all the way to the Pyramid Mall. Going this way adds about 30 minutes to the trip.

Longest time was about 9 hours and this was Feb. of freshman year (1998) when there was a really bad snowstorm and I was going from Ithaca to Boston.

[judy]

Also, from Albany (exit 24) to the 88 exit (25A) the toll is $0.

[RedAR]

Thanks all.  I really don't feel like being on the road for NINE hours, so I hope the weather cooperates.

Special thanks to Judy, not only for the direction, but a belated thanks for tape of the BU game.

[Jeff Hardgrove]

I wouldn't go TOO fast on 88,
I've been nailed for going a mere 78 there...

[Greg Berge]

88 has several speed traps.  I'm sure others can elaborate.

[Christine Quinn \'94]

Yes, I got to chat with a smart-ass cop in lovely Duanesburg on 88.  "Did you see me on that overpass?"  What I wanted to say:  "Obviously not, moron, or I would have slowed down."  What I actually said:  "No, sir."  Sigh.

[melissa]

Wow. OK. maybe you shouldn't speed. I got stopped too (I was going 85) but it was actually the only time i've seen a cop on that road. I can't beleve that someone got stopped going 78 on that road. Everyone drives around taht speed on that road. That is merely keeping up with the traffic!

[judy]

well hey, one of my friends got stopped for 76 on the pike...76! when most Mass people drive about 80 on that!

the cops like the overpasses and the on/off ramps on 88 (as my dad has informed me)

[jy3]

if u are going to go the thruway way...u want to take the mass pike to the thruway (90) to 481 south to 81s (wave as u go by my house ;-) ) to the first cortland exit (the second 281 exit). How many times have i made that trip and yet I still don't know the exit number. Going 13 thru downtown cortland stinks big time b/c of the lights.
the 88 route is faster by far. 206/79 is faster then going 88 to binghamton.
good luck and i would suggest leave as early as you can - the weather is going to change as you make your way west so be careful.