About how long of a car ride is Baltimore to Philly. We are landing at BWI and plan on driving to Philly to watch a baseball game on Friday night ( in July ) and then drive back to Baltimore to catch an Orioles game on Saturday.
Drive to Philly
Friday afternoon/evening traffic is a killer with getaway traffic in the summer. Not to mention perennial traffic congestion along I-95 on both sides of the Md/Delaware border.
Under perfect conditions, it%26#39;s a little under 2 hours from the Harbor in Baltimore to the ballpark in Philly. But leave as early as possible; if you get there incredibly early, grab a bite to eat in South Philly.
Factoring in congestion and the need to park, I%26#39;d say you risk missing the first pitch of a 7:05 start if you leave Baltimore any later than 4.
Drive to Philly
Incidentally, if you have an Illinois I-Pass, bring that along. It can be used on the area toll roads and will definitely speed up your trip.
We land in Baltimore at 10:50 am, from there we plan on just driving straight to Philly. Do you think by then we should be safe with traffic??? And thanks for the tip on the I-Pass, that will come to use for sure.
Figuring you get your luggage and car by 11:30, you%26#39;ll be in Philly by 2 with a little traffic at the Delaware border. So you need to figure out what to do once you get there with all that time to kill before the game.
You could probably squeeze in the Franklin Institute and a cheesesteak...but that%26#39;s better left for the Philly board.
I agree that you should head out right from the airport. I grew up in the Philly area and regularly make that drive to/from Baltimore. Plan on the state of Delaware being a parking lot, but you%26#39;ll get there in plenty of time for the first pitch if you head up early.
There%26#39;s a fun place to get a bite to eat before the game right in Citizen%26#39;s Bank Park...McFaddens....as you won%26#39;t find much in the way of restaurants/bars in the immediate stadium area.
I agree with the other posters that leaving BWI late morning/noon you will not encounter too much traffic, but invariably on a Friday in July you will most likely find traffic in Delaware - possibly at the DE/MD line (toll) or just pass there due to never ending construction. If it seems backed up at the MD/DE line you might want to try this short cut another member previously posted - simply take exit 109 in Maryland northbound for a few miles into Delaware, take a right onto Delaware 2/4, then another right onto DE 896 and you%26#39;ll pick up 95 again on the other side of the border/tollbooth. You%26#39;ll be way ahead of the traffic...not to mention $3 richer. Go Phillies!!!!!!!
In case you have never driven in the area before, you should be prepared for traffic congestion and rampant speeding. I just got back from the area -- flew into BWI and drove to Newark, Delaware, so my son could visit the University of Delaware. Virtually EVERYONE on I-95 was going 20 miles or more over the speed limit (I am not exaggerating), and not a highway patrolman in sight. I have driven in Boston and LA with no problem, but I-95 around Baltimore is by far the most dangerous stretch of highway I%26#39;ve ever had to drive.
I agree that you will have plenty of time, even if you hit major traffic. You can use I-895 N. in Md instead of I-95 to bypass the Fort McHenry Tunnel near Baltimore if traffic looks bad, and can also use I-495 N. to bypass Wilmington DE. You won%26#39;t have time to go to the Franklin Institute, but you could drive through the city to see some sights before going to the ballpark if you wish. The ballpark is right off of I-95, but venturing into the city to get back to it could be confusing. I think your best bet is to go straight to the ballpark and, as earlier mentioned, eat at McFadden%26#39;s, or if you feel adventuresome enough, look up a cheesesteak place in South Philly and go there for lunch and then just hop back on I-95 to get to the ballpark. Geno%26#39;s, Pat%26#39;s, and Tony Luke%26#39;s are all relatively close to I-95 %26amp; to the ballpark in South Philly. You can also get cheesesteaks at the ballpark but would have to wait until it opened. Look at some maps online to get a feel for the roads you%26#39;ll take, and you should be fine. Have a great trip. ... and Go Phillies! ;-)
I would add that there are state police- aplenty on that I-95 corridor in DE. Since they have no sales tax I think they generate cash with tickets and tolls. I drive to Philly about twice monthy. Even in the summer, if you hit the road before 1 or 2 you should be fine. The one problem with Citizens Bank Park is it is on the south side of Philly (great news for the drive from Baltimore) but it is in an area that is industrial and lumped with Lincoln Financial Field, Wachovia Center, and the Spectrum. It isn%26#39;t actually IN the city as in downtown (as Camden Yards in Baltimore). I agree with travelbug91... stay close to the park... and you can%26#39;t go wrong with travelbug91%26#39;s South Philly cuisine recommendations.
holiday makeup
