Toll Roads, How to avoid them? Options

[pianotuna]

Hi all,

I'm going on a 9 thousand kilometer trip. I'd love to avoid toll roads. But how the heck does one identify what *is* and *is not* a toll road?

My reasons for avoidance are not the fee--but the speed at which folks drive. I prefer to trundle along at 90 kph (55 mph). That makes me a danger on a toll road.

[joez]

Most (all?) GPS units have a route setting "avoid toll roads". Atlas maps usually list toll roads. Google maps/Mapquest also have "avoid toll roads" settings and will show toll roads on directions. With Google maps you can point to a route and drag it to a new point to reset to your desired road.

[Trentheim]

The geography probably doesn't apply to you, but the idea could be employed by "someone" in your travel area: To avoid a toll road in the NY/CT/NJ region (where they all are kina close together) you have to either use VERY small roads or go WAY out of your way. I have 3-4 different routes I can use when I drive the RV to visit family (CT to WV trip) and I cannot avoid paying a toll.

[John Blue]

Don,

We use a road atlas from ((American Map) Road Atlas 2009 Large Scale - Large Type). This map system is simple to read and had all toll road marked in Green. State of CA is printed on 17 sheets. If more people live in a zone then you have more sheets. Best part for you this map is from Canada. We never go anyplace with out this map. We are in Vancouver BC now so I can not use it here. You can find them on the web at.

http://www.americanmap.com/catalog/product...roducts_id=3347

[Lindsay Richards]

It is easy to spend moremoney in fuel avoiding tolls than you sav. Take the extra milage into your calculations.

[Bud in Florida]

If you use Goodsam's routing service you can ask to avoid toll roads, I just spend over $10.00 on toll roads ging around Denver!

[Tom]

To avoid a toll road in the NY/CT/NJ region (where they all are kina close together) you have to either use VERY small roads or go WAY out of your way.

Keep that in mind... most toll roads are the major highways, so to avoid them you may end up on side roads. Which may not be a bad thing, but most times it will take longer to get to your destination.

[dog bone]

i have a rand mc nally cd . i can tell it to route me around toll roads, mountains, tunnels and congested areas. i can also change part of the route.
it works good. the mileage between turns is right on the money. so far it hasn't taken me way out of the way like some of the other map programs.
it is time to get a new cd. mine is a 2001. it will let me access the internet to check on road work.

[Lindsay Richards]

We once had a problem on the Mass Turnpike of not being able to reach down to get the ticket. I unbuckled and leaned out the window and still couldn't get it. The cars behind me were blasting their horns and I went on without one and when leaving at the end of it, had to pay from the begining of the toll road. Only cost me a couple of bucks, but I thought it unfair. Next time, I'll send the wife out the side door and around for the ticket. Even after the road is paid for, they still keep collecting the tolls.

[Jerry S.]

Hi Piaotuna,

A lot of folks have already advised you that any decent road map/atlas will show you where the toll roads are and many have noted that in some situations not taking the toll road will not be practical time and distance-wise. My question is: Why do you believe that you cannot drive on a toll road at 55mph without being a "danger"? While there can be instances where heavy, but flowing, urban traffic can be intimidating if everybody else seems to be doing 70mph, this is would be just as true on non-toll interstate highways. As someone who now seldom exceeds 55mph on interstates, I don't see what the problem is. While there may be rare exceptions (not including construction) where an interstate highway (including toll roads) may be only one lane each way, the vast majority are a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction. Just cruise along in the right lane and let the rest of the world pass you by. You may have to make some adjustments in the aforemention urban areas, but, as they say, "that's life in the big city".

Based on your concern over tolls roads, I am guessing you will be travelling east of the Mississippi River since there are few toll roads west of it. I am familiar with only those in Oklahoma and the Denver by-pass. Even then, I see those around Chicago, the NY/NJ area, and maybe Florida as presenting any possible problems. Most of the mileage of the remaining toll roads are in fairly open, non-urban country.

Enjoy your trip.

[Lindsay Richards]

The problem with cruising along in the right lane and letting the world pass you by, of course, is those idiots who merge in front of you and cause you to slow down to 45 mph wasting lots of gas. Here in Florida, the acceleration lanes are used to drive to the end and stop. Talking on the cell phone until you get to the end also helps. With a 3 lane road, we usually get in the middle lane, set the cruise control for 60, and avoid the merge problems.

[Jerry S.]

Lindsay,

Even if the situation you cited is a problem, it is as likely to happen on interstate expressways as on toll roads. In fact, some toll roads have fewer access points than freeways and thus this would be less of a problem. I am questioning why a vehicle going 55 on a toll road is more of a "danger" than the same vehicle doing 55 on an interstate highway.