OT: New Jersey toll roads --- anybody in NJ?

From the Philly airport to Ship Bottom you can avoid tolls altogether if you stay off the Atlantic City Expressway. You can make it in roughly the same time using non-toll roads. However, if you do choose the toll route, AC Expressway is odd in that tolls vary at different points along the way. You'll be travelling the entire Expressway and will hit several tolls ranging from about 50 cents to 4 bucks depending on location. I believe the total cost is about $6.

Assuming you don't have an EZ-Pass tag (I don't think AZ is on that network) then I'd suggest using the cash lanes. The larger tolls will probably have a full service lane with an attendant. For smaller ones I'd be prepared with a few bucks worth of quarters to throw in the basket.

I think all lanes have license plate readers, but I would AVOID that in a rental car because they'll send the bill to the rental company, then rental company has to bill you, probably charge you an extra fee for their trouble, just a big hairy mess.

Come to think of it, when you consider the "cash" lanes usually have a long line with 10-15 cars in front of you, you'll probably make better time with less aggravation if you just choose the "avoid tolls" option on Google Maps.

Back in the day when I lived in Brooklyn and then Nassau, the NJ tpke was a 3 hour detour to anyplace I wanted to go, the only question I ever had was how the heck could New Jersey be the Garden State, I remember my dad hollering it smells like Hoboken LOL

I think some rental car companies will provide an ez-pass, makes it much easier. Haven't been to NJ in a while, praise God. I'd guess it'll be under $20 to cross. Maybe they've upgraded everywhere to the (more expensive) bill in the mail system if you don't have an ez-pass, but I wouldn't count on it. You should check if the rental company is going to charge you some big surcharge because they'd get any bill in the mail first. You may want to ask your work colleagues if you can borrow their ez-pass and pay them when they get the bill.

I recommend taking misterorange advice.

NJ has decent toll free highways in the north - I78 and I80. But, it’s somewhat odd going across the state in the southern part. The pine barrens and the Jersey Devil must have frightened folks from building a proper highway down there.

Outside of the poor timing of the event, Ship Bottom and Long Beach Island can be beautiful this time of year (if it’s sunny and not too chilly).

The Garden State Parkway seems to have full service lanes available for those paying cash. The toll prices are odd - so some cost $1.15 - which makes little sense.

Put it in google and set "avoid tolls" on the options.

Last time I was in the area, getting from JFK to Connecticut, there was a route to avoid tolls, it was estimated to take 14 hours. From Connecticut to Staten Island, fagetaboutit.

And, I mostly didn't see any tolls booths to pay cash at in NY, but saw signs noting the road was tolled. I did see cash booths in NJ, but was just on the turnpike from GW bridge to Goethals bridge, and that shit's been tolled since before database were invented, probably tolled horses on it before there were cars.

But traveling for work, I just expensed it all anyways, and paying cash at the booth would've created the receipt issue that the rental company so kindly solved for me. Of course, they just gave me a total with no itemized list, so who the fuck knows, really? And, despite most of those tolls being for personal entertainment I couldn't itemize them and expensed the whole thing.

I've never thought about getting a pass and using it in a rental before. You obviously don't want to forget that when you turn it in, and don't try and register the car's plate number... But, assuming those electronic passes work reliably enough, it might be cheapest just to get one.

Too bad google won't list toll prices on different routes...

Also note that you’ll have to pay to cross the bridges on your way OUT of NJ back to Philly airport.

Any of the bigger rent car companies will offer a toll pass tracker for the car for a flat fee (prob about $15) then you don’t have to think about it. Or they will bill your credit card for the tolls with a $20 service charge.

Thank you, kind gents. I will check with Enterprise (shit... better make sure that's where I reserved the car), or do the Google avoid tolls. Had no idea that was a thing. We don't have pay roads out here.

Hope it's expensed, rental car companies ream you bad at the NY airports.

"Or they will bill your credit card for the tolls with a $20 service charge." i have never been billed a service charge by enterprise or national. Only the toll.

waze has an avoid toll option. In my experience, waze works better than google in NJ.

i think we would be doing you a disservice if we did not point out the Playhouse in Burlington is less than 20 minutes out of your way. DD Toms River add half an hour to your trip.

@K, you are a fortunate man if Enterprise never billed you for a video toll. I was driving locally in an Enterprise minus my EZ Pass which was in my car at the dealer being serviced. I got hit with a $12 fee plus the toll.

Not sure how it works in NJ/Philly.

Downhere in South FL one either has a transponder in the car, or it’s “toll by plate” where they take a pic of your license-plate and then send you the bill w/ a small-service fee – obviously it’s different if you have a rental as the bill is sent to the rental-company – you’re better off contacting the rental company ahead of time and see if they offer transponders and/or what kinda additional-fee they charge if they get a toll-by-plate bill – not all rental-companies have transponders available especially if renting off-airport.

I’d look at my options ahead-of-time b/c I wouldn’t want to be in a cash-pay line given NE traffic; especially if I’m in any hurry.

I-95N to Ben Franklin Bridge, Rt 30 to Rt 70 to Rt 72 to Long Beach Isle and Ship Bottom. No tolls.

I guess I should have included - Rt 30, 70 and 72 all Eastbound

Fastest and most direct route too. Sorry no titty bars directly on the route. You’ll have to make a couple detours for that

Thinking about it - it’s a pain to get on the BF Bridge from I95N.

Go I-95N to WaltWhitman Bridge into Jersey, then I-76N to I-295N to Rt 70E to Rt 72E to Long Beach Island/ Ship Bottom

What Studme53 said. Was going to post the same directions. About 30 miles of it on 70 and 72 are absolutely desolate, but don't speed. NJ State Troopers are the only law in that area.

Probably the best club close to on the way is Delilahs Den in Toms River. Extras.