traveling through Albany,NY

We will be traveling thru Albany NY in a few weeks and on the
directions it says to take the 87 bypass around, although it looks
like taking 90E straight through would be quite a bit closer. It's
like that in Cincinnati, it it is rush hour it is best to bypass
around, otherwise it saves a good 1/2 hour going straight through.
Anyone familiar with the area. Also, any decent (clean but cheap)
hotels in area . . just stopping to sleep. Thanks for help.

cpal wrote:

We will be traveling thru Albany NY in a few weeks and on the
directions it says to take the 87 bypass around, although it looks
like taking 90E straight through would be quite a bit closer. It's
like that in Cincinnati, it it is rush hour it is best to bypass
around, otherwise it saves a good 1/2 hour going straight through.
Anyone familiar with the area. Also, any decent (clean but cheap)
hotels in area . . just stopping to sleep. Thanks for help.

Both 90 and 87 can be busy, even when it's not rush hour.

Also depends whether you're heading east or south after Albany
as to which you choose.

Wolf Road is the north Albany motel/restaurant strip. Also has Colonie
Mall
and a nearby supermarket. You take 87 N to Wolf Rd. One exit/2 miles,
as I recall.

We stayed at the Comfort Inn, quite nice, not too pricey,
but there are other motels close by.

In article ,
(cpal) wrote:

We will be traveling thru Albany NY in a few weeks and on the
directions it says to take the 87 bypass around, although it looks
like taking 90E straight through would be quite a bit closer. It's
like that in Cincinnati, it it is rush hour it is best to bypass
around, otherwise it saves a good 1/2 hour going straight through.
Anyone familiar with the area. Also, any decent (clean but cheap)
hotels in area . . just stopping to sleep. Thanks for help.

It would help greatly if you'd divulge which way you'll be going,
perhaps by telling us your starting point and destination. Otherwise,
how can we make any suggestions about routing?

--
Bill Pittman; change for e-mail as indicated

(cpal) wrote in message . com...
We will be traveling thru Albany NY in a few weeks and on the
directions it says to take the 87 bypass around, although it looks
like taking 90E straight through would be quite a bit closer. It's
like that in Cincinnati, it it is rush hour it is best to bypass
around, otherwise it saves a good 1/2 hour going straight through.
Anyone familiar with the area. Also, any decent (clean but cheap)
hotels in area . . just stopping to sleep. Thanks for help.

If you're going east or west, staying on the I-90 free road through
Albany proper is six miles shorter than staying on the NYS Thruway
which when going westbound crosses the Hudson to join 87 North then 90
East on the toll road. You also save about a buck in tolls. Even
during rush hour, the time difference won't be much.

During rush hour, the Thruway just west of Albany is busy in the
morning (eastbound) and in the afternoon (westbound). And the I-90
stretch through Albany is always a busy road. However, compared to
big city traffic, it's a piece of cake. I commute 20 miles each day
from Schenectady to Albany on 90 (Thruway and free section) and often
get stop and go traffic in the winter due to glare, but at other times
rarely take more than one half hour to go the 20 miles (including
10-15 minutes on local roads).

Wolf Road and nearby Central Ave (Route 5) has all the major hotel
chains. The region is right off 87 just north of the Thruway
interchange.

While you're going through, though, why not stop for half a day and
tour the downtown Albany capital area?

Highway numbers around Albany are weird. The New York State Thruway
comes up from New York City northbound as Interstate 87. It is joined
south of Albany by the Berkshire Spur of the Thruway which comes over
from the Massachusetts Turnpike. That is I-90 until 90 exits to to
straight through Albany on a freeway. At Thruway Exit 24, those who
stay on the Thruway without exiting wind up on 90 Westbound rather
than 87 Northbound. Those staying on 87 have to exit the Thruway.
Likewise, eastbound traffic on 90 must exit the Thruway to stay on 90.
It's always a challenge for directionally challenged people. I
always see cars stopped at the exit ramps with drivers trying to
figure out whether they're going to Boston, Buffalo, Montreal or New
York City. ("But I'm going to Glens Falls! That's not on the sign!")