Im driving from Chicago to Seattle on Friday March 9th. need advice (Wyoming: floor, car)

[sardarji98]

OK so what route should I take, google maps is giving me 3 options:
1. I94/90 2080 MILES---GNG THRU WISCONSIN, NDAKOTA, MINNESOTA, MONTANA
2. I 90 WEST--GNG THRU WISCONSIN, MINNEAPOLIS, SDAKOTA,WYOMING,MONTANA
3. I 80 W AND I 90 W--GNG THRU, IOWA, SDAKOTA, WYOMING, MONTANA
Which route should i take? Will my VW jetta go thru the rockies and the cascades if i take the first route or do u recommend othe other routes.. NEED adviCe pleease help

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by sardarji98

OK so what route should I take, google maps is giving me 3 options:
1. I94/90 2080 MILES---GNG THRU WISCONSIN, NDAKOTA, MINNESOTA, MONTANA
2. I 90 WEST--GNG THRU WISCONSIN, MINNEAPOLIS, SDAKOTA,WYOMING,MONTANA
3. I 80 W AND I 90 W--GNG THRU, IOWA, SDAKOTA, WYOMING, MONTANA
Which route should i take? Will my VW jetta go thru the rockies and the cascades if i take the first route or do u recommend othe other routes.. NEED adviCe pleease help

You #2 option, I-90, does not go through Minneapolis, you're actually about an hour and a half south of it. You might want to brush up on your geography; as either route you take is going to bring you through The Rockies - it's unavoidable. You shouldn't have any problems in a Jetta though provided there isn't a ton of snow in the mountains. Personally, I'd take I-90 the entire way through. Minneapolis can have terrible traffic, and getting caught in it could tack on a few hours to your trip. Neither route is going to be overly scenic until you're west of the Missouri River in any case, the SD portion of I90 through the Black Hills is quite pretty though.

[Vlajos]

I would fly.

[snoylekim]

Be sure to pack a Winter "Survival Kit" in your car for such a trip ..you will be traveling through stretches where help isn't just 'around the corner" - even on the Interstates .. You can google the suggested contents .. Keep an eye on your Gas gauge and keep your cell phone charged .. If the Mountain Passes are getting too much snow, they won't let you through anyway, but you can experience some interesting geography and weather on such a trip ..Good Luck ..

[Ghengis]

take the northern route if you are prone to push the speed limits a bit because while technically the speed limits are the same in S Dakota, Wyoming, N Dakota and Montana you'll find that the accepted flow much faster across North Dakota and Montana then going through South Dakota and Wyoming. Believe the northern route is actually about 50 miles shorter than across I90.

Don't worry about traffic through the Twin Cities as long as you clear Minneapolis by 4 pm, but why would anyone not figure that out anyway? You can always take the 694 loop around the North side of town to avoid any of the downtown(s) traffic. In any case the Mpls/St Paul traffic pales in comparisson to what you experience in Chicago.

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by Vlajos

I would fly.

Ditto.

[Attrill]

I've done all three of those routes through the Rockies in a '78 Volvo without much trouble, your car should be fine (I assume you have all season or snow tires). Your best bet is probably to check the weather on Thursday and take the route that has the lowest chance of bad weather.

[soulful]

OP. I see there are two different posters on the Seattle forum suggesting that you have tire chains due to the weather conditions you will be encountering. I have never driven these routes this time of year. Check the other post and weather conditions for your dates of travel.

[JacksonPanther]

This time of year the weather is not to be trifled with! Do not take this trip with a car that is not completely reliable. If your car is 10 years old or more, please reconsider. You may encounter subzero temperatures, heavy snowfall, ice. None of this is a problem in urban Chicago, but if you're 100 miles from civilization and your cell phone is on its last bar, and you have a quart tank of gas, that's a pucker situation is ever there was one.

As another poster already said, I wouldn't do this trip without survival gear. Food, water, parka plus blankets, extra cell phone battery. I would confirm with my provider that they have coverage for the entire route you are travelling. Basically, think about what you need if you have to spend a night in your car, in Wyoming.

[nidex]

I'm assuming you have the 2.0 I4 Jetta or the newer 2.5 I5, and not a 1.8T, 2.0T or VR6. You will probably find you really have to push it to get up the mountain; if you can avoid braking when going downhill, do so, infact stay on the gas a little when you get towards the bottom so you have plenty of momentum going back up. I've done the Rockies in a newer Civic, similar power to a base motor Jetta... and I was to the floor in 3rd gear going up, and losing speed. Very stressful on the car.

If it is too snowy and windy, they will close the interstate in Wyoming, and I would assume Montana does the same. You may be forced to stay in the nearest town if you hit bad weather, so be prepared for that.