Driving from Montreal to Baltimore , suggestions?

Hello, we will be driving from Montreal to Baltimore for our June cruise.

We would like to split the trip in two ( drive half way or a little more on day one, the rest on day 2 )

We've booked a park, sleep and cruise in Baltimore.

My questions are:

where should we stop on day 1? Will there be anything to do? We like beaches, shopping and touristy stuff.

Is there anything to do in Baltimore for the afternoon/evening?

I know it will change but how much is the gas now? It's around 4.20$ a gallon here in Montreal.

Thanks!!

This is a tough call. The best way to get from Montreal to Baltimore is down I-87 towards NYC then I-95 to Baltimore. Google Maps says that is an 8.5 hour trip. The problem with this route is that it puts NYC at about the 5 hour mark, so you will have to decide whether you want to stop for the night before or after you pass NYC (staying in or around NYC is not recommended, for a variety of reasons ), if you are dead set on a beach, then you could probably make the Northern Jersey Shore. Were I in your position, I think that I'd stop short of NYC, as I'd prefer that part of the trip to be the first " challenge " of the day, not the last.

This is a tough call. The best way to get from Montreal to Baltimore is down I-87 towards NYC then I-95 to Baltimore. Google Maps says that is an 8.5 hour trip. The problem with this route is that it puts NYC at about the 5 hour mark, so you will have to decide whether you want to stop for the night before or after you pass NYC (staying in or around NYC is not recommended, for a variety of reasons ), if you are dead set on a beach, then you could probably make the Northern Jersey Shore. Were I in your position, I think that I'd stop short of NYC, as I'd prefer that part of the trip to be the first " challenge " of the day, not the last.

Shopping = Secaucus NJ. Harmon Meadows - http://www.hartzmountain.com/Documents/Developments/SEHMMap.pdf

About five hours into your drive, or a little more than half way and right before you get into the NYC Metro area, there's the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet Mall. No beaches, but definitely would hit your shopping bug, and you won't have to worry about fighting traffic that night.

From there the next morning, you can determine whether you want to drive through NYC and Philly (which is shorter on the map but subject to traffic snarls), or head west to Harrisburg PA on I-78 and south on I-83 to Baltimore.

And to answer your other two questions:

Downtown Baltimore especially in the Inner Harbor area has a very vibrant nightlife. Be aware that in June the Orioles could be at home and that would make a difference, as their stadium is part of the whole Inner Harbor complex.

I bought gas in northern New Jersey last Saturday and paid a $1.71 a gallon

Thank you all so muchI really appreciate the help!

In May, 2011 we took VIA/Amtrak from Montreal to Baltimore (change at Penn Station) for $65pp (senior rate) one way. Nice ride along Lake Champlain and the Hudson. (about 15 hrs, as I recall.) We were on the 14 day repo cruise from Ft Lauderdale.