We know all your excuses for not taking alternate routes instead of the ‘pike: “It takes longer” or “I can’t drive as fast ” or “I’ll burn more gas” or “the traffic is horrible” and so on.

We hate to burst bubbles, but the truth is, a little research shows you’re not saving that much time on the ‘pike, you’re probably not burning less gas, and you may be missing out on lots of Maine sights and offerings.

Getting off the ‘pike also gets you free of those speeding, out-of-state tourists — no offense Massachusetts, we love ya, but hey slow down — rocketing down the state’s un-freeway.

In an effort to suss fact from fiction we turned to Google, of course, and discovered that some alternative routes may take a little longer, but the distances traveled are actually a little shorter in many cases.

Also consider: If you are driving a little slower on a side road you’ll likely increase your fuel efficiency, burning less gas, not more. A subcompact car going 40 miles an hour gets about 6 more miles per gallon of gas than the same car going 60 miles an hour, according the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

For a big car — think luxury ride — you’ll only get a mile more per gallon going 40 mph compared to 60 mph, but you are still burning less gas.

But the greatest satisfaction from avoiding the ‘pike is keeping your money. The round-trip toll from Lewiston to downtown Portland via the ‘pike and the Falmouth exit to I-295, for example, is $5.50 — about four bits more than a gallon of gasoline currently. $4.50 to the Maine Mall.

Or the price of a quality draft at Three Dollar Dewey’s in the Old Port.

You could use the cash to buy your kid a general admission ticket to a Sea Dogs game. Or even a Frozen Custard ice cream in New Gloucester. Save the toll for a few trips and you’ve got enough to buy an adult ticket to the Sea Dogs or even more money for gas.

And take our super saver route south via Freeport a few times and you may save enough to eventually buy those L.L. Bean boots you’ve had your eye on all winter.

Here are basic alternate routes for avoiding turnpike tolls, the mileage differences and the time differences of traveling between the main points of Lewiston to Augusta and Lewiston to Portland.

Some are our own suggestions, others come from our fans on Facebook who had plenty to say about the idea of a turnpike-free summer.

Northbound travelers:

From Lewiston and Auburn take Route 202 to Augusta.

According to Google, if you’re leaving from the downtown Lewiston Sam’s with a load of whoopie pies for Gov. Paul LePage at the Blaine House, this route is about 3.7 miles shorter, and will take you 3 minutes longer. No lie. That’s 7.5 miles shorter round trip and only 6 more minutes car time, and you will save the $2.50 you would have paid in tolls round trip.

Southbound to downtown Portland:

Say you want to do a quality control sample on Gritty’s tap beers and make sure the ones in Auburn taste as good as the ones in Portland.

After sipping in Auburn, take Route 100 south to Portland, continue on Route 26 to Congress Street, then right onto Franklin Avenue, then right onto Fore Street. It adds 11 minutes to your trip vs. taking the ‘pike (59 minutes vs. 48), but is actually 8.7 miles shorter (33.6 vs. 42.3). Double those numbers for a round trip.

The $5.50 you save in tolls round trip — by avoiding the frequently used turnpike-to-Falmouth-to-I-295-to-Portland route — can buy your designated driver a Shirley Temple.

Alternate super-saver Portland route:

Worried they’ll be out of beer at the Portland Gritty’s unless you get a real move on? Seasoned turnpike avoiders who commute from the Forest City to L-A say you should take Route 136 (Riverside Drive in Auburn) to Freeport and then Route 295 south to Franklin Avenue, then right onto Fore Street.

This route is counter-intuitive and seems like it would be much longer than going down Route 100, but in reality for a one-way trip it’s only 3 minutes longer than the ‘pike, according to Google maps (48 minutes vs. 51), and is about 5.8 miles shorter (36.5 miles vs. 42.3). You again save $5.50 in tolls round trip.

Maine Mall onion express:

We haven’t heard it happening yet, but we know it’s only a matter of time: You’re 20 minutes into your organic food shopping at the new and expanded Axis on Center Street in Auburn and you MUST HAVE A BUNYAN ONION from Bugaboo Creek at the Maine Mall. Yes, taking Google’s preferred route via the turnpike — getting off at the Jetport exit and taking a right on Route 9 and another on Foden Road — will be the fastest at 41 minutes and 36.2 miles, one way. But take super-saver Route 136 out of Auburn to 295 in Freeport, get off at Route 9 near the mall and take a left on Foden, and the $2.25 in toll savings — one way — you get from 16 extra scenic minutes and 4.8 extra miles you spend driving will help pay for that tangy treat. (What about Route 100? One way, it’s 22 minutes longer than the ‘pike, .3 miles less.)

Old Orchard Beach:

Pick one of the alternate south-bound routes to Portland. From Portland take U.S. Route 1/ME Route 9 west and south to the beach. This route tacks on 3 minutes of travel time from Portland vs. taking the turnpike, but is 3.4 miles shorter than going down the ‘pike.

Your toll savings from downtown Portland by avoiding 295 and the ‘pike is $2 round trip — and you’re that much closer to a jumbo slice of Old Orchard Beach pepperoni pie.

Bar Harbor:

Google says the fastest and shortest route to Acadia is to head to Augusta and take Route 3 the rest of the way.

To avoid the ‘pike, take Route 202 north out of Lewiston and get on I-95 when you approach Augusta. Then take the Route 3 exit at mile 113 (the exit after the Augusta Mall exit). From downtown Lewiston to where Route 202 crosses I-95 in Augusta it will take you all of 3 minutes more (6 minutes round trip) than if you used the turnpike, and you’ll drive 3.5 fewer miles (7 round trip). Cha-ching!

The toll savings is $1.25 for avoiding the ‘pike from Lewiston to Augusta; round trip $2.50. In Bar Harbor that will probably buy you a good dozen post cards at Debbahs Gift Shop on Main Street, as well as cover some of the postage.

Partial for free “pike hikes”:

Some folks recommend paying the $1 to get on the pike in Portland but say it’s worth getting off at the Gray exit and then traveling up or down Route 100 to L-A to avoid the $1.75 barrier toll in New Gloucester.

Travel between Sabattus and Auburn is also free, both north and south. Some folks use the ‘pike to avoid traffic in L-A during the busiest times of the day and find hopping on and off the free parts of the ‘pike does save some time and frustration.

This summer with construction planned for the ‘pike’s overpass bridges between Lewiston and Auburn, we recommend you just swing downtown and with the money you’re saving on tolls you can pick up a copy of the Sun Journal at Victor News on Park Street.

Weekdays that will cost you 75 cents; on Sunday it’s the price of the barrier toll at New Gloucester ($1.75), but coupons in the Sunday paper could save you hundreds.

Just saying.

sthistle@sunjournal.com

Spike-the-‘pike savings

Use each of these 6 routes at least once this summer and you will save:

— Miles: About 40.7 fewer miles driven; that’s 1.7 gallons of gas at 24 mpg, or a savings of about $6.46, if gas is going for $3.80 a gallon.

— Tolls: $22.50

Total savings estimate: $28.96

— Total extra time driving: About 78 more minutes.

Join the conversation online and share your toll or time-saving routes there.

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