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Old 01-01-2010, 08:05 AM
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tpop1 tpop1 is offline
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Location: Clinton, CT Sarasota, FL, The Villages - July 10, 2009
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Default We drive from Clinton CT to FL a couple of times per year

Quote:
Originally Posted by waynet View Post
Renting in the Villages for the month of March.I need all the info I can get about the place. I do think I want to buy but so many choices. But first I'm looking for driving tips(shortcuts,stay away from,places to stop on the way).I will be starting from Connecticut and going down Route 95. I will not be driving straight through.
We drive from Clinton CT to FL a couple of times per year. Previously Sarasota, now The Villages(20 hours). Just got in last night; 20 hours door to door (not counting 1 overnight stop).

Since I work on a company PC (Desktop not Laptop) driving is the only feasible way to travel back and forth with this computer .

We do 2 days...1 long day(12-14 hours) and 1 short day(6-8 hours). I've done this mostly with the wife but sometimes alone. We found that driving anything shorter on the 1st day, ends up with us sitting on a bed in a motel room, waiting for dark to fall asleep.We drive til 10-11PM and get a room wherever we stop.

Sometimes we make reservations during our Christmas travel....busy time; but not this trip & had no issue.

Also, CT and NY traffic being what it is, we have sometimes lost 2 hours in the 1st 150 miles, which would throw off any plans we might have made.

Our normal practices & recommendations are:
Try to travel on Sat. & Sunday if possible,
Make Tappen Zee / GW Bridge decision based on radio traffic reports(WCBS 880 Traffic
on the 8 minute mark, 1130 Bloomberg radio on the 5's, and 1010 WINS on the 10's)
Getting an EZ Pass for tolls can save 1-2 hours during busy travel at tolls(good for all tolls til you hit the FL line).,
Take 895 outside Baltimore to the Harbor Tunnel(avoids Baltimore Center city traffic)
Take the BW expressway & 295 Balt. to D.C. (straight shot and avoids I-495 around D.C.)
Take I-295 around Richmond(few miles longer, but much faster...avoids Richmond
traffic and curves)
IN FL we take I-95 to I-295 south above Jacksonville to I-10 to 301 south.
Hope this helps!

Last edited by tpop1; 01-01-2010 at 08:08 AM.