[uprivergirl]

We will be coming to The Villages in May and wondering if we should use the shuttle from airport and use the golf cart or should we rent a car. We want to see as much as possible in the 5 days. We want to play golf and pickle ball and of course see the town squares at night. We are not sure how far things are from each other.

Will it be hard to get a tee time?

We are hoping to be full time Villagers, but concerned about the weather. We live in Ca. now and everyone is telling us how hot and humid it is there. I figure if there are so many happy people there it must not be that bad.

[vorage]

You're going to love it here! Compared to CA, you will notice the humidity level in May and there may be a few afternoon showers or thunderstorms. May is kind of transitional and we start to plan more outdoor activity in the mornings, but you could just as easily hit a stretch of wonderful weather.

You will have no trouble getting to pickle ball courts by golf cart - they are at all the neighborhood rec centers. Tee times are plentiful. But check the location of the courses in relation to where you are staying - some can end up being quite a drive.

Travel to the squares and/or shopping also depend on where you are staying. In all probability, you will be within a 15 minute golf cart ride from one of the three squares. And exploring in the golf cart is half the fun. Keep in mind that most golf carts travel between 16-20 miles per hour - they are not the weaklings that you are used to renting on your local golf courses.

If your rental comes with a cart, find out whether there are side curtains to protect you from any unforeseen rain storms. However, golf carts offer absolutely no protection from lightening, and most of us have a car for back up.

As far as the rental car goes, I would keep an eye on Accuweather.com or something similar. If the weather forecast includes the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms, it might be prudent to rent a car at the airport and drive up instead of taking the shuttle. Exploring The Villages by golf cart is really a lot of fun, but that way you'll have a car for back up if you need it.

[Nlnicholson]

Personally, I would take the shuttle, forget about the rental car, and explore in the golf cart. Way less hassle than getting off plane, waiting in line for rental car, driving the 90 min or so to The Villages, paying for days the car sits in the driveway unused, and reversing all that to head back.

Hop right on the shuttle, get here faster, and start enjoying.

[baustgen]

There is an Enterprise car rental in Lakeside Landing. If the golf cart included in your rental has side curtains, I suggest you take the airport van, not the bus. The van will drop you off at the front door. It is the same price, a little longer ride because it drops off other passengers. This eliminates getting from the bus station to the rental house. They also will pick you up at the door going back to the airport. If you need a car, get it at Enterprise for one or two days. It is 60 minutes by golf cart from one end to the other in the villages. No matter where you live, you will only be 15 minutes or less from one of the town squares, grocery stores, restaurants, and theaters. Make sure you have a current map. You can get one at any sales office for $5. A MUST HAVE. You will not believe how big this place is. If your cart is electric, don't forget to plug it in each night or you will be stranded. Have fun.

[OBXNana]

During our preview we used a golf cart and explored every nook and corner of The Villages. We planned to rent a car if the weather looked like rain, but had perfect weather. When we were there in October it appeared Enterprise has cars to rent at the last minute. We felt we learned more about The Villages in the golf cart than if we rented a car. Personal preference.

We took the shuttle from the airport and had a driver that was filled with great information. It was easy and educational.

[uprivergirl]

Thank you all for the information. We are getting so excited for our visit. I can't wait to be in The Villages. See you soon.

[Cathy H]

We are not so happy, making the best....as we are trapped

[pooh]

We moved here from San Diego county in 2006. It is more humid than southern CA, but not as humid as it is in southern FL. May can be beautiful, it can be hot....have experienced both.

Driving around The Villages is fun and getting lost makes it more fun. You will meet many who will help. TV is pretty large and electric carts have a limited range before needing to be recharged. If you've spent the entire day driving around, remember it will take an overnight charge for full battery power to be restored. Gas carts do have a longer range, but can be a bit noisy. Personally, I love my gas cart...
There are areas outside of TV you might want to visit...you will need a car for that. There are stores and other places to see that are outside of the golf cart allowed driving area. While there are many services and stores on campus, it is good to familiarize yourself with other stores, service providers, parks, lakes, restaurants outside of TV.

You can rent a car in town for the days you want to explore off campus or if there is lightning. A golf cart isn't the safest place to be during electrical activity.

You're going to enjoy visiting our beautiful home town.....so much to see, so much to do. Do as you do in CA, bring a water bottle with you, use sunscreen to help minimize skin damage, and wear a hat and sunglasses. Bring or get one of those Chill towels if you find it a little warmer than you're used to.
HAVE FUN!

[Happinow]

I would certainly rent a car. If you take The Villages Transportation, (352-259-9398) you will be dropped off at Sumter landing and there is an enterprise Rental right there at the square. You will be able to see much more with a car than an golf cart due to the time it takes to travel by cart. Much slower. If you need to rent a golf cart then do that too, but if the weather becomes stormy and you don't have a car then you will have wasted your trip. Also, like others said, if the place you are staying has a golf cart included then you won't have to worry about that. You should have no trouble making a tee time and participating in activities. Have fun!

[Lpierleo]

We come down about 4 or 5 times a year and have considered the shuttle but have always been able to rent a car at the airport for about the same cost the round trip shuttle for two would cost. We do truly use the golf cart more often, but have the car to go off site, during a storm, etc. We have often thought if an emergency ever occurred, having the car is peace of mind. Certainly just our preference and a car is not a necessity. Enjoy your trip!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Golf Cart

[ilovetv]

I think many who live here are forgetting about how foreign it is to drive a golf cart in streets' diamond lanes and then to find tunnels because carts aren't allowed in the many roundabouts...... And then to find one's way back onto the street and diamond lane....and going in the right direction.

We rented a car at the Orlando Airport when we came for our Lifestyle Preview stay, and we used the car most because of the 90 degree heat with humidity to which we were not acclimated at all, and because the car is safer when you don't know where you are going.

Driving a car on typical city streets is one less thing to think about while trying to navigate this huge, unique city. The other matter is that renters' insurance for golf cart liability is offered less and less, and so many rental homes are providing a cart for which the renter does not have liability insurance (think wrongful death lawsuits etc). Most cart dealers doing rental carts can't get renters' liability insurance either, and so they have renters sign a waiver holding the dealer harmless in the event of an accident. The Villages has had preview stay people sign a waiver holding TV harmless, too, in the event of a golf cart accident.

I'd recommend first: arrange a Lifestyle Preview Plan visit with TV sales office, and then you'll be close to the square and a sales rep will be assigned to be your host and concierge, without any sales pitches. The lifestyle sells the place and they do not pressure. Lots of people told me this and I was reluctant to believe it, but it was totally true. The sales rep was the best resource to have, even knowing we did not plan to buy within the next couple of years. (But we DID buy on the next visit 6 months later.)

Bring your checkbook. Money goes a lot farther here than east and west coastal areas.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by Cathy H

We are not so happy, making the best....as we are trapped

OK. I'll bite. Why not so happy and who trapped you? Should we call the police?

[Doro22]

Originally Posted by uprivergirl

We will be coming to The Villages in May and wondering if we should use the shuttle from airport and use the golf cart or should we rent a car. We want to see as much as possible in the 5 days. We want to play golf and pickle ball and of course see the town squares at night. We are not sure how far things are from each other.

Will it be hard to get a tee time?

We are hoping to be full time Villagers, but concerned about the weather. We live in Ca. now and everyone is telling us how hot and humid it is there. I figure if there are so many happy people there it must not be that bad.

Granted it is hot & humid in the summer, but I love it that way. Whenever I fly out west, ie: Ca, Az, Tx, Co, etc. as much as I have enjoyed visiting those places I cannot wait to get back to warmth & humidity. My skin just doesn't like the dryness of the air & I feel like a prune. I must use bottles & bottles of moisturizers when I am in the West. I really think that people's skin ages faster in dry air. But here in Fl you must be careful of the sun. Wear a hat & sunscreen. You can get around in a golf cart...but often more convenient in a car. I find myself using the car most of the time due to the time it takes to get from one activity to another. Maybe I'm still stuck on pre-retirement mindset.

[bonrich]

Personally I would take the Van into the Villages, then rent a car from Enterprise because there will be occasions that you would want or need to leave "the bubble." There will be times when you just don't want to get into the cart and take a longer than needed ride to get to one the Squares, or run an errand. A wonderful experience can turn into a drudgery when you want to do a "quick" trip.
Sure is fun though.......