[waynet]

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.

[downeaster]

Originally Posted by waynet

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.

South on I 95 to west on I 295 (just south of Jax International Airport) then west on I 10 for about 10 miles then south on US 301 (Obey speed limits!!).

In Bellevue you can go straight on US 441 or veer right staying on US 301 depending on your destination in The Villages.

That is the most direct and shortest route. Some people have a thing about US 301 and its "speed traps". Speed zones are well marked but they seem to be no tolerance so keep it at or under the designated speed. I Have friends and relatives in Jacksonville so I travel US 301 frequently. Only seen a car pulled over once in all these years. Rarely see a police car. The "speed trap" designation is a hold over from the "old days" when they really had speed traps.

Hope this helps and have a safe trip.

[njbchbum]

these websites should be a big help to you - they were to me - everything you want to know about I95 and the two discount booklets that are printed for area hotels from maine to florida:
http://www.roomsaver.com/
http://travelcoupons.com/
http://www.i95exitguide.com/
we travel from n.j. and leaving at 8am we make it to florence, sc exit 157 by suppertime - not much in the way of restaurants without heading down the road to town - but enuf. exit 164 offers much more. we then leave around 9am the next morning, stop at shoney's in manning, sc for breakfast, use the route mentioned above and make it to the house in silver lake around 4pm. we have been traveling that route for some years and have seen many cars pulled over by the speed traps - at least the speed has been increased in Lawtee to 35 mph from the old 25mph! - but you still gotta stay within the limit - at least on a sunday anyway!

if you search the forums for 'directions' you will find lots of suggestions - i want to try the route from route 10 to 75 and south from there - you go a bit further on 10 west but the travel on route 75 south is hiway and not a lot of town traffic - and it looks to avoid a lot of the traffic lights on 441! i hate travelling for 2 days and then being slowed down by traffic lights!

[Ohiogirl]

My girlfriend and I drove down about 1 year ago and she got a ticket in the speed trap area (Stark). It is not a myth - the speed limit goes up and down and up and down - be careful! (she wrote a letter and got it dismissed but was going to be about $194).

[SteveFromNY]

I've tried a number of different ways and found the best to be most of what's said above about 301, but I veer off in Waldo on Rte 24. It runs into Gainesville, and then I get I-75 south down to TV. I like it as it gets me off 301 a lot sooner - and yes there are speed traps there. I saw one in Waldo just after the turn onto 24.
This will put you on I-75 at exit 383 and to get to TV north end you get off at 341 (42 miles at 7o mph speed limit) or for the south end exit 329 (Wildwood).
We usually make a reservation in Florence SC on the way down and Rocky Mount NC on the way back. I do reservations even though I probably don't need them but I got stuck once in the motel from hell!
Enjoy the trip!

[wmchale]

Might want to buy a gps and use it. it helps with the stops along the way

[cuzg8tor]

The police in Waldo will definitely ticket you if you go above 45 in their town. We have seen as many as 8 or 9 cars pulled over at the same time. We live just a few miles from Waldo so we know. We understand that the town of Lawtey (north of Starke) will do the same. So be sure to go the posted speed limit in that area if you come down Rt 301.

Villagers in 2010!!

[Ooper]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl

My girlfriend and I drove down about 1 year ago and she got a ticket in the speed trap area (Stark). It is not a myth - the speed limit goes up and down and up and down - be careful! (she wrote a letter and got it dismissed but was going to be about $194).

You are correct... it is NOT a myth. I know of more than one person who got a ticket driving down thru that area. Be afraid, be very afraid!!!!

[Hawkwind]

At one time AAA would not route you down 301 unless you specifically requested it. The speed limits are well marked and they do drop from one speed in a heartbeat.

I have tried the 301 route and going almost to Daytona Beach and taking 40 over. This year I took the 207 route off I-95 (through Palatka and the National Forrest) and it seemed to be faster and I did not see any speed traps.

Now you can get 301 off of I-95 north of I-295 and miss the traffic there if you decide on the 301 route.

[lavendera1]

I used 301 for many years the speed traps are there they will pull you.

[tpop1]

Originally Posted by waynet

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!

[waynet]

Thanks, the info was very helpful. What are your impressions of the Villages? Everyone seems to enjoy the place. Do you have any helpful hints for me while I'm down there looking at places with the potential to buy. Again I would appreciate any help. Thanks

[njbchbum]

My best advice - don't try to do it all and don't try to hurry. Not much can be enjoyed if you are rushing around and wind up too tired/burned out to be able to analyze and evaluate.

Since you have found TOTV, I assume you have also visited TV primary website...do you read the Daily Sun on-line newspaper?...have you visited any realty sites other than TV site?...

Here are some of the websites I found helpful when we were looking - they helped us purchase this past March:
http://www.thevillages.com/index.htm
http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/ [scroll down the menu on the left side and be sure to review the 'special publications']
http://www.lylesellsfla.com/The_Vill...n_houses.shtml
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...play.php?f=139 [read the 'moving to the villages' posts #s 1, 2, & 3]
and just when you thought you had all the info you need - check out this websitehttp://www.virginiatrace.com/ for even more helpful stuff

[Larryandlinda]

Originally Posted by downeaster

South on I 95 to west on I 295 (just south of Jax International Airport) then west on I 10 for about 10 miles then south on US 301 (Obey speed limits!!).

In Bellevue you can go straight on US 441 or veer right staying on US 301 depending on your destination in The Villages.

That is the most direct and shortest route. Some people have a thing about US 301 and its "speed traps". Speed zones are well marked but they seem to be no tolerance so keep it at or under the designated speed. I Have friends and relatives in Jacksonville so I travel US 301 frequently. Only seen a car pulled over once in all these years. Rarely see a police car. The "speed trap" designation is a hold over from the "old days" when they really had speed traps.

Hope this helps and have a safe trip.

We have driven down 95 twice so far from DC in the past three months with the van and trailer to move furniture and other large goods, and prefer taking A1A/200 west (just as we get into FL) directly into 301 to avoid the JAX area and the interstates.
Same or less time, even obeying speed limits through the traps in Waldo and neighboring cities.
There's even a huge billboard warning motorists about Waldo

Just a preference for the nicer scenery and local businesses and stops afforded to byway motoring

L&L

[Pturner]

Originally Posted by waynet

Renting in the Villages for the month of March.I need all the info I can get about the place...

Hi Waynet,
Yea, you're coming to TV! A trolley tour will give you a good overview of TV. (Contact the Sales Office for the daily trolley schedule). The weekly Recreational News lists all the activities at all the Regional Recreation Centers. You can pick up a copy at any of the regional centers or at the Sales Office. The Villages Daily Sun provides info on other available activities and entertainment. If you decide to look homes for sale, schedule one appointment with a Villages realtor and one with a realtor who shows TV homes listed on the MLS. (Villages realtors don't show MLS listings and vise versa).

Enjoy your stay!