[Lily2]

Is a GPS unit helpful for a renter to use while visiting in TV.

What comes to mind was a Youtube video of Glenn Beck being lost in TV. Now this question is not a commentary on Glenn Beck but rather I thought about his situation and wondered if someone who rented a short while could benefit from using a GPS to get around more efficiently.

I am a potential renter, if Home Property Management ever returns my call!

[memason]

I recommend you get the $5 map of TV first. Once you know the major north/south & east/west routes, it's pretty easy to get around. Golf carts are a little more difficult, until you learn the layout of the cart paths and how the tunnels work. The map will show you those too. GPS will not help you for cart paths...

Bottomline: If you are lost, in your golf cart, you only need to stop along the side of the cart path and someone will stop and help you immediately. ...and, you might make a new friend.

Enjoy your visit!

[BeeGee]

with memason - GPS isn't going to help you if you're in a golf cart. And the map that you can get at the sales offices is great, just cumbersome, as all large maps are. Get familiar with the layout before you get in your car or golf cart. And it is true about just stopping in your cart - if someone thinks you may be lost, they will stop immediately and help you, it happened to us, especially on our first visit. And getting lost in TV doesn't mean you're directionally impaired, it happens to everyone at least once. Most everybody is understanding if you make a traffic mistake, just be safe and go with the flow!!! Best of luck to ya!!

[starflyte1]

Many GPSs don't recognize The Villages as a town. You must enter Lady Lake. I don't know about further south, where the addresses may be Wildwood.

[BeeGee]

to some extent. We updated our GPS in our car before we came down a few weeks ago and it recognizes the circles and the street names, etc. It was great when we went to open houses. We just figured out which ones we wanted to visit before we went, in the order that we wanted. We got in the car and entered the addresses and GPS directed us to the homes in the order that we wanted. It was great! We said many times during our visit that we were so glad that we had the GPS updated. Hope this helps. By the way, the GPS that we have is "NAVTEQ"

[deano_hoosier]

When we are in The Villages, my wife lives/dies by her Garmin. She drives the minivan and uses the GPS a bunch to get to the various Rec Centers. The only problem is that several of the Rec Centers don't have recognizable addresses to put into the GPS. For those, I've taken her GPS to the Rec Center and entered the coordinates. Saddlebrook is one that I had to do that.

We do keep our maps current so that is a big help to her.

Note, too, you can use your gps to check your golf cart speed to make sure you have a legal speed on the top end.

[Figmo Bohica]

Keep your Gramin updated and it will find almost everything in TV, under TV.

[RichieLion]

You need a map if you're thinking of the Glenn Beck video, as he was in a golf cart and there's no GPS for cart trails. It's easy to get lost on the trails as a newbie. Usually you just have to sit there with a map in your hand, and in no time, someone will stop and ask if you need help. Believe me, this works.

Make sure your GPS is very up to date and you should be able to find most places in the area in your car. The thing is, The Villages is growing more rapidly than the GPS people can keep up. I was here 2 years before Garmin knew my street existed, and so I had to put the closest location to my house I could find to have a "home destination" entered to find my way home after exploring my Florida surroundings. For me that was the Fire Station on Bonita Blvd in Bonita.

Good Luck!! You'll meet lots of nice people while you're lost here

[Schaumburger]

Originally Posted by Lily2

Is a GPS unit helpful for a renter to use while visiting in TV.

What comes to mind was a Youtube video of Glenn Beck being lost in TV. Now this question is not a commentary on Glenn Beck but rather I thought about his situation and wondered if someone who rented a short while could benefit from using a GPS to get around more efficiently.

I am a potential renter, if Home Property Management ever returns my call!

Lily2 -- Welcome to TOTV. I rented in TV for the first time last month (Village of Chatham - north end of TV), and I will be back in October renting in a different village (Village of Sabal Chase - south of Lake Sumter Landing).

Driving a golf cart -- GPS won't be much help. Everyone has posted that if you get lost driving a golf cart, just pull over onto the grass next to the cart path and take out the map of TV and someone will stop by usually in 2-3 minutes to help you. This is true. One nice employee of TV had me follow him in his golf cart for part of the ride back to Chatham as he was going the same way as I was. Other people were just as helpful in giving directions. If you want a map of the golf cart trails in TV, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will e-mail the golf cart trail map to you. If you want web sites for TV rentals, I can send you some web sites.

Driving a regular car: GPS was very helpful especially when I wanted to go an open house. I usually went to 2 open houses each day, and the GPS was invaluable then. I haven't updated my GPS maps in a couple of years, (can't figure out how to do this, I'm not that tech savvy ). So I did have a slight problem finding an open house in Buttonwood as that open house was on a brand new street, but I was able to find the street as the GPS got me about 90% of the way there.

Best of luck to you in getting a rental.

[GeorgeT]

Originally Posted by RichieLion

You need a map if you're thinking of the Glenn Beck video, as he was in a golf cart and there's no GPS for cart trails. It's easy to get lost on the trails as a newbie. Usually you just have to sit there with a map in your hand, and in no time, someone will stop and ask if you need help. Believe me, this works.

Make sure your GPS is very up to date and you should be able to find most places in the area in your car. The thing is, The Villages is growing more rapidly than the GPS people can keep up. I was here 2 years before Garmin knew my street existed, and so I had to put the closest location to my house I could find to have a "home destination" entered to find my way home after exploring my Florida surroundings. For me that was the Fire Station on Bonita Blvd in Bonita.

Good Luck!! You'll meet lots of nice people while you're lost here

Richie is spot on. The only thing I would add (and it may sound silly) is to get a stick on compass. It's helpful to know what direction you're heading if you know where you came from.

[eweissenbach]

Originally Posted by Lily2

Is a GPS unit helpful for a renter to use while visiting in TV.

What comes to mind was a Youtube video of Glenn Beck being lost in TV. Now this question is not a commentary on Glenn Beck but rather I thought about his situation and wondered if someone who rented a short while could benefit from using a GPS to get around more efficiently.

I am a potential renter, if Home Property Management ever returns my call!

As for the GPS, we found it very helpful in the car locating open houses. As has been mentioned you need it to be up to date to be effective. As for the rental check out this website: http://www.thevillages4rent.com/ or this one: http://www.thevillagesforrentbyowner.com/ I have been told that renting from The Villages is very limiting FWIW.

[SukiChu]

I used www.homeaway.com and received an immediate response on my inquiries. I rented from one of the owners for a week next April. All information was completed by email....except sending them the deposit. This site is good for any place in the US you might want to rent, and be sure to read the posts by others who rented a place you might be interested in. Have fun! We are coming down for this first time in October !!

[chacam]

Originally Posted by GeorgeT

Richie is spot on. The only thing I would add (and it may sound silly) is to get a stick on compass. It's helpful to know what direction you're heading if you know where you came from.

If you don't know where you're going, you might end up somewhere else ! !

[Lily2]

I got a rental for January (only)..... I will be there in the Lynnhaven area, patio villa. All my friends want to come with me!!!

alas, it will just be me. Hope to join in all the art, exericse and theater type activities

Now to decide fly down from Maine, drive down......Fly I guess

Meanwhile, I will monitor the forums and get ideas for my stay

[mrfixit]

Originally Posted by Figmo Bohica

Keep your Gramin updated and it will find almost everything in TV, under TV.

GOOD CALL on the updating Figmo... We update a lot, too.
Sometimes have to use 32159 for places North of C.R.466... BUT... ours are Magellan 4050LM models...not Garmin.