Info/help needed

Niek · Info/help needed

Hi guys,

I know i havent been really active, but live has been quite bussy.

Im working hard and with that comes some reward,

Next februari im able to come to the states and ride in a 10 day coltstarting class with Martin Black.

this is al great and im working out my travel details at the moment. Im on somewhat of a strict time schedule due to work. Il arive the day before, and leave the day after (possibly quite early)

the details:

I need to be in williston FL

closesd airport i can land is gainesville but this is €750 or more for a ticket.

Further away is either jacksonville or Orlando. this would save me about €200 but is (for my terms) quite a long way (more than 2 hours)

so my question : what would you guys do, I have no clue ? are there affordable and reliable shuttle services from either Gainesville or Orlando/Jacksonville

even maybe in the area of Williston/ocala/Jacksonville that could help me out transport wise ?,

So basically i hope to get a picture how to get from the aiport to my location and back again.

Thank you all for the time

PasoBaby_CarolU

Niek, this is America. We rent cars. A taxi would probably eat up your savings, as would car rental for that long. Too bad you can't stay longer, Ocala has some of the most beautiful horse farms in the world. I could even get you some rides on Paso Finos! :-)

I suggest contacting the person hosting the clinic. See if there is someone else attending from the Orlando area that could give you a ride to/from the airport. If you have an early flight, you can also usually stay at a nearby hotel that will have a free Shuttle service to the airport. In the Orlando area there are hundreds of them (lots of KIDS though). Make sure of a free shuttle when booking the room. There also is a large hotel right at the airport.

And..congratulations on the clinic!

Niek

hey carol,

jeah its a shame i cant stay longer but that would eat up my vacation days at my regular job, So i have to take the middle road.

the course includes stay i can arive monday and leave friday night /saturday morning. to the airport. Booking a hotel is an option for the overlaying night.. But that still leaves the miles between Williston and Orlando. I dont feel secure driving that distance considering the jetlag that i will have..

edit: if id decide to rent : 200€ would amount to about 350 dollars , if its cheaper to fly to orlando rent go back friday and book an hotel. Il take the extra 100 dollars if that gives me independence in travel.

could you give me an indication on the cost of renting for about 10 days+ wether or not i can rent at age 23 ?

Malcolm

Niek, as Coral said it is America where bigger is better. Well with COP 17 down the road from me just finished that may change someday. When you rent a car and click on the global site for a little economy hatchback and they give you a Chrysler 12 seater don't be surprised. It happened to me and they guy said well it is a hatch back and we don't have small cars like that! Everything is on a different scale to Europe and the Netherlands but like the Dutch you will find them warm and hospitable. Am a bit jealous I confess but it is not good to covet. Enjoy!

Malcolm

PasoBaby_CarolU

Niek, I am sure renting a car in Orlando will not be a problem. With Disneyworld there, they are an International destination. All you need is a credit card! It is easy on/off the freeway from the Airport. They give you a map and your Smart phone should have a GPS.

I just plugged in 10 days in February from Thrifty Car Rental and go rates from $230 to $4-700 depending on size. There are other carriers, Thrifty, Dollar, etc.

If you Google "car rental Orlando Airport" you will see the almost endless list of choices.

https://www.thrifty.com/Reservati...trolTarget=TransitionLocationTime

I still suggest contacting the organizer of the clinic. Ride sharing is very common here. There may even be other people flying in you can meet at the airport and share a ride with.

PasoBaby_CarolU

I had another thought too, you might go to the Eclectic Horseman Forum and ask about others attending the clinic and then ride-sharing from the airport. Then try to time your arrivals/departures fairly close to one another. Remember you'll need to go through Customs, so plan an extra 30-minutes for meeting them.

Niek

I already received a pm (got to love forums and the horsemanship community) So that is awesome. The eclectic forum is a great idea, altough i receive their magazine i didnt think of that one yet, thank you for your that :D

@ malcom, Jeah im am quite aware of that since my last visit a few years back. The state of utah alone is 16x times bigger than this whole country.
Ive seen cars there you couldnt fit threw some streets here

whisperingwindfarms

Niek

Thats why i am going

.

I wish i could stay longer, but maybe if i win the lotto next month

Hute

Hi, not sure if you already have your ride settled. If you're under 25 there is a young driver fee on a rental car, for me it was an extra $14/day. I know that not all states will rent to people under 25 (my visa card won't even let me use my points for that until I'm 25) so you might want to call and check.

Niek

thats what im worried about

im 23 than, so my first goal is finding a shared ride, Or someone willing to help the foreign idiot (read tourist

) out for a bit

thelmanelle

You might luck out if someone is coming via Ocala or Gainesville to fly the more mileage and share the gas fee if they will allow you. Orlando is a lot of traffic and certainly after such a long flight as you pointed out a long drive.

Hopefully, someone on the other forum will be in the vicinity and want to share a ride with you. Even if they are just auditing the clinic, it would be great to have a shared ride.

karmikacres

Niek, is this clinic at HPAF? I will be there the next two days and can get some information from Morgan.

Niek

Couldnt tell you mike, i only have an street adress, no ranch name il pm you the adress

misstux

Niek, if you go the rental car route, you need to know in advance that when you are there, they will try to get you to upgrade. Say no. You may actually get the upgrade because the car type you ordered is not available.

thelmanelle

If you get the car, make sure the navigation works before you pay for it. I had one that did not work. Change the language and settings for you before you leave the airport. Be sure the navigation unit is upgraded/update. Usually $10.00 for a navigation unit. Just stopping and asking directions is not something I would advise a lone woman to do with a foreign accent. Not trying to scare you. Just want it to be safe and enjoyable.

It is sometimes cheaper to say you will have 3/4 of a tank of gas in the vehicle upon return and you may have to put the keys in a turn in key box if no one is in the office when you have to get back to the airport.

They are so picky about liquids, you are better just to bring your clothes and buy a few items once you get here. Of course, medications are allowed. If you have any sharp needle meds like an epipen for allergies, they have to be in a prescription box.
If you have no sharps, they will some times allow you to check in your bag via computer the night before as well as get your ticket check-in and a copy the night before your flight leaves.

Passport safe!

Niek

Thanks for all the imput sofar, its greatly appriciated.

Thelmanelle, it helps that i am male

.

But renting is a last resort. being under 25 it would cost me about 15 to 25 bucks extra a day.. For 10 days that is a no go. Kathleen brought me into contact with a friendly woman that lives in that area so i can get some inside info on the local options.

thelmanelle

whisperingwindfarms

Infidel - you know of course that we expect a full write up of your experience after you get home and catch your breath.

Have a great trip!

Achmed

Niek

@ erin,

Ofcourse

cokey

I don't know if you're all sorted yet, but there is a shuttle service from Orlando to Ocala/villages which is very cheap (www.shuttleliner.com/).

I used it when I went to the Parelli Ocala campus, and they were great - even waited for my flight when it ran very late!

Niek

That looks like a good deal to, do you know if they go to other nearby places to ?, and do you remember the fee they charged ? cause that might just be the answer if all else fails

cokey

I seem to remember it was about 30 each way but whether that was dollars or pounds I don't know! I do know it was a very good deal. There are other shuttle services that run from Orlando to Ocala if you google it.

They go to Ocala and "Villages" so you'd have to email them to check whether Villages includes Williston!

PasoBaby_CarolU

karmikacres

Make sure you can even rent in the state of Florida under the age of 25.

Talking to Morgan at HPAF, she was not even sure the clinic was going to happen as they only had one participant. She was also unsure if they were going to use her horses or not. I would get in touch with Jennifer ASAP to make sure the clinic is going to happen before you purchase your travel.

I would also ask Jennifer if they have any other participants flying in, you might be able to ride share with them.

Niek

As far as my info goes, the course is still going forth. But i cannot seem to reach that shuttle service to set things up. I tried calling from my end, emails etc but no luck. Anyone in that time zone that would want to give it a try for me ?

thelmanelle

Give me a number and a time and date for shuttle ride arrival and return and I'll see what I can do for you.

Niek

www.shuttleliner.com

(352) 237-9900

I need to know 2 things

: if possible do they pass willeston area, and what the costs are.

Otherwise il just try to fix something from and to Ocala.

Right im aiming on a flight to Orlando. Travel to ocala, than the night before my flight out head back to orlando stay in a hotel and shuttle from their to the airport in time

thelmanelle

I just called...automated...waiting for the reply.
I am thinking I need to come get you if you flew re- routed to Albany, Ga. form Atlanta. Then, drive you to your clinic and pick you up when it is over..none of this shuttle automated service! It worries me! Seriously.

thelmanelle

I got a lady on the phone and she says she will call me right back.

thelmanelle

Niek,
The shuttle runs from Orlando to Ocala for $45.00 US dollars an additional $2.50 per mile form Ocala to Willeston, wherever you need to go.

Same for the return trip. They need your flight schedule to see if they are running a shuttle around the time of the flight schedules, both ways.

You can make arrangements by calling them at the # you gave me or since you live out of the USA go to reservations@shuttleliner.com to email them about your flight schedule and see if something can be worked out.

I hope this helps.

Niek

Awesome thanks for the info. If i can fix a ride from ocala to Willeston i would be in the bullseye, otherwise il go with this :D. Once my schedule is complete i will email them.

Thank you for your help thelmanelle

thelmanelle

Glad I was able to finally get in touch with a real person. I was beginning to wonder. But, you have a great time and a safe trip. I am sure you will have a some interesting things to share.

Niek

Thanks everyone for all the help and good ideas

My travel plan is set, payed and aranged for.. Now il just have to wait a month, which ofcourse in the end is the hardest part.

thelmanelle

Glad you are set. That is great!

Have a good time.

PasoBaby_CarolU

Niek

LOL, problems keep comming (and keep being fixed)

Going to america and bringing a saddle is a b*tch. I have been of and on the phone with all the airline`s i am flying with. Thank god Martin is ok with me using my english saddle, Cause i can fit that in my suitcase.

Just as a small warning to other Europeans that are thinking of doing a course in the States with whom ever the horseman may be and are required to bring their own saddle. Apperently since October the rules became stricter. Economy now is only alowed one piece of lugage + 1 hand lugage. And getting a saddle to fit the dimension requirements is nearly impossible, so you get to pay all the extra fees of oversize luggage.

Clarissa

Niek, over here they don't even advertise the price of the air fair including baggage these days. If you don't want to travel first class or business class you are restricted to carry on 5kg bag only. On all other flights all baggage is extra & can only be up to 23kg & certain size one piece of baggage. It's just crazy. Where do you fit your riding boots & hat?

It can take hours to sort out all the double talk small print to discover the actual cost of traveling with baggage.

And don't for a secod consider taking a carrot stick

Niek

Boots can fit the suitcase aswell, Hat i dont have. I wont look the part completely but then again i dont feel comfertable acting like someone im not. I'm not a cowboy here so why suddenly try to act like one for 10 days

. Im going for the good horsemanship, which just happens to be dressed up cowboy style. And it helps that we probably wont be catching cows Otherwise i would have just bit the bullet and hauled along a western saddle with al the wonderfull extra costs (300$)

Max weight is 23kg yes, but my saddle only weighs in around 7kg. Original design of the saddle is for endurance and doest have the dressage flaps that one only ways 5kg.

I can wash clothes etc there so i dont need to bring a whole lot. And if i cant get it to fit in the main suitcase il just stuff some in my carry on.

Last time i flew to the states it wasnt such a hassle, Same goes for my friends who whent they had no problems bringing saddles etc.

And yes thank god i dont need to bring a carrot stick

Clarissa

Niek make sure you have some sort of hat because you might be standing around in the sun during the middle of the day for days on end when normally you might not do that at home. The last thing you need is sunstroke or sunburn.

I tend not to judge people by what they wear or the saddle they use but how they treat their horse! With all the varrying experience I've had over the years regarding cattle & such you would be forgiven for thinking I am some sort of nerd because these days I only do horse stuff in long shorts & funny wide brimmed hat! No matter where I am or who I'm with.

So you turning up at a location where western getup is the norm probably won't phase those who know what they are looking at.

Niek

I will probably wair a baseballcap or something

thelmanelle

A baseball cap will do fine. Sorry, we get all the extra fees here in the states as well.

My mom tried to take a saw blade and a railroad nail on the plane and I told her to let me just send it to its destination or she'd be locked up with airport security forever! She argued with me for hours and I finally had to put my foot down and take it out of her baggage and box it up and label it to send out, because I tried to tell her things had changed and she would be searched big time!

thelmanelle

Niek,
Sometimes, the weather can be bone chilling cold...it changes this time of year quick and you have large bodies off water. it can be really nice and sunny or bone cold chilly...just an FYI.

Niek

How cold is cold?

thelmanelle

Well, one day it is nice and in the 70's and then, it is in the 20's and damp cold. We have people come from the west coast thinking sunny and in the 30's and when they get here they get a shock because it might be sunny, but the humidity can really put a chill in you. Just an FYI. A thin layer might be a nice thing just in case?

Niek

20s i can handle with the clothes im bringing. I got some nice stuff that will insulate well but is thin. Thanks for letting me know

thelmanelle

You are welcome. I was freezing this morning irrigating Belle's sinuses...I thought my fingers would not stop burning from the frostbite feeling. I had to go change gloves.