Since Connecticut doesn’t fall in Monday’s solar eclipse’s path of totality, eager viewers will have to drive several hours south to get the full experience and experts suggest doing so sooner rather than later.
Most hotels, Airbnbs and campgrounds in the eclipse’s path are completely sold out ahead of Monday’s event. Hotels in Charleston, South Carolina are going for about $600 a night, as it expects to receive the highest number of visitors of eclipse-viewing cities this weekend.
"If you’re thinking Charleston is going to be too packed for viewing, then you certainly can get into the Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois area," AAA’s director of travel, Suzanne Aresco said. "(It’s) still drivable at this point if you decide to get in your car and start heading that way now."
Knoxville, Tennessee, is slightly closer to Connecticut than Charleston and might be easier to get to since travelers will avoid I-95 traffic.
Regardless, drivers traveling any distance should start heading to their destination Thursday or Friday, if possible. The event could draw in millions of visitors with the same agenda.
According to Aresco, people who can’t find a place to stay should consider widening their search to cities outside of the path of totality. Cities like Lexington, Kentucky, and Charlotte, North Carolina, still have several hotels for less than $200 a night. Drivers can then wake up Monday morning and commute less than two hours to the perfect vantage point.
