We will be arriving at JFK from UK for a weeks touring the litchfield area of Connecticut.

We want to drive out of NY in our car and head for a nice place for our 1st night, places mentioned are westport/greenwich/norwalk etc. any suggestions were to stay don't mind a 1 to 2 hour drive to find

Sorry no specific recommendations where to stay but you've got the right idea heading out to Westport, Norwalk, etc.

If you don't get many answers, you might post again and mention NY and Connecticut in your title (since your posts shows up on the forum for the entire USA, that "1st night" could be anywhere)

This place, which is on the way to Connecticut, has received good reviews:

http://lerefugeinn.com/index.htm

It depends on when you're arriving at JFK. If it's rush hour - a 1 hour drive will leave you still on the parkway out of the city.

But if it's the middle of the day - 2 hours could get you all the way to Litchfield.

I do think day of the week and time of day (not to mention time of year)can make a big difference on what's best.

I assume you know about tripadvisor.com so could presumably look up the best places in those specific towns. Rye, NY has a Courtyard that gets pretty decent reviews and wouldn't be that far. (an hour or less from JFK)

Another idea (although not a good idea on a Fri. in summer) is heading to Port Jefferson on Long Island (about an hour east of JFK) staying there for the night and taking the ferry across Long Island sound the following day to Bridgeport.
http://www.8towns.com/port_jefferson_ferry.php

The ferry doesn't necessarily make the trip any shorter, but it's a pleasant way to cut off some driving.

For later in your trip, friends of mine used to stay at the Manor House in Norfolk, Ct. and rave about it. It's changed hands though and I don't know how it is with the new owners.
http://www.manorhouse-norfolk.com/

Thanks for all replies, much appreciated. We will be arriving at jfk about 3.45pm on Monday 22 october, so allowing time for case collection and getting car hire sorted should be ready for off about 5/6 pm. I suppose traffic will be really bad at this rush hour thats way we want to hit motorway and get to a decent place quite quickly.
any advice welcome.

Well by the time you get to the parkway heading out towards Long Island will be mobbed - but then so will the roads heading out of the city towards CT. Frankly - I don;t kow which will be worse - a lot will depednn onwhere there are accidents or are doing construction.

Rye is probably as far as you can get fighting the traffic. There's also a Hilton is Rye Brook which isn;t bad.

I'd go for Greenwich CT for the night. There are some nice hotels that I have heard of but I haven't stayed at any (I live too close.) Let me know if you need some suggestions and take a look on tripadvisor as already suggested.

Well, have booked the best western black rock inn, in Fairfield, hopefully this is still doable! it looked nice and the rate was fantastic £56 + tax for double queen with breakfast,and its a newish hotel.

Hope that with traffic we should get there in about 2 hours.

Though reading about traffice from JFK fills me with dread, but we drive into Boston couple of years back when they were doing all the roadworks and rebuilding ramps etc and coped with that, though am sure ny and JFK will be worst.

One review on tripadvisor says room was just big enough for bed.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...nnecticut.html

I saw that but take these things with a pinch of salt as I have read other reports which gave great feedback, and don't forget us Brits are used to smaller spaces than our american cousins...

Make sure you take a quick drive down to the water/sound b/f you head up to Litchfield!