Advice on planning a trip to Florida?

Hey guys,

Planning a trip to Florida for late July/early August. Figured the tax rebate check will pretty much cover the whole thing and found some great rates on Priceline.com.

What I want to know is, what should I make sure to include? I've never been to Florida but have planned several other trips that have gone off swimmingly. Any advice on hotels to go to/stay away from? Where should I stay if I really want to hit up Orlando and Miami particularly? What's the best way to go to Disneyworld and not leave feeling homeless?

Any help would be greatly appreciated and suggestions for places to visit are welcome.

 

Watch out for dangerous, redneck tweekers.

 

Florida is a pretty big state. It's about a 15-hour drive from Miami to Pensacola so I'd figure on an area -- Central Florida/South Florida/Gulf Coast/Panhandle -- and go from there.

Unless you are planning a driving trip and want to hit a lot of the spots.

 

July and August in Florida? Man, you're askin' for it. It'll be 80 degrees at sunrise and 90 percent humidity every day.

A daily ticket to Walt Disney World isn't cheap; I think it's $65-$70 now. So if you bringing the spouse and a couple of kids with you, yeah, that rebate check will be gone. Central Florida is good in that you can do the space center, WDW, Sea World, Universal, Busch Gardens. That's more than enough.

I'm warning you in advance, however. In the heat/humidity at that time of the year, it won't be pleasant being outdoors for 10-12 hours at a time. Don't forget to pack a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

 

First of all, be ready for ridiculously hot weather during that July/August time period. You might want to wait a few months until autumn or winter for the trip. If I were you, I'd strongly reconsider. It's incredibly refreshing and reenergizing to get away from the New England weather once the real cold begins in Oct./Nov.

The Miami-Orlando drive is about 3 hours without traffic, so like it was mentioned, you might want to consider staying in one section of Florida unless you want to drive a bit. Do you have children? Because Orlando is obviously the place to go if you do with countless attractions and things to do for families.

Miami is definitely where most adults would rather go and for good reason. South Beach is enormous and fantastic. There's tons of culture in Miami and lots to do on the beach, in the city, and throughout the surrounding areas such as Ft. Lauderdale. Nightlife is top notch, food is terrific almost anywhere, and if you like shopping you're in luck because there are interesting shops and stylish stores everywhere. You can find some good priced hotels if you look hard enough and don't expect something too close to the shore. Priceline is a great tool. If you want to drive, I recommend heading south to the Florida Keys. Key Largo's beautiful and worth a visit, but continue the lengthy drive down to Key West and you'll never want to leave.

So my summery is: If you have young kids, go to Orlando and stay there for the entire time. You could never get bored in Orlando with children and they will always remember the experience. If you don't have kids, head to Miami and unless you really want to check out the parks/attractions in Orlando, drive down to the Florida Keys instead.

 

Good advice from bostonbred.

Unless you just want to chill at the beach, which is nice, too. Anywhere but Daytona Beach.

 

Don't have kids, but am planning on going with just myself and my lady. I'm 23 but a kid at heart, and i've never been to Disney, but i'd be going as a starry eyed tourist, so all these suggestions sound good.

I wish i could move it, but you know how it is in this business. Summer is really the only time we can take extended time away from the office as practically nothing is going on.

Thanks for the suggestions so far. Keep 'em comin!

 

In that case, I might do Disney/Universal/Sea World 2-3 do the beach/Space Center a couple days -- unless you really like driving. Key West is -- as noted -- a great trip but a long way.

You could probably find some hotel in Kissimmee as an inexpensive base of operations, but I'm not a big fan of that area otherwise.

Staying at Disney is a lot nicer -- only if you are going to the parks-a hassle to get in and out -- but more expensive.

 

If it's just you and your lady, I'd do a couple of days in Miami and maybe Key West (about three hours apart). Good nightlife and both are good places to relax and get away from it all.

One more thing to consider: You'll be there in hurricane season. You see a Category 2 (or worse) coming your way, you get your asses in the car IN ADVANCE and get the hell out of there. This is no time to worry about paying for a night's stay you won't use. You want to know what it's like to ride out a hurricane? Let me know and I'll tell you all about it.

Good luck with your planning, and have fun.

 

www.gatorswearjeanshorts.com

 

I offer the following five out of the way places, not usually among the most frequently visited places in Florida,but all with their own charms. If you don't want to fight the traffic and crowds in Miami, Orlando or Tampa, try these (and google will get you the lowdown on where to stay at all of these):

1. St. Augustine. Between Jacksonville and Daytona. Good beaches. Good restaurants. Jimmy Buffet used to play here for beer money in his younger days. Go to the Conch House, a marina/restaurant/motel with a tiki bar halfway into Salt Run.

2. St. George Island. About 70 miles southwest of Tallahassee on the Gulf, before the sea of rednecks that is Panama City. Great bargains for rental condos. Quiet. Good food in nearby Appalachicola.

3. Cedar Key. Between Tampa and Tallahassee, on the Gulf. The Island juts out 3 miles into the Gulf. No chain restaurants or hotels. Nice little art district.

4. Fernandina Beach. North of Jacksonville. Any further north, and you;ll be in Georgia. But in July, it won't matter. They filmed the movie Sunshine State here. Great golf.

5. Destin. Pricier than the above places, but worth it. Best beaches in the state.

 

Eat and drink at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach.