Holiday to Florida.

[dudi]

The wife & I are thinking of taking a holiday to Florida.

No idea what it's like, ws thinking a fly-drive might be a good idea as it's fairly big over there...

anyone got any info/suggestions/warnings/recommendations/experience?

Cheers

 

[fossyant]

Just enjoy yourself - it's great !

 

[Aint Skeered]

We went a few years back in February, nice and quiet then.
I do not like driving, but I found it dead easy.
You've basically got to go for it, when your out there, and recover when you get home.
Do the touristy bits, Sea World, Universal Studios, (especially Jaws, such a laugh)
Take a Air boat ride, just brilliant.
Be prepared to spend sh*tloads of cash, clothes are dirt cheap. And be prepared to diet heavily when you get home.

 

[killiekosmos]

We've been 8 times with kids. It is really good. Lots of opportunities to spend $$$$$. I'd suggest Orlando as first port of call. Lots of charter airlines fly into Orlando-Sanford (about 30miles north of Orlando but with its own toll road - cheap - into the tourist bits.)

Best places to stay - hotels in Lake Buena Vista, International Drive (south) Highway 192 Kissimmee areas.

Thousands of hotels - easy to book on-line or as a package. Buy theme park tickets on line too.

You'll love it.

(I'm available as a guide for a small fee)

 

[simonali]

I second User. The voucher books can be a really good idea. You can also find them in fast food outlets. Definitely go to the Keys if you have time (my favourite bit of Florida) and avoid Miami, it's horrible. The far side over near Sarasota is nice too.

 

[goo_mason]

You can also get cheaper tickets to the themes parks through some services where folks , for example, have bought a week's ticket to a theme park and aren't going to use it. So they give it to an agent, who then sells it to you for a day or two to use, and then you give it back for them to sell to the next person.

Big discount on the usual prices, and the agent comes to your villa to give you the ticket / take your money and they also come and take it back again, meaning you're not having to get off your own lazy holiday @rse to do it yourself

 

[ChrisKH]

You can also get cheaper tickets to the themes parks through some services where folks , for example, have bought a week's ticket to a theme park and aren't going to use it. So they give it to an agent, who then sells it to you for a day or two to use, and then you give it back for them to sell to the next person.

Big discount on the usual prices, and the agent comes to your villa to give you the ticket / take your money and they also come and take it back again, meaning you're not having to get off your own lazy holiday @rse to do it yourself

Not sure if this is possible with the big parks anymore. Disney you have to use a finger or thumb print to get in on a ticket (FM would love this) so I wouldn't have thought they were transferrable.

Been to Orlando & Florida more times than I can remember with work and holiday. The first time there just isn't enough time to do it all. Some people love it (me - golf, water sports on the gulf coast, parks, etc) some people hate it (my brother - but then he's just miserable). It depends on your budget and personal preferences as to what you like; I had a friend who swears he preferred to do all the non-touristy stuff in an air conditioned Winnibago whereas I prefer a bit of luxury and usually rent a 4 bed house in Davenport. Managed to make it a cheap holiday this year as Virgin stuffed up our flights last year and gave us airmiles sufficient to pay for 2 flights this year. Off on 20th May.

 

[ChrisKH]

Try attractionticketsdirect.co.uk for attraction tickets.

http://www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk/

If you're on a budget, fly with Travel City Direct on a fly drive is my advice.

http://www.travelcitydirect.com/florida/

Alternatively, try what they call a two or three centre holiday. My first time out I flew into Miami did a few days around the Keys, drove up the gulf coast to Orlando for the attractions and stayed in Clearwater for a few days over a weekend sometime in the middle of the holiday. You really need three weeks minimum IMO to justify the cost and distance travelled.

I have personal contacts for longer term places to stay in Orlando if that helps anyone. Just personal recommendations of good people I have used in the past.

 

[Arch]

Never having been, my only advice would be to avoid the hurricane season. Every year, there are dazed Brits on the news going "Like, it's like, really windy out and everything...?" And I can't help wondering if they really thought it through...

 

[dudi]

Excellent, thanks for the info guys!

We've just booked our flights... £558 all told for 2 adult returns with in flight meals... not too bad!

just got to find car hire now!