Florida tips for the older traveller?
Discussion
Well not that old, going to Orlando at the beginning of April for 2 weeks.
we are going with our daughter, SIL and 3 grandkids, the idea is to have the first week with
the kids in Orlando and then me and the wife have a mooch about, may be bit of a road trip.
Any recommendations?
Also flight tips, we are flying from any London airport but the cheaper flights have a stop in
Dublin, I'm told it's not to bad as you go through US customs there and arrive as a domestic flight
is that true?
Any other tips on websites for car hire, hotels or flights welcome, it was 30 years ago when I last went!
we are going with our daughter, SIL and 3 grandkids, the idea is to have the first week with
the kids in Orlando and then me and the wife have a mooch about, may be bit of a road trip.
Any recommendations?
Also flight tips, we are flying from any London airport but the cheaper flights have a stop in
Dublin, I'm told it's not to bad as you go through US customs there and arrive as a domestic flight
is that true?
Any other tips on websites for car hire, hotels or flights welcome, it was 30 years ago when I last went!
Clearing immigration in Dublin used to be very easy and handy. However, personally, since all the rapid changes of who can go/enter where and testing I have opted for direct/non-stop only flights to eradicate any additional layer of rules/guidelines for another country
For cars I normally use Kayak as a screenscraper search and then whittle it down from there - its been consistently cheaper (for us) doing it this way vs using companies direct or Amex for a little while now.
For cars I normally use Kayak as a screenscraper search and then whittle it down from there - its been consistently cheaper (for us) doing it this way vs using companies direct or Amex for a little while now.
If you want something relaxing with amazing white sand beaches/walks/swimming/kayaking.
Drive down to Tampa and visit Clearwater and neighbouring Caladesi and Honeymoon Islands for a couple of days then go a bit further south to Sarasota and visit the Siesta Keys for some more of the same.
Drive down to Tampa and visit Clearwater and neighbouring Caladesi and Honeymoon Islands for a couple of days then go a bit further south to Sarasota and visit the Siesta Keys for some more of the same.
I iive in a small beach community that is between Clearwater and St. Pete Beach. If you love a great beach Clearwater is the top of the list. Fort DeSoto is a lovely park for beaches, exploring and camping. There is a book, Florida One Tank Trips, that lists about 100 activities centered on Tampa as a reference point, if I remember correctly. Some great others just okay. You'll discover SE Florida is more frantic and crowded, while the west coast from Clearwater south is a bit more relaxed. Took the grandkids on an airboat ride thru the Everglades that they enjoyed. The airboat captain had been an alligator wrestler in his younger years. His advice: never wrestle a female alligator. They soaked males in cold water to make them sluggish! You'll have no trouble finding things to do in Florida.
Edited by Swift93 on Thursday 6th January 14:36
We've been to Florida maybe 20 times over the years, and have always ventured further afield than Orlando as there's loads to see and do - a few highlights that come to mind:
- Kayaking at Shingle Creek; once you're there it feels a world away from the theme parks.
- Day trips to Mt Dora and Winter Park; both a short drive from Orlando and nice chilled little towns to go for breakfast/lunch and wander around.
- Longer trip North-East to St Augustine, a lovely old town with lots of Spanish architecture and history.
- A day out at the beach/park away from it all. Head West to Fort De Soto South of Clearwater, or Fred Howard Park (and the Island of Howard Park Beach across the causeway) North of Clearwater.
- Head to Naples for a few nights.
- Airboat trip at Midway, then carry on out to Kennedy Space Centre.
- Kayaking at Shingle Creek; once you're there it feels a world away from the theme parks.
- Day trips to Mt Dora and Winter Park; both a short drive from Orlando and nice chilled little towns to go for breakfast/lunch and wander around.
- Longer trip North-East to St Augustine, a lovely old town with lots of Spanish architecture and history.
- A day out at the beach/park away from it all. Head West to Fort De Soto South of Clearwater, or Fred Howard Park (and the Island of Howard Park Beach across the causeway) North of Clearwater.
- Head to Naples for a few nights.
- Airboat trip at Midway, then carry on out to Kennedy Space Centre.
Beach wise we much prefer New Smyrna beach on the Atlantic coast. Clearwater is nice but it can get very crowded and the drive there from Orlando can be a real chore as traffic is horrendous on the causeway.
New Symrna is the less well know neighbor to Daytona, and is much quicker to get to than Clearwater despite being further, simply due to way less traffic. For a small fee you can also drive you car onto the beach which is super handy and really a very nice way to go about things. No lugging all your crap from the beach car park. The place is much less crowded and the beaches and surf are magnificent. Quick snap from our last trip.
New Symrna is the less well know neighbor to Daytona, and is much quicker to get to than Clearwater despite being further, simply due to way less traffic. For a small fee you can also drive you car onto the beach which is super handy and really a very nice way to go about things. No lugging all your crap from the beach car park. The place is much less crowded and the beaches and surf are magnificent. Quick snap from our last trip.
I live in a southern suburb of Orlando FL and agree with many of the suggestions already made.
St Augustine is a wonderful day out and definitely warrants an overnight stay to really appreciate the place.
Likewise Mt Dora is a quirky and interesting town with a lovely lakefront and some really good bars and restaurants.
Winter Park is a northern suburb of Orlando, which is quite well-to-do, has some fantastic restaurants and a great farmers market on Saturday mornings. The scenic boat rides are absolutely worth a punt too (see what I did there).
Whoever mentioned Shingle Creek Kayaking - www.paddlingcenter.com is spot-on. A wonderful way to spend a morning.
Wekiva Springs State Park is also very interesting/relaxing and easy to do from Orlando. On the way back, take a detour to wacky Cassadega.
I would suggest that one of the very best beaches is actually North Captiva - a fair hike from Orlando, but so worth it for seclusion and spectacular sunsets. Florida is one of only a few places where it is easy to see marine dawn on the Atlantic coast and marine sunset on the gulf - on the same day.
The Devil's Den is a subterranean lake (karst window) close to the town of Williston FL - northwest of Ocala, that you can swim/scuba in www.devilsden.com. On the way back from there, stop by Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, situated right along Interstate 75, south of Ocala.
April is the perfect time to visit from a climate perspective -nice and warm, but minimally humid and very sunny. Let me know if you need any more (less touristy) info on stuff to see/do. I've been here 20 years, so pretty much know my way around.
St Augustine is a wonderful day out and definitely warrants an overnight stay to really appreciate the place.
Likewise Mt Dora is a quirky and interesting town with a lovely lakefront and some really good bars and restaurants.
Winter Park is a northern suburb of Orlando, which is quite well-to-do, has some fantastic restaurants and a great farmers market on Saturday mornings. The scenic boat rides are absolutely worth a punt too (see what I did there).
Whoever mentioned Shingle Creek Kayaking - www.paddlingcenter.com is spot-on. A wonderful way to spend a morning.
Wekiva Springs State Park is also very interesting/relaxing and easy to do from Orlando. On the way back, take a detour to wacky Cassadega.
I would suggest that one of the very best beaches is actually North Captiva - a fair hike from Orlando, but so worth it for seclusion and spectacular sunsets. Florida is one of only a few places where it is easy to see marine dawn on the Atlantic coast and marine sunset on the gulf - on the same day.
The Devil's Den is a subterranean lake (karst window) close to the town of Williston FL - northwest of Ocala, that you can swim/scuba in www.devilsden.com. On the way back from there, stop by Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, situated right along Interstate 75, south of Ocala.
April is the perfect time to visit from a climate perspective -nice and warm, but minimally humid and very sunny. Let me know if you need any more (less touristy) info on stuff to see/do. I've been here 20 years, so pretty much know my way around.
Matt Harper said:
I live in a southern suburb of Orlando FL and agree with many of the suggestions already made.
Hi Matt, well in all honesty many of my suggestions above were actually YOUR suggestions that I have taken up and experienced myself from many helpful replies to threads over the years 
Saleen836 said:
Neddy Sea Goon said:
Manny's chop house
Was in the one by Haines City last month 
If you are with family, Cheesecake Factory is worth a visit. And we also like Benihana for a family meal out - theatrical tepanyaki meal the kids enjoy and the price is less than half of Benihana in London.
A big fan of Clearwater and the surrounding area. You can also kayak near to Honeymoon Island, across to Caladesi Island or hire a small motor boat to explore the inter coastal waterway.
The Pinellas Trail is a tarmac cycling trail (over the route of a disused railway line) running from St Petersburg to Tarpon Springs that is very flat and great for cycling safely. It’s 50 miles long in total but there are quite a few places to hire bikes along the route and we’ve had 3 good days out exploring different parts of it.
Finally, if you haven’t done the theme parks before, I’d recommend investing £20 into a book called “The Unofficial Guide to Disney”. They provide detailed insights into the theme parks and the different rides and give you a route map on how best to navigate the park based on the types of rides / attractions you want to see. Given the cost of theme park tickets - IMO it’s £20 well spent and if you’re interested in the Universal Parks make sure you get the version that includes them.
Enjoy your trip
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