OT Holidaying in florida advice please

I don't live in Florida now, but I did and my family is still there - what's left of it.

Your best bet, IMHO, is Orlando. There is an international airport and lots of Europeans fly into Orlando. Once there, you have a choice of parks and can go to as many of them as time permits. Disney World, Sea World, Universal, plus a number of smaller attractions. It's also close to Cape Canaveral where you can see the old space rockets and all kinds of things; Daytona is close, too. I found this site -

that has some information and deals. You'll get your best prices on admission tickets if you buy before you go.You'll have a wonderful time. I've been there the past few years in June - which is not the best month since it's hot and humid - but had a great time. Of course, most of that time was with relatives and old friends...not the usual tourist trip. ;-)

I worked in Orlando for one summer. I was *shocked* to learn about all the cars on the beach in Daytona - certainly not the beach experience I'm accustomed to! My whole time in Florida was one surprise after the other. I was working for Disney and THAT, let me tell you, is an experience!

My favorite part of Florida was Naples. It had wonderful sailing, swimming in the gulf, and very good restaurants. It felt calm, at least compared to Orlando.

-Charlotte

I lived in Florida for 12 years, but I have been gone for 10 years. If you are planning on spending more time fishing and sunning than in amusement parks, then I would suggest staying close to the beach and driving to Orlando. Tampa / St. Petersburg is good for that. I do not know if there is an international airport there though. If you are going to spend more time in the amusement parks then I would fly into Orlando and just drive to the ocean for a couple of days. I think the beaches are nicer on the Gulf side.

On the Gulf side, Sanibel Island is a beautiful place to stay.

A

Visiting Florida depends on the time of year you want to go. From now until November is still hurricane season. You don't want to get caught in that. I've gone to Florida in February and March. I prefer the ocean, but that's a personal choice. A lot of people enjoy New Smyrna Beach, Ormond Beach and St. Augustine.There's lots to do in St.Augustine. If you want deep sea fishing the East Coast is the best. You can also fish right from the beach. You must get a fishing license to fish in Florida. The run about $7.00 a day and I think you can get one for 3 days. It's lovely from Melbourne Beach south to about Palm Beach. The Sarassota area on the West Coast has lots of lovely places and lots of barrier islands on the gulf beaches. I suggest you look on a map of Florida and pick out some area's and then do a google. Both coasts are lovely and the beaches are very accessable. It really is more a matter of wanting the waters of the gulf coast or the ocean. Don't forget those hurricaines, they can ruin a holiday. Juno

"Claire Owen" a écrit dans le message de news:

4301a29f$0$7442$ snipped-for-privacy@news.free.fr...

Completly "googled" my brain all day yesterday ( in both senses of the word) so didn't come back to the group straight away, but after many hours of pounding the keys we have fixed: 7 days in Orlando for the boys aged 12 and 14, just grin and bear it Claire ( memories of euro Disney are still looming large) and 7 days in key west for relaxation and fishing.

We have to drive between Orlando and key west so I guess looking at the scale of things we will loose a day doing that but the drive will be part of the experience, unless they do greyhounds as Dh is very keen to take a greyhound not sure why but there you go, I hope they don't refuse to carry fishing rods!! This will be our first time visting the USA.

We have to go from toulouse to London and then London to Orlando. This is in Feb so the prices were very good, much linking through sites finaly got it to come out at 2,500 pounds sterling for all of us for everything. Which considering two days ago I was looking at 1,800 for the canary Islands for only 10 days I think is a bargain. I found lovely accommodation in Florida from both companies and individuals for very good prices too,but flights alone were a nightmare for prices as our budget is not endless. Our best result has been to book a package tour although I did end up on the phone in order to get them to split the two weeks into two different locations.

Thank you Joanne for the link, I will have to investigate theme park tickets next but we will have to narrow the choices of parks down as we are only in Orlando for 7 days and I suspect that some are 2 day trips. I will look more carefully at the maps and look at all the places that you have all talked about, we will have a car so I think the 2nd week would be good for exploring with the boys while DH fishes, I found a good link to explain all about the fishing licenses and types of fishing. Just can't quite steel myself to go back searching today. My head is realy spinning after all the searching yesterday

Now where are the fabric shops while I am there? anyone

Claire in Montréal, France.

There's a really nice quilt shop near my cousin's house in Fern Park. I'll get the name and address for you before you leave -- plus a few more, probably. She quilts.

Unless your heart is set on Key West, you might consider some of the smaller communities along the Keys highway. It's grown up quite a bit since I lived there, but the afore-mentioned cousin just spent a week in Islamorada, I think she said. That's just past Pennecamp State Park, the only completely underwater park in the world.

Pogonip is right....you might consider staying on Big Pine Key or Marathon Key instead. Both more 'in the middle' but still a big part of the entire Keys experience.

If Key West is a definate, though, bear in mind that it is quite a long drive from Miami to Key West! While it doesn't look that far on a map, it took us three hours to drive the length of the keys both times we visited. So, just keep that in mind as you plan your time.

Key West is a nutty place, fun, laid back, and a bit off-kilter...!

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.=20

--Mae West=20

--------------

Well we are committed to Key west now as it's a package deal but we will have a car and 7 days to explore. Looking at the mileage it should be a long days drive from Orlando to Key west, but considering the driving in France,

8 hours to the UK ferry from where we live, it's not a huge problem. I am look>>

Pogonip is right....you might consider staying on Big Pine Key or Marathon Key instead. Both more 'in the middle' but still a big part of the entire Keys experience.

If Key West is a definate, though, bear in mind that it is quite a long drive from Miami to Key West! While it doesn't look that far on a map, it took us three hours to drive the length of the keys both times we visited. So, just keep that in mind as you plan your time.

Key West is a nutty place, fun, laid back, and a bit off-kilter...!

-Irene

-------------- You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

--Mae West

--------------

I think they're all at least 2 day trips. :) I'm not a big fan of the Magic Kingdom, but Epcot is good, and Universal is my favorite. WIth the two boys being at that age, I'd be tempted to hit Universal before the Magic Kingdom.

The Keys are beautiful - I can't believe I did not even think of them.

And I would think Greyhound would have no trouble with fishing poles - there are luggage compartments under the bus.

A

Yes, I am trying to persaude them into universal studios and Islands of adventure. Also the space centre altho' it's not in Orlando I know. I might start searching they greyhound thing on Fri I'm just too boggled at the moment.

Claire in Montréal, France.

Claire, your holiday sound wonderful. The space center is onnly about 1 1/2 hrs from Orlando. I think there are bus trips going there. They keys sound wonderful. My DS and DD both went there and loved them. My son for scuba diving, my daugther for deep sea fishing. Juno

Claire wrote: ...

You're bringing fishing rods?

Greyhound buses will carry just about anything, but TSA might have a problem with them. AFAIK fishing equipment would be available in Florida. (At a small town I worked in, you could check a fishing pole out at the library!)

HTH

--Karen M.

There are also some good fabric stores in the Orlando/Tampa area.

There is an airport in Key West and another in maraton, with scheduled flights:

's also a "luxury bus" to Key West:

My son was 12 and daughter 10 the first time we went to the Magic Kingdom. My son loved it! The family want back two years later. Both children continue to want to go back to Disney and they are now 18 and

16! I wouldn't be concerned about the age of your children at Magic Kingdom. I think that park allows everyone to be a youngster without a stigma attached.

The high school band has taken each of the children back to Disney/Island of Adventure. My son said Island of Adventure could be seen in 1/2 day.

We also did the Space Center tour. My husband is an amateur astronomer so you know he loved the place. My son and I were interested and enjoyed our time. My daughter, it wasn't her cup of tea and could have cared less. She was more excited about the draw bridge we had to wait for! I found it very emotional driving up to the facilities. Right away, you see the place where the families stood when the shuttle exploded on take off in 1985 (or 1986 can't remember). It was neat to be in the simulated mission control when a shuttle takes off and to go out near the launch pad. That was in 1999 so I don't know if you can still do that after 9/11. The Space Center tour will take the entire day. We stayed in Cocoa Beach, which I found to be a run down area (sorry to those who live there).

Suzanne

Angrie.Woman wrote:

"Suzanne McHenry" a écrit dans le message de news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

The only reason I'm pushing against disney land is that wev'e already done disneyland paris, the boys loved it, DH hated it ( too much micky mouse!! what ever that means) and I was Ok about it, so I am pushing for them to see what they can't easily see from where we live. Epcot is also on the must see list. The sites for Universal look good and youngest son is a film freak, eldest is science minded so Epcot and the space centre should be good for him.

Claire in Montréal, France.

"Suzanne McHenry" . We stayed in Cocoa Beach, which I found to be a run down area

The best thing I ever found in Cocoa Beach was a little store called Mainly Lobster. They have the best seafood. It's not a restaurant, you have to bring it home to cook. The pier area in the town of Cape Canaveral has some interesting little restaurants. I'm pretty sure you have to have a car to get there. Juno

I have two boys too, and you're right on target with your choices. Universal is amazing - they do a great job with the movie tie-ins. You won't be disappointed.

Have you looked to see if there's a shuttle or a rocket launch scheduled for the time frame you're going to be here? That's worth seeing. Of course, they tend to get postponed (shuttles more than rockets), but it's worth scheduling your day at the space center with a launch if you can.

A

OOOh good thought thank You

Claire in Montréal, France.