go_laura

Hi all,

A variety of circumstances lead us to needing to leave early eve on Wed. Jan. 28 and return the afternoon or early eve of Mon. Feb. 2nd. We'd like weather likely to be 75 degrees and up, non stop flights of four hrs. or less, and blissful relaxation. Usually for me that means a balcony or porch overlooking water, and even the possibility of a swim. But those are not absolutely required, I am open to ideas! Trying to keep our budget to about 2K tho' realize we might have to go up a little higher.

We're a couple in our fifties, no kids or pets. A few yrs. ago we loved a vacation in Sanibel Island but that was in March and for a whole week. For the 5 nights I'm coming up short with good choices of lodging that are affordable for us.

Any help appreciated!

msteacher

You may want to try posting this on the Carribbean forum. I'm not sure about direct flights from Philly, but I'm guessing you could probably get one to Puerto Rico or Aruba, both of which have lodging at a wide variety of price points.

Sassafrass

Puerto Rico. Some cheap flights coming up too.

Ackislander

Puerto Rico an easy choice, Key west, Marco Island, Naples, and Miami are all likely choices, tho weather less certain.

go_laura

Thanks, yes, we've been looking at Puerto Rico, tho' haven't pulled trigger yet. We've been there once before and did enjoy it. We've never been anywhere else in Caribbean, and have some curiosity about various islands (tho' also some doubts as to whether we'd like it there). But we've not been seeing direct flights at decent prices at the times we need, and given time limitations, we don't want to travel to NJ or NY for this trip.

I'll head over to the PR section of Caribbean board, but if you have favorite areas and/or places to stay there, please do share, thanks!

go_laura

Sassafrass, what are you considering cheap, that you're seeing? I haven't seen a direct flight for less than $464 (tho' haven't looked tonight yet).

familythattravels

Key West is great but it is a hassle to get to. We have flown into Miami and done the drive when our connecting flight was cancelled - you could also check out the keys closer to Miami if you don't want to drive 3 hours....VRBO has some nice properties.

GetLocal407

Check out Palm Coast, Florida! An hour from Orlando and Jacksonville and 30 minutes from Daytona, this area is one of the last places to see "old Florida" and is home to arguably the most beautiful natural scenery in all of Florida

Sassafrass

I am sorry. I subscribe to sites like Travel Zoo, and was looking at fares from Baltimore. They are $303.00 on Fly.com. I thought that was good, but does not work for you.

From Philly, not nearly as good; they are $414.00. I also wasn't checking to see if they were direct.

Unfortunately, with limited flexibility, you may not be able to take advantage of the best rates.

You can look at specials offered by TravelZoo and Cheap Caribbean. I hope you find something that fits your needs.

sarge56

I loved Marco Island, FL. Accessible from Tampa.

Good luck!

PS Just did a what if from Philadelphia to Tampa- 5 nights at the Best Western Bay Harbor (pics look great) comes up at $443 per person on Orbitz.

go_laura

This is great, thanks everyone, quite a few ideas here to explore!

go_laura

Just reporting back - we're going to Puerto Rico, and I can't wait!

msteacher

Thanks for reporting back. You'll love PR. I think San Juan is perfect for a quick winter getaway. Have a wonderful trip!