I'm helping plan a mid-August, week-long trip for a 30 year old couple. A great beach is an absolute necessity and he needs at least one deep-sea fishing excursion. An area with a decent nightlife is a plus.

They'll be flying in and as we're on a budget, avoiding a car rental (at least as much as possible) would be a big help.

Suggestions for a city / hotel / etc.? A charter? Since it'll just be him fishing, how soon do we need to look at reserving space on a charter? Thanks in advance!

Oops. Forgot to mention that they want to go to Florida!

I mid-west live in Florida - just north of Clearwater Beach. We have some wonderful beaches in the area - Clearwater, Caledesi (take the ferry), Fort De Soto, Treasure Island. Just a few miles north you'll find Tarpon Springs. From here you can sign up to take a charter fishing trip on the Miss Milwaukee (just this evening we were talking about our trips on this boat that we took MANY years ago). I don't think you need a great deal of lead time for booking. For night life you can head over to Ybor city in Tampa (haven't been there personally but I've heard from many others that have enjoyed it). The Tampa/Clearwater area has quite a bit to offer but . . . Florida is toasty in August. Prepare for plenty of humidity and warm temps. As for the rental car - not sure you can pull it off without one. Hotels - there are lots along Clearwater Beach. But you can also find places to stay all along the coast from Treasure Island up to Dunedin if you prefer to get away from some of the tourist traffic. Good luck and have fun!

Thanks, Karen.
I figured the rental car was going to be necessary, but figured I'd give it a shot. I've heard the fishing spots are Tampa, Destin, and the Keys, but I'm guessing the fishing spots of the Keys lack a massive beach and the Destin area lacks a night life? Our original thought was Panama City or possibly Pensacola Beach.

since it doesn't sound like the type of car would be an issue i always use priceline to pick my own price when i rent cars and am always pleasantly surprised at the great deals I can get!! have fun...

I would not recommend Panama City. I would stick to Pensacola or Destin if you are going to the Panhandle. I haven't been to Destin in too many years, but my husband goes regularly with his guy friends and have other couple friends who go as well. There is plenty of nightlife. Pensacola is my favorite. I guess it depends on the "nightlife" you want. Pensacola is better for outdoor/beachy bars unless you want to go to the city, which I don't do. If you are on the island, you really don't want to drive into town for going out and then have to get home. Destin would be a better choice if you are looking for late-night type bar options.
Fishing is good from either location, though we do so much at home when I go to the beach - I go for the beach! So, I can't speak of specific charters.

I agree with KareninFL, the beaches near Tampa and St. Pete are gorgeous. We were just kayaking off Caladesi and saw a handful of people fishing off the sandbars, and off the shore. The beaches are soft, white sand, the water was crystal clear--idyllic. Last weekend, we saw manatees in the mangrove estuary at Fort DeSoto, where the beaches are lovely, too. In fact, these two were named the best beaches in the US by Dr. Beach in the last couple of years.

The only thing I'd add is that Clearwater has plenty of beachside bars and restaurants, so it's not necessary to drive the 45 minutes or so to Ybor unless serious club hopping is in order.

Agree that it will be impossible to avoid a car rental and still enjoy the area.

Happy planning, and keep us posted!