BigT

Hi All,

I would really appreciate some advice about Florida. I am flying into NYC from Thailand and will spend 4 nights in town before heading to Orlando for 5 or 6 nights, we then have 5 or 6 nights to kill before heading back to NYC for new years and then home. We are mid 30's and my girlfriend has never been to the States. We plan to do the usual tourist stuff in ORlando but from there is there any advice? We are flexible on where we fly back to NYC from and intend to hire a car. Any suggestions for a cool week of touring and some nice hotels? We are very open to suggestions.

Thanks for all your help.

BigT

thurstonbb

What do you like to do? Please be aware this time around Christmas is one of the most expensive and busy in Florida.

BigT

What do we like to do? Now thats a tough one to answer......we are not night club party animals but enjoy fine dinning, great scenery, relaxing, driving along the coast, sight seeing and just having fun. Does that help?

Orlando_Vic

The Disney, Universal Studios, Seaworld area is hardly typical of Florida, let alone the United States. After you take in a few theme parks, consider driving up the coast 2 hours to St. Augustine (America's oldest city) and spend maybe 2 nights there. They go all out for the Christmas holidays. You could take the fast route (I-4 & I-95) or the slower, more scenic route by taking I-4 to New Smyrna Beach, on to Daytona Beach via State Road A1A, through Palm Coast and Crescent Beach to St. Augustine.You could then depart for NYC from Jacksonville, 30-40 minutes away.

P.S. There has been much written here about St. Augustine. Just do a simple search on this site and you will get some great info.

xkenx

For a combination of coastal sightseeing and dining, try Sanibel Island and Naples on the southwest coast. Then drive across the Everglades to the stretch between Palm Beach and Ft. Lauderdale on the southeast coast.

Wednesday

If you have 5-6 nights AFTER the 5-6 nights in Orlando, I would drive up the East coast and see St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, and North Carolina etc. Especially if she has not been to the US before...

GBC

I was going to make the same suggestion as Wednesday has made. St Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston would be perfect and could probably be done in the six nights that you have. If one of these must be cut it should probably be St. Augustine since you will have been in Orlando but try to keep it in.

Keep Washington, DC for another trip. The Everglades are a wonderful experience but I think that the trip north will provide a wider picture of the USA for a first-timer.

Have a great trip.

SusanCS

There's always Key West - about as far (in all respects) as you could get from Orlando. I'd be a long drive down, but you could always fly in.

It's a VERY quirky little place unlike any other I've visited. Lots of good restaurants, some great places to stay (but expensive). And again, that's about the most costly time of year to be there. For starters, check out the Gardens Hotel at gardenshotel.com. For a WILDLY expensive place to stay ($1,000 a day), look at littlepalmisland.com

markrosy

Don't travel within 500 miles of Savannah/Charleston without dropping in.

There are many world cities - these aren't two of them!

Ever get the feeling that you have sat in the same Starbucks but in 24 different countries? These two cities of character/characters/style.

birder

I second the advice for Sanibel Island, Naples, and the Everglades. Absolutely stunning. There's nothing in the world like the Everglades, and it will be a gorgeous time of year for it. You may also want to head down to the Florida Keys.

I guess the big question is, how much time do you want to spend driving versus relaxing in one spot?

BigT

Than ks so much to you all for your advice and it all sounds great but has just gone to confuse me even more

We will definately be in ORlando for a week as we have friends there and the parks should be fun but by no means a reflection of a great travel experience in the US. I am now torn between staying in the warmth and going with St Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston as i have never visited any of them OR flying back North and heading into the snow and winter of VErmonth area.........i am very confused!

Once again thanks for all your help and i will post under seperate heading for some thoughts on Vermonth and then make a decision.

Thanks to you all

Big T

BigT

Than ks so much to you all for your advice and it all sounds great but has just gone to confuse me even more

We will definitely be in Orlando for a week as we have friends there and the parks should be fun but by no means a reflection of a great travel experience in the US. I am now torn between staying in the warmth and going with St Augustine, Savannah, and Charleston as i have never visited any of them OR flying back North and heading into the snow and winter of Vermonth area.........i am very confused!

Once again thanks for all your help and i will post under separate heading for some thoughts on Vermonth and then make a decision.

Thanks to you all

Big T