beckylj22

We are planning on spending Christmas in Florida this year, but don't know where to stay. We have 4 young children (ages 8, 6, 4, and 1). We would like to rent a house on the beach somewhere that isn't too expensive. We don't plan to do much while we are there. We just want to sit on the beach and relax while the kids play in the sand and water. Any suggestions on which city to stay at?

NewbE

I would suggest you focus on the Gulf side of the state, no farther north than Clearwater; some people would say no farther north than Sarasota, and they wouldn't be wrong. It all depends on how warm is warm enough for you. You can Google average temps in those two places and decide for yourself.

The water on the Gulf side is warmer and far calmer than the Atlantic side, so IMO better for small kids.

Once you decide what your northern-most point is, check out VRBO for condo/villa/house rentals in the various beach towns. There is something for just about every budget, especially if you don't need to be in the immediate vicinity of a lot of activities.

Good luck!

Cranachin

There's always Christmas, Florida. Except it's not on the water, or the Gulf side of the state (it's east of Orlando), or very big.

tomfuller

Will the kids be begging to go to visit the mouse (Disney)?
It's not ocean water but there is plenty of water and beaches near Orlando

mabella101

Check out reviews of Sanibel. Just the right amount if nothingness to do. Very family friendly. We always stay at the sanibel inn so can't help you as far as accommodations , and you might have to stay in a condo instead of a house but there are plenty to choose from. Have fun researching.

flpab

Only Canadians go in the water at Christmas here. It is even cold in Key West for swimming imo. I have lived here 25 years. Go take your kids to see the mouse, spend a day at Cocoa beach but you will need a heated pool. Christmas Fl, where the cars are on blocks and the houses are on wheels. It does not even have a stop light.

flpab

Sorry if that came across bad. The water is just cold. You will have some warm days but the water cold, We decorate a lot and you will have sun. We have had cold weather in Key West the last two years we went for the holidays. Warms up but expect anything. There are some nice rentals with good prices in Cocoa Beach/New Smyrna Beach. New Smyrna is my favorite all around place but Playalinda is my fav beach. You can see all the shuttle launch pads there. You go through Titusville and take the Max Brewer bridge, Canaveral Seashore.

NewbE

"the mouse" is a totally different kind of vacation from the one the OP describes, not to mention expensive as heck for 6 people, not to mention that one of the kiddies is only 1, meaning s/he will be dead weight carried or rolled through the park; another is only 4.

I guess I don't understand why some of you guys are working hard to steer them to Orlando. it's not the only reason for people with kids to come to Florida. Is it that hard to see why a chill beach Christmas would appealing?

Lastly, surely the OP realizes Disney is in Florida. Surely if she wanted to go to Disney, she would be planning that and not this.

NewbE

One more point: there is a big difference between sitting in the sand in the warm sun and letting kids splash around in the shallows, and swimming in the ocean. It might be too chilly to go all the way in--though I bet the 8 and 6 year old won't think so--but so what?

garyt22

Christmas in Florida can be miserable if you get a chilly, rainy week, and you end up too far north... If you are flying anyway, Look into the U.S. Virgin Islands or the Bahamas... Maybe a family cruise from Miami ... Prices can be very close to your rental idea... Good luck

vincenzo32951

Put me in the category of "Don't Bother with the Beach," unless you go way south, like the Keys, where the beaches aren't very good anyway. You may have some sunny days where it's pleasant to sit on the beach, and the kids can play in the sand, but that's about it for most of FL.

IMHO, marketing people have done a good job of convincing northerners that FL is a beachy, tropical destination in the winter. Oh, it's pleasant enough for golf and a lot of outdoor activities (like a cookout on Xmas Day), but I wouldn't count on beach time.

As someone else said, look for a place with a heated pool.

naughtyca

If swimming is not your thing on the beach i would suggest Daytona, you can be at the beach and do a lot of other stuff than swim, you can park your car right on the beach, rent those bicycles, or some other contraptions to use on the beach, its actually a lot of fun and the good thing is the hotels are fairly inexpensive around this time so u don't have to spend that much money on hotel, you can also visit st augustine about an hour away and there is a pretty good outlet mall off st augustine too. or you can drive straight down to Miami one day since you are already on i-95

flpab

Newbe, I said see the mouse but you can do many other things in Orlando that are kid oriented for much less money. Heated water parks for instance. It is just that a week on the beach playing in the sand is not the same in Dec than say Sept. Try to rent a place with a heated shared pool if they want swimming.
Even Miami is cold at Christmas many times.
New Smyrna has a old town vibe and lots of fun things to do. They also have some great deals on airbnb. Stay cloer to Flager ave and you can park and walk.

schmerl

I would go at least as far south as Fort Myers. You never know what type of weather you will encounter where ever you go. If it's too chilly for the beach you can tour the Everglades, etc. We have been in Florida in December when it has been a bit chilly and we've been there when it has been plenty hot enough to swim.

NewbE

OK, no sense in arguing about easily discovered facts:
http://www.currentresults.com/Weathe...n-december.php
Average high temps in Sarasota in December range from 75 to 71. In Tampa, 20 days n December are either sunny or partly sunny. Google is your friend.

So saying that Miami is "cold" at Christmas is patently ridiculous. If you are not wearing a parka, it is not cold.

The longer I live in Florida, the more I complain about "cold"--which means anything lower than 70. Still, one must recognize that for people from really cold places, it's not even close to cold.

Why else is winter High Season in Florida? Because it's so cold and miserable? I think not.

garyt22

NewbE... If this family expects the postcard Florida at christmas, its only fair that they are warned about the possibility of less than perfect weather...

For 3 years in a row, I took my kids down to visit the grandparents in Fort Myers and sadly it was cold and rainy all three... Easter break was much safer for swimming and rain...

NewbE

Florida IS rainy, in summer as well. Note that I suggested they Google average temps in my first reply.

But saying "the weather may be less than perfect" and saying "Even Miami is cold at Christmas many times." are two different things. Honestly, Miami is never "cold". It's just not.

gmoney

Becky,

As you can tell December in Florida is a crapshoot. You may have warm sunny weather, you may have cool/cold rainy weather. Anybody that tells you different is lying.

LindainOhio

We spent the week after Christmas in Sanibel one year but we took sweaters and some warm clothes, just in case it was cold. We lucked out that year and it was beautiful. I think it was pretty cold down there last December/January. I love Sanibel though.

Try to go south of Ft. Myers if you visit before March and want dependable warm weather. We were in the Panhandle last Feb. Temps were in the high 50s-60s. We were happy and loved staying there, but we knew to expect cool weather.

vincenzo32951

>>Average high temps in Sarasota in December range from 75 to 71.>So saying that Miami is "cold" at Christmas is patently ridiculous. If you are not wearing a parka, it is not cold.>Why else is winter High Season in Florida? Because it's so cold and miserable? I think not.