Need Florida advice! (for newlywed couple)
 

Hello all. My wife and I never been to Florida and we want to plan a trip there, but we don't know where to go, what to see, where to stay.

We are a newlywed couple (no kids) and want to spend 5 day sin Florida. What the hot places to be....romantic, hip, relaxing...etc.

I heard Key West is a nice place to go. I also heard Naples.

Can any Florida veterans suggest some nice places to go? Remember...we are staying in FL for a total of 5 days.

How about places to stay? We like to stay in nice 4 or 5-star hotels.

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Split time between South Beach (Miami) and Key West.

This should meet your romantic, hip & relaxing needs very well.

Ritz Carlton Naples. Totally luxe and fabulous. Great restaurants on Fifth Avenue too. Wonderful spa. great golf and all around romantic jaunt!

Is it Hip? Not really. but it is up and coming for young people to vacation. we're 32 and 34, and have had a great time there.

For a more rousing time - Key West. Been 4 times - its fabulous - but no good beaches. pier house is very nice - at the end of duval street - next to mallory square and all the fun that happens when the sun sets.

For hot beach and hot nightlife - south beach. for a great hotel, try the hotel of south beach. or the tides.

Don't know about what kind of budget you're working with, but Fisher Island is nice. Is a small island off of Miami and has its own ferry to run you back and forth. You have the privacy of the island but are still really close to the Miami hot spots. Was wondering what month you were getting married? This would have some bearing on my decision where to stay, at least during the winter months.

Sanibel Island has a great beach, fine restaurants, and is very romantic off of the Gulf Coast.Key West is great for drinking & partying.

Sanibel and Captiva Islands are very romantic. South Seas Plantation would suit your stars preference, too.

Key West is fun, but only when the cruise ship people are gone. Plus, the beaches are not good. I would choose Caribbean resorts anytime over FL, but having said that, I would recommend Sanibel or St Petersburg for a lot of fun and variety.

I'd suggest going to Ft. Lauderdale area and south onto Miami. You can have plenty of fun with the Keys without going all the way to Key West. The beaches are better on mainland Florida not the Keys. I'm not a big Gulf fan, to me, it's just a bunch of retirees without much youth mixed in.

The Gulf coast is a bunch of retirees??? That's cute. I must disagree, at least in the St. Pete area, there are more young people here than you can shake a stick at, including the tourists!

Yea, people are always saying there's nothing but OLD people in Naples too, but then I can't figure out why Naples now has 7 schools under construction. Nor can I figure out why the New York Times just did an article on how "trendy" Naples is.

The Gulf coast-a bunch of retirees??? The Spring Breakers in Panama City Beach would be surprised to hear that!

Isn't Panama City on the Atlantic Coast?

No. It is on the gulf.

Maybe you are thinking of Daytona-another spring break hot spot.

If you are going in March or April, I'd suggest Marco Island, Naples and Key West.

If you are going later like May and June, I would suggest St. Augustine or the Panhandle.

It gets warm in May and June and doesn't cool off at night.

I think you would be checking out too many of the cuties on the beach in Miami Beach. You know most of the beaches are topless.

"I think you would be checking out too many of the cuties on the beach in Miami Beach. You know most of the beaches are topless."

What? You mean once in a while a girl will take off her top until the police come by and make her put it back on?

Here's my take on Florida areas:

West Coast...(Naples, Ft. Myers, Tampa, St. Petee, Clearwater, etc) Resort like. Newer, growing communities with more of a vacation feel. Great sunsets, nice beaches calm waters.

East Coast...More urban. One giant megalopolis from West Palm Beach down to Miami. 3 Major airports (PBI, FLL, MIA)...Nice beaches with heavier surf, nice sunrises, faster pace than the west coast. More year round activity.

Central/Orlando...Tourists year round Disney, Epcot, Universal etc....also farm land/ horses.

Panhandle...More like the South (Alabama/Mississippi etc) Nice beaches, but gets cold in the winter.

Keys...laid back almost caribbean feel...great water activities, but very few "nice beaches"

I never get into an arguement with people about which part of Florida is "best"....there's something for everyone, and different strokes for different folks.

See my recent trip report on the Ritz in Naples. It is very nice and will meet your luxe requirements. Not sure if Naples is "trendy," although there is a cute downtown area with shops/restaurants that I didn't explore much.

I don't care what people say, there are a LOT of old people in Naples!

I agree with the suggestion of Key West and South Beach. It depends on your age and interests, I think. Key West can be very relaxing (when are you going? holiday weekends can be very hectic). There are great restaurants, beautiful sunsets, lots of water activities, etc. You can take a romantic sunset cruise, rent bicycles, stroll around the shops on Duval, lie by a pool and drink, enjoy the sunset "carnival" in Mallory Square... or be more active and snorkel, rent a boat or waverunners, party at many fun bars, etc. I think KW is a very versatile place, with something for every taste. I personally prefer to stay in really nice Bed & Breakfasts, for a more intimate, relaxed feel; there are tons of fantastic places with beautiful pools to choose from.

Can't say a lot about South Beach, since I'm a South Florida native and have avoided this area since 1990! A little too "overrun" for my taste, but people who want to dine in trendier restaurants and see the "beautiful people" tend to enjoy it. The beaches are very wide and lots is going on there, so if beaching it and trendy nightlife is your thing, drive up to South Beach from Key West. It's about 4 hours (give or take, depending on traffic) from KW to South Beach.

Milemarker, you've really accurately described them all!