I'm from England, and 4 friends and I are going to the USA in September, first stop Florida. Where is the best place in the state for a hedonistic, happy, lively vacation(with a slant on liquor drinking!) for 5 22 year old lads? We've got Key West + Miami Beach on our shortlist.

Hands down, South Beach (Miami). Key West sounds more laid back than what you're looking for.

Be sure to stay in South Beach (not Miami Beach to the north). Anywhere around 17th and Collins is good. The beaches are huge and the clubs rival NYC. Have fun.

If you've already booked your holiday, then head for Key West--it's small, easy to get around, and packed with bars.

If you haven't, skip Floriday all together. Why do Brits all flock to Florida? Head to New Orleans or New York City if you're looking for fun.

The northwest coast of Florida has some party oppotunities for guys your age. Fort Walton, Panama City or Pensacola are have great beaches and lots of places to drink. Also - this part of Florida is only a couple hours from New Orleans which is also a great party place.

Definitely South Beach (Miami) and Key West. You don't say how many days you have but you should be able to do both -- they're less than 4 hours apart by car.

Let me second Brian's response -- South Beach rules. Due to Americans' usually getting two weeks of vacation per year or less, I make do with 3-4 day getaways. I've done about 10 such getaways so far and every time I say to myself "self, you should try to see Ft. Lauderdale this time" but I have so much fun in South Beach, I never have made it to FtL.

In September, it will be warm (mid or hi 20's). The good news is that there is a constant sea breeze, so just drink lots of fluids and you'll feel fine! (Guess you already knew that.) The cloud formations at the beach are amazing. I won't even bring up the beach itself, because I'm going too long already; suffice it to say it's known as the "Billion Dollar Sandbar." I like to jog either on the beach (hard packed sand between Lincoln Road and South Pointe) or thru the Art Deco district, just to enjoy the awesome styles and colors. Supposedly jellyfish and "sea lice" can be a problem when swimming, but I have never any problem with the water. It's very warm and the waves are great!

Also fun is to rent a bike; Miami Beach is very flat and if you ride north of the Deco District, you can see the fabulous big hotels (the Fountainbleu, Eden Roc, etc.), and the nice homes and golf courses of the rich and famous. The houseboat where Andrew Cunanan (the mass murderer) shot himself was in this area. Of course you will see Versace's house on Ocean Drive; not sure what has become of it lately. About 15 km north is Haulover Beach State Park, which has one of the few nude beaches on the East Coast.

The drive to Key West (which I did once) was not as intersting as it looked on the map. The one highlight was snorkeling in the coral reefs - a catamaran takes you out. Probably not as spectacular as Great Barrier Reef etc., but if you've never done it, I recommend it. Be sure you have plenty of sunblock. Key West is fun but definitely more laid back.

I'm not big into the club scene, but I'm sure you've gathered plenty of info about that already.

Again, on the off chance you run out of things to do in South Beach, you can always hop across the causeway into Miami. Downtown is fun to explore, lots of shops catering to the many Latin Americans who come to Miami to shop. You can also try to eat in Little Havana; you'll do better though if one of you speaks Spanish.

Enjoy!!

NEW ORLEANS!!!!!