Florida (Florida)

Member Name: grayless

Product:	Florida
Date:	09/07/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: amazing place something for everyone

Disadvantages: We can't go every other month

We first visited Florida about ten years ago with friends thinking it would be a one off holiday of a lifetime, we have just returned home from our fifth visit the place is addictive.
We always base ourselves in orlando / kissimmee area as it is close to all the main attractions and also easy to access major roads to move throughout the state. On each occasion we have been we stopped in villas which we find through the private villas magazine distributed throughout the uk, we would recommend this to anyone as the villas give you independence and amazing value, as I said we first went with friends twice and again twice with parents and the cost of a villa between you is so cheep
this time my wife and I travelled alone so looked into hotel cost but still ended up in a private villa with three bedroom double garage and private pool backing onto a gorgeous lake all for £800 in total not including flights.
As for Florida well there is something for everyone but it is also exhausting as you want to do so much. Even after five visits we still cant wait to go back we always end up at some if not all of the major theme parks but really enjoyed our latest visit where we did more nature orientated things such as walking in a few of the hundreds of national parks to canoeing and kayaking swimming and snorkelling to just watching the wildlife we even had an otter outside our villa.
On this visit we spent a couple of days in Miami a fantastic place but also very expensive (try Miami Duck Tours for site seeing) Gorgeous beaches and stunning nightlife.
Anyone visiting would be well advised to hire a car as it is all so vast, most hotels do have bus services to all the big attractions but if you want to go off the beaten track and see the real Florida you have got to drive.
A great day this time was spent a small town called Mount Dora it is a lovely little town by a lake full of little cafes and craft / antique stores. We hired two Segways from a shop here and got a one hour guided tour round town it was so much fun we now want one each "lol".
There is no end of things to do and even my parents who are in their seventies have been with us twice doing most of the theme parks and they absolutely loved it and really want to go again if they can.
You must plan plan plan if you go as there is so much to do and it makes it so much easier. If you do go to the theme parks we would advise getting the longest tickets you can afford that way you can come and go as you please.
A fantastic guide book to buy for the orlando area is The Brits Guide to Orlando it is our bible and has saved so much time and money for us we buy an up to date one every time we go, it is worth its wait in gold.
Hope this was useful for you and if you do go have a great time.

Summary: To much to do not enough time!