When’s the best time to visit?

When you plan your Florida holiday, there are a couple of things to take into consideration.  Firstly May to October is the Hurricane Season which can particularly affect holidaymakers heading south for areas like the Florida Keys.  It also means you can expect rain at some point during your holiday – but don’t let this put you off as often this only means afternoon showers to dodge.  November through to March is peak season in Florida as this is when the weather is at its best – however this also means accommodation is at its most expensive and you have to book well in advance. Bear in mind some key dates in the American Calendar which impact on prices and availability – Spring Break (for most schools this is usually mid March), Independence Day (4th July) and Thanksgiving (3rd Thursday in November)

• March/April – Guaranteed sunshine without the humidity of the summer.  Easter week can be particularly busy in the parks though (and this is peak season throughout Florida so accommodation prices can be higher)
• July/August - Expect plenty of heat and humidity during summer.  The combination of hot days and long queues sounds particularly terrible for those with young children but the queues for many rides are in the shade or through air-conditioned areas. If the daytime heat gets too much, why not leave the park in the afternoon and then return for some night-time fun. Summertime often brings thunderstorms but the rain rarely lasts long, and can reduce the humidity. Remember to bring light coats or buy the Mickey ponchos to keep the rain off.
• September - Most schools are back and the crowds are less so flight and resort prices tend to drop somewhat. Watch out for earlier park closing times though!
• December/January – A good time to visit as the weather is pleasant but a lot less humid than the summer months.  This makes the most of the school holidays but flights (and accommodation) can be expensive over Christmas and New Year.

Want to visit the beach?

If you want to relax in the sun, there are plenty of beaches in Florida – choose from the Gulf Coast, Gold Coast and Space Coasts as well as Pensacola and the Panhandle.

Some of our favourite beaches in Florida include:

1. Clearwater beach - Home to pristine white sandy beaches, clear water, warm sunshine and  fantastic hospitality. Clearwater has an excellent marina where you can find numerous charter, party and rental boats for fishing, sailing, cruising and dolphin watching.
2. Treasure Island beach - Walk around St John’s pass village (good shops and great restaurants) and cross over to a lovely beach; it is the perfect place to watch your first Florida sunset.
3. Miami Beach – This famous beach has a stunning strip which has miles of fine golden sand with emerald waters. There are many restaurants, sidewalk cafes, hotels, bars and a nice walkway along the beach.

More about beach holidays in Florida

Trent from Stafford
“I loved the beaches on Anna Maria Island and Sanibel Island, down the Gulf Coast of Florida.  They were family friendly with plenty of room for the kids to run about and build sandcastles but there were plenty of amenities and restaurants close by if needed.  The sunsets were simply incredible too.”

Want to eat out?

Eating out is popular in Orlando and they do it very well with generous portions! And children are particularly well catered for with most restaurants providing child menus and colouring sheets.  Here are some of our favourites:

Paul from Newcastle
“Orlando has some fantastic places to eat but if you like Steak, Ponderosa is not to be missed... Steaks bigger than my plate.  Mmmm...”

Elizabeth from Oxford
“Try the Beach House Restaurant on Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria Island for fresh fish and wonderful sunsets –beautiful!”

Other favourites in Orlando include:

1. Bahama Breeze – Inspired by the Bahamas this popular restaurant serves you up a fantastic fusion of meals such as West Indies Ribs or Jerk chicken pasta. Finish this glorious food off with one of their many oh so delicious cocktails!
2. Manny’s Chophouse – A firm favourite among many! This restaurant is excellent value for great food! There are lots of offers to take advantage of such as kids eat free on Monday and Tuesday as well as happy hour between 4 – 7pm.
3. Olive Garden – If you have little ones this chain is great - a friendly Italian style bistro which provides colouring sheets and crayons to keep children amused whilst they wait.

Want to hit the town?

Despite its reputation as a family playground; greater Orlando carries on the daytime fun into the night with a little more sophistication.   But remember, you will need to take ID to prove your age as Florida is very strict about under-age drinking.

Sarah from Manchester
“At my age, I was very flattered to be asked for my ID to prove I was over 25! Downtown Orlando is a great place to escape from the hectic theme parks and here you will find some of the most popular bars and restaurants. For nightclubs, head for Church Street or Wall Street Plaza."

Gina H from Yorkshire

“When I visited downtown Orlando I went to a bar called Tabu, the atmosphere was fantastic and it was excellent value for money. We went on a Thursday evening and it was all you can drink for $10 and only $3 for shots. We hired a car and a friend drove, we bought him dinner as a thank you... brilliant night!”

Chris from Durham

“CityWalk at Universal Studios is a good place to head in the evening.  There’s a good choice of restaurants and bars, including Margaritaville for “Floribbean Cuisine”and the Hard Rock Cafe.  And there’s alsos a large cinema complex and theatre – the Blue Man show is particularly recommended”

Before you go

It’s really important that you are prepared before you leave for a holiday of a lifetime such as this, as one little mistake can cause a big problem. We have compiled a checklist of things you might want to check over before you go.

• Pre book your car hire as far in advance as possible to make sure you get the best price and the model you want is available. Don’t forget to pre book your GPS as in most cases it will sell out!
• Send off for promotional literature from theme parks or restaurants you want to visit it might end up saving you a fair bit of cash.
• Plan an itinerary before you go with so much to see and so little time it’s vital that you make the most of every spare minute you have!
• Book dinner reservations online before you go as most restaurants can now be booked online which will help avoid expensive overseas calls.
• Don’t forget to submit your electronic visa waiver form; a new system this year. Ensure that your passport is up to date and has a barcode at the bottom which is scanned at the airport, if you have a passport without this you will NOT be allowed into America.

Hiring a car

Whether you are travelling to and from the theme parks or exploring further afield, hiring the right car is essential to the enjoyment of your holiday!

• Make sure you book a suitable car for the number of passengers (and all their luggage).
• Air conditioning is essential to keep you cool. 
• Make the most of your car to explore
• Pre-book a GPS, it saves time and helps to reduce your stress levels (no arguments about map reading!).

Why not try one of our Intermediate cars on for size? A Pontiac G6 or similar is perfect for a family who appreciates that extra bit of space. This 4 door car with air conditioning and automatic transmission will certainly do the job. Book your intermediate car from only £19 per day.

Or why not try something a little different?

A small SUV (Jeep liberty or similar) along with all the extras will give you plenty of space to keep the whole party happy along with that extra sense of adventure! Book your small SUV from only £23 per day.

Or why not consider a gold package for little more than the cost of a tank of fuel which, gives you an extra driver for free! So you can share the driver and relax when you need to.

Clive from the West Midlands

“I drove a Ford Focus I had rented from Carhire 3000 back from Cape Coral to Orlando, Florida. Instead of using the Interstate I opted for State Road 17, which took me through Arcadia, Wauchula & Barlow. It was authentic cattle country; a million miles from Theme Parks & Mickey Mouse. I think that day I saw the real Florida & thoroughly enjoyed my drive.”

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Car hire Orlando

Useful Orlando links

• Driving in Florida
• Florida facts
• More about Orlando
• Our Florida fleet guide