By Paul Oswell
The best way to explore Florida
is under your own steam. The highways are a joy to use and fly-drive
holidays are the perfect solution! There's nothing like the pull of the
open road, a sunny, breezy day and one of the most diverse states in the US.
You can tailor-make your own fly drive trips, but here are some of our favourites.
All of them feature a great range of accommodation options too!
Heading southwest from Miami,
a short drive brings you to the tip of the gleaming Florida
Keys. Dip your toes into the beautiful waters of keys life with a few days
in Key
Largo. It's hard to believe the stunning coral and quiet creeks are just
an hour from Miami. From here, head north through the awesome Everglades National
Park, spotting gators and stopping off to get up close and personal with the
local dolphin population. Emerge for a few relaxing days in the town of Naples,
famed for its beaches, golf, shopping and green parks.
Fort
Lauderdale is just north of Miami, famed for its shopping and canals, but
most of all, its beaches. Will you find room to sunbathe? Probably, as the town
has just the 23 miles of sun-kissed golden sands to choose from. A real case
of your coastal cup runneth over. Fort Lauderdale Beach is local, Hollywood
Beach is great for families and Lauderdale-by-the-Sea has a village-y atmosphere.
At all of them, you can take out boats or rent diving gear. When the big city
calls, head back to Miami and mix with the beautiful people at any one of the
South Beach bars.
You might not expect to find the nation's oldest city in Florida, but St
Augustine, in the northeast of the state, makes that very claim. Castles
and forts from the 17th and 18th centuries frame the charming 'ancient city',
with the famous Lightner Museum to help you learn more. Stopping off in Daytona
on the way back south, you needn't stop your car when you hit the beach - you
can drive along the sands in this motor-obsessed city! Step out of your own
vehicle to check out the famous racing cars at Acceleration Alley and the Klasix
Auto Museum.
Seeing Florida without seeing the theme parks is like going to Las Vegas and
staying out of the casinos. The first port of call for thrill-seekers should
be the high-octane haven of Orlando,
where the world's most famous rides are all just a day ticket away. Walt
Disney World® Resorts, Universal
Orlando® Resort, and SeaWorld®
Orlando all have the pick of the world's best state of the art rides. After
a week's excitement, you can chill out at St Petersburg, which has the award
winning beaches of Caladesi and Fort De Soto Park.
Summertime, and the driving is easy. In two weeks, you can criss-cross Florida
and experience just about everything the Sunshine State has to offer. From golden
sands to rollicking rollercoasters and relaxing cocktails in the world's most
fashionable nightspots. You can plot your own course, but a suggested route
would be to head from Miami up the east coast, through funky Fort Lauderdale
and up to historic St Augustine. From here, you can drop down into Orlando for
some serious theme park action, then onto the west coast for some recovery time
in St
Petersburg and Clearwater. When you're ready, you can head back to Miami
for some big city nightlife.
If hitting the road in Florida sounds like the perfect holiday for you and your family, check out the latest VHOT DEALS to Florida.
Paul Oswell is a freelance travel journalist who regularly writes for The Daily Mail, Travelmail.co.uk and Luxury Travel Magazine