Travel in Florida

[Gill]

Couldn't resist the good airfares on the BA wintersale website and have booked for 3 weeks flying into Miami in early November!
Have already booked 4 nights in POR using the discount codes and am looking forward to seeing new parts of Florida as well.
We plan to travel from Orlando to the Keys for a few days before we leave from Miami. Does any one know how many hours driving this would take or where we could stop off for an afternoon/night on the way? We would plan to travel the I 75 or the Florida turnpike.
Thanks.:ears:

[Whitequeen]

Hi Gill,

I can help you here! My sister and I did this in '89 but the other way round.
Took about 4-5 hrs from 'The Keys' to Orlando depending on food stops etc.

I really love Florida:D but this is a really boring drive:( until you get onto the highway/bridge that's built to join the 'Keys'. Key West is good.
Have a look at night! what an 'eyeopener';)

[Cinderella]

I would think that 4-5 from the keys to Orlando is an understatement as it takes 4-5 hours from Miami to get to Orlando and depending on where in the keys you plan on going it may be as long as 7 hours.

[Whitequeen]

Sorry Gill, you are right Cinderella. Memory is going!

We stopped in Miami, which is where I got confused :confused:
I do remember thinking we could have travelled the length of England!!!

It was only made bearable knowing we were on our way to WDW!! Not sure about the other way round:hehe:

[Gill]

Thanks for the information, as it gives me a better idea as to whether it is worth trying to drive all the way. We had thought o staying around the mid Keys area. What sort of accommodation is available off the main routes, or do you think we should detour to Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale for one night? Any help appreciated.
:)

[ieuanr]

Hi Gill

We drove along the keys back in 1997 but there seemed to be plenty of the usual motels certainly in Key Largo (about 1hr from Miami).

Ieuan:)

[Slowhand]

Last year we spent a few days at Naples, and after an air-boat ride in the Everglades carried on to the Keys. We stayed at Marathon, right in the middle of the Keys. The reasoning being that Key West was around 45 mins west, and Key Largo was around the same distance east. In other words, nowhere in the Keys was very far away. There`s not a lot to do at Marathon, apart from the dolphin sanctuary a short distance away, but there again the Keys are ideal for just "crashing out" any way.
You`ll love it.

[Fran]

We like the routedescribed by 'Slowhand'. There's plenty of Bed and Breakfast inns in Key West if there's only two of you. They're more characterful than the motels. Again the chains are plentiful and discount 'walk-in' coupons make it much cheaper.

[Gill]

thanks everyone for the info. As we're now going to travel up from Miami via Naples, Clearwater to Orlando, we'll head back down the Turnpike or the I95, probably stopping off above Ft Lauderdale, then move on to the Keys next day. Haven't been that far south before, so looking forward to it verymuch.
:cool: