Self-Drive Florida by Design

Day 1

Your holiday begins with a transatlantic flight to Miami
Welcome to the “Sunshine State” and a journey through its diverse landscapes and recreational activities that draw millions every year. Check into your hotel and collect your travel documents
2 Nights Miami

Day 2

Spend today exploring Miami! Cross any street corner here, and you’re likely to hear the language and music of many cultures. Visit attractions such as the Miami Seaquarium and the Miami Metrozoo

Day 3

To Key West
Travel the length of the Florida Keys. Stop at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which combines a land area with 178 nautical square miles of protected ocean waters.
Three nights Key West

Day 4

Visit the Hemmingway House, take a trolley tour, and visit the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum

Day 5

Dedicate today to some more shopping or relax by the hotel pool and enjoy the fabulous hot weather that the Keys offer virtually year round.

Day 6

To Fort Myers 157 mi/252 km
Today, your travels take you to the Gulf Coast, and Fort Myers. Inventor Thomas Edison built his winter home and laboratory here in 1885. His home, botanical gardens and laboratory are now favorite tour stops for visitors.
2 Nights Fort Myers.

Day 7

Visit Sanibel Island and its sister island Captiva, which offer breathtaking views of sand. The world considers Sanibel Island one of the best places in the nation for shelling. Romantic Captiva retains much of its sleepy fish camp heritage. Its beautiful white beaches are legendary.

Day 8

To Tampa (126 mi/202 km)
Today, visit Babcock Wilderness Adventures to get a close look at rare Florida panthers, alligators, snakes, birds and other native fauna and flora during the 1.5-hour swamp buggy tour. Stop at the South Florida Museum, reflecting Florida’s history from prehistoric times to the present. The 60,000-gallon Parker Manatee Aquarium, part of Florida’s manatee rehabilitation network, is home to Snooty, the oldest known manatee in captivity.
1 Night Tampa

Day 9

To Orlando 84 mi/135 km
The world’s favorite playground beckons today, as you arrive in Orlando. Home to a surfeit of world-renowned theme parks, Central Florida offers an unforgettable family vacation adventure. While most visitors spend their time at theme parks and other attractions, some are discovering off-the beaten-path adventures in small towns and nature preserves.
2 Nights Orlando

Day 10

Reclaiming childhood is easy here, especially with the opening of three new Orlando attractions: Discovery Cove by SeaWorld, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Day 11

To St. Augustine 104 mi/168 km
Head east to the Atlantic, and St. Augustine today. With its old-world charm, unique attractions and delightful dining and shopping options, it’s easy to see why “The Nation’s Oldest City” is one of Florida’s top vacation destinations. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is America’s oldest permanently settled European city.
2 Nights St. Augustine

Day 12

Whether you want to explore old lifestyles and long-ago wars, marvel at unique oddities, or see reenactments of days gone by, this historical city will provide an entire vacation’s worth of activities.

Day 13

To the Space Coast 138 mi/222 km
On the Space Coast (which includes Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral , Melbourne/Palm Bay and Titusville), you can spend sunny days on the beach, learn about space exploration at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and commune with nature at Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
2 Nights on the Space Coast

Day 14

Amazingly, 6.2-million pound space shuttles coexist peacefully here with hundreds of species of shore birds, nesting loggerhead sea turtles and a variety of other protected native wildlife.

Day 15

To Miami/Home 173 mi/280 km
Return to Miami today to catch your homeward flight. Sawgrass Mills in Fort Lauderdale offers boundless opportunities for last-minute shopping

Day 16

Morning arrival at your chose UK airport - times vary

What is included
Accommodation at hotels (or similar standard) listed above, inclusive of all service taxes.
Fly Drive Guide Book, maps, discount shopping and sightseeing coupons.
Up to two children under 12 stay free when sharing same room and bedding with two adults.
Overnight parking charges (where applicable) are not included.

Day 1-3

Arrive Orlando/Orlando Touring
The world’s favorite playground beckons today, as you arrive in Orlando. Home to a surfeit of world-renowned theme parks, Central Florida offers an unforgettable family holiday adventure. While most visitors spend their time at theme parks and other attractions, some are discovering off-the beaten-path adventures in small towns and nature preserves. Reclaiming childhood is easy here, especially with the opening of three new Orlando attractions: Discovery Cove by SeaWorld, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Check into your hotel and collect your travel documents, then spend today and the next two days exploring Orlando!
3 Nights Orlando at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes.
Grande Lakes Orlando offers the culmination of amenity and experience. Surrounded by 500 lush acres at the headwaters of the Florida everglades, this resort is an extraordinary oasis where stellar recreation is balanced by sophisticated style. The JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes provides all of the comfort and variety you could imagine. Conveniently located near Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and other exciting local attractions, the hotel transports guests to a place of unsurpassed serenity and beauty.

Day 4-6

To St. Petersburg (106 miles)
Drive to St. Petersburg today. You may want to stop in Tampa to visit exciting Busch Gardens or lively Ybor City before arriving at your home on the beach for three nights.
3 nights St Petersburg at the Don CeSar Beach resort.
Known as Florida’s Legendary Pink Palace since 1928, the luxury resort is revered internationally for its sprawling, sugar-white beach, unparalleled dining, rejuvenating Beach Club & Spa, fabulous fishing, children’s program, nearby tennis and golf and award-winning meeting facilities. Guests can enjoy seven-and-one-half miles of powdery shores for strolling, shelling or sunning. Or, skim the Gulf on Waverunners, catamarans, kayaks, paddle cats, aqua bikes or get a gull’s-eye view by parasail.

Day 7-9

To Miami (263 miles)
Drive across “Alligator Alley today to Miami. Here, you’re likely to hear the language and music of many cultures. Although this sophisticated destination boasts miles of wide sandy beaches, Miami offers much more. Have a cup of café con leche in Little Havana; stroll past art deco architecture in the city’s South Beach district; or visit attractions such as the Miami Seaquarium and the Miami Metrozoo. After sundown, you’ll find entertainment so varied you’d have to live here year-round to see it all.
3 nights Miami at the Park Central Hotel.
At the height of its development, between 1925 and 1945, Ocean Drive was hailed as the “American Riviera.” Just around the corner, tycoons such as Harvey Firestone and J.C. Penney constructed mansions on a three-mile stretch known as “Millionaire’s row.” Today, South Beach is known as a hip and trendy spot for dining, shopping or simply people-watching. Among the area’s landmarks is the Park Central Hotel, an art Deco classic with lavender, blue and mint green exterior and portal windows. The newly-renovated guest rooms feature ceiling fans, palm-printed carpets, original period furnishing and authentic 1930s photography.

Day 10-11

To the Space Coast (202 miles)
On the Space Coast (which includes Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne/Palm Bay and Titusville), you can spend sunny days on the beach, learn about space exploration at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and commune with nature at Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. 6.2-million pound space shuttles coexist peacefully here with hundreds of species of shore birds, nesting loggerhead sea turtles and a variety of other native wildlife.
2 nights on the Space Coast at the Radisson resort at Port Canaveral.
With its Caribbean layout, flowing waterfalls, secluded fishponds, and lush tropical landscaping, the Radisson resort at the Port is one of the most beautiful resort complexes in Florida. The Cocoa Beach area is famous around the world for the natural beauty of its Atlantic surf as well as the high technology of NaSa’s nearby Kennedy Space Center.

Day 12-14

To St. Augustine (128 miles)
Head north along the Atlantic Coast, to St. Augustine today. With old-world charm, unique attractions and delightful dining and shopping options, it’s easy to see why “The Nation’s Oldest City” is one of Florida’s top holiday destinations. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is America’s oldest permanently settled European city.
3 nights St. Augustine at the Casa Monica Hotel.
The Moorish revival-style hotel boasts intricate balconies, an arched carriage entrance, hand-painted Italian tile, five majestic tower suites and red-tile roof. The lobby has hand-painted, gold-leafed archways and rich Spanish tapestries that remind visitors of the city’s first settlers.

Day 15

To Orlando/Home (173 miles)
Return to Orlando today to catch your homeward flight.