July 13, 2019

Things to consider when booking your holiday to Florida

Flights

Trans-atlantic flights can be expensive. And we found that if you book your holiday via a package, the prices bump up! There are many ways in which to search for cheap flights, one of them being Skyscanner. This is an online tool which search for your chosen flight dates across various sites. Another way to grab cheap flights is to book as soon as they are released. This is normally 11 months in advance. And this is exactly when we did. We booked with BA which were coming up cheaper that Virgin (by a mile!) and surprisingly Norwegian Airlines. Keep an eye on their twitter to see when they are offering deals!

Accommodation

Whether you want to visit Disney, Universal or simply head to the coast for a beach break, there is many types of accommodation to consider within the state of Florida. Firstly, consider where you want to stay and what you want to do whilst on your holiday. You may want to do a twin vacation and stop in two or even more places within Florida. For us, we are staying on site at a Disney property – something I have never done before when visiting Florida. However, even if you are visiting Disney, Universal or one of the many other theme parks, it doesn’t mean you have to stay on property. Consider a villa that’s nearby and that suits your family size too. Ocean Florida offer some fantastic deals and offers to suit all family sizes, and are in the perfect locations all over Florida. You can even book up to 18 months in advance. If your visiting the coast, a hotel with many facilities and amenities may be more suitable.

Do I need to Hire a car?

Following on from considering the type of accommodation you wish to stay in, will depend on if you want to hire a car. When I was a child, we consistently hired a car as we travelled across Florida and also stayed in various villas and hotels. As we are staying on Disney property this time, there really was no need to hire a car. Especially as Disney have their own magical express transfer which transports you to and from the airport. If you are staying on Disney property, then there is car park charges to consider, which have recently taken an increase! I feel that if you are staying in a villa, hiring a car can be a great way of getting around and seeing the local area without having to use an Uber or a Lyfe. Virgin holidays sometimes offer free car hire with their package holidays, so it may be worth a look!

Weather and when to visit

Although Florida is known as the Sunshine state, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t rain! The summer months actually receive more rainfall due to it’s tropical climate. Between the months of July and September, you can guarantee it will rain every day (even if it is for 10 minutes!) January to March can be much cooler so if you prefer less heat, then maybe consider visiting in the winter months. Autumn/Fall time is a lovely time to visit as the weather is warm and humidity is reduced considerably. Overall, Florida is lovely all year but consider how you would manage in the heat during the summer.

And there you have it. Some basic first hand things to consider when booking your holiday to Florida. There is no doubt lots more things to consider, but I really just wanted to cover the most obvious before I move on to a further detailed post in regards to our holiday specifically.

Thanks for reading xxx