A Beginner's Guide to Florida
The Sunshine States delivers on fun, and then some.
Florida is an eclectic mix of glamour, fun, and incredible landscapes. If you're wanting to mix work and pleasure, this is the place for you.
The major hubs of Tampa and Miami are nearby to the fun epicenter of Orlando. Famed for it's vast array of theme parks and tourist attractions, Orlando is one of the major tourist hubs of the hubs, allowing you to return to being a kid for your time there.
If relaxing is more your scene, Florida has well over 600 miles of beach and other incredible views such as the Everglades, so it truly is somewhere for anyone.
Florida has often been a hotspot for staff who have just finished a summer at camp. It's a place where you can let your hair down, have lots of fun and see a huge roundup of America all in one State.
It can be somewhere which can see 'pay to play', with park tickets and tourist attractions adding up to be pricey if you don't do it correctly. By spending some time planning and researching, you can have an incredible time in Florida without breaking the bank.
Interesting facts on Florida
- Florida, even as just a single state, is covers roughly the same area as England and Wales.
- In Florida, you're never more than 60 miles from the ocean.
- Walt Disney Resort covers roughly 30,000 acres, the same size as San Francisco.
- There are more golf courses in the State than any other.
- Tampa's Clearwater Beach has the world record for the most days of sunshine.
- State law says if you leave your pet elephant tied up to a parking meter, you have to pay for a ticket like you would a car.
- Florida was named by a Spanish explorer in 1513 after a Flower Festival called 'Pascua Florida'.
- The State Flower is the Orange Blossom.
- It's the flattest state in the US, so don't expect to many peak mountain walks!.
- There's lots of islands in Florida (4510 of them to be exact).
- The luscious Everglades National Park is the largest tropical wilderness in the US.
- The Florida Coral Reef is the only coral reef in contintental US and is the third largest in the world (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Belize's Barrier Reef).
Florida's major cities
Miami
The Magic City.
Miami has all the glitz and glamour that you've seen on the TV. Sandy beaches meets sprawling city, meaning there's something for everyone.
Check out our travel blogs on how you should spend your time in Miami.
- Free Things to Do in Miami
- How to Spend 48 Hours in Miami
Tampa
The Big Guava.
Tampa is best known for its tourist attractions, with the likes of Busch Gardens being home to both a zoo and theme park in one, whereas it also has a historic element, with areas such as Ybor City and Old Hyde Park.
Check out our travel blogs on how you should spend your time in Tampa.
- Free Things to Do in Tampa
- How to Spend 48 Hours in Tampa
Jacksonville
The Bold New City of the South.
Although it's known as the gateway to the rest of Florida, Jacksonville can stand in it's own right, with lots of museums, galleries and parks to check out.
Check out our travel blogs on how you should spend your time in Jacksonville.
- Free Things to Do in Jacksonville
- How to Spend 48 Hours in Jacksonville
Orlando
The City Beautiful.
For those who love theme parks, then Orlando is where to flock to. With all the big name theme parks being housed here, it's somewhere you just can't miss.
Check out our travel blogs on how you should spend your time in Orlando.
- Free Things to Do in Orlando
- How to Spend 48 Hours in Orlando
Tallahassee
Tally.
It takes less than an hour to get to the Gulf of Mexico from Tally, and is known for hosting a range of conferences and exhibitions.
If you're wondering what else you can do in Tallahassee, check out our travel blogs.
- Free Things to Do in Tallahassee
- How to Spend 48 Hours in Tallahassee
Weather in Florida
If you love good weather, then Florida is definitely for you.
Most of Florida has a tropical climate, meaning you're getting searingly hot temperatures and clear skies. These are often interrupted by incredible lightning storms, which after an incredible spectacle, go as quickly as they came.
With the lowest temperature being 7 degrees in January, and an average temperature of 32+ degrees in July, it is known to be the hottest state in the US.
Florida airports
If you're going to be flying into Florida, there's a lot of different options.
For those flying in internationally, the main international airports are Orlando (the largest), Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa.
The above also take domestic flights from other areas of the US, and there are over a dozen other airports across the State.
The international airports are all well connected to the local areas, and for those heading to DIsney, there's a shuttle which runs betweem Orlando airport and the park.
How to get around Florida
It's a common misconception that you have to have a car to get around the Sunshine State.
Within towns
If you're travelling within the same city or town, then there are a few options. A bus or trolley is always easy to use to get from A to B, with a lot of places also now having bike hire schemes throughout.
To and from parks
Always check for shuttle buses. Trust us, the parks want to make it as easy as possible to get there, so they'll often have regular shuttles running from the key areas.
Inter-city
If you're travelling between cities, there are a few options. Certain bus company's run routes, you also have the Greyhound service (a bit like the UK's Megabus) and the Amtrak train. They're all relatively straightforward to work out, so do your research and you'll be fine.
Must do things in Florida
To combine everything together, here are our top 10 things to do in Florida.
- 1. Walt Disney Resort
- 2. Magic Kingdom Park
- 3. Universal Studios Orlando
- 4. Everglades National Park
- 5. Epcot
- 6. Busch Gardens
- 7. Kennedy Space Center
- 8. Dry Tortugas National Park
- 9. Clearwater Beach
- 10. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
