Travel to Florida

Flying to Florida

Flights to Florida's major airports (Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville) are served by all major U.S. carriers, including Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com) and United Airlines (www.united.com). Miami and Orlando are also served by European carriers, including British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Virgin Atlantic Airways (www.virginatlantic.com).

As Florida is a year-round vacation destination, airfares can be just as high during summer and ‘Spring Break’ (generally late-February to mid-April) as during the Christmas holidays. Tickets are lowest in the off-peak periods: February-May (excluding Spring Break and Memorial Day weekend) and September-beginning of December (excluding Thanksgiving weekend).

Major airports are: Miami International Airport, Orlando International Airport, Southwest Florida International Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Daytona Beach International Airport, Jacksonville International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Notes

Consider flying into Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), which is around 48 km (30 miles) from Miami Beach, as an alternative to more expensive Miami International Airport (MIA).

Airport Guides

Flight times

To Orlando from London: 9 hours 45 minutes; from New York: 2 hours 50 minutes.

To Miami from London: 9 hours 50 minutes; from New York: 3 hours.

Air passes

The three major airline alliances, Star Alliance (Air Canada, Lufthansa, United Airlines and others; www.staralliance.com), OneWorld (American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia and others; www.oneworld.com) and SkyTeam (Air France, Delta Air Lines, KLM and others; www.skyteam.com), offer various air passes for North America. Visit their respective sites for more information.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Florida by Rail

Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245 or +1 215 856 7924 for international visitors; www.amtrak.com) is the rail service provider. Amtrak's Miami Station is located approximately 16 km (9.9 miles) northwest of the city centre. The station is the southernmost and final stop on the network running along the East Coast. Amtrak also serves Jacksonville with services running through Orlando and Tampa.

Rail passes

Amtrak (tel: +1 800 872 7245 or +1 215 856 7924 for international visitors; www.amtrak.com) offers multi-day rail passes for travel throughout the United States. The prices for youth (ages 13-15) and adult (16+) tickets are $459 for the 15-day pass, $689 for the 30-day pass and $899 for the 45-day pass. Child (ages 2-12) tickets are significantly cheaper.

Driving to Florida

Driving to Florida is relatively easy for those coming from within the US due to its extensive interstate network. Three interstate highways lead to Florida; the I-10 from the west and the I-75 and I-95 from the north.

There are plenty of motels and resting places along these highways for your convenience if you need to take a break. The traffic can be dense closer to large urban areas, so it is recommended that drivers avoid getting to these areas during rush hour traffic.

Getting to Florida by boat

Miami, Orlando (Port Canaveral), Tampa, Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) and St. Petersburg are the state's major ports of call. Additional information can be found at www.flaports.org.

Cruise ships

The port of Miami is the busiest cruise port in the world; hence, its reputation as the 'Cruise Capital of the World'. Another key cruise port in Florida is the port of Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades). The cruises that sail from these two ports generally offer itineraries ranging from weekend getaways to extended luxury cruises. Other important cruise ports located on the east coast include Port Canaveral, the Port of Palm Beach and the Port of Jacksonville. On the west coast, the major cruise ports include the Port of St. Petersburg and the Port Tampa Bay.