Driving in the US

[Steven Humphrey]

Hi

I've got 2 weeks in Florida soon, with my family, & will be using a hire car for the duration. We will be based in Kissimee & visiting the theme parks and other attractions. Looking at hire prices, it's quite a lot extra for sat nav-have any of you experience driving in Florida and, if so, is a sat nav a good investment or is it easy to get around? Any other tips & advice would be very welcome!

[ptclaus98]

Sat Nav is a waste.

[Steven Humphrey]

Originally Posted by ptclaus98

Sat Nav is a waste.

That seems to be the general opinion on other forums aswell.

[Dave Brand]

Satnav is very useful in the US, as it's difficult to get good maps & signposting can confusing if you're not used to it - they tend to just give road numbers rather than town/city names; finding your way around big cities can be a nightmare! It depends, of course, how adventurous you intend to be. We were certainly glad we had one in Texas last year!

Rather than hiring a Satnav, you'd be better off buying one in the UK with US maps or, if you've already got one, buying the US maps.

[ptclaus98]

It's actually pretty simple in Florida, though, especially in Orlando/Kissimmee. Get a Florida State map and avoid toll roads. Oh, and make sure you get some umbrellas. It's storm season.

[MGDavid]

we did most of the lower half of Florida including Daytona, Sebring and down to Key West and back a few years ago. all on a couple of maps bought in advance from arguably the best map shop in the world http://www.stanfords.co.uk/
You will see more, learn more and enjoy more if you plan in advance. And maps allow you to be more flexible along the way.

[GORDON STREETER]

We have had a few trips to the States with my wife doing the map reading.
Never had any problems, (when she had the map the right way up) anyway getting lost is all part of a good time isn't it !

[Cameron Winton]

Just remember that the road signs etc in the US tell you where you are, while in the UK they tell you where you are going.
Stayed in the same area last year and did all the theme parks etc including a trip to Tampa Bay to go to Busch Gardens. Managed fine with a 15 year old Rand McNally US road atlas and the smallest hire car in Florida (Chevrolet Aveo? or something like that)
Even managed to navigate from the airport to the resort at 11.30 at night after a long day travelling which included missing flights through Ohare. Not a bad word spoken in the car either!

[garcon]

I'd upgrade the car and buy a map rather than have satnav.

The bigger the better.

(Car and map).

[mountainstar]

If you have your own personal handheld Tom Tom or Garmin you can just buy the US map and install it. GPS is useful for pinpointing exact addresses, but it only thinks in the 2nd dimension, so a map is always useful to back up what the GPS says.

Florida is relatively easy to get around and if you are only doing the theme parks with a basic map you should have no problems.

If you are going in the next 2 months it will be hot and humid as hell plus hurricane season, so be ready.

[Steven Humphrey]

Thanks for all the advice. We're going towards the end of October so don't know what to expect with the weather (my only other visit to the US was New Hampshire in March and it was a bit cold!). The type of car I've been pricing up is a Chrysler Sebring (or equivalent)-need enough space for 2 adults, 2 kids & luggage. Was tempted by a Dodge Charger until I saw the mpg figures!! Regarding sat nav-I've decided not to hire one with the car but maybe get a US map for my Tom Tom (about £30 cheaper). I need to quiz my wife on her map reading skills!!

[thebear]

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

Hi

I've got 2 weeks in Florida soon, with my family, & will be using a hire car for the duration. We will be based in Kissimee & visiting the theme parks and other attractions. Looking at hire prices, it's quite a lot extra for sat nav-have any of you experience driving in Florida and, if so, is a sat nav a good investment or is it easy to get around? Any other tips & advice would be very welcome!

I would skip the GPS for the reasons given. A larger car (or a minivan) is a definite need based upon two weeks luggage and four people. Current gasoline prices are ~$2.70/US gallon (3.76 liters). Most anything you rent will get at least 25 mpg. Check the car when you pick it up to verify that the tank is indeed full. Upon return, make sure you put as much as you can in the tank in the vicinity of the hotel. Around the airport the stations charge as much as $4/gallon. The gas gages are very inaccuate at `F". At turn in it will have moved to the"F" or slightly less.

Maps will likely be more reasonably priced AND up to date if you by them in Florida. You can get them in "Walgreen's" (chemist/convenience stores thruout FL), Wal-Mart (like "Tesco") as well as free from the Car Rental company and the hotel that you are staying at. The latter two are of course smaller in scope and full of "Tourist Cupons" of dubious value.

Kissimee's free tourist maps are well organized with "attractions" and places to eat. They are definitely available free at the hotels/motels. There is also a Visitor Center on US 192 near the entrance to the Florida Turnpike (a toll road). Also see this map. If you drag the map down you will see the airport at the top of the screen on the right.

For something unforgettable plan to spend a day at the Kennedy Space Center. . $41 adult/$31 child (ages 3-11) plus 6%tax. Here is a map. Zoom out, South and West to find Kissimee and the Orlando airport. ~1½ hours from Kissimee. Start early as it can be a long day. Plan on the Imax theater in addition to a bus tour.

PM with questions.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

Thanks for all the advice. We're going towards the end of October so don't know what to expect with the weather (my only other visit to the US was New Hampshire in March and it was a bit cold!). The type of car I've been pricing up is a Chrysler Sebring (or equivalent)-need enough space for 2 adults, 2 kids & luggage. Was tempted by a Dodge Charger until I saw the mpg figures!! Regarding sat nav-I've decided not to hire one with the car but maybe get a US map for my Tom Tom (about £30 cheaper). I need to quiz my wife on her map reading skills!!

End of October isn't a bad time as the wickedness of summer and hurricane season will be moderated.

The Sebring is a bit tight if you have big suitcases, so the Charger might be a better option.

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

Was tempted by a Dodge Charger until I saw the mpg figures!!

Don't forget the figures are miles per US gallon & petrol is cheaper in the US; at last November's prices, we were getting about 300 miles between fill-ups, at around $38.

3.5 litres, 250bhp & rear wheel drive. . . beats a crappy little Sebring!

Just to whet your appetite:

[Flavio Galtieri]

I've done quite a bit of driving in Florida over the years with and without the family and I just want to second the opinion that you should rent the biggest car you can afford. Don't skimp on it because you'll be spending a lot of time inside that thing!

Definitely no need for a sat nav everything's very clearly sign-posted.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by arnage arnie

........ I need to quiz my wife on her map reading skills!!

er, one thought that was done before marriage, isn't it part of the practical test?

[garcon]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

er, one thought that was done before marriage, isn't it part of the practical test?

There are two things a girl can usefully do while you're driving. One is read the map, the other is considerably less likely after marriage.

[thebear]

I recently received an email from Steve and he indicated that he, the wife and kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. He was glad that he brought the empty suitcase that I suggested and wished he had brought another.

He visited the theme parks and the Kenedy Space Center.

He will be back but not necessarily to Florida (after he wins the lottery).