Florida Driving

If you can't drive or simply don't wish to, you will still be able to get around without to much trouble. Most of the main hotels in Orlando and Kissimmee run shuttle buses to the main theme parks which are often free. Other bus services operate around the area, both private and public, which will get you to most places. Taxis are another alternative, but these generally work out quite expensive.

For complete freedom you really need a car and most travel companies now include a hire car with their holiday package. Although the hire of the car is free with these holidays you must remember that the insurance and tax isn't, and the cost of these is now fairly high.

If you don't pay for these extras before you travel you will be faced with a bill when you collect your hire car in Florida and if you have not budgeted for this you will get quite a shock. These are the current extra charges that apply to cars collected in Florida for U.K. travellers: (Figures from Virgin 2001 brochure.)

LDW - 'Loss Damage Waiver' provides comprehensive cover for all damage to the car no matter how caused. Technically optional, but if you don't take it you become liable for any damage or loss of the vehicle regardless of fault and you will have to show your credit worthiness and a credit card with $1500 credit available. Daily cost is $17-99 for a sub compact car or $18-99 for anything larger.

Taxes & Access fees - Florida surcharge tax $2-05 per day. Handling taxes & operating fees $6 per day plus 8.6% on all options purchased plus 6 or 7% sales tax.

SLI - Supplementary Liability Insurance allows you to top up your third party cover which is included free with your rental, to cover liability up to $1 million. This is optional and costs $13-99 per day.

Renters under 25 pay $22 per day extra ( you must be 21 to drive a rental in the U.S.) Additional drivers $5-99 per day. Baby seats which are compulsory for children under 5 or 40lbs in weight $3-50 to $5 per day.

So for a basic rental without any optional extras you are looking at paying out over $400 for a 14 day rental. Most companies now offer fully inclusive pre-pay options. These vary in cost from company to company but most are priced at between £22-50 to £28 per day. Doing it this way should also speed up the process of getting your car from the hire company when you arrive.

Collecting your car.

Most of the big hire companies now have desks at the airports. If you fly into Sanford airport you will find collecting your car is very easy indeed. Orlando International airport is much larger and will probably take longer to get through, but again you shouldn't have any trouble locating your car company's desk. Some of the companies, like Alamo, have their operation off the airport and these are just a short bus ride away.

You may need to be a little patient here as often several hundred people are all trying to collect their cars at once. Having all your paperwork ready along with your driving licence and a credit card, which are both essential, will help speed thing up. You may find the service here a little impersonal, but you have to remember that they have a lot of people to process in a very short space of time.

When booking your car back in the UK make sure you ask for a vehicle large enough for the size of your party, remembering how much luggage you will be taking. American cars often don't have the same amount of boot space as we're used to, and a larger group may struggle to fit everything in, even with a mini-van.

Tip.  When you go to the car hire desk they will almost certainly try and get you to upgrade your car to a larger model. This will obviously cost you more. You should already have booked the correct size car for your party so an upgrade shouldn't be required. If you would like a larger car and you're not in a great hurry to get away from the airport then wait until all the others on your flight have collected their cars before approaching the hire desk. They often quickly run out of the smaller basic cars and will then have to issue larger ones. But you won't know this has happened until you get outside and see what they have given you. On each trip I have made to Florida they have tried to sell me an upgrade which I have refused. On collecting my car I have found that it was the next size up to the one ordered. They were trying to sell me something that they were going to have to give me for nothing anyway.

Remember also that the driver will need to be awake and alert after your often lengthy flight. They should not drink alcohol on the plane because you will be driving soon after landing and American drink-drive limits are much lower than in the UK and other countries.

When you get to your car check it over visually for any damage and make sure it is noted down if there is any. The assistant will very briefly run through the main controls of the car with you if you ask them to. Make sure you're happy with everything before he leaves. All hire cars are automatics. If you are not use to driving autos then ensure you ask how it operates. Also make sure you have a map and directions to your hotel. If you don't, ask for one, as they should be supplied.

When you're ready to go, just take a few minutes to study your map. Note the road numbers and exit numbers you will need and get one of your party to navigate for you. Driving in Florida is quite easy once you have got used to driving on the right and are familiar with a few basic rules and the way the roads are laid out.

If you are at the International airport then you are quite close to the main tourist areas of International Drive (I-Drive) and Kissimmee. You will need to get on the Beeline Expressway (route 528) for I-Drive or take the Central Florida Greeneway (route 417) for Kissimmee and Disney areas. Both these are toll roads, so make sure you have some loose change and small notes available.

If you fly into Sanford airport, as most of the charters do, you will be about 30 miles north of Orlando. The easiest route to the I-Drive and Kissimmee areas is on the Central Florida Greeneway (route 417) going south. This is a toll road and it will cost you around $3.75 to reach the Disney/Kissimmee area. You can avoid the tolls by using I-4 south through the city, but you will encounter much more traffic and during rush hour some hold-ups. I would recommend that on arrival you should use the Central Florida Greeneway. It will give you a fairly quiet introduction to Florida's very busy roads and will get you to your resort much faster. Unless you are in a hurry on your return, you can save your last few dollars by going back to up Sanford on  I-4.

General rules of the road.

There are just a few things which you need to be aware of when driving in Florida. Most of the time common sense and care will suffice as driving here is probably easier than back home, once you're used to it.

Road signs here can be somewhat confusing, that's why a good navigator is useful. But you need to be aware of a couple of points with regard to signs. Firstly, you will not get much warning of an upcoming turn-off. You get the sign then the junction in quick succession. Also the turn can be on either side of a multi-lane road, so you may need to sit in the middle lane until you're sure which way you have to go. This is not a problem here as you are able to overtake in any lane, so expect cars to overtake on either side of you.

You won't find roundabouts in Florida. All roads are usually laid out in a grid pattern with intersections where the roads cross. This is an area where you need to be especially careful. Most intersections will be controlled by traffic lights which hang above the road. Think about where you need to go and get into the correct lane as you approach. If you are turning left you must wait for the lights to go green. If you have a solid green light you must give way to on-coming traffic. If you have a green arrow then you have right of way and can proceed. If you are turning right you may still proceed on a red light provided that a sign doesn't prohibit it, and there is no traffic coming from the left and no pedestrians are crossing. This is something visitors often don't realise, so if someone behind is honking their horn at you on a red light that might be the reason.

Above the intersection you will also see signs hanging with road numbers on. These refer not to the road you're on, but to the road you are crossing. There probably won't be any other advance warning of the road name so approach slowly if you think it is your junction to turn off.

Do not overtake a school bus when it is unloading and has it's hazard lights flashing. Don't make U-turns in built-up areas or if there is a solid white line down the middle of the road. Never park in front of a yellow painted kerb, on a kerb or within 10ft of a fire hydrant. Always park nose first as most cars only carry number plates on the rear and the police like to be able to read these easily. If you park on the road always face the direction of the traffic.

You must wear a seatbelt and children should either have a seatbelt or a proper child seat. As mentioned before, do not drink and drive and it is illegal to have an open container of alcohol in the car itself.

If you are unlucky enough to have an accident, however small, make sure you contact the police before moving the cars, except when instructed to do so by signs on the busier highways. You will need a police report to give to the hire firm for their insurance paperwork. Without this report your insurance may be invalid, and you may be required to pay for the damage yourself.

Always carry with you your driving licence and your rental agreement, in case the police need to see them.

Returning your car at the end of your holiday is generally very quick and easy. For instance, with Dollar at Sanford, you simply follow the signs in the airport to the Dollar parking area where the barcode on the car is read. You park as directed, unpack your cases straight onto an airport trolley, walk across the road into the terminal building where you find the check-in desks right in front of you.

The Florida Holiday Guide is please to now be able to offer all readers a full online booking service for car hire through the major companies with some very good deals available, along with flights and hotels. Have a look at our Holidays & Flights  page for full details.