Visas & entry
For most Visa Waiver Program passports, Florida follows normal US entry rules: obtain ESTA approval before air or sea travel and stay no more than 90 days. Travelers not eligible for ESTA generally need a US visitor visa; Canadians are usually visa-exempt for short visits but still need a passport and must meet US entry requirements. Verify current rules before booking, especially if you have traveled to Cuba or have dual nationality that affects ESTA eligibility.
Getting in
- Miami International Airport: The main international gateway for Miami, the Keys, the Everglades and southwest Florida. Use it for a South Florida trip; rent a car only when leaving the Miami urban area or heading into the Keys/Everglades.
- Orlando International Airport: The obvious arrival point for Walt Disney World, Universal and central Florida. Brightline links Orlando with South Florida, but a car is still the practical choice for beaches, Kennedy Space Center and most excursions.
- Tampa International Airport: Best gateway for Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota and the central Gulf coast. It is much more sensible than Orlando for a Gulf-beach-focused trip.
- Jacksonville International Airport: Use this for St. Augustine, Jacksonville Beaches, Amelia Island and north Florida. It is a regional gateway rather than a substitute for Miami or Orlando.
- Pensacola International Airport: The practical western Panhandle entry point for Pensacola Beach, Destin, 30A/South Walton and nearby Alabama-coast connections. The Panhandle is too far from Orlando or Miami to tack onto a short trip.
Getting around
Rent a car for almost every multi-stop Florida trip: it is essential for the Keys, Everglades, Gulf beaches, springs, the Panhandle and most day trips. Brightline makes Miami–Fort Lauderdale–West Palm Beach–Orlando workable without driving, while Miami's Metrorail and Metromover cover only the urban core; elsewhere, public transport is patchy and rideshares become expensive quickly. Treat Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater as separate places linked by bridges and traffic, not as walkable neighbors.
Money
US dollar (USD). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but carry a little cash for small tips, beach parking and occasional independent vendors; contactless payment is common. Tipping is expected: roughly 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, plus tips for bartenders, hotel staff, guides and parking attendants.
Daily budget · USD
- Value
- $140–240
- Mid-range
- $280–500
- High-end
- $750+
- Per-person daily figures exclude international flights and assume two adults sharing a room; solo travelers should budget substantially more for lodging and rental cars.
- Value: basic motel/chain hotel or shared rental, casual meals, split car costs, and a paid attraction or activity every day or two.
- Comfortable mid-range: a well-located 3–4-star hotel or attractive rental, restaurant dinners, rental car and parking, tours or beach gear, and major attractions.
- High-end spending starts around $750 per person per day once oceanfront or resort rooms, suites, private boating/fishing, and premium dining enter the plan.
- Winter in South Florida, the Keys, Naples and Gulf-front beach towns is the biggest lodging-cost driver. Christmas–New Year, Presidents’ Day, spring breaks, major Miami events, Daytona race week, Fantasy Fest and Art Basel can push rates far beyond these bands.
- Orlando park tickets, parking, paid skip-the-line products and on-site resort pricing can make even a modest trip expensive. The Keys add high room rates, car dependence and costly water excursions; Miami Beach adds parking and nightlife costs.
Eating well
- Do not judge Florida seafood by menus on the busiest beach strip: ask what is local and in season, and skip places selling the same huge laminated menu as their neighbors.
- Reserve destination restaurants in Miami, the Keys, Naples and 30A/Destin during winter, spring-break weeks and holiday weekends.
- Stone crab is a seasonal splurge; eat it during the October–May season rather than ordering frozen substitutes out of season.
- In Miami, have Cuban coffee early and use it as fuel, but remember it is strong and sweet.
- Key West is better for bars, fish and atmosphere than for a single definitive ‘must-eat’ restaurant; book popular dinner spots in high season.
- On the Panhandle and Gulf coast, lunch can be the smarter seafood meal: easier reservations, better value and less beach traffic than dinner.
Book before you land
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex official launch-viewing packages, when a launch is scheduled; the best viewing options are limited and launches can still scrub or shift. · Daytona 500 tickets and Daytona lodging for Speedweeks in February. · Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando admission for Christmas–New Year, major school-break weeks and any separately ticketed Halloween/Christmas party you specifically want; do not assume peak-date access will remain available after arrival.
- Florida is much bigger than it looks. Choose one or two connected regions and bases rather than trying to combine Miami, Orlando, the Keys, Tampa and the Panhandle in one short visit.
- Build driving time around tolls, bridge bottlenecks, resort parking and afternoon storms. A rental-car toll transponder is usually simpler than trying to pay invoices later.
- Summer outdoor plans belong early in the day. Afternoon lightning storms are routine; get off beaches, golf courses and open water immediately when lightning is nearby.
- Hurricane season runs June through November. Use refundable lodging where possible, buy suitable insurance, and never schedule a tight same-day flight-to-cruise, flight-to-Keys or flight-to-launch connection.
- At beaches, obey flag warnings and lifeguards: rip currents and rough surf are the serious hazard, not sharks. Do not enter water closed by a red or double-red flag.
- Do not feed wildlife, including alligators and iguanas. In the Everglades and Keys, bring mosquito repellent, sun protection and more water than you think you need.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
December–February
South Florida, the Keys and the southwest Gulf are warm, dry and pleasant for walking and wildlife, while North Florida and the Panhandle can be chilly enough for jackets and cool-water beaches.
Miami and the KeysEverglades wildlifeNaples and Gulf beacheswinter sun escapes
This is peak snowbird season: Christmas–New Year, Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and Presidents’ Day push up rates and fill Miami Beach, the Keys, Naples, Disney-area resorts and Gulf-front rooms.
March–May
March and April bring reliable beach weather, warming water and relatively manageable rain; late April and May become hotter and more humid but usually quieter.
beach tripsroad tripssprings and paddlingtheme parks outside school breaks
Spring break, Easter and college calendars crowd Orlando, Miami Beach, Clearwater, Panama City Beach and South Walton; book elsewhere or travel in late April–May for a calmer trip.
June–August
Expect tropical heat, high humidity, bath-warm water and frequent intense afternoon thunderstorms, usually with usable sun before and after the storm window.
boating and divingbeach timeindoor attractionssummer family trips
It is punishing for all-day walking and theme-park marathons, hurricane risk begins, and some small coastal operators reduce hours or close briefly for maintenance.
September–November
September is hot, wet and volatile; October improves gradually, especially in North and Central Florida, and November is notably drier, less humid and pleasant before Thanksgiving.
value-minded beach tripsNorth Florida and the Panhandle in October–NovemberMiami and the Keys in Novemberfall road trips
Hurricane season runs through November 30, with September the highest-risk month for disruptions; use flexible bookings and avoid tight flight, cruise and Keys connections.
Events worth planning around
Daytona 500 / Speedweeks · Usually February · Daytona Beach
Race-week demand fills Daytona-area hotels and raises prices sharply; reserve lodging well ahead if your dates overlap.
Florida spring-training baseball · Usually February–March · Central and South Florida, especially the Tampa Bay area and Atlantic coast
Games and team-following crowds can tighten weekend hotel availability in host towns, though the effect is usually local rather than statewide.
Fantasy Fest · Usually late October · Key West
Key West rooms become scarce and expensive; book far ahead if attending, or avoid the dates if you want a quiet Keys stay.
Art Basel Miami Beach · Usually early December · Miami Beach and Greater Miami
Hotels, restaurants and transport book up across Miami Beach and central Miami; reserve well ahead or shift dates for normal pricing.
What to eat
Eat by region, not by generic “Florida seafood” menus: Cuban coffee and sandwiches in Miami, smoked fish and conch in the Keys, grouper on the Gulf, Greek food around Tarpon Springs, oysters in the Panhandle. Seek independent Cuban, Caribbean, Southern and seafood places; the best meals are often casual, local and nowhere near the resort strip.
Cuban coffee: cafecito, cortadito and café con lecheCuban sandwichStone crab claws (seasonal, chiefly October–May)Conch fritters and Key lime pieSmoked fish dipFresh grouper, especially grilled, blackened or in a sandwichFlorida spiny lobster, particularly in the KeysApalachicola-area Gulf oystersCaribbean and Haitian cooking in South FloridaSouthern seafood: shrimp, grits, fried fish and mullet
Miami and Greater Miami: Cuban coffee windows and pastelitos in Little Havana · Cuban sandwiches · Haitian and broader Caribbean food · Latin American cooking and serious international dining
Florida Keys: Conch fritters · Key lime pie · Fresh-caught fish · Florida spiny lobster · Smoked fish and fish dip
Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg and Clearwater: Grouper sandwiches · Cuban sandwiches and Cuban food, especially around Tampa and Ybor City · Greek food in Tarpon Springs · Gulf seafood
Naples, Marco Island and southwest Gulf: Stone crab claws in season · Gulf fish and shellfish · Sunset-facing seafood restaurants, best treated as a beach meal rather than fine dining by default
Panhandle: Pensacola, Destin, South Walton and Apalachicola: Gulf oysters, particularly around Apalachicola · Shrimp and Southern seafood · Fresh local fish from fishing-fleet towns · Smoked fish dip