florida advice...not orlando/disney etc

steveo3002

ive been to florida /disney a fair bit in the past and have no intrest in returning to the disney area

i wondered if anyone has experiance of other florida areas where i could be based for 2 weeks

would prefer somewhere not too busy, not heaving with kids and plenty of shops

richardw

If you want shops, Sawgrass Mills near Fort Lauderdale is enormous, some great outlets, but get there early if you don't like queueing

jeanna_2

we are going on a tour including sarasota,fort myers,naples,the keys and miami. you could consider a week on the west coast then over to miami or fort lauderdale.take a look at tripadvisor. you could ask for some info there aswell.

eryn_kathleen

Naples is quite nice, a very different feel from the rest of Florida, a bit more old world. I would definitely try the west side of Florida, it's much quieter and (in my opinion) nicer. Lots of people feel differently, though!

The Keys and the the Everglades are worth checking out, but not really many shops - great for a day or two out, maybe?

Iluvfishandchips

If you've got a car, I would say base yourself in the Sarasota area. Nice beaches, good shopping(St. Armands Circle) and many places to eat. You can dirve to Tampa and to Naples, Marco Island and cross I-75 to Ft. Lauderdale and south to Miami and the Keys. I agree about Sawgrass Mills. The place is HUGE! Lots of stores, restaurants. I love it. From West Palm Beach southward to the Keys there are many things to see and do. May I suggest also a trip to St. Augustine. I think it's Florida's oldest city...I could be wrong. But, it's a good day out. Anyway you go, enjoy yourself!

GCMBOY

steveo3002 wrote: »

ive been to florida /disney a fair bit in the past and have no intrest in returning to the disney area

i wondered if anyone has experiance of other florida areas where i could be based for 2 weeks

would prefer somewhere not too busy, not heaving with kids and plenty of shops

The West Coast is excellent, from busy Clearwater down to quieter areas which it sounds like you would prefer - such as Naples, Venice and especially Sarasota - a real favourite of mine.

Try this site for more tips:

http://www.laketarponvillas.com/Florida-Guide.html

Mark

Crossy

Last December we drove north to Panama City and Destin, really beautiful beaches (they call it the Emerald coast) and lots to see and do,

Admittedly it was a long drive (about 450 miles or so) but the roads are great and it didn't take long from Orlando.

Other times we have been to Sanilbel and Port Charlotte on the West Coast which was great as well

will-he-payitoff

Stayed in Datona totally different to orlando, racetrack worth a visit and lots of other things to see and do

Beamish

will-he-payitoff wrote: »

Stayed in Datona totally different to orlando, racetrack worth a visit and lots of other things to see and do

Just dont go in April as Spring Break & Packed with teenagers!

Beem

nigreeves

Try the Florida keys.

We stayed at Hawks Cay (Duck Key). They have their own dolphin pool and you can swim with them.

We then moved on to Key West and stayed at La Conche on Duval Street. This hotel has a rooftop bar with the best views in Key West (fantastic sunset views with acoustic music)