Where to Stay on Your Florida Road Trip
Florida is a large state with lots of coastline and tons of spots worth visiting. Your Florida road trip will hit both coasts and some of Florida’s major cities. Visit the beach, enjoy the theme parks, and see how many great local businesses Florida has to offer. Start at Daytona Beach and end with Palm Beach; you’ll love every mile in between.
Daytona Beach
Start your Florida road trip with a drive along the beach. Literally. At Daytona Beach, you can drive your car directly across the sand. This is a difficult endeavor for cars without 4WD, however, because sand isn’t prime road material.
Some of the best Daytona Beach hotels are directly on the beach, giving you perfect access to the sand and the waves. A few you should consider include: the Ocean Shore Daytona, the Nautilus Inn, the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, and the Shores Resort and Spa. Save a bit by staying a few streets in at great spots like the Super 8 Downtown or the Days Inn Daytona Beach Speedway.
Orlando
The drive from Daytona Beach to Orlando takes just over an hour, making Orlando your perfect next stop. Spend a few days visiting Disney World and Universal Studios so you can experience all the majesty of the princesses, rides and Harry Potter.
Several Orlando hotels are part of the Disney experience, and when you want to stay right next to the parks then choose Disney’s Boardwalk Villas or Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Some of the best hotel deals in Orlando can be found at Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld and the Orlando Metropolitan Resort.
Tampa
You can’t visit Florida without hitting the Gulf coast. The Tampa Bay area is a beautiful metropolitan spot in Florida, and while you’re in Tampa do take a drive over Bay to visit St. Petersburg and Clearwater. Here you’ll find tons of hipster spots, breweries, water sports, and dog-friendly shops and restaurants.
275 is the highway that gets you to the major spots in the Tampa Bay. Stay in nearby Tampa hotels like the Howard Johnson - Tampa Airport and the Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore.
Palm Beach
Finally, head back to the Atlantic side and visit Palm Beach in southern Florida. Palm Beach is a beautiful community with lots of shopping, nightlife, and restaurants. It also boasts tons of outdoor spaces perfect for walking and biking. Of course, like its name suggests, it also has wonderful beaches.
Stay in Palm Beach hotels like the Rodeway Inn or the Red Roof PLUS West Palm Beach to get spectacular deals. Go for a little Palm Beach pampering when you select lodgings like the DoubleTree by Hilton West Palm Beach or the Hyatt Place West Palm Beach/Downtown.
Stock up on sunscreen, fill up your gas tank and hit the road. This Florida road trip works in any season, but you’ll be happiest if you do it in spring or fall. The weather is hot but not scorching, and you won’t hit peak tourist season, which happens during winter. Enjoy the waves!