Bash0rz

Hai guys
Gonna nail 14 days in orlando next year. Just thinking about wether to get hire car or not as a lot of hotels there offer "free shuttle service to....blah blah". Id rather not get a car and have to worry about roads, driving on the right etc

Is it easy driving over there? packed roads? good parking areas?

International drive by the way

FlightMan

Been done to death on here, but drive, Its way easier than over here, due to the grid system. Parking spaces are numerous, at least 1,5x bigger than ours and cheap, if not free. Just keep you eye on the speed limits, put it in D, a/c on and relax. BTW I-drive north of Sand Lake Road sucks. Get down near the convention centre, or Seaworld. Or even better, get a villa!

Spoon

International Drive has regular buses and shuttles to places but you'd still be mad to not get a vehicle and go where you want when you want.

Driving is simple over there. Point the car, accelerate and steer ever so slightly.

GaryCat

Driving in Florida is very easy and you really do need a car to get to the restaurants, malls & parks.

Nido

Walking is not really the done thing in America, takes up too much energy

They are very car based, everywhere has ample parking, the roads are like driving anywhere else really. Just remember that you can turn right at a red light and that's about it. If you are doing many miles then get a sat-nav unit from the hire company, usually around $7-9 a day, well worth it.

Jaybird-UK

Unless you are in a Disney complex and intend to stay there getting a car for a Florida holiday is essential in my opinion

JimmyBFC

yeah just echoing what everyone said, you deffo need a car IMO, altho outta of all the places ID is prolly the best if you decide not to get one, we stayed in Kissimmee and I drove my frinds car (later to find the useless **** hadn't bothered to insure us, it was his cousins car who lived there)

Regardless, you can't go wrong, its an actual pleasure to drive, so easy, it will take you a day of nerves to get used to it but you'll pick it up in no time.

Out of all the places you MUST visit Seaworld, and with the car you could actually drive down to miami and the everglades, Miami Beach is awesome.

You'll love it, reminds me on what a good time we had, the only p1sser was taking a passport everywhere to get a beer!

jonc

If you get a car, get something with at least a 5ltr engine

fatherpierre

Get a car.

Petrol is £1.50 a gallon (US) and the roads are clear, unless you're doing inner-city driving.

Just don't take your UK driving with you - speeding, road rage, over-taking as it's not accepted there!

Spoon

I had the same vehicle over there as I then imported here. £26 to fill up there, £112 here!!

As for the driving out there, undertaking rules!!

fatherpierre

Indeed!

I found it far less fun over there to drive - despite the price of fuel.

They don't have the same love of BHP - they like to drive in slowly in a straight line.

And........... the coppers f*** you if they catch you speeding. I'm a copper and still ---almost--- got caught by them

Spoon

Have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the lane changing and I did speed on occasions but was very wary of plod in trees etc.

My next door neighbour was a cop and had just bought a brand new Corvette. He wasn't shy as he took off up the road but the majority do tend to cruise.

D1CCY

And you can turn right at a red light if road clear. What a sensible rule.

FlightMan

Unless signposted otherwise! Many Brits forget that.

Lydia72

Keep some spare dollars with you for tolls

The Chief

But at all costs do not overtake a School bus if its slowing down and its little sign pops out.

You'll be reported and f**ked over

The Zohan

Most of the good stuff is covered above.

Not trying to put you off or sound like the voice of doom but a few tips.

I would not go for a std rental get something a bit different depending on how many of you there are, convetable or a jeep, these look a bit less like the stock hire cars and you are less of an obvious touristy type. remove the hire co sticker from the back/side window as well.

Get the right insurance, they offer you a load of different options you need colision damage as a minimum but do not get suckered into taking everything unless you feel you really need to.

Car jacking is popular in certain areas, with collision damage you do not need to stop at the scene if you get a gentle reaer ender for example. the USA has had this sort of hyjacking longer than we have.

billythekid

Stick to the speed limit - there are always highway patrol speed checks on the interstates these days and they sit in dips etc, just like here then!
You can turn right on red lights, only after you have come to a full stop, and if there is no sign saying "no right turn on red" etc.
You must turn on your lights when you use your wipers.
You must not carry alcohol in the car other than in the boot.
At a four-way stop, the one who arrives first goes first, but if two arrive at the same time, the one on the right goes first.
Err, they drive on the other side!


Check out yescarhire.com for prices - we used them a few times and always found they do a good deal. We went for their top car last time - when we got to the airport we were offered the choice of any car they had. They thought I was crazy not going for a BMW but went for a fully loaded caddy with a 6 million cc engine.

As always follow the usual security advice, only stop in well lit areas / petrol stations etc and dont stop for anyone unless its the police. Orlando is very tourist driven and has been for well over 20 years now so you will be fine.

We did new years in Orlando in 2004 and it was brilliant.

Leslie

All the good advice given above for you. Don't try to be clever anyway, they just don't think that way and would not know what to do to avoid you, and the coppers will do you for the slightest error.

The interstates are dead straight and very boring, and it is a hell of a long way from Orlando to Miami for a visit.

The only way to get around though is in a car for certain.

Les

Markus

As others have said, get a car. Driving over there is pretty easy, and you will get used to it very quickly. Stick to the speed limits, which are lower than here, but not all roads are the stupidly slow 55 mph, quite a few are now 60 or 70 and will be signposted. There is the temptation, when on a very long, very straight two lane highway to just floor it, don't, the local cops will have a radar trap up ahead and you will get busted.

When you see a stop sign, come to a complete and full stop, if you don't and the cop's donut level is low then he'll do you for a moving violation.

Make sure you have some photo ID on you if you're planning on having a drink. Ideally something that is NOT your passport if you can do that, I think photoid drivers licence should be ok, providing it's got your date of birth on it. I'd visited the same bar in St Louis with various people and all of the times I've been asked for ID, even though it's the same guy asking for ID and they know my face, and know that I'm well over 21

Fuel pumps, not sure if it's still like this but when you take the nozzle out of the holder you may need to push the bottom of the holder up to activate the pump. There should be instructions on the pump saying what you need to do but we got caught out by this on the first fillup. Some pumps will allow for pay at pump with a credit card, give your UK one a try, but don't be surprised if it won't play ball, some don't like non domestic cards, so just pop inside and you'll be fine.

You can legally undertake on the road, so don't fret about doing so and don't be alarmed when you're in the middle lane and two very large trucks hurtle past you on either side.

One other thing, not related to driving, but very important. Do NOT mess around or try and joke with the US customs & Immigration people. A small percentage of them are ok, but most of them really do not have a sense of humor. You should be ok as you're there on holiday, but even still, they will probably grill you as to why they should let you into the best country in the world. Make sure you have your hotel reservation details to hand as they'll want to know where you are staying.

My main bit of advice? Enjoy yourself

Daryl

Try USRentacar for a good deal. They send you an e-voucher which you give to the rental company at the airport. If you choose the Gold option, all taxes, insurance and a tank of fuel are included (that means you can return the car empty).

I usually use Alamo, because you get to choose your own car from the parking lot in your allocated class - go for luxury and get a Cadillac DTS: ugly, but you get a 4.3 litre V8, satellite radio and air conditioned seats, perfect for the US! Should cost about £350 all-in for a fortnight.

BTW, wouldn't recommend International Drive, there are better places to stay.

thesyn

Agree with all the above, no point going to the USA and not driving. Really helps you to understand the natives point of view! Imagine in he UK walking around the corner for a pint of milk, in the USA that shop is probably 5 miles away and the road to get there is clear and wide and parking is not a problem. Should I take the car? Stupid not to!
The other cultural difference not mentioned is the attitude to profainity, don't think Hollywood blockbuster think open air church and you wont go wrong.
I have stayed in a Disney resourt, International drive and a villa, would always recommend the villa option. Always enjoyed and will go again

spireite

First real world place i ever drove in 1988 , purchased my driving license from a bent official [not gay ] while working in guyana . on the way back home stopped off in florida hired a motor and got my first real driving lesson. must admit realy easy to drive in florida .