Frommer's Florida from $70-A-Day

by Goodwin, Bill; Caldwell, Victoria; Tunstall, Jim; Tunstall, Cynthia; Goodwin, Bill

• ISBN13: 9780028637938
• ISBN10: 0028637933
• Edition: Map
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Frommer

Summary

Frommer2s is the name you can trust for great travel bargains. Our acclaimed $-a-Day series is not for backpackers who want to rough it, but for travelers with taste, who2ve outgrown their student lifestyle and demand comfortable accommodations and good, authentic meals at a reasonable price. Each guide is loaded with detailed listings for mom-and-pop motels, B&Bs, comfortable guesthouses, good-value bistros, and ethnic restaurants. You2ll find a bargain-hunter2s shopping guide, affordable fun after dark, and complete sightseeing coverage, including the best things to do for free (or almost). Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they2ve done the legwork for you, and they2re not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. Every Frommer2s $-a-Day Guide is up-to-date, with dozens of color maps and exact prices for every single expense, so you can accurately plan each day2s budget. Frommer2s knows that affordable travel doesn2t have to mean making sacrifices. It2s about having fun and getting a great deal! A vacation in the Sunshine State doesn2t have to cost you an arm and a leg when you travel with Frommer2s Florida from $60 a Day. Our authors have uncovered hundreds of wonderful mom-and-pop motels, charming B&Bs, great-value condo rentals, cute cottages, and more. We2ll show you how to save money on airfares, car rentals, and package deals. You2ll even learn how to enjoy Walt Disney World without breaking the bank or spending your whole trip standing on line! We2ll also help you find great dining at unbelievably low prices, from $8 seafood platters to all-you-can-eat stone crab feasts, and point you to the best beach bars and other affordable after-dark fun. We2ve got all the details on Florida2s fabulous beaches and natural wonders, plus the best budget golf, affordable water sports, and other outdoor adventures. And we2ve even thrown in a free color fold-out map! More upscale guides include Frommer2s Florida and Frommer2s Miami & the Keys. For indepth coverage of Florida2s top theme parks, with selections in all price ranges, check out Frommer2s Walt Disney World & Orlando.

Table of Contents

List of Maps	ix
The Best of Florida from $70 a Day	1	(32)
The Best Beaches	1	(2)
The Best Destinations for Low-Cost Vacations	3	(1)
The Best Experiences You Can Have for Free (or Almost)	4	(3)
The Best Adventure Trips	7	(1)
The Best Family Attractions	8	(2)
The Best Golf Courses with Greens Fees That Won't Break Your Budget	10	(2)
The best of Natural Florida	12	(2)
The Best Affordable Spas	14	(1)
The Best Affordable Accommodations	14	(4)
The Best Family Accommodations for Parents Who Don't Want to Blow the Kids' College Fund	18	(2)
The Best Places to Stay on a Shoestring	20	(1)
The Best Camping	21	(2)
The Best Affordable Restaurants	23	(2)
The Best Seafood Restaurants	25	(3)
Aphrodisiacs from Apalachicola	28	(1)
The Best Deals for Serious Shoppers	28	(1)
The Best Bars & Nightspots	29	(4)
Planning an Affordable Trip To Florida	33	(40)
50 Money-Saving Tips	33	(9)
Cyberdeals for Net Surfers	34	(8)
The Regions in Brief	42	(2)
Visitor Information & Money	44	(1)
When to Go	45	(7)
Florida Calendar of Events	46	(1)
The Boys of Spring	47	(5)
Health & Insurance	52	(1)
Tips for Travelers with Special Needs	53	(4)
Getting There	57	(2)
Escorted & Package Tours	59	(2)
Getting Around	61	(2)
The Active Vacation Planner	63	(6)
Tips on Accommodations	69	(4)
Fast Facts: Florida	71	(2)
For Foreign Visitors	73	(11)
Preparing for Your Trip	73	(4)
Getting to & Around the U.S.	77	(7)
Fast Facts: For the Foreign Traveler	79	(5)
Setting Into Miami	84	(61)
Orientation	84	(6)
Neighborhoods in Brief	87	(3)
Getting Around	90	(3)
Fast Facts: Miami	92	(1)
Accommodations You Can Afford	93	(22)
Great Deals on Dining	115	(30)
Cuban Coffee	130	(3)
From Ceviche to Picadillo: Latin Cuisine at a Glance	133	(12)
What to See & Do in Miami	145	(40)
Hitting the Beach	145	(2)
Exploring the Art Deco District	147	(1)
Visiting Miami's Animal Parks	147	(3)
Cheap Thrills: What to See & Do for Free (or Almost) in Miami	149	(1)
Miami's Museum & Art Scene	150	(6)
Worldly Wonders: Fantastic Feats of Architecture	156	(1)
Nature Preserves, Parks & Gardens	157	(2)
Especially for Kids	159	(1)
Amusement Centers	159	(1)
Sightseeing Cruises & Organized Tours	160	(1)
Affordable Water Sports	161	(2)
More Affordable Ways to Play, Both Indoors & Out	163	(3)
Spectator Sports	166	(1)
Shopping	167	(5)
Miami After Dark	172	(13)
Breaking Through the Velvet Ropes	177	(4)
Late-Night Bites	181	(4)
The Keys	185	(45)
The Upper & Middle Keys: Key Largo to Marathon	188	(15)
Cheap thrills: What to See & Do for Free (or Almost) in the Keys	190	(13)
The Lower Keys: Big Pine Key to Coppitt Key	203	(6)
Key West	209	(21)
Going, going, Gone: Where to Catch the Famous Key West Sunset	214	(16)
South Florida's National Parks: The Everglades & Beyond	230	(22)
Everglades National Park	231	(11)
Everglades City: Western Gateway to the Everglades	242	(5)
Stone Crab City, or Where to Find the ``Filet Mignon of the Ocean''	244	(3)
Big Cypress National Preserve	247	(1)
Biscayne National Park	248	(4)
The Gold Coast	252	(50)
Broward Country: Hallandale & Hollywood to Fort Lauderdale	253	(18)
One if by Land...Taxi if by Sea	259	(12)
Boca Raton & Delray Beach	271	(10)
Palm Beach & West Palm Beach	281	(14)
Jupiter & Northern Palm Beach Country	295	(7)
Discovering a Remarkable Natural World	297	(5)
The Treasure Cost	302	(25)
Hobe Sound, Stuart & Jensen Beach	303	(8)
Wildlife Exploration: From Gators to Manatees to Turtles	306	(5)
Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce & North Hutchinson Island	311	(5)
Vero Beach & Sebastian	316	(8)
A Side Trip Inland: fishing at Lake Okeechobee	324	(3)
Going After the Big One	325	(2)
Southwest Florida	327	(64)
Fort Myers	328	(13)
``Buggy'' Rides Through a Mysterious Swamp	333	(3)
Cheap thrills: what to See & Do for Free (or Almost) in Southwest Florida	336	(5)
Fort Myers Beach	341	(9)
Sanibel & Captiva Islands	350	(17)
Cheeseburgers on Cabbage Key	366	(1)
Boca Grande	367	(3)
Naples	370	(15)
Marco Island	385	(6)
The Tampa Bay Area	391	(73)
Tampa	392	(22)
Cheap Thrills: What to See & Do For Free (or Almost) in the Tampa Bay Area	400	(14)
St. Petersburg	414	(9)
The St. Pete & Clearwater Beaches	423	(15)
Mermaids & Manatees	437	(1)
An Excursion to Tarpon Springs	438	(2)
Sarasota	440	(14)
Bradenton & Anna Maria Island	454	(10)
Walt Disney World & Orlando	464	(92)
Orientation	466	(7)
Neighborhoods in Brief	470	(2)
Fast Facts: Walt Disney World & Orlando	472	(1)
Accommodations You Can Afford, in & Around the Parks	473	(14)
Enjoying the Parks Without Getting Fleeced	480	(5)
So You Didn't Book a Room...	485	(2)
Great Deals on Dining, Both Inside the Parks & Out	487	(15)
Tips for Visiting Walt Disney World Attractions	502	(5)
Suggested Itineraries	504	(1)
Passes & Coupons That Save Your Orlan-Dough	505	(2)
The Magic Kingdom	507	(8)
Epcot	515	(6)
Disney-MGM Studios	521	(3)
Animal Kingdom	524	(3)
Other Walt Disney World Attractions	527	(2)
Water Park Tips	527	(2)
Universal Studios Florida	529	(3)
A Suggested Itinerary	530	(2)
Universal Cuisine	532	(1)
Islands of Adventure	532	(6)
A Suggested Itinerary	533	(1)
Some Practical Advice for Island Adventurers	534	(3)
Dining at Islands of Adventure	537	(1)
Sea World	538	(2)
Other Area Attractions	540	(4)
Outdoor Activities & Spectator Sports	544	(3)
Hot Links: Orlando's Top Golf Courses	546	(1)
Walt Disney Wold & Orlando After Dark	547	(9)
DisneyQuest	549	(7)
Northeast Florida	556	(61)
Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral & the Kennedy Space Center	556	(10)
Daytona Beach	566	(14)
Cheap Thrills: What to See & Do for Free (or Almost) in Northeast Florida	570	(9)
New Smyrna Beach: Artists in a Jungle	579	(1)
St. Augustine: America's First City	580	(16)
Jacksonville	596	(14)
Amelia Island	610	(7)
Northwest Florida: The Panhandle	617	(67)
Pensacola	618	(15)
Destin & Fort Walton Beach	633	(20)
Cheap Thrills: What to See & Do for Free (or Almost) in Northwest Florida	636	(17)
Panama City Beach	653	(10)
Apalachicola	663	(5)
Tallahassee	668	(16)
Appendix: Useful Toll-Free Numbers & Web Sites	684	(3)
Index	687