When and where to go...

[detomaso]

My first post in this forum. Please excuse me if you think my english is bad.:)

We are an Norwegian family of four, planning to go on holiday to Florida area i 2008. We've been thinking f a three weeks stay but have not yet decided when to leave cold Norway :-).
As you understand we would like to experience some good weather and hopefully the temperatures will be over 20 degrees celcius every day...
We can travel somewhere between february and june 2008.
What would be the best dates in your opinion for us to go if we would experience stable good weather?

Our two boys will be 6 an 1,5 years in 2008. Where is the best area for us to rent a villa? We like to be close to restaurants and shoppingcentres (walking distances) and not to far away from Amusement Parks (The 6 year old is dreaming about Disney World :-)

We are all looking forward to our familytrip over there, and hopefully you could give us some good advices before we do our booking.

Thanks in advance to all of you forum members.[msncool]

Detomaso

[mizzy]

welcome to the forum Thomas, you've chosen a lovely destination for a family holiday and no matter what time of year you go i'm sure you will have a great time[clap]

any of the links above will take you to a huge variety of villas for you to choose from and they are nearly all within easy reach of that famous mouse[msnsmile2]

there's also links to car hire and theme park tickets shown above too

happy planning Mizzy

[Appledore]

Detomaso,

Your English is excellent - 100% better than my Norwegian!

Any time in Florida is usually beautiful and you should easily be basking in temperature in access of 20 degrees. In my opinion May is a beautiful time to go. The US schools have not broken up for the summer although the parks will always be busy (just less so) Try if you can to avoid Easter (if you're not keen on crowds).

Orlando is rather different in as much as unless you are staying on International Drive or one of the main hotels it usually makes sense to hire a car. Orlando is vast and walking to restuarants and shopping centres really isn't an option.
Hwy 192 is a busy bustling Highway with resturants, shops and many villa communities off of it, but at the end of this Hwy you run into Hwy27 which also has some excellent villa communties a little more peaceful but all within easy reach of Disney and Universal. When searching the sites you can always do a community search and you can see just how far they are from the parks. If you have trouble just ask the owners.

Sorry i've gone a bit but I hope this helps.

Elaine

[owen3]

Hi Detomaso.
Welcome to the forum, you will find plenty of information about Florida here.
As Mizzy has said check the above links so many villas to choose from.
Your boys will love the theme parks in Florida.
Personally i like to visit in April, weather lovely and it is not to busy in the parks.
Enjoy choosing your villa.
Barbara

[detomaso]

Thanks for the quick replies. Looks as if May would be a good month for us to visit Florida...

I have been searching for flights from Oslo to Orlando Intl. Airport but I wounder if its less expensive to go to an other airport, and travel by car to our final destination? Any suggestions here?
I've been using Ebookers and Kelkoo for finding flights...

Detomaso

[Kazzie]

It can sometimes work out cheaper to fly into Tampa and is really not much further to travel.

Karen

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by detomaso
Thanks for the quick replies. Looks as if May would be a good month for us to visit Florida...

I have been searching for flights from Oslo to Orlando Intl. Airport but I wounder if its less expensive to go to an other airport, and travel by car to our final destination? Any suggestions here?
I've been using Ebookers and Kelkoo for finding flights...

Detomaso
[/quote]

[owen3]

Why dont you try Sanford airport.
Barbara

[mfairhurst]

HI DETOMASO
We flew into sanford this time and it was no trouble the staff were very good and our fligtht was on time coming home .
MAUREEN
www.onlinefloridavillas.com/villas/1683.aspx

[Val]

Hi,
All good advise above, but also try the flight link on the home page of this site you might find they come up with some good deals also you will need carhire and there is also a link

Val

[fiona]

Hi Detomaso,

Are you looking at flying direct into the Orlamndo area or have you considered a stop-over? I have had many European guests who fly in via New York / Wahsington etc - it depends where your airlines route you, some even fly into London Gatwick because they find the UK flights cheaper. Only thing I would suggest is you book it all through the same airline or airline supplier as that means if there are any holdups you will get put on the next available plane. Try direct with the airlines too, they are sometimes cheaper than the online operators!

I would also go with the May / June dates to avoid the Easter rush, in the Uk we have half-term holidays of 10 days at the end of May so these dates tend to get booked up quite quickly.

Not many villas would be within walking distance for 2 young children of restaurants and shops - in Florida they tend to drive everywhere, and in that heat you can understand why!

[Cowboy]

Hello Detomaso,
Firstly, a warm welcome to the forum, secondly, your English is excellent and thirdly, any more information you need just ask and I am sure someone will give you the answer you need.
I know you will think that I am biased but I would most definitely recommend that you stay in a villa as opposed to a hotel. You and your family will have complete freedom and can come and go as you wish. Eat inside or visit a restaurant at your leisure. You will have a wonderful selection of homes to choose from by clicking on the links at the top of the page. It is advisable to rent a car for complete freedom. Car hire from this site is fully recommended for satisfaction and service second to none.
When to go? This varies with most individuals. In 2008 the last two weeks in March cover Easter which is busy and most expensive for villa rental and flights. Three weeks in April also will be busy and expensive because of UK end of term school break. May is a nice time as well as June which is the usual start of Florida's rainy season through to September. Spectacular thunderstorms can occur usually in late afternoon or early evening but these often just last for up to 2 hours.
Whatever you decide we hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Mike and Kath.

[domster]

Hi Thomas, Welcome to the Forum. There is some great information on here and there are some older posts that will be able to give you some advice.

Most of the people that come onto the forum have been to Florida many times before, we have been well over 12 times and love the place. We tend to go in the quieter months (Dec, Jan and May). As the weather is so good all year you can pretty much go whenever you want.:)

[detomaso]

Thanks again for all your answers. It's very helpful for my search to find the "perfect villa" for our holiday next year.

I just wounder if all the villas are located i communities? I see that some communities offer public pools and playgrounds for kids. Can you reccomend a community "that is good when it comes to kids". It's not that important to be near Disney World... we would rent a car anyway so if we drive 10 or 30 mins to the parks thats no problem...

Detomaso

[jo-anne]

Hi Detomaso
Welcome to the forum
There are some villas which are located on communities which not only have their own private pool but a clubhouse and resort facilities for when you want to socialise with other families.
Check out some of the links on this site and you will have lots of choice. Ask for community facilities when you make your enquiry and you will get replies from owners who can offer you what you are looking for.
Have fun with your research!

[neild292]

hi

May is a lovely time; the parks are quieter but the weather is still lovely.

I am sure your family will absolutely love Florida

Neil