Which Airport ?

[ali-uk]

Hi,
We are gong to Florida Nov 09, we have booked our villa and will book our flights and car when they come on sale. Last time we flew to Sanford, flights First Choice these were fine and we were in and out of the airport within a hour even though we got lost from the airport to our villa it was a nice drive.
This time i was looking to fly into Orlando MCO with Virgin as it is closer, but i have heard that you can be held up at the airport for up to 2 hours? This seems a long time to wait for immigration and baggage, can any one advice either way??
Cheers
Ali

[christhear]

Hi Ali

I would keep your options open as to what airport you fly into. As weel as Orlando international and Sanfors there is also Tampa.

Tampa is an easy drive up the I4 and Sanford although further than MCO is a relatively easy and quiet drive if you use the 417.

I must agree that it does seem to take longer to get through MCO than the others, however you don't have to do the double bag reclaim so this could cut down some time.

Just keep checking flights and see what is the best value rather than sticking to one airport.

[brendawilliams]

We mainly fly into MCO as we like the airport facilities which are better than at Sanford for shopping and eating, particularly useful on departure whilst waiting for your flight.

Sandford we find is quicker through customs and baggage checks.

The best way would be to keep checking the flights and choose those that best suit your plans and which match your requirements.

[AshleyLodge]

We prefer Sanford but just accept whichever airport our best deal on flights goes into. There are pros and cons for any of the options and luck plays a big part in the time taken to leave the airport.

If you do go to Sanford it is well worth paying for the Guest House - I think they might call it something different now. for the return flight as it is comfortable and good value.

Lynne

[Nikki D]

I much prefer Sanford to MCO. I travel alone with my daughter and have flown through the airport every time. On the return I have always done the early morning check in so we can leave the airport as late as we can before flying home. Sanford is not as nice as MCO but i much prefer it as it is always much quicker. My parents always fly into MCO and even going without any luggage they say it takes longer to get to the villa than it does from Sanford and the villa is down of the 192. 417 is the best route to take and the toll road is well worth the money in my opinion.

[Jill]

Have to say our vote is for Tampa - not so large as Orlando and it is 'child friendly'. Dollar are on airport and Alamo a short bus drive off airport but when we used them at Christmas it was an excellent service. Our villa is on US27 so for us it is a very easy drive across.

[ali-uk]

Hi
Thaks for you replies i think your right just wait to see who is the best value at the time of booking but we are flying the day before Thanksgiving[msneek]. I have been pricing up for all fly-drives and flight only and Virgin are cheaper every time.
Lynne what is "the Guest House" is this a lounge area i didnt see this last time.[msnsmile2]
Ali

[MarkJan]

It's a shame you aren't flying on Thanksgiving day. Last year, MCO airport was pretty empty and we walked through in 10 minutes or so. Sanford is easy but generally further away from the villas although not enough to decide not to use it.

[RubAyr]

We have used Sanford, MCO and Tampa.

Although Sanford is a longer drive, it's a nice airport and a lot quieter.
Saying that, I think we arrived at the wrong time in June as the queue at
immigration was terrible.

We normally use MCO and although we have had no problems, it can be very busy.
It has taken us just short of 2 hours to get through! We are using MCO next month
and hope it will be a lot quicker not having to use the 2nd bag drop area.

We used Tampa for the first time in November and would use again no problem. Very similar
to MCO but no-where near as busy.

For us, we are not too bothered which of the three airports we use.
We tend to use the airline which is the best value for money and has the
best baggage allowance![msnwink]

K

[AshleyLodge]

Hi Ali

The "Guest House" but I'm sure it is called something different now is a bookable area where you can sit in comfortable chairs, have unflimited coffees, soft drinks and biscuits plus 2 drinks from the bar per person. There is a children's play area, internet access and a small cinema showing DVDs. It must be booked in advance through your tour operator and last time we used it (a couple of years ago) it was £10 or £11 a person but if you have to get the car returned quite early it is much more comfortable than the terminal for waiting - particularly if your flight is delayed. It is featured in the Travel City Direct brochure but you can buy the tickets from any of the tour operators.

It is situated at the far left hand side of the departure lounge down a short passage way just past the toilets.

Lynne