11 Lovely Florida Road Trip Ideas: Rent a Car and Go!

Updated 11/17/2023

According to many travelers, Florida is a sunny pearl on the crown of America. An ultimate road trip to Florida is an incredibly interesting adventure to the southeastern United States, full of new impressions and unforgettable experience!

Table of content:

• How to plan road trips to Florida?
• Florida day trips
• What are the most popular routes out of Florida?
• What is the cost of a full trip to Florida?
• Where can I get cheap trips to Florida?
• Travel cheaply on a road trip to Florida

How to plan road trips to Florida?

Beautiful weather in a tropical state contributes to car traveling, while the variety of spectacular sights hits the eyes. Even in January, the temperature is kept around 20°C and therefore there’s no bad moment to travel to the Sunshine State.

Florida road trip is an advantageous and comfortable way of exploring the surrounding area: spacious parking lots and excellent traffic conditions will make your journey really easy. Moreover, when traveling by car you can make all your Florida road trip ideas come true, without becoming attached to their location.

Where should I go on a road trip in Florida first of all? Well, one of the most exciting routes is the Florida Keys road trip. It stretches for more than 130 miles and passes through 42 bridges, including the famous Seven-Mile Bridge. Also, this destination has such unique route as Beachfront Avenue, running along the Atlantic Ocean from St. Augustine to Miami.

In general, there is no shortage of amazing routes in Florida. The main thing is to plan your car trip correctly and not to forget to grab the following things:

• Documents: passport, international driver’s license.
• Car neck pillow.
• Money, and credit/debit card.
• Car Video Recorder.
• Smartphone USB Car Charger.
• Navigator (can be provided with car rental).
• Portable refrigerator.
• Sunscreen.

Florida day trips

Florida hidden gems road trip and its sights are the most beautiful and interesting places created by both nature and man. Local beaches, national parks, amusement parks and ancient cities with fortresses annually attract the attention of millions of people. Judging by the travelers’ reviews, there are a lot of destinations for any taste, which are worth seeing during your one-day or weekend trips in Florida. Check the ideas below, every option with Florida road trip map, average travel time and distance:

Trip to Universal Studios in Florida

The city of Orlando is known primarily as a large-scale entertainment center. Its Universal Studio Resort is considered to be one of the most interesting, bright and colorful clusters of various attractions. Visitors will be able to plunge into the magical and exciting atmosphere of their favorite game and animated films, watch the process of creating a movie, and someone may even be lucky enough to participate in the filming.

Design District in Miami

The Design District is the area in Miami, filled up with stores of world famous brands, designer showrooms, and art galleries. From the very first minute of your stay, there won’t be any doubt left – you have fallen into a very stylish place.

Even if you are not too interested in fashion and shopping, you can go to local shops, which look like the museums – half of them specialize in works of art and designer décor.

The appearance of the area itself can be regarded as an independent work of art – the facades of buildings are very intricately decorated with street art, sculptures, and installations.

Disney Florida Trip, Orlando

It is probably the best Orlando, Florida road trips with kids! In the park, children can enjoy riding on the carousel, themed shows, incredible fireworks and much more. Disney World has a unique atmosphere of magic, so adults will have a unique opportunity to forget about everything and dive for a while into the world of childhood, where the trees are big and Mickey Mouse is real.

Florida Tropical Garden

The vast collection of this garden, which covers the area of 34 hectares, includes rare tropical plants, including palm trees, cicadas, flowering trees, and vines.

This amazing green territory will be an ultimate Florida vacation. During the year such events as the chocolate festival, the International Mango Festival, the Butterfly Festival, the Bird Festival, the Orchid Festival are held there.

Everglades National Park, Miami

This is the largest US area, where untouched subtropical wildlife reigns. It is here that you can find rare specimens of the fauna and see animals that have long been considered endangered. The park belongs to the world heritage sites and international biosphere reserves, which makes it important for the whole planet.

What are the most popular routes out of Florida?

Florida has such a convenient geographical position that many travelers choose it for interstate traveling. Among the most popular routes to start your road trip in Florida are:

Florida to Tennessee road trip 

The road to Tennessee will take you about 11 hours driving through Atlanta, Georgia and about 12 hours if you choose the route through Birmingham, Alabama. Plus, you will need some time for rest, lunch, and sightseeing.

Atlanta city hosts the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere, while Tennessee is famous for the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. The final point of the journey is usually Nashville – the US capital of country music.

Distance: about 700 miles

Average travel time: 12 hours

Florida to Colorado car trip 

On the way to Colorado, you will have to cross 6 intermediate states – Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas. In total, you will need to spend about 29-31 hours to get to the end point. However, so that the road doesn’t tire you, and you could see many interesting places, it’s recommended to drive for not more than 8 hours a day. Traveling from Florida to Colorado will offer you many amazing natural landscapes, including the mighty mountains, charming plains, and endless wheat fields.

Distance: about 2,000 miles

Average travel time: 31 hours

Texas to Florida trips 

Texas is the epitome of the Wild West, thus many tourists choose this route for the road trip from Florida. You will cross the Mississippi and Louisiana borders throughout this interstate journey. Houston, Dallas, and Austin are among the most worthwhile places to visit in Texas. Very often, drivers choose reverse Texas to Florida road trip, which is also incredibly breathtaking.

Distance: about 1,300 miles

Average travel time: 20 hours

Florida to California route

Having traveled from Florida to California, you will see the most iconic American landscapes on your way. You will have to cross Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, then drive along the Mexican border through New Mexico and Arizona. As for travel time, it will take about 40 hours. It’s better to distribute it for 5-7 days to feel comfortable and see the maximum of amazing places. Most often, beaches of Los Angeles are the final destination.

Distance: about 2,700 miles

Average travel time: 40 hours

New Jersey to Florida road trip

This route will allow you to admire the east coast of the United States, including such states as Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington are the most interesting cities on your way, so you can find a few extra hours to explore them. As in the case of a road trip from New Jersey to Florida, the total travel time is between 17-22 hours, depending on the intensity of traffic, and the duration of rest.

Distance: about 1,100 miles

Average travel time: 17 hours

Florida to Virginia road trip 

This trip will appeal to those who want to explore the life of the times of the colonial era and the Civil War. The fact is that Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia hold many historical monuments. You have to spend about 12-13 hours to get there from Florida.

Distance: about 810 miles

Average travel time: 13 hours

What is the cost of a full trip to Florida?

The exact cost of the journey can’t be counted by any Florida road trip planner. This is because the needs of each individual traveler differ significantly, causing a big difference in the money spent.

However, it’s still possible to create an approximate list of major items, and specify the costs for each of them separately:

• Car rental. The average price of car rental in Florida is $25-35 per day for the economy through a midsize vehicle. For full-size or convertible you need to pay $45-60 per day.
• Car Refueling. The average price of gasoline in Florida is $2.5 per gallon. If you plan to drive about 200 miles a day, your daily fuel expenses will be around $20.
• Hotel room. The price varies in different places in Florida. For example, in Orlando, you can find a room in a 2-star hotel for $50-60 per day, and in a 3-4-star hotel – for $110-220. While in Miami, housing prices are about 20% higher, regardless of the hotel class.
• Food. If you can dine in such establishments as McDonalds or KFC, then you have to spend about $20 a day. When choosing a cafe serving more familiar food, get ready to pay about $40 a day.

After performing simple calculations, it’s clear that each day of your Florida road trip for adults or kids will cost about $115-200 a day. This price doesn’t include visits to amusement parks, national reserves or any entertainment facilities.

Where can I get cheap trips to Florida?

Before analyzing the prices for rental cars in Florida, you need to decide on first the required number of seats, the type of prevailing terrain on your journey, as well as check your travel budget.

Actually, all cars from the USA car rental companies such as Enterprise, Alamo, Dollar-Thrifty, Budget, National, and Hertz are good for your road trip to Florida, but the most suitable car groups are SUV and full-size vehicles. The high ground clearance makes them possible to drive even in off-road conditions presented in national parks and reserves. In addition, the spacious interior of such cars will provide enough comfort to passengers and driver. At the same time, budget travelers can book compact, economy or mid-size vehicles, which are also a perfect solution for small families. You can easily check all car rental offers in Florida via our Rental24H mobile app.

The average prices for rental cars in Florida are provided below:

• Economy/compact/midsize cars – from $25 per day: Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Kia Rio, Chevrolet Cruze, and similar.
• SUVs – from $40 per day: Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Mercedes GLC, Chevrolet Tahoe, Jeep Wrangler, Hyundai Santa Fe, and similar.
• Luxury/premium cars – from $50 per day: Nissan Maxima, Mercedes E-Class, Lincoln MKS, Range Rover Velar, Cadillac XTS, and similar.
• Convertible cars – from $60 per day: BMW 4 Series, Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and similar.

Travel cheaply on a road trip to Florida

Almost every traveler has a limited budget, so the issue of saving is very important. We are glad to provide some valuable recommendations on how to enjoy Florida road trip on a budget:

1. Reserve compact cars in the USA. Besides the pleasant rental price, such cars are very economical in terms of fuel consumption, which can save you $10-20 a day.
2. Choose one-tank trips in Florida. It is especially economical, if you rent a car and want to travel on budget. Everything is simple: one tank of any car has a capacity of about 12-16 gal and that is not so long distance for a trip. But still, it’s a wonderful idea for a one day trip in Florida!
3. Avoid hotels in the city center. The fact is that the price of hotels in the city center and on its outskirts may differ by 2 times for the same class of room. And since you are traveling by car, you don’t depend on public transport and can easily find the cheapest hotel offer.
4. Find dining spots in advance. If you want to dine for reasonable rates, it’s better to find suitable places on your way in advance. This will help you save budget and eat tasty food at the same time.