Honeymoon...NYC to Florida Keys - advice needed

[Craig Upton]

Hi all,

We are from Birmingham, England and both love the USA so we have decided to have our honeymoon there in August. So far we have planned the beginning and end of our American road trip but the middle part is a little hazy and we would really appreciate any advice or tips.

Beginning - So far we have planned to fly to New York from the UK and spend 3 nights there, having read some of the threads on this site we have then decided to catch the train to Washington DC, spend 2 nights there and then hire a car to head south.

Middle - One of the places my fiance would love to visit is Charleston, so we would like to spend two nights there. Apart from that though we have no plans and would really appreciate any advice or ideas anyone may have. Including the 2 night stay in Charleston we have 8 nights to play with.

End - After the drive down we plan to spend 4 nights in the Florida Keys and relax a little, we are not quite sure whether to stay in Key Largo, Key West, or somewhere else...Any Ideas? Then head to Miami to fly back to the UK

Thank you in advance for any suggestions you may have :-)

Craig & Donna

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

If Charleston, with its oceanfront location, history, and southern charm appeals to your fiancée, then the following route and stops might also suit her. The basic idea would be to follow the coast and hit as many scenic, historic (especially British), and tranquil attractions as possible. From Washington, then, your first destination would be Virginia's Historic Triangle. You'd then head for North Carolina's Outer Banks with the site of the first flight, England's first colonization effort, and some relaxing ferry rides. You could then come down through a bit of honkey-tonk coast to get to Charleston.

After Charleston, continue down the coast to Savannah GA, another charming southern city worth a visit, and then check out Cumberland Island National Seashore, and the east coast's oldest city, St. Augustine. Kennedy Space Center is another venue that you should consider though it's not old, scenic, or particularly restful. And of course, don't miss the Everglades on your way to the Keys.

One final bit of advice. Our European visitors can sometimes get the rather hefty one-way drop-off fees on their car hire waved if they book through a European consolidator such as carhire3000 or autoeurope.

AZBuck

[Lifemagician]

... we are not quite sure whether to stay in Key Largo, Key West, or somewhere else ...

Most of the action is down at Key West, but I have to admit I find all of the Keys incredibly interesting and scenic. It really all comes down whether you would prefer to stay in one place - in which case I would choose around Marathon or Big Pine - or are prepared to pack up and relocate a few times. Keep in mind that driving speeds on the Keys are slow.

On your way down to the Keys check out the roads either side of the intercoastal canal, A1A and US-1, with frequent access to the beach along A1A. They take a bit longer, but are much more scenic than (I-95). In Ft Pierce you may like to check out the Arcade Building on US-1 with its spectacular murals.

Lifey

[Craig Upton]

Thank you so much AZBuck for the advice. I cannot believe we didn't think of the Everglades and we are sure to make a stop off in the area. The southern charm and charisma definitely does appeal to my fiance and she wants to do near enough everything that you have suggested....Maybe we might have to stay a little longer! We also do however like to be big kids at heart so I was wondering if between Washington & The Keys there was some places with good nightlife and or theme parks/water parks/ etc. We are going on holiday to Orlando this year (honeymoon is August 2016) so we just wondered if there was anywhere else you would recommend paying a visit to? Thank you once again for your help, it's very much appreciated.

Craig

[Craig Upton]

Thanks Lifey,

Marathon & Big Pine look fantastic, i've just been taking a look on google maps. How much does accommodation typically cost on the keys? Do you have any place you would recommend?

Thank you for the tips, they are very much appreciated :-)

Craig

[AZBuck]

If amusement parks are your thing, there is certainly no shortage of them in the US. Along the route I suggested there are Busch Gardens in the Historic Triangle area of Virginia. Family Kingdom in Myrtle Beach, Whirlin' Waters in Charleston, and any number of theme parks in the Orlando FL area. One other place you might want to consider, since the Everglades appeal to you, is Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia.

AZBuck

[DonnaR57]

As AZBuck stated, there are any number of theme parks in the Orlando FL area:

Walt Disney World -- within the World are the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, two separate water parks, Downtown Disney, ESPN World of Sports, a golf course or two, and more.

Sea World -- one of the original Sea Worlds.

Universal Studios - two parks. One of them, Islands of Adventure, has the Harry Potter World within it.

And there are still more, but these are three of the best known.



Donna