Today the time has come for you to travel to the southernmost state in the continental USA, namely Florida. You fly from your chosen airport to Orlando, which is centrally located in the northern part of Florida.

On arrival, you go through immigration and collect your luggage. In the arrivals hall, follow the signs to the car rental office located inside the airport itself (details can be found on your voucher).

From the airport, it’s not far to your hotel, and you can soon jump in the pool and put your legs up – and it’s certainly not the last time you’ll do that on this trip.

Today’s drive: approx. 25 km.

*It is possible to upgrade your rental car. Get in touch with your travel specialist if you want more information.

Your first few days in the new latitudes will probably start earlier than usual while you get used to the time difference here in the ‘Sunshine State’.

There are no planned activities for your first full day in Orlando, so you’re free to choose whether to spend the day lounging by the pool enjoying the warmth, shopping in the city’s outlet stores or perhaps visiting one of the city’s many theme parks. There is entertainment here for all ages! If you want to go all-in on the theme parks, consider adding extra nights in Orlando so you have plenty of time for them.

If you are fascinated by spacecraft, you can visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, which has been the starting point for some of the world’s biggest space launches, such as the Apollo 11 mission, which was the first manned moon landing. At the centre, you can, among other things, see the large space rockets at close quarters and touch moon rocks. The Kennedy Space Center is about a one-hour drive from Orlando on the barrier island, Cape Canaveral.

You can also book a guided day trip to America’s oldest city, St Augustine, which brings you close to the city’s European roots established over 450 years ago.

If you are dreaming of experiencing one or more theme parks in Orlando, you can easily add extra nights in consultation with your travel specialist.

Unless you have extended your stay in Orlando, your road trip starts now. Today, you drive towards the chalk-white sandy beaches that line the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast. It’s up to you whether you want to explore the many gems along the way, or whether you want to drive directly to your hotel in Fort Myers.

If you’re ready for some adventure, you can drive via the Crystal River, which is known for the numerous manatees, or sea cows, which especially in the cooler months find their way to the Three Sisters Springs wildlife refuge. The slow but massive creatures can be observed in several places in Florida, but here in Three Sisters Springs you often find the greatest concentration from the 3 km long trail system.

You can also stop off in Tampa, which, in addition to beautiful sandy beaches along the coast, can enrich the day’s adventures with Cuban ancestry in the historic district of Ybor City, located in the city of Tampa itself. In the 1880s, Ybor City was where Tampa’s cigar production started, and for this very reason, Tampa is now known as ‘Cigar City’. Charming houses from a bygone era provide a beautiful backdrop to the museums and eateries, and in the streets it is not uncommon to see locals hanging out with a cigar in the afternoon sun and free-range chickens slowing down the traffic.

Later in the day, you will arrive at one of the biggest jewels on Florida’s western coast, Fort Myers. Here, you will find both world-class chalk-white sandy beaches, ‘bounty islands’ and a friendly city life.

After arriving, the day is at your leisure. Head for the pool or visit the beautiful Fort Myers Beach, located at the northern end of Estero Island. A dip is never a bad idea after a day on the road. And the best part of it all is that you have the next four nights here in Fort Myers.

Today’s drive: approx. 340 km.

You can take the next few days at your own pace, and there is every opportunity to take things easy in a location like this so close to Florida’s picture-postcard beaches. Here, you will soon be lulled into the holiday atmosphere that generally pervades the area, where both locals and visitors come to relax. In addition to the beaches, a friendly community with cafés and small shops is to be found in the streets adjacent to San Carlos Blvd. on the island side of the Mantanzas Pass Bridge, which connects mainland Florida and Estero Island.

The Fort Myers location is particularly fantastic because it gives you the chance to explore some of Florida’s most beautiful barrier islands, namely Sanibel and Captiva Island, which lie beyond Fort Myers.

At Sanibel, you can go kayaking in Tarpon Bay, rent bicycles and explore the small coves. You can also find special seashells at Bowman’s Beach (but remember that you cannot take the shells with you). At Sanibel, you will also find the famous J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, which is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the USA. The reserve is home to more than 245 different species of birds, including the beautiful pink roseate spoonbill, which attracts many bird enthusiasts every year.

And the nature experiences continue in the beautiful mangrove landscape at Six Miles Cypress Preserve, where a landscaped footpath brings you close to the wildlife in the more than 1,400 hectares of wetlands. Here, it is not uncommon to spot alligators, wild boars, otters, wading birds and butterflies.

In Fort Myers’s historic downtown, you can stroll along the charming streets with well-preserved buildings that today house restaurants, boutique stores and microbreweries. You can also visit the famous Edison & Ford Winter Estates Museum, where the two inventors, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, spent many winters in the building’s laboratory, which is the birthplace of more than 1,000 patents.

Today, you change course and drive towards the eastern part of Florida to the Atlantic coast, where beautiful Miami awaits. However, as with all road trips in the USA, it is rarely about getting from A to B as quickly as possible as there is usually lots to see and do on the route, and today is no exception. You will explore part of Florida’s vast Everglades wetland from the seat of one of the iconic airboats, which are a common means of transport, especially here in the southern states.

Depart Fort Myers in good time, make sure your car is fully tanked up, that you have enough snacks with you, and get ready for a morning of driving to Everglades Safari Park. On arrival, park your car, and get ready for the next available departure in an airboat that takes you through part of Everglades National Park (details can be found on your voucher).

Together with your guide and other participants, you can look forward to an approx. 30-minute hair-raising encounter with the impressive wetland, where you will learn about the ecosystem’s flora and fauna in the more than 6,000 km2 national park. The park is home to alligators, crocodiles, black bears, frogs, snakes and more than 360 species of birds. It is up to you how long you want to spend in the park, but we recommend setting aside a few hours including the airboat trip.

The natural environment gives way to a metropolitan environment when you head for Miami Beach after the Everglades Safari Park. Here in Miami Beach, drop off your car at a city office in the late afternoon (details can be found on your voucher). Take a taxi or an Uber to your hotel, which is not far away.

After checking in at the hotel, you can put your legs up, try the pool, take a dip in the sea or perhaps visit one of the area’s superb restaurants dotted along the nearby famous street, Ocean Drive. It’s entirely up to you.

Today’s drive: approx. 255 km.

Miami really is a bounty city, where there is always a waft of summer in the air. Palm trees and golden sandy beaches stand in perfect contrast to the many pastel-coloured art deco buildings that remind one of the city’s glamourous heyday from the 1930s to the 1960s. But Miami is much more than that.

Today, we’ve made it easy for you to explore Miami’s many gems with an included hop-on hop-off bus tour that will take you to 10 of the city’s most popular areas. It’s a perfect way to discover the city, as you can disembark whenever something catches your eye. You get on wherever you want, and the bus stops at five locations on or near Collins Avenue, from where you can easily get to and from your hotel (details can be found on your voucher).

Look forward to feeling the city’s Latin American roots in the Cuban district, Little Havana, where you can taste Cuban classics such as ‘Cuban sandwiches’ and enjoy a mojito made with local key limes. Or grab a Cuban coffee ‘to-go’ and stop by Domino Park, where local Cubans play dominoes.

A stop at the famous Wynwood Walls art district is highly recommended, where impressive street art can be found in all shapes and sizes (admission tickets are purchased locally). If you’re a keen shopper, you can stop off at Bayside Marketplace, or you can explore the charming stores along Miami South Beach.

End the day in true Miami style with a sunset at Miami Beach followed by a delicious dinner at one of the area’s many restaurants, which ooze captivating charm with coloured lamps in the palm trees.

Today, there are no planned activities, so you decide what and how much you are going to do. It makes sense to enjoy a few quiet hours on the beach, either with your feet in the sand or from the seat of the comfortable ‘beach-cruiser’ bikes.

If you’re looking for even more adventure, buy one of our exciting optional tours which, for example, enable you to visit Key West.

The time has come to round off your Florida adventure and head back to Europe.

Once you have checked out of your hotel, it’s time to head to Miami International Airport, which is about 20 km away. (Details of departure terminal and time will be provided in your itinerary).

The hotel can help you book a taxi or you can book an Uber. You fly from Miami International Airport to Europe.

If you want to extend your stay with more beach holiday in Miami or a visit to an American city such as New York or New Orleans, you continue to the chosen destination.

You land at your chosen airport after an eventful and memorable tour.