Mumsnet Talk

We want to go away early next year somewhere warm. I'm not so keen on an all inclusive and we went to Thailand last year so I was thinking about the US. Possibly Florida as the flights are quite reasonable to Miami or Orlando. If you have been how did you book, can you recommend any websites, how did you travel around (Did you hire a car all the time). We have a 4 year old and a small baby and would prefer hotel over a villa etc. I want a swimming pool and easy walking access to a nice beach and clear sea...

DS, 3.5, and I stayed here www.diplomatresort.com/. It depends on what your budget is. It isn't cheap but it's very, very nice. It's on the beach, has 2 pools, a kid's club, etc. Easy to get to from Miami but Ft. Lauderdale is a better (smaller & easier) airport. There are cabanas to rent for the beach, restaurants on site and just very, very relaxing. There are other things to do nearby too.

Good reviews on tripadvisor too. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

There are a zillion ways to do it depending on your budget, the length of stay, what you're looking for from the holiday and whether you will hire a car or not.

If you want a beach holiday, you are looking away from Oralndo/Disney, which isnt close to a beach (closest is probably Daytona, which is nice but I wouldnt want to spend an entire holiday there). We have stayed in Anna-Maria, Bradenton, Sarasota, St Pete's etc, which all have lovely beaches (although the sea can be quite rough). You are only an hour or so's drive from Tampa airport - BA fly direct to Tampa - and a few hours drive from Orlando if you wanted to do Disney/Orlando (we always do a two-centre, but our children are slightly older and love Disney).

Have you considered Miami? If you get an apartment close to South Beach it is a lovely, relaxing holiday, although it isnt the cheapest place to eat out. It isn't a 'family' place, iyswim, which I personally like, but depends on your kids and what they like to do.

If you want a really different, chilled out holiday, you could fly into Atlanta and drive down for an hour to the Florida pan handle. There are some stunning, rugged, white sand beaches with beautiful holiday homes right on the beach up there and amazing national park land all around. Not touristy at all - its where people from Georgia/Florida holiday.

check out the weather first. ive been to florida in early oct and its been chilly prob too cold for little ones round the pool ( think they were having a cold snap though).

not florida but alcudia bay in mallorca is like that. lots of nice hotels directly on beautiful safe sandy beach.

playa de muro is the area and we loved it. ours were 3 and 1- so easy!

would need to go nearer summer obs though..

nearest thing to the us/ carribean style beachside resorts we have found in the med.

Look at Amelia Island. Very nice for a quiet family holiday.

We went to Naples which is about 100 miles from Miami.

The water in the gulf will be slightly Warmer and the waves are a lot smaller. A car is very necessary. A trip around the keys (fligh into miami) would be nice. We used to always go to Marco island. Nice beaches and nearly all hotels will have pools as well. Clearwater near Tampa is nice too. And there is more non-beachy stuff to do.

Dh, DD (20 mths at time) and I hired an RV and travelled around south Florida last November. This is a good accommodation option as the American RVs are huge!!

Best places;

(west coast) sanibel island - non touristy and beautiful. Everyone cycles everywhere..Not far from..

Fort Myers beach- we had a spot right on beach (literally) DD loved it, as did I !

The keys- you can find some lovely little uninhabited beaches and the pelicans were stunning. Nice seafood.

Miami and fort lauderdale nice, although didn't always feel at my most safe there (and I have travelled quite a bit).

How exciting, enjoy it! I found it a very welcoming place and as the population there is a little older (!) DD got loads of attention which she loved.

...I'm off to research more adventures!!!

when is the rainy season in florida? would it be just nice adn warm and sunny in feb?