As an expatriate living in sunny Florida, I often received phone calls from family and friends living in other parts of the world asking me about life in Florida. Some ask because they want to come and actually live here, others out of interest, whilst the majority expresses a desire to come here on vacation, or holiday, as they say in Europe. After all, if you live in Europe and don’t want to travel half way around the world, where else can you combine miles upon miles of pristine beaches with the magic of Disney and other attraction parks.

Airline competition is such that is possible nowadays to travel back and forth for around $600 a person (if you play your game right) and with the cost of living in Florida and the various deals available, our shores are a very fine option as a destination for a once in a life time vacation.

After all it wasn’t that long ago when I and my two young daughters (they were 10 and 13) boarded a plane from London to Miami and I can remember the trepidation of the trip as if it was yesterday. Granted, part of the attraction was that we were visiting with my parents who were living in Tampa, but the thought of landing in the land of Disney was an experience neither my daughters, nor I have forgotten.

The purpose of this post is not to act as a guide for your next Florida vacation but if you would like to follow the advice of a lucky man having realized his dreams of living under the sun, here goes..

1. Rent a car. Public transport is practically non existent here in Florida, and I have never understood yet why the folks in government have not thought it necessary to introduce high speed trains between Miami and Orlando for example, the hub of the kingdom of magic.
2. Make sure the car comes with a GPS. There are road maps, but if you are used to maps made in Europe, you’ll be sorely disappointed with what is available here. Besides, GPS can prevent you from getting lost in less desirable neighborhoods which is always a plus in my books.
3. If you can, rent an apartment, or house. I have always preferred to live in the comfort of a home even on holiday and if you have kids, you will love being able to have the extra room and the kitchen for at least a meal a day, which should end up saving you quite a bit of money.
4. Attraction Parks are usually less busy when the kids are back at school so if you can travel during school time (Florida school time) you’ll absolutely love to be able to go straight into your favorite roller coaster without having to wait a second in line.
5. Bring sun tan lotions. Living as I do in South Florida, I see my share of burned bodies, but none more than those of European tourists who think their skin is immune to the effect of the sun and turn into an exquisite shade of red at the end of a few hours unprotected under the sun.