Florida

Associate
Joined
18 Nov 2007
Posts
515
Location
Wolverhampton
going to Florida in august, going to hire a car.

Any driving tips ?

Turning right on a red light ???
 
Have you hired yet?

I work for a car hire broker and I can look at rental prices for you

Send me an email in trust with the info of your holiday and I will send you some prices
 
Have you hired yet?

I work for a car hire broker and I can look at rental prices for you

Send me an email in trust with the info of your holiday and I will send you some prices

Out of interest what price can you find for a standard convertible, pickup LAX 4th Sept 2013, drop off LAX 11th Sept 2013 (1 Week rental)?
 
going to Florida in august, going to hire a car.

Any driving tips ?

Turning right on a red light ???

You can turn right at a red light providing that it's clear to do so.

Stop signs mean STOP.

Drinking driving is very strict over there, the limit is a lot less than in the UK.

Generally, the roads are very big, very wide and easy to navigate. You'll likely get an automatic, you'll be driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car, but it's very easy to get used to :)
 
Out of interest what price can you find for a standard convertible, pickup LAX 4th Sept 2013, drop off LAX 11th Sept 2013 (1 Week rental)?

On a basic package for 7 days = £199 with free cancellation up to 48hrs before collection and free amendments.

Price inc: Unlimited mileage, Insurance (Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection, 3rd Party Liability, Supplementary Liability Insurance & Uninsured Motorist Protection ), Local Taxes, Airport Surcharge, Premium location fee and Homeland Security Fee
 
its super easy to drive over there.

i went for 10 days in september and hired a sat nav but after about the 3rd day the sat nav was no longer needed.

you can turn right on a red light.

dont rush and be very observant when on the roads.
 
Defo STOP (not just a half baked roll through the junction) at the STOP signs. I was lucky I didn't get fined by the cops out there. They were lenient on me cos I had a Great British accent haha
 
If the police stop you don't get out of the car like a friend of mine did and end up looking down the barrel of a gun :D
 
Have you hired yet?

I work for a car hire broker and I can look at rental prices for you

Send me an email in trust with the info of your holiday and I will send you some prices

Was going to hire the car with the package holiday

but we are planning to go 16 aug to the 30 aug. from Orlando Airport car or van for a 7 seater
 
On freeways, the exit number will be positioned on the side of the main sign that the exit will be on. E.G If the exit number is on the right of the sign, get in the right hand lane, if its on the left get in the left.

Work out your tolls before you travel and keep the relevant change in your car. Actually just keep loads of change in your car incase you get surprised by one.

Also I came across a few intersections where right turn on red was not allowed, so look out for any signs warning you of this., dont just assume you can go.
 
Last edited:
On a basic package for 7 days = £199 with free cancellation up to 48hrs before collection and free amendments.

Price inc: Unlimited mileage, Insurance (Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Protection, 3rd Party Liability, Supplementary Liability Insurance & Uninsured Motorist Protection ), Local Taxes, Airport Surcharge, Premium location fee and Homeland Security Fee

Interesting, thanks :)
 
Ok, cars in america don't work like cars in this country. They are sized like boats and therefore they steer like boats as well. Turn the stick in the middle to the left and the car will turn right. Turn the stick in the middle to the right and the car will turn left. The pedals are like pedalos, so you have to rythmically pump them to keep going forward. The big wheel in front of you is mainly just for show and doesn't do a lot most of the time. To go in reverse you turn it upside-down. Press it in the middle for the foghorn. The rest of the time I recommend using it for drumming practice.

Edit: also, the other stick in the middle has some letters on it. N is for Neutral, D is for Dock, P is for Pedal Power. There should be a life jacket in the glove box (or "compartment" as they call it over there). If there isn't one complain to the rental company and they will get one for you as this is the law. I almost forgot Cruise Control. You might think this is to do with cruise ships, but it actually has a secret function and only Tom Cruise is allowed to press this.

HTH
 
Last edited:
Work out your tolls before you travel and keep the relevant change in your car. Actually just keep loads of change in your car incase you get surprised by one.
.

This. In the early 90's I got caught short and had to flag down a motorist to borrow a few quarters. Not fun.

Never got caught without a bucket-load of change in the car ever again.
 
When we went about 10 yrs ago there was a large spate of tourists that had been robbed. Basically car bumped into the back of them they stop and see what the damage is and they are robbed at knife or gunpoint. The police and the welcome reps were advising everyone that if someone bumped into them from behind. Not to stop but to drive to the nearest petrol forecourt and sort it out there. More often than not they would not enter. Although you would have to deal with the hire company and report the incident its better than being robbed.
 
Here's a few tips.

Why August? It's just about the worst time to come to FL. It'll be very hot and humid. With torrential rain every afternoon. Mornings will be beautiful mind. Still lots to do, but it'll be hot..

Visit Naples on the West Coast. Its very nice. It'll be the cleanest safest most pristine place you'll of ever visited in your life.

On the East Coast, visit Miami beach (beware of the economically needy parts of Miami mind), Also Fort Lauderdale, do the water taxi.

A little further north, visit the Space Coast!! A must if you like science. Also the obvious. Orlando, and visit some of the parks. Again, careful of the slums in that neck of the woods.

Driving, have patience, expect to be undertaken. Never show aggression or try and size anyone up, by getting out your car and giving it some. There's no place for I'm well ard' d-heads in the USA. You'll end up shot, and they'll probably get away with it. People are allowed to use deadly force to defend themselves in their cars. Keep that in mind.
 
We were there last November. The car hire company at Miami airport tried to get us to take out pre paid toll credits.
We didn't do this as we spent 99% of the time in the Keys but on the occasions when tolls needed paying we simply paid cash at a booth in a dedicated lane. The pre paids seemed very expensive.

They drive slowly, at least they did in the Keys. If the limit was 25 mph then they all drove just below that.
 
Back
Top Bottom