Miami excursion?

[winniepie81]

On our next trip to Orlando which will hopefully be November 2014, we were looking at taking a coach tour to Miami.

We ve seen a few companies that offer trips with I drive pick ups for around £89, this includes south beach, shopping, gator show and boat trip.

Also seen an over night stay for around £120 which seems good value to stay on south beach and maybe less tiring in the long run!

Just wondering if anyone had done a similar trip and if its worth nearly 48 hours away from Orlando!?

 

[angelicamy12]

I've not been on one of these trips but am researching them too! I'd love to visit Miami but I don't think id go on a 'just Miami' trip so this would be the perfect opportunity to visit Miami!
I can't decide whether to do a one day mad-dash or overnight stay. I think the one day trip might be so tiring that you'd waste the next day in Orlando anyway!

 

[winniepie81]

The difference in price is nt too much so makes the overnight stay worth while. Plus a couple of days without having to drive anywhere seems like a nice thought! A holiday within a holiday! Like u said I don't think I could do a whole trip just to Miami. It would seem odd going to Florida but not the parks!

 

[angelicamy12]

I'm also considering booking a one night stay at The Colony and just driving down there. I'm not really sure what there is to do in Miami but 2 days of eating, drinking and soaking up the atmosphere and beautiful people sounds perfect! I'd like to go on a Friday and maybe have a night of partying (we are a couple in our twenties) but I'm not sure how safe Miami is?! I'll also probably feel completely intimidated by all the beautiful people! haha

 

[Shazzie B]

We're hoping to stay for a couple of nights in Miami before we fly home after a cruise next year - as we're the same been to Florida loads, but not Miami.

I'll let you know the dates as it won't be all beautiful people then

 

[angelicamy12]

Hahaha love it!

What are you planning on doing whilst you're in Miami? I've just been looking it up and there looks to be so many nice places to visit/eat but, if we want to be relaxed, we could only do so many. I'm thinking of renting a convertible for my boyfriend to drive there as a surprise depending on how much it would be!

 

[Shazzie B]

I've not really researched anything yet - as our cruise isn't until Sept 2014 and we haven't had this year's holiday yet. Hoping to be there for 3 nights - a visit to South Beach will be a 'must do' and shopping!! DH likes to buy his trainers in America and he runs marathons so gets through quite a few pairs each year.

 

[winniepie81]

I think just shopping and sight seeing really. It d be great if we could catch a basketball game too. We looked at internal flights but it wasn't cheap and by the time you get to airport and get through security etc its probably not gonna save much time. Super excited about planning for 2014 so many options!

 

[talbot3186]

Where the best place to look the over night trip your talking about, we off to Orlando for our honeymoon in September 2014 and we would really like to see Miami we in Orlando for 28 days so defo got the time to do a over nighter in maimi.

 

[Mills1878]

We did the one day trip in 2010, involved a really early pick up, around 6.45am I think from our hotel, and we returned around midnight. Its a full coach with different guests from diff resorts.

Took around 2 hours I think to get the Everglades part of the trip, were we went on an airboat with a really good tour guide, speeding through the swamps seeing Crocs, and then in the same place (sorry cant remember the name) seen some snake and Aligator shows. Then got to Miami around 90 mins after that, had some lunch with the tour guides before getting on a boat which took us up and down all the celebrity homes. Had a few drinks on board before being dropped off by South beach and given a couple of hours to do our own thing, having to be back at the coach by a certain time. We chose to go up and down Ocean Drive and chill on south beach itself.

Its a really long day, and unless you include being on the coach down time, then it doesnt leave alot of down time as your constantly on the go unless you choose to hit the beach at the end. We enjoyed it in parts, obviously the travel wasnt the best with it being 8 hours in total, but the shows, tour guides and checking out Miami (without the group) was really cool. Be sure to have some down time planned for the next day however.

 

[wayneg]

Friends of ours did the coach trip a few years back, really early morning and past midnight when they got back. Nightmare of a journey, people complaining it was too cold with aircon so then it got too warm, friends all sweaty when they got there. They enjoyed the experience while there but they hated the journey.

We flew into Miami in April this year, first morning after arriving we went to Miami beach, photographed the art deco buildings drove round a little and set off to Key West, we were there about a couple of hours, just to say we have been, maybe I would enjoy staying a few nights but certainly not worth a drive from Orlando for a few hours IMO.

 

[winniepie81]

I ve looked on Keith prowess attractions and Florida dolphin tours. Virgin do offer the excursion too but need to call for info (I think they all use the same tour company in Florida) just feel like doing something a little different this time round. Obviously orlando comes first and we would need to carefully plan our days before and after the trip, easy days! I've done the billie swamp safari in Everglades that had a stop off in Naples that was a good day out and spent most of the coach journeys asleep! It'd also give my other half a day or two off of driving! Thanks guys for your suggestions

 

[angelicamy12]

Can anyone who has been recommend any must-do sightseeing or good places to eat? We're going in November and I'm trying to convince my boyfriend that an overnight stay in Miami is a good idea!