budget friendly fla oceanfront

[tinan]

Hello. I am hoping some of my fellow dis'ers are able to help me come up with some ideas for a budget friendly family vacation to some beach in Fla. My initial thought is Daytona beach, but I am not sure if this is the most budget friendly beach and I am open to others. Our teen daughter has informed me that of all of the times we have been to Florida that she hasn't seen anywhere but Disney. haha ......you would think she would appreciate it Anyways, I thought if we could swing it this year, I would like to actually take her to a beach there instead.

 

[NotUrsula]

Generally speaking, the further north you go on the Gulf Coast, the more affordable beach communities will usually be, though there are some exceptions.

The later you can go the better, as most Florida beach destinations get considerably less expensive after Easter week, when the elderly snowbirds usually head home. The best "bargain" season at the beach is from about the final week in April through the second week in June, when kids up north are finally out of school for the summer. It gets cheaper again starting in about the third week in August, because that's when the hurricane risk gets higher and the kids have gone back to school, and stays that way until early November, when the snowbirds begin to return.

Daytona can be affordable; the key to that is staying further south in Daytona Shores, and being sure to avoid any race weeks.

As a general rule, you'll get the best deal at the beach if you can do a weekly Sat-Sat condo rental; paying by the day is usually more expensive.

 

[sameyeyam]

Depends on what you want to do at the beach. My sister used to live in Satellite Beach, FL, so we are used to going to the "non-touristy" beaches. Personally the prices are better and during spring break the crowds can be almost non-existent. If you want to be in the crowds, then go to Daytona or Cocoa Beach.

Last year we headed south and found a wonderful beach. It was near Jupiter, FL and was called Juno Beach. They had a wonderful turtle rescue center that we visited and it was a nice clean beach and nice town. I will definitely be going back there. We went county by county clear down to Miami. My favorite area was between Vero Beach down to Boca Raton. Beyond that Ft. Lauderdale, etc. I thought was very crowded and not real pleasant.

Remember, this is just my opinion. But I'm not overly impressed with Cocoa Beach or Daytona nor am I impressed with Ft. Lauderdale down to Miami .

We've been going to FL for spring break for several years. My sister says that St. Augustine is awesome, very nice and lots of fun. Haunted tours, a tourist bus that runs around town so you can get off at any stop, spend time and get back on. She HIGHLY recommends it. I have not been yet, but last year we were sitting in the hot tub at the hotel and another couple said St. Augustine was their favorite Florida coastal town to visit. It's further north.

Check out each county's parks & recreation websites. They offer lots of neat community swimming pools, fun things to do and offer suggestions that are reasonably priced. We found an awesome small water park in Boca Raton that was about $8 admission. Think like a local and go the opposite way of all the crowds. There are tons of public access beach areas all up and down A1A (the coast highway). So drive down the highway and stop when you feel like it. I feel that you get to see what Florida really looks like, not just the tourist trap version, if you act like a local.

The further south you head the more beautiful the water gets. Around Cocoa Beach it's not usually the beautiful blue green postcard water. When you get around Juno Beach, Boca...that's when it starts getting the beautiful color to it.

BTW, Brevard County (near Cocoa Beach) also has an awesome zoo. You can actually take a kayak ride thru the zoo. My kids loved it, even my teenage daughter and her friend.

 

[mickey grandmom]

There is a hotel on the beach at Daytona Shores that we stayed at a few years ago. It is not deluxe,but is nice. I think it is now a Days Inn hotel.
They are on the internet as Tropical Seas. They are very nicely priced. Also it is only about 1hr. and 20 min. drive from Daytona Shores to WDW.

 

[TnTWalter]

We stayed for a week at a beautiful charming town called 'Anna Maria' near Sarasota. The sand is white and the water is beautiful. Laid back old Florida. No high rises or even starbucks! Great lil ice cream parlors and restaurants.

We rented a house with a pool for $1k for the week. Here's my travel blog about it! There's a trolley that you can take all over the island for free. It's 7 miles long total and narrow so really easy to get around. We didn't need to drive except to get groceries. Fantastic. Highly recommend!!

http://waltersvisitami.blogspot.com

 

[libinatorsmom]

My daughter and I are actually taking a trip to Naples/Sanibell next for a week and we are super excited. I am not sure about budget trips but we are looking forward to being in Florida in Feburary from snowy cold Iowa... But I can let you know more about that area when we get back... My daughter wants to see the ocean.... we will be on the Gulf side but it is the ocean...

 

[Juliee8]

We have been to Daytona Beach and Clearwater beach both several times. In fact we are leaving next week for a 2 day trip to Daytona Beach before we head to WDW. When you plan on going will depend on how "budget it is". We got an awesome deal this time for an oceanfront room with a kitchen. Like a previous poster said, it is better to stay a little outside of Daytona. Last time we went we stayed in New Symrna Beach at a Holliday Inn. It was oceanfront with a balcony and the room was very large with a seperate bedroom area and was around $85 a night.