driving in Orlando

[Ruth B]

Hi,
I'm thinking about hireing a car this summer for the first time( last 2 time have just got towncars ).

How have you found driving in Orlando?

Is the drive from MCO to i-drive complicated?

do the hire car have Sat nav?

Will proberly just potter around Orlando but may drive down toBushgarden- has anyone done this?

I drive all over the place in the UK without thinking twice but have a bit of a block re USA.
Am travelling on my own with my son

Any advice would be great
Thanks

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi Ruth,

Driving in Orlando generally is easier than in the UK, the roads are wider, more lanes and the cars automatic's with controls that are easy to adjust to.

I don't think the standard of driving is as good as it used to be and the roads are busier, naturally many of the visitors and road users are tourists like us!

I have never had sat-nav, my wife is very good at navigating and having been so many times we have all the experience we need really.

Getting around Orlando is much easier with your own car, personally they are a must I feel, the first time will always be the most difficult and everyone is a bit nervous initially. You will make the odd wrong turning and mistake, that's inevitable - we still do anyway

Getting to Busch Gardens is a straight forward drive using the I4, it's probably just over an hour to get there.

To be honest haven't stayed on I drive for years so someone else is probably better off answering that.

Once you pick up your car ensure the hire car rep. gives you a good instruction on how to use all the controls, it's important you familiarise yourself.

They should also provide a map, may be worth seeing if you can pick up a decent road map before you go also.

 

[angelbaby29871]

the sat-nav is an extra you would have to pay for but sometimes it comes free or at a reduced pric. if you have a tomtom or such from home you can buy or download maps for florida and take it with you. we always have sat-nav ut then i can bet lost in my own back garden . johhny is right about the standard of driving, sometimes you just have to get on the road got for it as they say! the drive to busch gardens is abiut an hour to an hour and a half dpending on the route the sat-nav gives you on that day . i enjoy driving over there to be honest, the drive from mco to i-drive is not to bad a couple of toll roads and thats it really.

 

[brightspark]

Do remember to take change for the toll roads... usually between $0.5 and $2 from what I remember. I found the automatic gears a little difficult to begin with, but quite enjoyed the driving. However I would not have wanted to do it without someone to navigate. We drove from WDW to Vero Beach and back. Found that the map the car hire centre gave us, was not much help at all, and bought one at a garage. This made life much easier. I could not have driven and navigated at the same time, but we were taking quite a big journey. Found that in Orlando everything was well signed etc.

 

[sandshal]

I find the width of the roads absolutely daunting in the States, have driven along the notoriously "most dangerous road" in the Med from Malaga to Marbella but still cannot pluck up enough courage for the USA - always leave it to hubby!!!! Having said that...... may try again this time.

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Ruth,
Try not to worry about driving in the US - if you can drive on our roads here in Britain, you'll be fine over there!
How old is your son? Could he map read?
The roads are easy to follow, and the signs usually indicate the direction ie.. I4 east or west.
As for driving from MCO to I Drive.. that's really straight forward... the Beeline Express East, and I drive crosses it!
I really wouldnt worry about it.. just get the car booked and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about!!
Anyway, good luck in whatever you decide!
Tracy

 

[Ruth B]

Hi Ruth,
Try not to worry about driving in the US - if you can drive on our roads here in Britain, you'll be fine over there!
How old is your son? Could he map read?

Hi,
he 12......... i think i'm going to pay more and get satelight nav. The thing i'm concerned about are the traffic light and turning left ! need to try and get my head round it prior to going

 

[mikki.young]

Hi Ruth,
Try not to worry about driving in the US - if you can drive on our roads here in Britain, you'll be fine over there!
How old is your son? Could he map read?

Hi,
he 12......... i think i'm going to pay more and get satelight nav. The thing i'm concerned about are the traffic light and turning left ! need to try and get my head round it prior to going

For the first couple of days my dh keeps saying to me -keep right etc. i'm sure your son would enjoy doing the same for you!

For driving round the Orlando area there is an excellent map that even shows all the restaurants etc and a new version is due out in April I believe. http://www.orlandomaps.co.uk/

 

[Ruth B]

For the first couple of days my dh keeps saying to me -keep right etc. i'm sure your son would enjoy doing the same for you!

For driving round the Orlando area there is an excellent map that even shows all the restaurants etc and a new version is due out in April I believe. http://www.orlandomaps.co.uk/

That map looks brillent- thnaks very much

 

[tiggerlady]

Can anyone help me, I may have to drive whilst there in May , my husband normally does the driving,however his license has had to go to the Clerk to the justices whilst we contend a fixed penalty notice.
Does anyone know if Dollar rental company would accept the slip of paper given by the police (which has his drivers number on) or if we can request the licence back pending the outcome, we travel on 28th April and the alleged offence took place on Sunday 8th, the licence had to be submitted to the police who would not extend the time period for handing it over.
I am very nervous about driving over there altough I have navigated people around on may occasions,and am familiar with the routes.

 

[castanea1985]

Hi Tiggerlady,
First of all, I would have thought your husband would be in his rights to get his licence back?! But, if not, don't worry about driving out in the States - its really not that bad!
My DH 'forgot' his licence... thought I'd packed it?! So I had to drive for the two weeks! We've driven (we usually share the driving), from Toronto down to Naples FL and back with no problems. I even had to drive through Atlanta in rush hour (10 lanes of traffic), just so DH could get a pic of the sign to Augusta!!! And that was in a little compact car with our 3 yr old DD in the back.
Ruth.. don't worry about turning right.. no one will bother if you forget now and again, you'll be fine! I always get really annoyed when we get back and have to sit at a junction/ lights and can't turn left!
Tracy

 

[Mr Brit]

Well just wanted to say hi to you all, my name is Nick, im originally from Canterbury Kent, until i met the woman of my dreams and moved to Orlando Fl and we not live 2 min behind Magic Kingdom. Well i have been coming here for years on vacation, im 28 now and have been driving here since i was 18. Its great to see everyone so supportive and i can only re-iterate what everyone else has said, it is a doddle...lol Once you know where you want to go from the airport, ie I drive you can either take what used to be the beeline but is now know as the beachline, which is what i would recommnd or the 417. The only mental hurdle you need to get over is being on other side of the car and other side of the rd, and once you get into it you dont even think about it. And if im being honest, its so much easier than driving in the UK. I tell people if yo ucan drive in London or any other city in the UK, you can drive anywhere in USA...lol

People say make sure the doors are locked when u drive etc, but to be honest ive never had a problem and in most cars here when u drive they lock automatically.

Well my wife, daughter and i are in Disney most weekends so if you need any info just let us know. My wife also publishes the 2 yr disney dining a thon...lol on here which has reveiws on disney restaurents, well worth a look.

Hope you have a good trip

 

[Mr Brit]

Oh in my experience All mainstream rental car companies only accept the full licence, some places wont even take the old paper licence and require the photo one. Ive heard of some places requiring the photo licence and the paper copy aswell, but you will need the photo licence, and they dont accept photocopies either.....lol it happened to my parents once, they forgot their licence...lol

But out of principle i think you should give it a go and even if you can get his licence you should do some of the driving, because i think you will get used to it and even realise how much easier it is than UK, plus ur hubby can have a drink aswell...lol

 

[Mr Brit]

oh before i forget, the whole turning right thing, just remember in every instance in USA if your at a red light, you can make a right term. However, it must be safe and clear of vehicles and pedestrians. The only time you cannot make a right turn is if there is a sign next to the light or nearby which you cant miss saying No right turn.

Turning left is like UK, you cant do it. If your in the touristy areas, people are pretty easy on you if you forget the whole right turn, but if you forget, dont worry, you will get honked at, but it will just remind you, but dont panic, just make sure it is safe to go and there is no sign saying no right turn.

But as all if not most rental cars are automatic, it just means you get to concentrate on the rd and whats going on and not have to worry about changing gears etc

 

[cybertheo]

From an American perspective: There are so many fools that have driver's licenses over here, that I am sure you'll do fine. Orlando is very easy to navigate. Just prepare ahead of time with maps (like your already doing). Also, I think most car rental places have a map finder set up in thier offices. Just put in you depature address and destination and it give you a point by point map. Good Luck!

 

[kevin harrison]

*duplicate post*

 

[kevin harrison]

Driving in Florida is easy. If you have ever navigated the M25, you'll find it so easy compared to that.

The route from MCO to I-Drive is simple, you take the beechline - I think it's east !! to be honest it's simple/stupid - there are signs all the way. Just make sure you have loose change.

I'm a huge advocate of driving in Florida, I can walk everywhere if needs be at home, but the USA is on a different scale to here and there can be big differences in distance there. Having a car means not having to pay for cabs, or getting stuck on buses with loads of hot sweaty, smelly people at the end of a long hot day, whilst visiting every stop on the way home. You are not beholden to times and can stay until you want, without worrying about missing your bus.

Also, you have a lot more flexibility in terms of your holiday, last time, when rain was heading to Orlando, we just decided to hop in our car and head to Clearwater, no looking for bus times there and back or worrying about the cost of a cab.

It amazes me the amount of people that hire a car though and don't read up on the driving etiquette though, as in turning right - it's not rocket science to read up a bit on the rules of driving in Orlando is it?

Don't worry at all about driving, like others have said here, it's simple. Give me getting in an air-conditioned car at the end of a hot day any time.

 

[primera786]

driving in the USA Orlando area is just as easy if not easier than over here. If its your first time in Orlando the roads you will use are I4, 192 and International Drive as well as roads arond Disney , and if you are on any other road you are generally LOST.
Get maps on here before you go.

 

[Mr Brit]

when you come out of Orlando International Airport you want to head West of the Beachline 528 to get to I Drive. Dont go East otherwise you will end up in Port Canaveral/Cocoa, unless you fancy a vacation on the moon....lol Hope you have a good and safe trip

 

[kevin harrison]

Doh ! I meant west....