Driving to St Petes Beach - Tolls

[Portugal1000]

Usually only drive around Disney, Universal etc so have never had to buy the sun pass that they always ask about at the car hire place. Have no idea yet about driving to St Petes except that it exactly 100 miles from Bonnet Creek to Tradewinds. So I am wondering if I will need a sun pass or something similiar as I have heard that there are cashless tolls, but again no idea. Will also be driving to and from Busch Gardens while there.
Plus any other tips for driving that route very welcome. I love driving in US as long as I know where I am going. Furthest I have driven is from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon so I am hoping that this will be relatively straight forward as half the distance.

 

[chmurf]

I think there are only 2 cashless tolls in Florida, and they're both on the Turnpike, so they're not on your path.

From WDW to St Pete, you'll take I4 which is toll free, then I275 which is also toll free is you come from Tampa.
If you loop around the bay, there is a toll bridge (sunshine skyway bridge), south of St Pete, between St Petersburg and Terra Ceia, ($1.25 in cash or $1.09 sunpass) but if you stay on the peninsula, you won't need to cross it (check a map you'll see that's the bridge to the south on I275)

I don't remember any toll between clearwater and Busch Gardens (at least we never hit any)

 

[wilma-bride]

Just be aware that, in donwtown Tampa (when approaching from the South) there is an expressway which is in use between the hours of 6am and 10am, which we found hard to avoid (we couldn't figure out how NOT to use it before we were actually on it, if that makes sense). This cost us a hefty fine charge with Dollar (toll charge plus $25 admin fee). If you have a SatNav it would be well worth setting it to avoid tolls which is what we did from then on.

 

[ford family]

To avoid the Selmon Expressway when approaching Tampa from the south you need to stay on I75 until you reach I4 where you turn west.

There are a few tolls around St Pete's Beach including the one into Fort De Soto but these are manned.

ford family