Going on my first holiday to florida(well, first holiday EVER) in June(next month). I got a Flexi Ticket and want to visit all the theme parks, UniversaL studios, island of adventure, bushe gardens, sea world %26amp; wet and wild I%26#39;m going to stay at Parc Corniche Condominium Resort Hotel for 14 days.
with the holiday i booked it includes car hire but no car insurance. I dont have a clue how much insurance would cost as apparentaly according to my travel agent they dont know, but when i arrive at sanford airport DOLLAR car hire will arrange this? does anyone know roughly how much car insurance would be for 2 weeks ? Plus i%26#39;m under 25 so will incur an additional $25 a day charge on top of normal cost (i could find this info on web, but not out much insurance would be)
I think i would rather leave the car rental because it could end up costing to much! plus paying for parking at theme parks,etc, plus i think i will have to leave a cash deposit as i dont have a credit card e.g Visa/Mastercard. Does anybody know what a usual kind of deposit is when renting a car?
Would i be able to get to all the theme parks that i want to visit (UniversaL studios, island of adventure, bushe gardens, sea world %26amp; wet and wild) with out a vehicle from the hotel iam staying at (Parc Cornichne)? e.g using greyhound and I-Trolley, etc
If so can you let me know how easy/diffcult it is to get to each theme park and directions on how to get to each of them by the bus services e.g I Trolley, greyhound, they the only transport i heard of so far, accept for taxis. If you could also let me know how long roughly getting to each place would roughly take.
Sorry about all the questions
Non Driving option staying at Parc Cornichne(I-Drive) will...First, I%26#39;d call Dollar Rent-A-Car, instead of going to their website, and see what your options are. I have a feeling because of your age, and the fact you will need to purchase car insurance, the price is going to be on the high side. You should check, though. Most car rental companies will want a credit card or deposit. Some MIGHT except a debit card, but will hold the deposit on that card. You should call about all this, and get your options.
Secondly, where is your hotel/condo at? If this is on I-Drive, the I-Trolley goes up and down I-Drive. I drive has several restauarants and attractions, such as Wet and Wild/Sea World. Go to the I-Trolley website, it is will tell you all of it%26#39;s stops. This trolley runs every 20-30 minutes depending on where you are going. It%26#39;s not the most convinent way to get around, but it will save you $. If you are planning to use the I-Trolley, you should really go to the website and familiarize yourself with the routes. Will there be anyone at the condo who can guide you with this should you have questions once you arrive?
As far as Bush Gardens, I was told they have a shuttle that picks up at various Orlando hotels. Call Bush Gardens about the shuttle. Bush Gardens is an hour and 1/2 from Orlando.
The other thing to consider is how will you get to your condo without a car from the airport? Please update me with more information where your condo is. It%26#39;s very hard to answer these questions without an idea where you are staying.
Thank you
Non Driving option staying at Parc Cornichne(I-Drive) will...Does your hotel offer a shuttle service? Most hotels on I-Drive offer a free shuttle service to Universal, IOA and Sea World which run 3 or 4 times a day! We found it quicker and easier to hop on the I-Trolley to get to Seaworld as you then cut out the hotel pick ups! The I-Trolley is also great for shopping and getting to restuarants etc. You didn%26#39;t say if you were planning on doing Disney - some hotels offer a free shuttle service others charge a fee! It also takes a bit of extra planning to get to Disney as you have to pre-book your journey a day or so in advance and buses aren%26#39;t as frequent! This will be our third trip and we are going with friends who%26#39;ve never been before so we have decided to spend a week on I-Drive and a week at Disney All Star Movies, that way you get the best of both worlds and non of the transport hassles!
Another thing I thought about is looking into the bus system. I would bet the regular bus route also goes to the parks.
If I remember correctly, the car insurance offered to me was $20 a day. So, if you take the regular rates, plus the insurance and the fact they are going to charge you $25 more each day because you are under 25 years old, you may end up paying a lot of money over the course of 2 weeks. Actually, the $25 charge due to age restrictions isn%26#39;t too bad-I%26#39;ve seen worse.
Did you consider renting a car for a portion of your trip? For example, maybe 1/2 of the time? I know that sounds crazy, but it might give you a little more freedom.
Getting around Orlando without a car can be done, but it will take a little research and patience!
Good Luck
check out orlandoexpress.com for details of the free transportation available to Busch gardens as part of the 5 park flex ticket, called the busch gardens express. It picks up from International drive.
Expect to pay about 40-50 dollars per day in tax, insurance, LDW etc for your car rental. definitely call ahead to check as these forums have many stories of people being forced to pay over the top for insurance with dollar rent a car.
looking at the parc corniche website it seems pretty central, so buses etc. to Disney should be fine. You are about 5 mins from Sea world, 30 mins max from Disney.
Dont worry, you can get to all the theme parks and attractions without a car. Sanford is a little far away from the metro Orlando area so you might have to catch a taxi cab to Longwood/Altamonte Springs where you can catch public transportation. Here is a list of all the main transportation options you have here in Orlando:
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: The local public transportation system is called LYNX, the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority. LYNX can take you almost anywhere you need to go in Central Florida. Standard bus fare is $1.50 per person and bus tranfers are free. Visit the LYNX website for more info: http://www.golynx.com
TAXI CABS: Taxi cabs are more expensive than public transportation but they offer direct and private transportation to wherever you need to go in Central Florida. Major local taxi cab companies are: Yellow Cab, Checker Cab, Ace Metro, AAA Diamond, and others..
MEARS SHUTTLES: Mears Transportation Co. has a large fleet of shuttles that go to and from major attractions, hotels, and the airport. Sometimes these shuttles can get more expensive than taxi cabs because the trip is paid per person. For more info on Mear%26#39;s shuttles visit: http://www.mearstransportation.com
HOTEL SHUTTLES: Some hotels and resorts offer shuttle transportation to major attractions for guests, some hotels have a fee and some dont. For more info on hotel shuttles you should call the hotel directly.
CAR RENTAL: And this of course is the last option. Driving can have its advantages and disadvantages, one being that theme park parking fees are commonly expensive ($5+) and another being the high gas prices to refill the tank. You can rent a car from any of the major car rental companies at the airport car rental counters.
International Drive also has a bus system called I-Trolley that can carry you up and down International Drive.
Hope this helped. Have Fun!
Thanks for all the useful info. Think i%26#39;m going to forget about the car. I%26#39;ll need to check how much tranfers are from the airport to hotel, when i checked before i was told it would be 锟斤拷30 per person - i not sure if that is also return, so i will need to check.
Micold i will be staying on international Dr, looking on the I-Ride trolley map, i%26#39;ll be in hotel number 44 (on below map) which looks to me from the I-trolly map about 10-20 mins away from Sea world:
I ride Trolley Map link below
http://www.iridetrolley.com/directory/map.htm
Looking on the map, do you know what would be the best routes to take to Universal studios, Island of Adventure, and Bushe gardens (sum1 gave advice on a site to chk out for bush gardens transportation, i aint done that yet, so that may have my answers)...i think i%26#39;m a little too old for disney world, i%26#39;m 24 and like the thrill rides : ) i maybe wrong?
With regards to your airport transfers.
We are going to orlando in 2 weeks and i%26#39;ve just booked my airport transfers over the net. I went on the Sanford airport site and it gives an extensive list of companies. As we are 3 adults and 2 kids, we%26#39;re getting a private 12 seater chauffeur driven bus to pick us up at baggage claim, take us to I-drive and it will take us back on our return journey too. It won%26#39;t take any other people, as its private hire, unlike the shuttles which you have to wait to be filled up and then they have loads of hotel drops to make, usually b4 yours!!
The total cost for us is 204 dollars, about 110 quid. (so 22 quid each). You can get saloon cars etc. We will have 5 suitcases so we need plenty of space!! Bear this in mind when you book.
I%26#39;ve used www.oceandrivetransandlimo.com and Gloria there has been nothing less than helpful!
By the way, the cost includes tolls, airport fees and driver gratuity, so theres no hidden extras!!
Hope this helps!!
With the 5 park flexi ticket you can get free transport to Busch gardens form selected pick up you need to ring and book your seat we caught our free shuttle from the mercado centre but i know they pick up at universal studio%26#39;s and maybe seaworld check what is nearest to you when you book. You can get the i-ride to wet and wild and then walk to Universal but i think its a couple of milesif you got a taxi from a hotel nearer wet and wild it would cost you about $8 plus tip
Leave the car, you wont need it. Its a hassle you can do without. The transport service in Orlando is 2nd to none.
Vinny
Hi Ghost213, hope you had a nice holiday, just wondering how you got on with the travel arrangements to the parks without a car and what was Parc Corniche like. I have read some of the reviews and am a bit concerned as we are staying there in 3 weeks time and aren%26#39;t hiring a hire either. Look forward to hearing how you got on and any advice you may have for me.
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