As y’all know, I recently went on a trip to Florida, & boy was it a whirlwind! Thank goodness for unlimited rental car miles, because I think I put almost 1,500 miles on my car in the span of 12 days! It was my first solo trip, & I had the absolute BEST TIME. Best decision I could’ve ever made for myself during this season of my life. If you’re in your 20’s & have never taken a trip by yourself, I couldn’t recommend it enough! Traveling by yourself is exhilarating, stretching, rejuvenating, & just SO MUCH FUN!! You get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, without having to worry about the opinions/needs of the people you’re traveling with.
In this post, I’ll give you a little breakdown of my favorite things I did, some hotel/restaurant recommendations, as well as give you a few tips for traveling by yourself.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THINGS TO DO/SEE
There are so many other places I wanted to visit & things I wanted to do, but I didn’t have enough time to do everything during this trip. Although, I have a feeling I’ll be back there soon 🙂 I’ll make an updated Florida travel guide the next time I’m there!
- Grab a coffee (the iced butterscotch oat milk latte from Craft & Common is SO GOOD) & walk around Lake Eola (Orlando).
- Explore the shops/restaurants in Disney Springs. Take an afternoon to walk around, take in the ambience, pop inside the fun shops, & try some yummy food (Orlando).
- Walk in the white sand at Clearwater Beach (do it during sunset & thank me later).
- Spend some time exploring & taking photos in West Palm Beach. It’s such a beautiful city, I swear I need to retire there. The buildings are stunning, the beaches are stunning…it’s just so aesthetic.
- Go on a coffee shop tour! I had so many coffee shops I wanted to try, & not a ton of time in each city I was in, so I went coffee shop hopping so I could check them all off my list!
- If you have time, make the trip down to the Keys! It’s a long, but beautiful drive. All the tropical vibes!
HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS
Delaney Hotel (Downtown Orlando – 3 star)
Wyndham Grand Orlando at Bonnet Creek (Orlando, near Disney Springs – 4 star)
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (Orlando, near Disney Springs – 4 star)
Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach (Clearwater Beach, right on the Gulf of Mexico – 4 star)
RESTAURANT/COFFEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Rocco’s Tacos (Orlando)
Gideon’s Bakehouse (Disney Springs – Orlando)
Deeply (Downtown Orlando)
Craft & Common (Downtown Orlando)
Foxtail Coffee (multiple locations)
Paloma (Windermere)
The Outpouring (Clermont)
Rooster In The
SOLO TRAVELING TIPS
Solo traveling is all about common sense & being hyper-aware of your surroundings.
- Always make sure someone knows where you are/what you’re doing at all times. This can be as simple as sharing your location with a friend, family member, or someone you trust.
- Avoid going out at night alone when possible. Especially when you’re unfamiliar with the area you’re traveling to, it’s always safer to do your exploring during the day.
- Do your research about where you’re staying before you go. It’s always worth it to spend a little extra money to stay at a well-established place in a safe area.
- Plan as much of your trip in advance as you can. What activities you want to do & where you want to eat on each day, etc. This will help you become familiar with the areas you’re wanting to visit, & help keep you on some sort of a schedule so you’re not wandering aimlessly in a city you’re not used to.
- Just use your common sense. Be aware of your surroundings, don’t get yourself into uncomfortable situations (if you can help it), listen to your gut, & just make the most of your time!
- Unless you’re visiting a place like New York, rent a car. That way you don’t have to get yourself into a potentially scary situation with Uber, AND you get so much more freedom!
Hope this helps someone who is looking to travel to Florida, or is thinking about taking their first solo trip! I honestly couldn’t recommend solo traveling enough, & Florida is such a fun place to do it. You can relax at one of the many beautiful beaches around the state, play at one of the many theme parks in Orlando, enjoy the city vibes of Miami…Florida has anything you could want 🙂
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