Discovering Orlando without a car
TMS Help Team • March 20, 2024
Having booked a relatively last minute trip to Florida for my family (2 primary aged kids) I decided not to hire a car. The hotel we were staying in was conveniently located and had a Universal park shuttle. I thought no car it would save money and be more convenient.
As a relatively seasoned traveller to Florida, having visited 3 times previously as an adult, and always hired a car I was a little nervous about how doing it without one would work. 'Would the airport transfer be OK?' 'How would the park shuttle work?' 'Would getting around in general be a problem?'
In short, I needn't have worried, and if you don't read any further that's the key takeaway. I did however learn a few things along the way though which would be useful to know if you are considering the same thing.
The airport transfer was super-easy, no hassle, no delays, walked straight out of the terminal after picking up our suitcases and was in a taxi in 5 minutes and getting dropped off at our hotel 20 minutes later! The taxi was a little more expensive than the pricing guidance suggested ($38-$50 for International Drive) but at $60 including tip not bad for the convenience. It may well have been cheaper to Uber (more about that later) so I'd suggest checking that out as a possible option.
Probably the most awkward thing about not having a car is that American roads are not designed with pedestrians in mind. That said, and once we'd got over the sense of a near death experience the first time we crossed an 8 lane highway (Sand Lake Road) at the crosswalk, International Drive is quite nice to walk around and there are a lot of restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment venues close together.
That brings me to one of the great things about not having a car; no need to worry about having a beer, a wine, a cocktail or a 2nd or a 3rd because someone else is always driving (or the hotel is just a short walk away).
One thing to watch out for when crossing is that traffic is allowed to turn right on a red light, pedestrians on the crosswalk do have right of way but that doesn't stop some drivers from taking liberties. So keep a close eye on traffic coming from your left as you step into the road and to your right as you approach the opposite pavement.
We stayed at the budget friendly Rosen Inn International towards the North end of International Drive, nothing fancy (pretty retro but not intentionally) but a comfy bed to sleep in at the end of a long theme park day. The Hotel was a Universal partner hotel so had a shuttle from the hotel to the Universal Studios parks and back. The shuttle ran 4 times daily to the parks in the morning (every hour ish) and 3 times daily on the way back. Very convenient and only around 20 minutes from our hotel to the bus station at Universal (just an escalator up to the security check area so much closer than you can park the car). My one warning regarding the shuttle is in relation to the last bus back, if you aren't prepared to barge your way onto the bus then this is one to avoid. The one time we caught that last bus I saw families with young kids and older guests left behind because the bus was full. I'd recommend an Uber rather than fighting with that last bus back (or just stay later at City walk and get an Uber back to the hotel, we did that a couple of times for around $12 per trip - super quick way to get tired kids back to the hotel too).
So, to Uber. I would highly recommend downloading the app before travelling if you don't have it already. Uber pick up and drop off everywhere you might consider going and the fares were very reasonable in most cases. A trip from our hotel to Disney Magic Kingdom was around $17-$18 each way, $35 ish total. Which is cheaper than preferred parking ($50) and the Uber drop-off is closer to the entrance too! We did get stung with one relatively expensive trip back from Disney Springs, I can't claim to understand how the Uber algorithm works, so that's something to look out for.
I'd also highly recommend the I-ride trolley, we bought 14 day passes (only £12 per person which can be booked before travel) which proved great value. The I-ride trolley is great, picks up and drops off all the way up and down international drive and they run around every 20 minutes all day and well into the evening. You can track the trolley on their website so you can see when one is approaching your stop. We used the I-ride to travel to SeaWorld, Aquatica, the shopping outlets, numerous evening meals out, etc. It's a really fun, slightly quirky, way to travel and the kids loved it.
The next time I travel to Florida I'll be very confident to rely on public transport and save myself the hassle and expense of a car.
If you are interested in planning a trip to Florida please get in touch with us. We have Orlando on sale until 2026 on a deposit basis with payment plans available.
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