For adventurous travelers, we’ve put together a two-week road trip that takes you to many of the most popular destinations in the state. As you explore Florida in your campervan rental, you will get to see alligators, swamps, white sand beaches, a castle, and so much more. Let’s get started!
Half-Day in South Beach & Miami
After you arrive in Miami or Fort Lauderdale to pick up your campervan, you should start your adventures by spending a half day in the area. There are plenty of beautiful beaches to see, but we definitely recommend stopping by South Beach. You’ll want to make sure that you leave time to visit other parts of Miami, though.
We always suggest visiting the lively streets of Little Havana. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported straight to Cuba with the food, music, and art. Wynwood is another must-see neighborhood if you like murals, art galleries, and breweries. If all of these stops cause you to get a late start on the road, you can camp at Larry and Penny Thomson State Park. Homestead is also a great place to set up camp if you want to drive closer to the keys.
2-3 Days in the Florida Keys
The official start of your road trip begins in the Florida Keys. The entire drive down to the Southern Most Point of the Continental US only takes five hours, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the scenery. We recommend stopping at Key Largo and Islamorada on the way. You can spend the night at one of both places to try scuba diving, swim with dolphins, or just relax.
At the end of the 113-mile Overseas Highway, you’ll find yourself in Key West. Duvall Street and the Hemingway House are two of the must-sees. There’s also plenty of fun bars and delicious key lime pie to enjoy before you head north.
Source: Florida Keys
2-3 Days in the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, Naples, and Sanibel Island Captiva
From the Keys, you can stop for a night at Flamingo or Long Pine Key Campground to see the Everglades. To keep with the pace of the trip, you can drive through the Shark Valley Loop to see alligators, or you can take a half-day airboat tour through the wetlands before heading to Big Cypress National Preserve. At Big Cypress, you have the option of stopping for a few hours or the night, but either way, you should take a walk through the swamp. From there, we suggest heading to the Naples area.
Depending on your preferences, you may want to spend more time on 5th Avenue in Naples for some up-scale shopping, or you can check out some of the stunning golf courses. If you’d rather stick with nature, you can go to the Naples Pier to watch for dolphins. You can also drive up to Sanibel Island and Captiva to spend some time on a few beautiful beaches.
Source: Florida Backroads Travel
2-3 Days in Sarasota and the Tampa Bay Area
Next, you will want to drive north to Sarasota. This city has several gorgeous gardens to explore. You’ll also find the Ringling Museum of Art as it was once the winter home to the Ringling Brothers Circus! For more beach fun, we recommend taking a stroll on the Siesta Key Beach at sunset.
For the next day or two, you can drive further north to the Tampa Bay Area. In Tampa, you’ll find several museums, a zoo, and plenty of culture, including the historic Ybor City. Don’t miss a chance to visit Clearwater Beach and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, where travelers can see Winter the famous dolphin with a prosthetic tail. Lastly, you can visit St. Petersburg, the Sunshine City. Here, you can check out the Dali Museum or the Sunken Gardens before driving across the Iconic Sunshine Skyway.
1-2 Days at Orlando Theme Parks
No Florida trip is complete without a stop at one of Orlando’s world-famous theme parks. Walt Disney World has four different theme parks, including Magic Kingdom, the most popular park. You can also visit Universal Studios if you’re a fan of Harry Potter or the Simpsons. Nearby Lake Louisa and Wekiwa Springs State Parks are the ideal places for your camping adventures.
1-2 Days in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral Parks
For the last leg of your trip, you can visit nearby Cocoa Beach, which is known for awesome surf. Just north of the beach is Cape Canaveral, which is home to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. At this center, you can meet astronauts, take a shuttle tour of the launch pads, and experience an astronaut training simulator, among many other things!
Source: Kennedy Space Centre
To finish up your 10-14 day road trip, you can head south along the coast from Cocoa Beach towards Miami.
3 thoughts on “10-14 Days Florida Road Trip”
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