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| Driving in Orlando |
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When you arrive at Orlando International Airport and have a car rental reservation your road trip is about to begin.
Once you have signed for the car at one of the many airport car rental firms, head over to the main multi storey car park and there you will be handed the keys to your rental car. In some instances the keys are already in the ignition. Give the vehicle a once over check to make sure lights work, there isn’t any major damage etc then you are off. Picking up your Florida car hire at Orlando airport is that straight forward.
Leaving Orlando Airport car park is fun, first you get checked by security then exit the main building onto the ring road surrounding the airport. The views are nice immediately, although watch out – the speed limit is around 20mph so always pay attention to posted speed signs.
In Florida the speed is measured in MPH not KPH as in Europe (bar the UK) so that is important to remember. The thing about the road network is that there are multiple categories of roads, by this we mean: Toll Roads, Interstate roads, highways etc etc. One main thing to watch out for if you do join a Toll road is that you have to pay at every toll booth you come across. Unlike in the UK where you may pay once and that’s it. In Florida you pay each time you come across a pay point. They do provide change so don’t worry about that in most instances, although its always advisable to have some ready just in case. The main thing is that you pull off to pay as directed or you may be liable for a hefty fine. They have video cameras monitoring the main Toll ways.
The Roads tend to be 3 or 4 lane and naturally left hand drive vehicles in the USA. Cars tend to merge from the inside lane and speeding isn’t that common. Traffic tends to be quite heavy in an around Orlando. The Interstate 4 (I-4) is surprisingly busy during rush hour along with other minor roads.
One thing you may notice is that most roads tend to be lined by shops, fast food outlets, attractions etc and the grid shaped map is normal.
When it rains in Orlando it really does chuck it down, so perhaps remember to buckle up and keep your distance from the vehicle in front. In recent torrential rain there were over 400 car accidents in 24 hours.
Gas, petrol or diesel whatever you use or want to call it is cheap compared to Europe and if you drive efficiently you may not need to fill up depending on how far you drive.
Getting around Orlando is difficult without a car. Walking to and from Disney would be hard. There are buses but if you want to be mobile – hire a car. Avis, and Budget are the two main car hire firms and you are advised to pre-book or reserve a vehicle before you arrive at Orlando Airport.
If you are looking to drive to Disney World theme parks when visiting Magic Kingdom or say EPCOT you do have to pay for parking $14 standard for cars, other vehicles may be more. That lasts all day. You pay at a toll booth before you enter the park. Once in the main parking area you are directed by Disney World parking attendants and should follow their instruction. Once parked it's usually a short walk to a transit shuttle bus, buggy or mono rail into the main theme parks.
Downtown Disney parking is free, so you can pull right up and park next to the shops and restaurants.
If you happen to visit Universal Studios, parking is also $14 for cars and other vehicles may vary.
Visiting the Orlando Museum of Art of Science Museum, there is a multi storey car park just nearby costing $5 per day.
Major shopping malls have free parking too and usually have large capacity.
Again, the best way to get around Orlando and to Orlando's theme parks is driving, hope you enjoy the experience!
See also: Driving Directions
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