How to Plan Your Florida Vacation

Florida is called the "Sunshine State" because of its nice weather all year long. There really isn't a bad month to visit this state. Florida also offers many different types of beaches and activities so there is something that is sure to attract you to vacation there. In order to get the most out of your trip you will need to do some planning ahead of time.

You will need:

Specific Florida location
Date
Budget
Hotel reservation
List of activities
Suitcases

Follow these steps:

Step 1:
Decide which area of Florida you want to visit. Central Florida is home to the Disney theme parks, as well as to Kissimmee's theme park. If you are looking for nice beaches, you will want to go further south, to Miami or Key West. If you stick to north Florida, you can visit Florida's oldest town, St. Augustine.

Step 2:
Choose a date for your vacation to Florida. Most likely this will be dependent upon your work schedule or your child's school schedule. Once you have the date you can begin planning the details of your trip.

Step 3:
Set up a budget. Your budget will help you decide if you have enough money to fly or take a train or bus. Otherwise, you may need to drive. A budget will also help you save the amount of money you think you need. Take the amount you need and divide that by the number of weeks you have until your vacation date. For example, if you need $1200 for your trip and it is 12 weeks away, you will need to save $100 each week.

Step 4:
Book a hotel room. You can find a hotel several ways: You can look hotels up online at places such as Expedia or Hotels.com. If you are an AAA member, you can use a AAA book or speak to a AAA representative. You can also call your favorite hotel chain and find out if they have a hotel near the area you plan on visiting. For example, if you love Best Westerns, you would call the company's toll-free hotline at 1-800-780-7234 and have a representative find you a hotel near your destination. Make your reservation as early as you can because some hotels are booked solid and you want to make sure you will have a place to stay.

Step 5:
Make a list of the sites you want to see and all the activities you plan on taking part in. You may want to list them in order of importance because you may not have enough time to get everything in. You can learn what is available the same way you found a hotel. In fact, the hotel you book may be more than happy to tell you what is available if you call and ask them.

Step 6:
Pack. Make sure you include swimsuits and snorkeling equipment if you plan to hit the beaches. Pack a nice outfit for dinner on the town. Bring a pair of comfortable sneakers for sightseeing and some flip-flops for lounging. You may want a hat to keep the sun out of your face, sunglasses to shield your eyes, and sunscreen to protect your skin. Have your children bring their favorite toy, portable DVD player, or MP3 player to keep busy during the trip. Finally, make sure all suitcases have tags with your information on them in case they get lost.

Tips:
If you don't have a lot of money to spend on attractions, visit Florida's beaches, which are free.

Use a travel agent to put together a vacation package. This may save you money in the long run.

Warning:
You may want to bring travelers checks instead of cash, which could easily be stolen.