Orlando for the 4th time.... 11 days split with Tampa area??

Hi!

We have the air tickets for the 20th of June.

It will be our 4th time in Orlando; arriving into MCO and departing 11 days later from Tampa.

I was thinking in doing 8 days in ORLANDO and the 3 days left in TAMPA.

Would you recommend this for us??

We are a family with a boy age 15, been in all theme parks, including Universal.We love USA and Florida, and we like to have a rental car and going our own.

I like shopping and the guys like tennis and sports...

I%26#39;ve been looking around Tampa area...but no idea if worth spending our 3 last days(Busch gardens and anything else to do??)

we have experience in driving in USA... so we are not afraid driving long if there is something interesting to see.

Thank you. from SPAIN

Orlando for the 4th time.... 11 days split with Tampa area??

Well, if you%26#39;ve done the theme parks before, I might be inclined to spend a day or 2 more in the Tampa area, at one of the beach resorts. I prefer the barrier islands south of tampa such as Anna Maria, Siesta Key, and Longboat Key. But many here will also trumpet Fort De Soto, Clearwater, St petersburg. While there you can do BG, or hang at the beach, catch a museum, visit an aquarium, watersprts, hire a boat, shop, eat out.............................................................................................................

But, if you are from Benedorm, and aren%26#39;t really interested in the beach life USA style. Oh yeah, forgot to rec a deep sea fishing trip- very good with teenage boys.

Orlando for the 4th time.... 11 days split with Tampa area??

Is that a Bichon in your picture?? I have a Bichon too!

thank you Amanx for you info, I will check carefully those beaches tomorrow, is there any particular one where you can find both shopping and water sports nearby??

We like crowds, well I mean not desertic places to stay.. and yes you are right , we are from Benidorm ...but never go to the beach with the family specially during the summer time...we are busy working July, August and September even weekends.. so these are our big holidays before a hard summer.

Another question...what is a bichon??

My picture is from a caniche toy, he is Chopi..and was a present for my mom... but now she is not with us any more...so he reminds her every day; he is 2 and a half years.

We really enjoy Tampa.. Busch Gardens is great, and they usually have a special so you can return a second day for the price of a single day%26#39;s admission. We are all a little roller coaster crazy, and Busch Gardens Tampa has some great roller coaster action.

Our next favorite activity in Tampa is to eat. We absolutely love to drive north to Tarpon Springs. It is a community that developed around Greek immigrants who were sponge divers. The best Greek restaurants in the US are in Tarpon Springs, and the shopping!!!!!! You can go crazy while the guys hang out on the docks and talk fish things, or they could even go out in a boat while you shop.

Do not miss a visit to Ybor City and dinner at the Columbia, unless you eat at their restaurant in Celebration. If you are going to Tampa you should save your Columbia experience for the original restaurant. Ask to sit in the dining room that features the dancers. Order some Sangria and be sure you have a little black bean soup and an 1912 salad. I love the fish dishes cooked ';Russian style';, but the steak is also fantastic. I%26#39;ve eaten at this restaurant for more than 30 years and have never ordered anything I did not like.

I have never shopped in Tampa, but I know they have some great malls. My daughter often drives over there to shop at Nordstroms since we do not have one here where we live.

We usually stay at Treasure Island. We rent a condo right on the beach. There are all kinds of beach activities from wave runners to some type of water-ski, parasail activity. I am sure that you will love Tampa, and it is never as crowded and tourist driven as Orlando.

I prefer the empty beaches w/o the stuff you are looking for. You will find some on the barrier islands, but for busy beaches and crowds then I think you want Clearwater, St pete%26#39;s, Tresure Island etc.

If you want a full on crowded place with a slightly seedy american feel you could try Daytona and maybe even see some motor racing. But I wouldn%26#39;t- Id go west.

A Bichon Frise is a dog very similar to yours! :-)

You%26#39;ll find plenty to do in Tampa for a few days. My favorite place in Florida!

Goodness! I would certainly not go to Daytona......it is the worst place in Florida. Alternatives on the Atlantic side would be Vero Beach or Melbourne Beach. Plus the gulf shore beaches are much nicer than those on the Atlantic side.

thank you BUSY-RETIRED.

We are not going to Daytona...sure!

We麓ve been from Miami beach to Orlando(south to north), exploring this area last year, including Boca Raton, the mansions in Palm beach-only outside the Trump麓s one_,, and now we want to check the west side of Florida.

So I think (enough time to plan), we are going to those beaches you mentioned, Longboat key,Clearwater,St. petersburg...sound me good.We are not looking for a holidays at the beach,I mean standing on the sand for hours... we prefer great bay views, clear water to see and for a quick swim just a beach with great hotels, shopping nearby and people around.(greek restaurants whow!!!)

Somebody told about Tarpon Springs... like luxury area???

what I am looking for it%26#39;s the beach atmosphere, after been in Orlando for 6-7 days.

any suggestion is very apreciated!!

this forum is the best of the best!!

Tarpon Springs is not usually considered a luxury area. It%26#39;s where Greek immigrants settled to carry out their traditional sponge diving - and they still do. The area is a bit touristy but is unusual and probably the only one of its kind in the USA. It will not be as crowded as some of the more popular tourist area in Florida.

Dear Botiga,

How to describe Tarpon Springs? Probably not a luxury area although some of the little clothing boutiques sell some pricey things. We have never spent the night there so I cannot comment about hotels. We stay out on one of the beaches west of Tampa and drive north to Tarpon Springs for meal and half a day of shopping and looking.

The old part of Tarpon Springs near the sponge docks is ';quaint';. The shops and restaurants are mostly older. It is not a large area...probably about ten blocks long and only one street wide.

The attraction for us is the very authentic Greek food. We eat Greek all over the world and Tarpon Springs is the best you can get in the US. Hopefully before you come I will be able to remember the name of our current favorite restaurant, but we have eaten in most of them and they are all good.

My daughter and grand-daughter love to shop for clothing and accessories in the little boutiques. I buy lovely scented soaps hand made from olive oil and clothing for my toddler grandchildren. There are dozens of little souvenior and trinket shops, and I think my son-in-law buys cigars there. I know he buys cigars in Ybor City in Tampa.

Now that our children are grown we no longer enjoy hanging out at the beach.. I like a nice hotel room with a balcony so I can see and hear the water and watch the sunset. I appreciate a pool near the beach with no sand around it. I think we probably have the same attitude about sand and salt water.

I really think that a day in Busch Gardens (or two if it is crowded and you cannot do everything in one) and a good part of the third day in Tarpon Springs would be a good use of your time in Tampa.

origins