I am planning a family trip for about 10-15 people. Ideally we would like to rent a beach house, and have options for transportation other than rental cars ie trolley, bus, cabs. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for where to go in Florida or any other warm weather locations in the U.S for June or July. Thanks!
http://www.beachclubal.com/default.asp
this is where my southern family goes each year, Gulf Shores Alabama, it is very reasonably priced
The outer banks in North Carolina is awesome. We went two years ago with 21 people and stayed in one big, beautiful home. It was a blast. We had a pool at our house and we stayed right on the beach. We went at the end of May to save money and our house was around $4000 for the week. It had 9 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms, game room, media room etc....it was a blast. We rented our home through TWIDDY. You can look at the homes at twiddy.com. We all drove to NC. It took 2 days and was a beautiful drive, but you can fly also. Have a great trip!!!
M.,
Check out www.vrbo.com for rental houses. My family used this for my wedding and it worked out great!
M.--If you're interested in places a little cheaper than some of the most popular destinations, may want to look into Gulf Shores, Al or Orange Beach, Al--close to Pensacola, FL. They don't, to my knowledge, have a trolley type system, though! Destin, Fl might. St. Petersburg, FL is close to Tampa, and is beautiful. I would stick to the Gulf Coast if there are mutliple young children, because the surf is easier to swim in....Another great destination, close to Tampa, is Anna Marie Island, Fl. If you would like to know a website with house/condo rentals, try VRBO.com---we've used them on multiple occasions. Good luck!
K.
If you're going in summer, than any part of FL will be nice, so I suggest Okaloosa Island or nearby (Ft. Walton Beach or Destin FL)--I love VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals By Owner) for finding a beach house or other rental. Now, if you want to fly in to FL, you're probably better off in a bigger city, because flights into Ft. Walton are quite expensive. We drive, and the beaches there are the best we've ever seen--emerald green waters, pure white sand beaches, lots of dolphins in the area. However, we also had a wonderful time in Indian Rocks Beach, which is in the Tampa area. Again, we rented a condo through VRBO.com and had a great time--the beach trolley is very nice for extra transportation, but if you want to do anything like go to Busch Gardens, you'll need rental cars as well. Good luck! You might look at VistFlorida.com--that's the official state tourism site.
pensacola beach baby! i refer it to ALL my friends- anyone who will listen :) it is a smaller area, and while it does draw tourists it's simply not as huge and overwhelming as some spots. it also has pristine white beaches, and gorgeous water! we are trying to get a group together to rent a beach house there as well, this summer. and there are free trolleys running all the time! great night life, stuff to do with kids, about anything you can want. google it. it's my favorite all time vacation spot!
Hi....
My family has been going to the Outer Banks in North Carolina for about 20 years (we go for a week every summer). It is a great place, not too commercialized and ther is stuff to do for all ages. We started going before I was married and had kids, now the kids LOVE it. The beaches are not crowded and the rent is resonable. We usually get the same house for 2 or 3 years and then change. The more North on the "island" the better.. We usally drive and it is a beautiful drive, through Tennessee and North Carolina. I would highly recommend it. They have "pre-summer" rates at the houses through the first week of June which is usually when we go. Summer rates are of course higher.
Good luck with your search!
D. Recker
St. Petersburg Beach, Florida (make sure you look up BEACH and not just ST. Pete's) is a great location. You fly into Tampa (there is a STP airport, but I think it's cheaper to fly into TPA) and it is only about a 30" car ride. There is a trolley that runs up/down Gulf Blvd to all of the various beaches. We go at Christmas and have a great time. The beaches are beautiful, flat, and you can walk on them for miles. Gulf waters are always warm in the summer. Check it out. We love it there.
I was going to suggest nc too. My sisters and parents rented a big nice house there and had a blast, with beach and nearby city, there was all sorts of fun.
K.
My family rented a cabin on the beach in Amelia Island, FL and had a blast! The cabin we got was roomy and I think we fit 8 people in there. I have also been to St. Pete's Beach and it was also fun. But, I do think that June is rainy season in Florida, so I'd look that up before you plan a big trip!
