4 Beautiful Cities for Cheap Vacations in Florida This Winter
Written by
Stephanie Mickelson
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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Orlando and Miami are top destinations in Florida, but hotels can be pricey and vacation costs can add up quickly — the average person will spend $258 per day vacationing in Miami. If you want to enjoy the sunny skies of Florida while traveling on a budget, check out fourbeautiful cities for cheap vacations.
Cocoa Beach
Cocoa Beach is one of the more affordable vacation destinations in Florida and costs an estimated $176 per person per day. You may even be able to snag a hotel for less than $90 per night. If you choose to go with an Airbnb, you may get an even cheaper rate. This city, located on a strip of land between the Banana River and the Pacific Ocean, is conveniently located about 15 minutes from Cape Canaveral and thirty minutes away from the Kennedy Space Center.
Orlando is about an hour away, so you’ll also have access to popular destinations like Universal Studios, Universal Orlando Resort, the Orlando Science Center, Walt Disney World Resort and much more.
Key Largo
A vacation to Key Largo typically costs $256 per day per person, and while this isn’t much less than a trip to Miami, savings can add up, the more people you have on vacation with you. Key Largo is the first stop in the Florida Keys when you travel from the mainland, and hotels start at around $100 per night, according to Hotels.com. Budget-savvy travelers may be able to spend as little as $110 per day on their trip.
With breathtaking views of the surrounding water, this city offers opportunities for snorkeling, dolphin encounters and fishing expeditions, and it enjoys access to Everglades National Park to the west and Biscayne National Park to the north. And all of this is in addition to plenty of beaches and restaurants. If you want to make the trek to Miami, it’s about an hour and a half away, making a day trip a possibility.
Kissimmee
Dubbed the Vacation Home Capital of the World, Kissimmee has over 30,000 vacation homes to choose from, with some rooms as low as $40 a night. If you want to stay near Orlando without the cost, Kissimmee just might be right for you — vacations can cost around $193 per person per day.
Located south of Orlando, it’s within an hour of many of Orlando’s most popular attractions, including Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort.
According to Tim Choate, founder and CEO at RedAwning, Kissimmee is a great choice “for those on a tight budget looking for proximity to Orlando without paying outrageous rates.” He added, “The city itself has attractions like Lake Tohopekaliga, perfect for fishing and nature hikes, and Old Town, a nostalgic entertainment and retail area.”
St. Petersburg
On the Gulf of Mexico coast, St. Petersburg sits across the Tampa Bay from Tampa and offers vacations for around $239 per person per day — travelers with a tighter budget can spend around $101 per day and still enjoy the trip.
Hotel prices here tend to be higher than other cities on the list, but if you look for deals, you might be able to get one for around $100, though you will likely need to budget a bit more. Checking out vacation homes for rent can also keep your stay a bit more budget-friendly.
St. Petersburg has plenty to do in its own right, including the Salvador Dali Museum, beautiful beaches and delicious restaurants, but you can also take a trip across the bay to Tampa and visit Busch Gardens and Dinosaur World.
Editor’s note: Vacation costs were sourced from Budget Your Trip and are accurate as of Dec. 18, 2024. Prices are subject to change.
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