Flat riding in the sunshine….in March! An early spring circumnavigation of the Sunshine State.
For those prepared to look, Florida offers so much more than just the theme parks of Orlando and winter golf! This trip will let you see all that Florida has to offer, from the sub-tropical ‘Keys’ so loved by Ernest Hemingway to the old colonial splendour of St Augustine.
Our trip starts and ends in Miami with a wide choice of convenient flight connections. The route will take us up the largely urbanized east coast of south Florida, to the old colonial city of St Augustine, then across the peninsula and down through national parks and swampland to Fort Meyers beach. From here we take the high speed ferry to Key West for the last 170 mile stretch along the Florida Keys back to Miami.
In terms of terrain, there are no real hills to speak of, apart from gentle inclines, but there are long stretches of remote countryside as we cross the hinterland.
This two week trip is suitable for all regular cyclists with an average of 65 miles per day but virtually no climbing. Each day you will be provided with maps and turn-by-turn instructions, though these will be in a different format to the famous Bike Adventures ‘yellow sheets’. For those with SatNav a .GPX file will be made available before departure.
Accommodation is in motels and hotels. Because accommodation in the US is generally sold ‘by the room’ we regret that our supplement for single occupancy is higher than for our European routes.
The United States offers little of the small hotel/Inn/B&B accommodation that Bike Adventures is known for. Instead accommodation will be mostly in corporate motels/hotels.
A growing number of US hotels/motels include breakfast, though this may be limited to coffee, cereal, toast and pastries. Wherever breakfast is not included we will provide a continental breakfast in your room. We will always endeavour to book accommodation close to suitable restaurants for evening dining, where this is not possible, transport will be provided.
Weather in Florida in March is generally warm but with a likelyhood of short periods of heavy rain or thunderstorms..
Your booking excludes flights and you are responsible for making your own flight bookings into and out of Miami International.
The policies of airlines vary and frequently change. Some will carry your bike in addition to the standard luggage allowance, some allow the bike as part of the standard allowance and some will charge extra. At the time of writing British Airways allows bikes as part of the overall allowance provided they are ‘properly’ boxed. You are responsible for checking with your airline that your bike can be carried. Please note that, due to space limitations in the support vehicle, we cannot accept hard sided bike cases.
The rules regarding how the bike must be prepared also vary widely. Regardless of what the airline will accept, we recommend that your bike is properly boxed, either in a purpose-built case/bag or a stout cardboard box (most bike shops have these and are happy to give then free or for a few pounds). For advice on exactly how to package the bike contact us. Again, you are responsible for ensuring that your packaging meets the airline’s requirements. If you plan to use a hard case please let us know so that we can ensure we have enough luggage space to carry it.
We will meet you from your flight and transfer you to your hotel, close to the start point.
We will provide transfers to Miami International Airport.