## Trip Overview ### Fort Lauderdale → Orlando → Clearwater → St. Petersburg 📅 March 4–14, 2026 --- ## About this trip We spent 11 days in Florida on a family road trip from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Madeira Beach. This post shares our route, hotels, favorite beaches, Universal Islands of Adventure day, and practical travel tips from the trip. And most importantly — we celebrated our **15th wedding anniversary**.

View of the Florida coast during our road trip — (Photo by Nadia Tsygankova)

--- ## March 4 — Arrival We landed at **Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport**. After landing we took the free shuttle to the rental car companies and picked up our car from **Sixt**. Our first hotel was **La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Ft. Lauderdale Plantation**. The hotel felt a bit tired and old. Old rooms and a pool that clearly needed cleaning. But after a long travel day we still jumped into the pool and relaxed. --- ## March 5 — Ocean stop We decided that this trip must include **Universal Studios in Orlando**. On the way we stopped at **Jensen Beach**.

Jensen Beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

It turned out to be a perfect stop between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando: - wide beach - free parking - beautiful Atlantic Ocean

Wide sandy beach and ocean at Jensen Beach — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

And this was where I saw **a snake at the beach for the first time**.

Snake spotted near the beach in Florida — (Photo by Nadia Tsygankova)

Luckily, people nearby warned us. --- ## March 6 — Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando After breakfast we took an Uber and in five minutes we were at **Universal**. Out of the three Universal parks, we chose Islands of Adventure. We bought the tickets in advance and used the Universal app to track ride wait times. First ride of the day: **Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure**

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure at Universal Islands of Adventure — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

We waited about **60 minutes**, the longest line of the day. Later we split into two groups — thrill rides and calmer attractions. With my youngest daughter, I did: - Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey - The Cat in the Hat - High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride

The Jurassic World VelociCoaster at Universal Islands of Adventure — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Meanwhile Ievgen and Aleksandra did: - Jurassic World VelociCoaster

- The Incredible Hulk Coaster

Water ride at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Together we also did: - Skull Island: Reign of Kong - The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man And of course a few water rides.

Theme park view at Universal Islands of Adventure — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

It was a **long but amazing day**.

Another view from Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Family day at Universal Islands of Adventure — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Attraction area at Universal Islands of Adventure — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Theme park atmosphere during our Universal Orlando day — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Beach day at Sand Key Park in Clearwater — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

--- ## March 7 — Clearwater Beach We drove to the Gulf Coast and stopped at **Clearwater Beach**. Our first hotel booking didn’t work out — the room smelled like smoke. So we immediately booked another hotel: **Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Clearwater**. Clean room, heated pool and **the best breakfast of the trip**. --- ## March 8 — Sand Key Park, Clearwater We spent the day at **Sand Key Park**. Parking — **$6 for the whole day**. Temperature: Water ~ 22°C Air ~ 29–30°C Perfect beach weather.

Family relaxing at Sand Key Park beach — (Photo by Agata Tsygankova)

Alligator among water lilies at Florida Botanical Gardens — (Photo by Agata Tsygankova)

--- ## March 9 — Madeira Beach We moved to **Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach** I emailed them in advance about our anniversary and they upgraded us to a **suite with a marina view**. A really nice surprise. We also visited **Florida Botanical Gardens**. There we saw two alligators — one small and one about **1.5–2 meters long**. The big one was trying to catch a blue heron and was hiding among the water lilies.

Florida Botanical Gardens during our Madeira Beach stay — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Nature view at Florida Botanical Gardens in Florida — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Treasure Island Beach with soft white sand on Florida’s Gulf Coast — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

--- ## March 10 — Treasure Island Beach and Pier 60 Sunset This quickly became **our favorite beach of the trip**. Wide beach, soft white sand, and an easy entry into the water.

Beach view at Treasure Island in Florida — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

All beaches we visited in Florida had: - free restrooms - drinking water stations - outdoor showers

Sunset crowd and performers at Pier 60 in Clearwater — (Photo by Agata Tsygankova)

In the evening we went to **Pier 60 in Clearwater** to watch the sunset. Street musicians, magicians, and performers created a great atmosphere.

Evening view near Pier 60 in Clearwater — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Sunset colors over the Gulf Coast in Florida — (Photo by Agata Tsygankova)

Sunset at Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Dolphins swimming close to shore on Florida’s Gulf Coast — (Photo)

Dinner at **Salt Cracker Fish Camp** with fresh **grouper from the Gulf**. --- ## March 11 — Anniversary & Dolphins We celebrated our **15th wedding anniversary** on the Gulf Coast. And the ocean gave us a very special moment — **dolphins swimming very close to the shore**. They were only about **10 meters away from us** and came back several times during the day. Sunset at **St. Pete Beach**.

Anniversary dinner at Middle Grounds Grill in Florida — (Photo by Agata Tsygankova)

Anniversary dinner at **Middle Grounds Grill**. The **Mango Nut-Crusted Grouper** was absolutely amazing.

Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale — (Photo)

--- ## March 12–13 — Unexpected extra days Our return flight with **Flair Airlines** was cancelled due to a technical aircraft inspection. Instead of flying home we suddenly had **two extra days in Florida**. We explored: - Las Olas Boulevard

Street view on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Walking around Las Olas Boulevard during our extra day in Florida — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

Family time on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale — (Photo by Ievgen Tsygankov)

- Anne Kolb Nature Center

- Hollywood North Beach Park

Hollywood North Beach Park — (Photo by Nadia Tsygankova)

Mangrove forests, birds, crabs, and beautiful nature. --- ## March 14 — Back home We flew back to Toronto. And landed… **in snow** ❄️ After 11 sunny days in Florida. It was a wonderful trip and a perfect way to celebrate our **15th wedding anniversary**. Florida, we will see you again!

--- ## Florida Road Trip FAQ ### How many days do you need for a Florida road trip? If you want to combine **Orlando**, **Gulf Coast beaches**, and **Fort Lauderdale**, I think **10 to 14 days** works best. Our trip was **11 days**, and it felt like a good balance between driving, sightseeing, and relaxed beach time. ### Is Clearwater or Madeira Beach better for families? Both are good, but they feel a little different. **Clearwater Beach** is more lively and popular. **Madeira Beach** felt calmer for us and was a great base for exploring the area. If you want a quieter stay with easy access to different beaches, I would choose **Madeira Beach**. ### Is Universal Islands of Adventure worth visiting with kids? Yes, especially if your family likes a mix of **thrill rides** and **more relaxed attractions**. We split into two groups during the day, and that worked really well. Some of us did bigger rides like **VelociCoaster** and **The Incredible Hulk Coaster**, while I stayed with my youngest daughter for calmer rides like **The Cat in the Hat** and **High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride**. ### What is the best beach near Clearwater? For us, **Treasure Island Beach** was the best beach of the trip. It had: - wide beach - soft white sand - easy entry into the water We also really liked **Sand Key Park**, especially because parking was easy and affordable. ### How much does a Florida road trip cost? The total cost depends a lot on: - flights - hotel choices - car rental - theme park tickets - restaurants Florida can be done in very different budgets, but **Universal tickets, hotels, and rental car costs** will usually be the biggest parts of the trip budget. ### Is Treasure Island Beach worth visiting? Yes. It was actually **our favorite beach of the whole trip**. It felt spacious, beautiful, and comfortable for a long beach day. If you are staying around **St. Petersburg** or **Madeira Beach**, I think it is definitely worth adding. ### What was the best hotel on this trip? Our favorite stay was **Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. Petersburg – Madeira Beach**. They upgraded us to a **suite with a marina view**, which made our anniversary even more special. We also really liked **Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Clearwater** because it was clean, had a heated pool, and had the **best breakfast of the trip**. ### What was the most memorable part of the trip? There were several, but one of the most special moments was seeing **dolphins swimming very close to the shore** on our anniversary. They were only about **10 meters away from us**, and it felt unforgettable. ### What would I do differently next time? Next time, I would probably spend: - a little more time on the Gulf Coast - less time changing hotels - maybe add one more slow day with no driving That part of Florida was beautiful, and it deserves time without rushing. --- Written, Translated, and Revised by Aleksandra Tsygankova

All about Florida-Travel

Florida Road Trip Guide: Universal, Gulf Coast Beaches and Our 11-Day Route