Florida Vacation Packages

Florida still remains one of the most popular destinations for vacations among the 50 states and it's certainly easy to understand why that's the case. The state, of course, is home to one of the world's most-visited attractions – Walt Disney World Resort. Add to that an abundance of wonderful beaches, national parks, lakes, and other attractions and it's simple to see why Florida attracts visitors from literally around the world.

While Florida is basically an affordable vacation destination, visitors are always looking for ways to save money on a trip to the Sunshine State. One of the ways to do that is to book a Florida vacation package rather than book each aspect of the trip individually, including hotel accommodations, airfare, and rental car. The concept of booking such a "package deal" has become increasingly popular over the last decade or so and more and more travel companies and clearinghouses are pushing this kind of vacation.

Where to Find Good Packages

These days, most people are internet savvy and will usually find their best Florida vacation packages on the internet on a variety of kinds of sites. Here is a list of some of the best places to look for vacation deals to such popular Sunshine State destinations as Orlando/Disney World, Miami, Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater, Marco Island, Sanibel Island, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Palm Beach, and others.

• Vacation Clearinghouses – Though you may not have heard these sites referred to as clearinghouses, this is indeed what they are. They include such internet favorites as Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, Cheaptickets, Hotwire, Expedia, and many others. These sites offer "leftovers" – which isn't a bad thing, but it does mean that quantities of certain things – hotel rooms, flights – may be limited. That's why it's often necessary to snap up a good Florida vacation package as soon as you've decided it's the best one offered. In addition, most of these sites offer reviews by other travelers, so you can use the evaluations of others like you to help you decide whether or not this is a great vacation deal. Often, the savings will be substantial when you book two or more parts of your trip (car, hotel, flight) at the same time and most of these sites will tell you exactly how much you're saving with their package.
  
  
• Airlines – These days, many airlines offer their own package deals to Florida. Southwest, for example, offers Florida vacation packages to about 18 different destinations in the Sunshine State. Other airlines that also feature package deals to Florida include Delta, US Airways, United Airlines, and many other major carriers.
  
  
• Travel agents – Travel agents are almost a thing of the past, especially for those booking domestic vacations, as there is little risk to the consumer as far as safety, etc. is concerned. However, those who do use a travel agent may find that they garner a slightly better rate if all parts of the trip are booked through the agency. If you have a trusted travel agent you prefer to use for booking, don't hesitate to ask about package discounts, especially for popular Florida destinations like Disney World, Miami, or Tampa.
  
  

When to Buy a Florida Vacation Package

As with any vacation, Florida vacation packages can be booked whenever you decide to head to the Sunshine State, be it six months before your trip or just a few weeks prior to your vacation time.

If you're the type that must plan ahead, you'll find that vacation packages still represent a great deal, even if you're booking months ahead. However, if you're flexible or decide at the last minute that you want to make the trek to Florida, you may actually find the best vacation packages at that time. Some sites actually cater to last minute travelers and offer packages at well below the price you might have paid months before. That's because many of these sites contract with hotels, airlines, etc. to help them sell the last few seats or rooms for a particular date or dates in the near future – like the coming weekend – so prices can be quite low.

Therefore, if you're a traveler that is able to get up and go whenever the travel bug hits, check out sites like lastminutevacation.com or lastminutetravel.com as well as some of the aforementioned sites like Travelocity and Expedia, who all have a section on last minute Florida vacation package deals.

Remember, whenever you book a vacation package online, always print the paperwork associated with the transaction and check all cancellation policies as they may differ with each website, carrier, hotel, or rental car company.