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| HOME : ORLANDO : CITY BASICS |
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Orlando Basics
Every major commercial airline and many charter aircraft fly into burgeoning Orlando International Airport or the much smaller Sanford International Airport. Amtrak trains connect the city with cities along the U.S. east coast with stops in Kissimmee, Winter Park and Orlando, while Amtraks Auto Train boards both passengers and their cars for the trip between Lorton, Virginia near Washington D.C. to Sanford, a small town just north of Orlando. Greyhound buses bring people here from every corner of the nation.
Above all things, you need to know that if you expect to get around this vast Central Florida area with any degree of comfort, you will need a car. You will also need to allow more travel time than the distance would suggest. Even Central Floridas main interstate artery, I-4, is gridlocked at peak traffic hours from 7am-9am and from 4pm-6pm and very busy at almost any other time.
Every national rental car chain operates here, along with some smaller car rental operations. They're used to tourists renting a car in one Florida city and dropping it off here or vice versa, although they charge you an additional fee to do that. Get as current a map as you can find. Roads are being built even as you read this, and highway signs often assume you know much more than you do. There is good news, however. Because Central Florida was once sparsely populated and there are vast amounts of acreage up this way, there was plenty of room to build roads, so even the most remote routes are four- or six-lane highways, easy to negotiate.
Sadly, the downside of that is that once you're on a highway, you don't have much time to make decisions on what exit you need and where exactly you're going. Allow plenty of time to drive slowly enough to make your way across multiple lanes when you find the exit you're seeking. If you rent a car in Orlando or elsewhere, you might consider renting a mobile phone as well. It can be a big help in getting instructions if you get lost. Don't be shy about asking for directional help at your hotel, a gas station or an attraction. Driving is, of course, on the right hand side of the road. Seat belts are mandatory, and right turns can be made on a red light, as you will discover from the blaring horns you'll hear if you don't take advantage of the opportunity. U-turns are permitted unless there are signs prohibiting them.
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