Most of Florida runs on Eastern Standard Time, which is 3 hours ahead of San Francisco and 5 hour behind Greenwich man time. Florida wears its official nickname "The Sunshine State" so well that the St Petersburg Evening independent used to give its daily edition away free the day after any sunless day. The paper gave away only an average of 3.7 editions each year. That the newspaper closed down in 1988 was obviously not a result of this small act of generosity. Florida is unofficially dubbed the "lightning capital of the country." the state records and average of 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning each year. The hurricane season in Florida usually runs from June 1 through November 30. Foreign visitors are advised to take US dollar traveler's checks to Florida, since exchanging foreign currency - whether as cash or checks - can prove problematic. An increasing number of banks, including the First Union National Bank and Sun Bank chains, offer foreign exchange facilities.

Most major US and international carriers serve Florida. Fare Prices are competitive so shop around before buying a ticket. A variety of discount fares and package deals which can significantly cut round-trip rates to and from Florida are also available. Many scheduled services are supplemented by charter flights. Florida has more than 30 airports, but the state's major international airport are Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa all of which are efficient, safe and easy to get around. Miami international airport is the state's largest in total passenger numbers and airlines. It is also a major jumping-off point for direct flights into the Caribbean and South America. A lot of package flights land at Sanford Airport, about 30 miles north of Orlando. During the busy summer months this small airport is pushed to cope with a number of tourist and lines at immigration can be long. Furthermore, the extra distance can be a costly inconvenience if you plan to use public transportation to reach Orlando and its theme parks. One advantage of Sanford however is that the car rental outlets are right outside the terminal building. Accommodations in Florida range from luxury resorts which cater to your every last need to modest, mom-and-pop motels, cozy, antiques-filled bed breakfast inns, youth hostels and campgrounds in the middle of a forest.

Reservations are generally required in advance and if you are traveling in high season you should book Orlando Hotels several months ahead if you have your heart set on a particular hotel - or if you want to stay inside Walt Disney World. You cannot normally reserve a room in the cheapest motels but if you phone on the day some places may hold a room for a few hours. Room rates vary enormously between the high tourist season in the winter months and the off season months of May-June and September-October; the cost can rise by 30 percent or more during the peak tourist months. There is plenty of scope to ask for a discount Florida hotels if you are visiting during the off-season which for many hotels is an extremely lean time. Florida Hotels also imposes a resort tax in addition to the usual sales tax which is added to the price of all hotel rooms.

Chain hotels and motels

These are both common and popular, Some people dislike chains because they offer no variety and lack a personal touch; the advantage is that once you have been to a hotel run by a particular chain, and liked it, you can predict what kind of service and facilities to expect wherever you are in the state.