1

You will definately need to be sure you have hotel reservations for Christmas Night, New Year's Eve and likely New Year's Day or you'll be sleeping in that rental car. You can easily do this online for many of the cheaper motels (i.e Motel 6, Red Roof Inn, etc).

2

Not if you're willing to pay whatever they charge, or spend the night an hour away.
This is the highest of high season. If you want to stay within a specific budget, you need to book ahead. If you don't, you run the risk of being booked out or having to pay expensive holiday walkup rates.

Then you go to xMiami.

For most parties and dinners, yes.
If xMiami has fireworks or something like a ball (orange?) drop, then you likely won't need any for that.

Minor nitpick: National Wildlife Refuge.

An extra bit of advice:
Skip that night in xFort Lauderdale. Canaveral to Largo is about 5 hours or so by car.
I have no idea why you're going to Bradenton.

3

Be prepared for major traffic going to Key West. It is one road in, one road out and like bzookaj says, this is the high of the high season. I drove into Key West on Dec. 30 a few years ago and it was bumper-to-bumper traffic most of the way down there. Plan accordingly.

Miami Beach is kind of fun on NYE. You don't need to plan much to have fun if you go to regular bars (not clubs) that don't have cover charges and take advantage of the warm weather and just people watch outside. You can sit on the beach and watch the fireworks for free. Just be careful and watch out for pickpockets and the such. NYE brings out all the crazies.

4

Welcome to Thorn Tree

Christmas Day on airliners and in airports - how traditional.
In one day you will see one theme park. If you are flying in from across the pond, you'll be exhausted before you even start.
I hope you have reservations - and nothing is "cheap" in the Keys
I hope you have reservations - and nothing is "cheap" in the Keys
31. Miami
I thought you wanted to spend New Years' Eve in Key West? That would be my choice.
01. Miami
02. sanibel
03. Bradeton
04. St. Petersburg
05. Tampa
You do realize that you can't tell where St. Pete ends and Tampa Begins? For that matter, you won't be able to tell when you leave Bradenton and enter Tampa or St. Pete. They are all on the shore of the same bay.
06. chessahowitzka national park
It is Chessahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge. If you want to visit a mangrove swamp, Everglades National Park does it better and you'll drive right past the entrance the morning after you stay in Florida City.
07. Departure Orlando

This seems like a lot of driving around to redundant locations in my humble opinion.
Disney is in Orlando along with half a hundred other theme parks.
Cape Canaveral is worth a day.
Lauderdale, Miami, Sanibel, Tampa, St. Pete and Bradenton all have beaches. The best one of the lot is on Key Biscayne in Miami.
Key Largo has the name. You go there to boat, fish, dive, and do nothing. It is an expensive and relatively dull one-night stand.
Key West has the 24/7 parties especially on New Year’s Eve.
Florida City is something to drive through on your way to the Keys or to the Everglades after you see the Keys.
Since you don’t have any reservations yet, you may want to consider less time on the road, fewer stops, and more vacation. But, it’s your trip.
Have a great time and have a Merry Christmas even if it is in an airport.

5

Your timing is bad for cheap hotels
around Orlando because Xmas and New Year
is one of the busiest times for the theme parks.
Try using ..............HOTELCOUPONS.COM /
type in the city to see what deals are available.

6

Mimi_hh,
Please give us an update ?