wookv

Hi,
Anyone have any suggestions in Florida for a good weekend de-stressor for a stressed out med student looking at 6 more weeks of solid studying for board exams?
Thanks! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

tinnub

1. Amelia Island
2. Mount Dora
3. New Smyrna Beach

Let us know budget and distance constraints and you will be amazed at the suggesstions.

wookv

Thanks for the reply!
I was thinking ideally <$350 for flight + hotel (flying from Nashville), and hopefully in an area where I won't have to spend >$200 for food and activities.
Something relaxing, maybe with a quiet beach/fishing/(maybe)snorkelling tours and some local shops to browse around and good restaurants.

Thanks so much!

Gizmos

How about the islands off Sarasota? Longboat, Lido and Siesta Key - hire a bike and have a relaxing time.

wookv

Thanks for all your suggestions Tinnub and cuddlychin, I looked up the places that you both suggested and I really like Amelia island and Lido keys.

I also looked up a flight, to SRQ is $450 (on cheapair.com)and $300 to Jacksonville. Any suggestions of websites for cheaper flights? And any recommendations for places to stay?

Thanks!!

amarain

Siesta Key is lovely! White sand beaches, little village, very relaxed and not too crowded at all. I am there at least once a year.

Try qixo.com for airfares - sometimes it's the same as Expedia and the like, but every so often you'll find a hidden low fare.

wookv

Thanks amarain, I looked up Siesta key, it looks like a fantastic relaxing place. (Unfortunately for me, a flight from BNA to SRQ is $442.)
Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

tinnub

You may want to look at WN (Southwest) for flights from BNA-JAX. Depending on day, it is under $200 RT and since it is direct only takes about 2 hours. If you are looking at Amelia Island, there are some B&Bs as well at the Ritz. You can also stay in Amelia and daytrip to St. Augustine or go north to Jekyll Island in Georgia. Let me know if you need more help.

MoreMilesPlease

You can always look at Clearwater Beach. Fly into Tampa. You can still get some pretty cheap accomodations on th beach. There is plebty of places to eat and the marina is right there with tours etc..

dh01

You will love Siesta Key beach. For cheaper fares, try to fly into Tampa or Clearwater/St. Pete.
Air Tran should have pretty decent fares too into Sarasota, then rent a car, being low season now, rates are cheap for cars.

wookv

Thanks for your suggestions everyone! I really appreciate all the tips and advice! You people are amazing!
I'll try to look, at this point, it's so last minute maybe something cheap will pop up...

MoreMilesPlease

have you looked at www.site59.com They give prices using double occupancy so keep that in mind if you are traveling alone (will need to pay more for one than two)

PSUhorty

Amelia Island would be a wonderful choice, especially if you enjoy golfing. On the gulf coast, you could fly into Tampa or Sarasota with AirTran more than likely being the cheapest airfare you'll find. Not sure if AirTran services Nashville though.

If by chance USA3000 services Nashville, you could fly into St. Pete/Clearwater... which brings up another suggestion...

You coudl stay at St. Pete Beach. There are a lot of beachfront motels that would be very reasonably priced at that time of year. On biz, I've stayed at a place called the Bon-Aire. Sounds cheesy, but it's actually a nice little place. Had a beachfront room for about $70/night. North from St. Pete, there are several other beaches (Reddington, Indian Shores, Treasure Island) on which there is shopping. Take a dolphin cruise, go shelling, etc, etc, etc.

PSUhorty

BTW, just did a quick search for you...
Departing Nashville on 7/1- arrive Tampa
Depart Tampa 7/5

I'm showing pricing around $250. Not bad at all.

ivysun99

Hi, I think Boca/Ft. Lauderdale/South beach is a great place to go. Disney world is fun too. In fact, I live in Florida, and my mom just came down to visit. I took her to St.Petersburg, South Beach, and Orlando. We stayed in the different resorts during her visit. We actually got a great deals staying in the resorts (some even cheaper than staying in hotels), and the enviroment is a lot better. Please feel free to let me know if you are planning to come to Florida. I can get some great discounts on resorts in FL since we own a time-share resort in Orlando.

By the way, my boyfriend is in med school. I can see why you need a de-stressor.

Ivy