have you ever done the whole holiday on the beach

[scooby99]

Originally Posted by fruitbat18

I will check them out as part of my research then , thanks for the information

See more...

I would deffo consider looking first at VRBO, Homeaway & Vacatio Rentals sites before a rental agency site.
More likely to be in contact with the owner who may be more willing to negotiate on price; an agency may be less willing.
We always go in September & have used VRBO & Vacation Rentals & not paid the rate quoted yet.
September is their quietest time of year; many owners are aware that they may not rent at this time of year due to lack of demand so more wiling to do a deal to get your business.

[fredflintstone]

I've done walk-ins a few times. Most of the condos have an office and you just enquire or use the rental offices along the coast road. The advantage of walk-in is you get to see the condo before agreeing to rent. If it is not to your liking, it's amazing how they always seem to have a better one for you to view. They never want to see someone staying for a week or more walking away.

First time I stayed on the coast at Indian Rocks with Thomson and saw all the for rent signs and never looked back. Best tip though it not to turn up at the weekend for more choice.

[Bayshore]

We do the beach every year for the full holiday, with a few nts in Orlando for a bit of a buzz.

We shop in Ellenton, Tyrone and Countryside. Kids love countryside coz they can ice skate in the indoor rink while we shop or go to the movies either.

We go to Tropicana Fields, movies at pier 60 in Clearwater, also look up dollar Tuesdays at Clearwater Threshers grounds ($ in and $ for beer, soda, chips, ice cream etc.) Good fun/cheap and cheerful if the kids really don't care about the game.

There's a fab sprayground in Dunedin, also Tarpon Springs Greek village lovely for a day out.

We also hit Hurricane Watch in Passe A Grille for dinner, ice cream in the Don, day out at Johns Pass. There's loads to do around without moving too far.

[JoJo88]

Loving this thread, lots of ideas, thank you! And thank you for the advice about the malls. Need to get things written down

[svt153]

Great thread!

[littletink]

For the third year running we are in Rotonda West. Amazing beaches, friendly locals, lots to do here - kayaking through a mangrove tunnel to Don Pedro Island, sunsets on the beach, Naples Zoo, fishing trips, shopping in Port Charlotte, Baseball ... we always start with a couple of days at Universal and then head down to the coast for the main part of the holiday - love it here

[JLH]

[QUOTE=littletink;9862363]For the third year running we are in Rotonda West. Amazing beaches, friendly locals, lots to do here - kayaking through a mangrove tunnel to Don Pedro Island, sunsets on the beach, Naples Zoo, fishing trips, shopping in Port Charlotte, Baseball ... we always start with a couple of days at Universal and then head down to the coast for the main part of the holiday - love it here[/QUOTE

Next year we are hoping to do a couple of days at universal and then onto the coast too. Have only done a day at clearwater before so want to try somewhere else, i think anna maria is going to be our choice.

[littletink]

Next year we are hoping to do a couple of days at universal and then onto the coast too. Have only done a day at clearwater before so want to try somewhere else, i think anna maria is going to be our choice.[/QUOTE]

Yep, we would like to try AMI ... but we love Rotonda so much - if my lottery numbers come up - this is where I would be

[florida girl]

We did 16 nights at AMI last November with four 19 to 23 year olds and had a wonderful time. The homes on the Island are beautiful and all a stones throw from the miles of beaches. We found plenty to do we like the beach but only for a few hours at a time we would rather be exploring. We hired bikes,jet ski and kayak. The plus is Bradenton is only a short car journey away for shopping,restaurants,bowling etc. Also Busch Gardens is only about an hour away if you want some park action

[DrumCorpsFan]

Originally Posted by littletink

Next year we are hoping to do a couple of days at universal and then onto the coast too. Have only done a day at clearwater before so want to try somewhere else, i think anna maria is going to be our choice.

See more...

Yep, we would like to try AMI ... but we love Rotonda so much - if my lottery numbers come up - this is where I would be [/QUOTE]

Make sure you try L'il Tony's pizza on the Cape Haze plaza next time you are in Rotonda