For my family, we always feel that our vacation starts in the airport as we prepare for the journey over to the US. Whilst we appreciate that the whole airport or airplane experience isn’t always everyone’s idea of a vacation, we always try to embrace it and make it as much fun as possible.
We prepare well in advance and ensure that we have coloring books, sticker books, new pencil and pens and plenty of items to keep our younger kids happy and entertained on the long flight over from Scotland to the US. Investing a bit of time here pays dividends later on.
When travelling to Central Florida, there are two main airports that serve the Orlando and Kissimmee areas, these are Orlando International Airport and Orlando Sanford Airport. Further over on the coast there is also of course Tampa International as well. All in all the area is pretty well served for the airline traveler.
As regular visitors to the area, we have flown in to both International and Sanford airports on many occasions. I thought for my first blog, I’d write about some of the pros and cons of each airport to hopefully help the long distance traveler plan their best option for their next trip to Kissimmee.
Orlando International is the closest airport to central Florida serving the heart of the Orlando/Kissimmee area. However, its central location also makes this the busier of the two airports. Despite the huge volumes of people moving through the facilities on a daily basis, the airport is pretty well run and they do a good job of keeping everyone moving.
Overseas travelers should ensure that they have their customs and immigration details 100% correct and up to date as the notorious US Customs and Immigration officials will give you short shrift if there is even a small mistake on a form.
One other unusual aspect of Orlando International is the need to collect your luggage twice. Once you have identified it following your flight, you need to hand it over again to airport officials to pick it up for a second time at the airport exit area. It sounds more of a hassle than it actually is, so don’t let this put you off.
Once you have all your belongings, the taxi rank is conveniently located outside of the terminal building. If you are on a fly-drive vacation, then many of the rental car companies are now located together on a lower floor in the terminal building. Once you have registered and paid, then the car pick up area in now conveniently located directly opposite the terminal building. A few years ago, the airport authorities moved many of the leading car rental firms into the multi-story car park and the different companies are all easily identified. Many of them use the ‘choose any vehicle’ option which is a great way to get exactly what you are looking for. This basically means that if you have booked a mid-size car for example, then you simply find the row of vehicles marked mid-size and then you are free to choose any of the vehicles parked in the line. There are usually a range of manufacturers and models and a number of different colors.
Exiting Orlando International is easy and you can connect easily on to the major routes like the I-4 or Orange Blossom Trail.
Sanford airport is located north of Orlando itself. However, the Kissimmee area is just 45 mins to an hour away. The main connection routes are the I-4 or some Toll roads. The I-4 is the busiest option, and you should give some thought to putting around $6 aside and consider taking the toll roads as they are usually quick and quiet – perhaps money well spent?
The airport itself is usually a lot quieter than International. Many of the holiday company charter flight options fly into Sanford. Because it is a smaller airport and less busy, lines at Immigration can be shorter.
Once you have collected your belongings, the car hire locations are not all centrally located so you will need to find your chosen provider. However, the majority are located across the road at the front of the terminal building at various locations around the car parks. The signposting to each option is clear so don’t worry about getting lost. Again, many of the providers use the ‘choose any vehicle’ method of selection.
Despite the airport being located further north than International, the additional journey time will only be around 30 mins or so so Sanford is a great option if you can only find an airline that lands in this location.
My final piece of advice is again to embrace the airport as a fun part of your vacation. As you are standing in line, waiting to be served, just remember that your vacation in Kissimmee is waiting for you on the other side of those doors!
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