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Driving from New York to Florida – The Perfect USA East Coast Road Trip
Going on family road trips is an awesome way to connect with loved ones and experience unseen locations and stunning nature to the fullest. How awesome would it be if you get to take such a road trip across two of the giant metropolitan wonders of cities in the current world, surpassing some of the greatest sceneries and sights of the world held in between them?
Well, when you are driving from New York to Florida you will experience that unique road trip of a lifetime!
Well then, suit up! We are about to go on a road trip starting from New York to Florida, guaranteed to leave you with a bunch of mesmerizing memories and give you a time totally worth the ride.
Ps. If you are interested in traveling west or north, make sure to check out this New York road trip itinerary from Kelly at Travel New York Now!
Renting a car in New York
A good preparation is half the battle. Therefore, I recommend you book your RV or Motorhome here and receive the best road trip vehicle with a great discount. They allow you to easily book your rental RV and Motorhome by comparing 100s of international rental companies so you can get the best deal possible!
USA East Coast Road Trip – The Route
A road trip from the Big Apple to the city of Florida will be a rather long ride of approximately 2000 km (1250 miles). It will pass some of the most iconic cities of the Unites States of America, such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Petersburg, Jacksonville, Orlando till you eventually reach your final destination at Florida.
Naturally, you will encounter heavy traffic at certain parts of the trip. Especially at highway exits, traffic lights and due to town speed limits at major cities. My suggestion would be to rise early and to hit the road before the heavy traffic starts.
While the rest of the world sleeps, you will be enjoying a smoothing ride through some of the most the wonderful sceneries. This will save you a lot of frustration, trust me!
Things to do in New York | Day 1
Let’s start our road trip from the modern-day wonder city, the world-famous glamorous New York City. Well it goes without saying that it is a must you enjoy the extravagant culture of the New York city. And what better way is there to experience that than going out in the city to visit some of its iconic standpoints. Yes, it is time to go full-tourist mode on this one and check out some great things to do in New York City!
Traveling on a budget?
No worries – our friends at Beyond My Door wrote an excellent blog post on free things to do in New York City! Go check it out! 🙂
Iconic landmarks of New York
While it is nearly impossible to cover this city in just a matter of days, I would suggest you to spend at least 5 days in the city to actually visit its places and have a wonderful time. Few mandatory landmarks that you have got to cover are;
The Empire State Building
Welcome to the world-famous Empire State Building. Located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, our 86th and 102nd floor observatories provide unforgettable 360° views of New York City and beyond. Whether you’re in town for a week or a day, no visit to NYC is complete without experiencing the top of the Empire State Building.
Opening times Empire State Building:
8 Am to 2 AM
Price of tickets:
To visit the top-deck adults pay $37 and children pay $31
The National 9/11 Memorial Site & Museum
Through commemoration, exhibitions and educational programs, The National September 11 Memorial & Museum, a nonprofit in New York City, remembers and honors the 2,983 people killed in the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001, and February 26, 1993, as well as those who risked their lives to save others and all who demonstrated extraordinary compassion in the aftermath of the attacks.
Openingtimes National 9/11 Memorial Site & Museum:
Memorial: Open Daily
7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Museum: Open Daily
Sunday to Thursday
9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (6 p.m. last entry)
Friday and Saturday
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (7 p.m. last entry)
Price of tickets:
adults pay $24 and children pay $15
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the world’s largest and finest art museums. Its collection includes more than two million works of art spanning five thousand years of world culture, from prehistory to the present and from every part of the globe.
Openingtimes Metropolitan Museum of Art:
10 AM – 9PM
Price of tickets:
General admission is $25 for adults; $17 for seniors; $12 for students; and free for Members, Patrons, and children under 12.
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy.Experience the beauty and splendor of New York City aboard the Statue of Liberty ferry. Tour the grounds of Liberty Island and take the perfect photo of Lady Liberty.
Price of tickets:
25$ for adults and for children 16$
Once you cover these iconic landmarks, let’s begin the road trip.
What to see in Philadelphia | Day
The first major city you will come across on your journey to Florida from NY, would be Philadelphia. It is the largest city of Pennsylvania and known for its rich history. Make sure you visit the iconic sites famed based on the American Revolutionary fights such as the Liberty bell and the Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Further to those, make sure you get a good peak at Philadelphia Museum of Arts and get a stunning view at the Fairmount Park. If not, you may even visit the Barnes Foundation, if you’re into French paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Zoo and the Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, captivating with the mosaic arts, are never to be missed sites as well. Rocky steps is a must go too.
Places to visit in Baltimore | Day
Your stop for the day would be at Baltimore. Should you have time on the day 1 to dedicate to Baltimore, make sure you start with the Maryland Science Center, given you are every bit of a science nerd like myself. 😉
The museum is located in the Baltimore Harbor which is an excellent location as the marina offers some of the best places to eat in Baltimore. Here you can find the Top 10 Best Restaurants of Baltimore Harbour.
If you do not have time on the day 1, please make sure to rise early on the second day, to make the most out of it. National Aquarium Of Baltimore, Fort McHenry, The Maryland Zoo, Walters Art Museum are a few such sites, which may be categorized as must see items and added to you bucket list.
48 hours in Washington | Day
Make sure to check out the National Mall and the most iconic of towers, the Washington Monument which is an absolute must. The White House, the Smithsonian Institution, memorials such as the one for Korean War heroes and the one for Martin Luther King Jr. are sites you need to check out and enjoy as well. Spend time in Washington, take a walk in the busy city and get yourself accustomed to this great city.
While it will be rather impossible for you to cover all these in one day, make sure you plan and prioritize the things you would actually want to see depending on your likenesses. And how knows? You might run into the president himself!
Interested in more local road trips? Check out this fantastic blog post about mini road trips from DC!
Till Rocky Mount | Day
After departure from Washington, you will get through Richmond and Petersburg. You will get to deviate a bit more from the typical city lifestyle as you move towards Petersburg and immerse in its traditional village environment. You may enjoy the Blandford Church and the Pamplin Historical Park. Not to mention, this is a perfect hideout if you choose to cut yourself off from all the chaos in the modern world. Stop by Rocky Mount, which will again sum up the end of a perfect day, with an evening by the Sunset Park, overlooking the city lake.
Via Jacksonville to Florida | Day
Back on the road, Jacksonville will present you with another interesting set of items to explore as well. Big Talbot Island State Park will be a wonderful sight for the eyes, which I can personally attest to, having seeing its scenic beauty, with sandy beaches and clear waters for a perfect camping night.
You will also have to check out the Little Talbot Island which will also present sights to remember. This is in addition to the Catty Chack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary. Once you are passing Orlando, on your way to Florida, ensure to stop by Disney Theme parks Complex, truly a marvel where you can possibly reconnect with your inner child.
If you have time for a small detour – You might even want to do a helicopter tour in Miami!
Check out this Top 20 things to do with kids in Florida article for more information
Finally, you will reach Florida. Your options of things to try out in Florida will be a huge list, which will surely need some narrowing down, based on your preferences and selections, as the list of activities will vary from theme parks, to visiting the Kennedy Space Center, to inshore fishing to even famous helicopter rides.
Final Words
I hope you enjoyed this blog post : Driving from New York to Florida – The Perfect USA East Coast Road Trip.
If you have any questions or remarks please leave a comment below and if you enjoyed this article you can also subscribe to our amazing road trip newsletter.
Thank you for this review. My friends and I are going to go on a trip to our rental car in the summer, and it would be useful for us to know about such places. Good luck
You are most welcome, Dylan. Have fun. 🙂
It seems very adventure and we also going there next week. But we tried to book a bike but not available right now. so we all about to go with private car. Hope everything would be ok and according to our needs. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Yes, renting a car would be best! 🙂