Completely updated every year (unlike most of the competition), Frommer's Florida is much more comprehensive and detailed than its major competitor. It is simply the most reliable guide you can buy. Our team of expert authors has inspected countless accommodations, and they've selected the very best: lavish golf resorts, spas, stunning B&Bs, beachfront motels, and family-friendly condos. No matter what your budget, this guide can help you design a memorable Florida vacation.

Frommer's covers all the highlights: the sizzling South Beach club scene, the state's best restaurants, dive sites in the Keys, baseball spring training, theme parks, the Kennedy Space Center, world-class golf courses, and beaches, water sports, and beach bars galore. You'll learn about all the latest developments at Disney and Universal Studios, and get lots of insider tips about airfare bargains and package deals. You'll even get a free color fold-out map and an online directory that makes trip-planning a snap!

Let me save you the money I wasted on all the other books I bought about miami: Just buy this one, it's the only one you'll need.


Reviews were as practical as they were sometimes sardonic   January 5, 2003
 5 out of 8 found this review helpful

Tourism generates over $41 billion annually for the Florida economy, which is more than twice the entire GNP for Cuba. That is why there is a fierce fight for the Florida travel guide market. Fodor's Florida Travel Guide is one of the three guides that I reviewed during my two week driving vacation through Florida, and it came in first! (Fodor's #2 and Mobil Travel Guide #3 [see my other reviews]).

The refreshing writing style of the reviews were as practical as they were sometimes sardonic, i.e. "This resort couldn't be any more remote, not to mention a long way from any water or beaches". Then on the other side of the bay the writing was, well cozy, i.e. "A charming lobby with a rock fireplace and a saltwater aquarium sets the tone of this utterly inviting resort". When you compare this with the utilitarian reviews of Fodor's and the downright drab reviews of Mobil, you will find yourself enjoying the candidness of the book and thus, trusting the commentaries.

The accommodations and dining recommendations are reliable and on the money. This guide lists the best restaurants that Florida has to offer. A lodging and restaurant index would be a definite plus for this guide. As it stands now, if you have a restaurant you want to look up, you have to go through all the listings in the city you are in until you stumble across the name you seek or miss seeing it completely.

On the critical side, this guide omitted a significant portion of Florida. There is no mention of Gainesville, nor Ocala, nor Ocala National Park. Very disappointing. With these omissions this guide really is not a "State" guide; Florida is not just Miami and Orlando... "hello, publishers".

The rating system is labored and difficult to understand. The explanation of the "new star rating system" is buried in the book and not indexed. It was by quirk that I found it. Strange.

The Internet web site addresses provided for hotels could be more comprehensive considering that this is a 2003 guide. In today's world of "connectivity" you can visit the hotel sites and see the accommodations and rates prior to making reservations. And, website/email addresses are restricted to the lodging listings even though many of the restaurants now have their own websites with photos and menus and email to makes reservations.

However there are two significant areas in this guide that could use improvement: maps and hotels/restaurants.

Regarding the maps: the maps in the guide are lackluster. More and better maps would greatly help the user.

What put this guide on top of the competing guides, is the clear and enjoyable writing style of the review. The introductions of the regional areas are the best of the guides I reviewed. You will do well if you have to chose just one Florida guide and you select Frommer's.


Frommer's Florida helped me immensely!   November 1, 2002
 3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I just want to give kudos to this book, because it was really, really wonderful on my most recent trip to Florida. I've used other guides in the past (Lonely Planet, etc.), but they seem to be more suited for very exotic locales instead of Florida. For that, Frommer's is the best. They have incredibly accurate information (prices, hours, directions, etc.) and give honest reviews for hotels, restaurants, and attractions that I really appreciate, like "this is the definition of a tourist trap," etc. I was surprised and pleased with this guide, and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat to anyone else who's going down there.