Category: Travel

Traveling Tips for Canadians Driving from Toronto to Florida in Winter

Posted on October 25, 2022 by - Travel

USA & Canada flags

The trek from Toronto to Florida is a long one – About 20-24 hours – But that doesn’t stop a large percentage of the 3.5 million annual Canadian snowbirds from using their vehicles to make the trip. The convenience of having a car available during your stay, and the cost savings over buying an airplane ticket and renting a car once down South, can make the long drive worth it. If you are looking to make a road trip out of your winter commute to the Sunshine State, however, you may want to prepare yourself with these traveling tips to make driving from Toronto to Florida in winter more fun and less stressful.

 

Collect all necessary documents for your border crossing.

 

canadian passport

Traveling by vehicle to Florida, whether you are traveling to a condo, a home, an apartment, or mobile home parks in Florida, means crossing the Canadian/U.S. border, and that means paperwork! Filling out and preparing the appropriate documents before your trip can make your border crossing go more smoothly, and ensure that you avoid any hiccups that would force you to return to Toronto for the cold winter rather than enjoying the warm and sunny Florida beaches. Here are some of the documents you should gather before your trip:

  • Accommodation bookings and addresses for your stay
  • Passports for anyone over 15
  • Birth certificates or citizenship certificates for children under the age of 15
  • Consent letters for any children not part of your family who are traveling with you
  • Declaration of your expensive items (e.g., Cameras and computers) on the U.S. Border Patrol protection forms
  • Updated paperwork for your vehicle

Spread your trip over multiple days.

a motel

We get it – The Florida sun is calling your name, and you want to spend every possible minute soaking up the rays this winter. However, completing a 20-24-hour trip is a difficult feat to accomplish, even with multiple drivers. Chances are, you will enjoy the trip, and arrive in a fresher and less tired state, if you break your trip up into 2 or 3 days.

Plus, taking extra time for the trip allows you to enjoy a little sightseeing along the way. Consider stopping at any of the major cities to do a little exploring before you arrive in Florida.

Take the I-75.

You can choose from several major routes when driving from Toronto to Florida in the winter. However, while it has a reputation for taking longer, you will likely have a smoother trip if you follow I-75 down toward the Sunshine State. In addition to not actually being much longer than other routes, this highway has a number of advantages for winter driving between the two locations:

  • Numerous amenities at each exit
  • Ease of finding hotels, restaurants, and gas stations
  • Well-maintained road that does not require the use of snow tires
  • Better weather since the highway follows a lower latitude
  • Historic and natural attractions to enjoy along the way

If you choose to take I-75 for your trip south, you could also consider purchasing a guide. Along Interstate 75 by Dave Hunter is a popular and very detailed guide to the I-75 trek to Florida and may make planning your route a little easier.

Make sure your vehicle is road trip ready.

mechanic working a car

Before you take on a trip to Florida in the winter, you may want to have a mechanic give your car a once over to make sure it is in good condition for a lengthy drive. Here are a few of the things you should do:

  • Check the tires and tire pressure.
  • Change the oil and filters.
  • Change spark plugs.
  • Rotate your tires.
  • Fill the gas tank.
  • Make sure you have a spare key, the owner’s manual, and a fire extinguisher.
  • Put an emergency roadside safety kit in your vehicle.
  • Check your spare tire, or put one in your care.
  • Set up roadside assistance for your trip in both Canada and the States.

One thing you may not need is snow tires. While helpful in Canada, snow tires are actually not very useful once you get into warmer climates, and driving on them may even wear them out more quickly. If you are taking I-75, chances are you can make the whole trip, in winter, without needing your snows.

Get American currency before you leave.

candanian & american dollar bills

Once you cross the border, you will need to use American currency for any cash transactions you make. This includes paying for highway tolls. You can make your trip more efficient, and ensure you are not stuck without the appropriate cash, by converting some of your Canadian dollars to American ones before your trip. Your Canadian debit or credit cards should work in the U.S., but you may have to pay a fee.

Plan your trip ahead of time.

a map of the usa

If you plan to hop into your vehicle and make your way to Florida without some forethought about your route, you may find yourself frustrated along the way. In addition to knowing which major route to take down to your location, there are several other things to consider before you hit the road.

  • Plan your trip’s timing to avoid traffic in major cities, such as Atlanta.
  • Know where you are going to stop for food and rest.
  • Make any reservations you need ahead of time to ensure a spot.
  • Know which snacks and drinks are allowed through customs at the border.
  • Check on the weather in the days leading up to your trip, and adjust your plans accordingly.
  • Pack an overnight bag, so you do not have to go through all of your luggage at every stop.

Plan for boredom.

family driving in a car 

When you are driving primarily one highway for 20 hours, chances are you will get bored without some sort of stimulation. Before driving from Toronto to Florida in the winter, plan ahead for those times when you might feel bored, and build some interesting activities into your trip. Here are some ideas for keeping yourself entertained throughout the drive:

  • Download podcasts or audiobooks to listen to.
  • Choose music to enjoy on the way.
  • Plan to make stops at places you find interesting.
  • Bring books and magazines for the person or people not driving.
  • Pack drinks and snacks to save money and prevent unnecessary stops along the way.

Know where you are staying when you arrive in Florida.

buildings amongst palm trees

Hopefully, if you are making a road trip to Florida, you have an idea about where you will stay. An affordable, and high-quality, choice, may be one of the many mobile home rentals in Florida. While mobile homes sometimes have a stigma attached to them, the reality is that many of these communities, such as those offered by Bedrock Communities, offer beautiful, attainable living in some of Florida’s most desirable locations. Some of these communities may even be pet-friendly mobile home parks in Florida, creating a place where you can enjoy Florida life with your favorite animal. Need ideas about where to go? We have locations in Ruskin, FL, Daytona Beach, Clearwater, and more of the state’s very best spots. Discover Bedrock, and Florida living, and make the trip from Toronto this winter!

55 Mobile Home Communities in Florida: Is It Safe to Go?

Posted on July 15, 2020 by - Travel

Senior couple with a dog packing a car under the snow and moving to Florida

COVID-19 has upended lives around the world. One of the biggest areas affected by the pandemic has been travel. For snowbirds, those individuals who travel South in the winter and back North in the spring. The coronavirus outbreak has left them with some difficult decisions to make: Stay in their winter accommodation, or go home?

There is no one answer for these seasonal travelers. Some choose to stay where they are for the duration of the pandemic. Some decide or are forced to go home. Many factors influence their decisions. Here is a look at some of the things that affect snowbirds’ travel decisions in 2020.

Available Accommodations

Mobile home communitySnowbirds who wish to remain in Florida during the pandemic have to make sure they have extended accommodations. Those whose snowbird rentals in Florida end or are closed because of the pandemic are often forced to return home.

For example, a NYTimes article on the subject entitled ‘Snowbirds Ask: Should We Stay Or Should We Go?‘ noted. When Florida state parks closed because of the coronavirus outbreak. Snowbirds who were staying in those state parks had to leave.

For those who wished to stay despite their accommodations coming to an end. Networks of family and friends have often come to the rescue. Through these connections, some snowbirds have found new places to ride out the pandemic. Without needing to chance possible virus exposure on the trip home.

Another example, in a Tampa Bay Times article entitled “Coronavirus Florida: Traveling back home, snowbirds? Doctors recommend you stay put“. One snowbird named Lynn Byrne chose to move into an empty house owned by a friend when she needed to stay in the state.

The best solution is for snowbirds to find accommodations that allow them to remain in Florida indefinitely. For example, owning mobile homes in 55 mobile home communities in Florida makes it easy to shelter in place for as long as necessary.

These homes are often very inexpensive, and may even save snowbirds money over renting every winter or for longer periods of time. Long-term RV parks can also provide a place for snowbirds to weather the pandemic in the area they love. Especially if they brought an RV to Florida anticipating a short stay and are unable to remain in their current RV location.

Exposure Risks

Coquina Beach Seafood and Music FestivalNo one wants to be exposed to COVID-19. The desire to minimize the risk of exposure drives some snowbirds to return home, and convinces others to stay longer in Florida.

Many experts recommend that snowbirds stay where they are for the duration of the pandemic. Remaining in their current location, according to them, presents a smaller chance of virus exposure than does trying to make the trip home.

In some places, the tendency of seasonal travelers to heed these recommendations has been reflected in occupancy rates for popular snowbird vacation spots. For example, while not located in Florida, the executive director of the 400-member Texas Association of Campground Owners reported a decrease in reservations of only 5 percent since the pandemic hit.

Of course, it isn’t just the experts who play a role in convincing snowbirds to stay in Florida throughout the pandemic. The advice of family members, and their own personal preferences, also play a role in their decision to stay where they are.

Some snowbirds report sheltering in their Florida accommodations because they simply feel as if staying where they are reduces their risk of exposure. Even if that means they have to change their annual travel habits.

Others, however, are concerned about the risk of exposure in outbreak hotspots like many areas in Florida. Concerned about images of packed beaches and reports of outbreaks, they choose to go back home. Where they feel that their exposure risk is lower.

The best decision for snowbirds in Florida is the one that makes them feel most comfortable. The evaluation of expert recommendations, current outbreak hotspots, and one’s own situation is a personal one. It yields different decisions for the individuals making them.

Travel Safety

Gulf of Mexico waterfront in Cedar Key, FloridaIt isn’t being at home that makes some snowbirds nervous about returning home at the end of the Florida snowbird season. It is the trip itself. Many seasonal residents drive for several days to get to and from Florida. Driving that far requires multiple stops, possible layovers in hotels, purchasing gas and food, and other activities that require close contact with other people.

Some snowbirds in Florida choose to make the trip because the appeal of home outweighs any risk that traveling presents. Other snowbirds choose to fly rather than drive. Still others opt to remain in Florida, because they believe that the risks of travel outweigh any difficulties that staying in Florida present.

Those who choose to travel home should limit their interactions with others when possible, as well as minimize stops, according to Dr. Marc Yacht, who led the health department in Pasco County, FL, until his 2007 retirement.

Family

Man sitting on beach on lawn chain in Sarasota, FloridaThe decision about whether to stay or go for seasonal travelers in Florida is an emotional decision as much as it is a practical one. Snowbirds want to be near friends and family, and that often drives them, quite literally, back north.

For others, however, family and friends are in Florida. One individual even reported to the NY Times that one of her children moved into the Florida community where she lives in order to be near her during the pandemic.

With the opportunity to be near loved ones, snowbird rentals in Florida become more appealing. When given the choice to shelter in peaceful Florida neighborhoods and pursue fulfilling activities near loved ones, staying past the end of the snowbird season makes the most sense for many.

The decision about whether to go or stay is a personal one. Snowbird campgrounds in Florida are likely to remain more full than usual through the summer and fall months as seasonal travelers opt to wait out the pandemic in the state. Many others will continue to choose to make the trip home.

If you find that snowbird rentals in Lakeland FL, Ruskin, MT Dora, or elsewhere, are ending and you need a place to stay, or if you are looking to extend your stay in the Sunshine State for any reason, Bedrock Communities might be the right place for you. Our 55+ communities in some of the most desirable locations in the state make Florida living attainable and affordable, for as long as you want to stay.