How Much Does 2 Weeks in Florida REALLY Cost for UK Families? Everglades-Florida Keys-Miami-Orlando
How much does 2 weeks in Florida cost for UK families? A real 2026 breakdown including flights, hotels, theme parks, and hidden costs — plus tips to save money.
NORTH AMERICAFLORIDABUDGET
6/27/202610 min read
If you’re trying to work out how much a 2‑week Florida trip costs for a family from the UK, the reality is it’s more complex than just flights and theme park tickets.
This guide is for UK families planning a Florida itinerary across Orlando, the Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami, who want a realistic view of what you’ll actually spend — not just headline prices.
Quick Answer: How Expensive Is Florida for Families?
From our experience, a realistic total for a 2‑week Florida holiday comes to around:
£3,000–£3,500 per person
or roughly £9,000–£10,000 for a family of three
That includes:
flights
accommodation (hotels + villa)
and on-the-ground spending across parks, food, transport and activities
We based this breakdown on our real 2026 family trip, travelling South Florida with our 9‑year‑old before heading into Orlando for the theme parks with extended family.
What matters most isn’t just the big-ticket items — it’s how the smaller costs add up across the trip. Things like food, park extras, parking and day-to-day spending quickly build.
In this guide, we break down exactly where those costs come from, but also where you can adjust.
We chose to prioritise experience — including things like Express Pass — because it made the trip easier and more enjoyable with kids. But you don’t have to do everything. It’s just as possible to reduce costs by simplifying your plans, or spend more in certain areas if that’s what matters most to your family.
The route combined:
Universal Orlando theme parks (with express passes)
the Florida Keys
Miami
the Everglades
and road trip stops in between
You can see the full itinerary here: 2‑Week Florida Family Itinerary: Everglades, Florida Keys and Theme Parks
Some of the links in this guide are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you book through them — at no extra cost to you. We only recommend options we’ve used ourselves or would choose again for a family trip.
Our 2‑Week Florida Itinerary (What This Budget Covers)
This cost breakdown is based on a 2‑week Easter 2026 trip from the UK, combining a South Florida road trip with time in Orlando.
We covered:
Everglades (1 day) — airboats and wildlife
Florida Keys (2 days) — Key Largo base + Key West trip
Miami (2 days) — beaches, boats and activities
Orlando (9 days) — theme parks, water parks and villa downtime
That mix matters when looking at costs. Places like the Keys and theme parks are significantly more expensive, while road trip stretches and self-catering brought costs down and balanced things out.
Flights from the UK to Florida (What We Paid)
Flights are one of the biggest fixed costs, but there’s still room to optimise.
We:
flew into Tampa instead of Orlando (cheaper and worked better for the route)
booked around a year in advance with British Airways
flew economy out, premium economy back for the overnight return
Total cost:
£830 per person
~£2,500 for a family of three
Flying into Tampa worked particularly well because it avoided doubling back and made the road trip flow naturally.
Use a price comparison website like Trip.com to find and compare the best prices for your route and dates. Do not forget to consider a variety of local airports, do not automatically think you need to fly into Orlando.
Accommodation Costs: Where You Can Control Your Budget
Accommodation is one of the easiest ways to flex your spending.
We deliberately mixed:
budget stops
apartments / condos
and a villa + short hotel stay in Orlando
Florida Keys: High Cost, But Worth It
We stayed in a condo in Key Largo:
£747 total (£249 per night)
The Keys are expensive, so having:
a kitchen
space to relax
made a big difference.
This was one of our favourite parts of the trip, and we’d absolutely prioritise it again, but there are cheaper options available if your prefer to stay in a practical hotel. You can see if this accommodation suits your family here: Kawama Yacht Club
For options:
Kawama Yacht Club Review (where we stayed)
Miami: Save Money by Staying Just Outside
We stayed just outside Miami in Aventura in Hallandale at the Hilton Hampton Inn.
£125 per night including breakfast and parking
That combination is surprisingly hard to find in Miami. Staying slightly outside the city saved money and made everything easier with the car, while still being close to the beach and main areas.
For a more detailed overview of our stay or other options in the Miami area that work for families, see:
Orlando: Mixing Hotel + Villa
We split our stay:
one night budget hotel (~£72)
one night at Hard Rock Hotel (£660)
6 nights in a shared villa (~£169 per night total split)
The Hard Rock was one of our biggest spends. The hotel itself was nice, but the real value was the included Express Pass Unlimited for two days (these can also be purchased separately. On top of the room rate, we also paid for parking and food, which were both expensive.
This was a 10-bed villa shared between three families, so the cost was split. It had a private pool, games room and plenty of space, which made it much better value than multiple hotel rooms. Having a kitchen again helped keep food costs down. We wouldn’t have paid for it otherwise.
For a more detailed overview see:
Transport Costs: One of the Biggest Learning Points
Total transport spend: £824
Breakdown:
car hire: £480
fuel: £108
parking: ~£67
tolls: £182
What Caught Us Out: Toll Costs
This was our biggest mistake. We hadn’t properly researched how tolls worked and ended up taking the hire company’s toll package at around $13.50 per day.
At the time, after a long flight, it felt like the easiest option — but it added up quickly. In reality, tolls themselves were often small — anywhere from $0.50 to $5 — but because we drove from Tampa down to the Keys and back up to Orlando via Miami, we hit a lot of them. Looking back, there’s no way our actual toll usage came close to £182
We:
took the hire car toll package (~$13.50/day)
didn’t realise how quickly that adds up
In reality, individual tolls are often:
$0.50–$5
Looking back, we’d:
buy a SunPass (~$20)
pay tolls directly
It’s a small change that can save a noticeable amount over two weeks.
For a full breakdown: Driving in the USA: What European Families Should Know
eSIM and Data
£17.50 for 10GB
Essential for:
navigation
bookings
day-to-day planning
An eSIM was essential for maps and navigation. Just make sure you turn off background data (photos, music etc.) — it disappears quicker than you think.
Theme Park Costs (The Biggest Expense)
This is where a large chunk of the budget goes.
Universal tickets
This was a 14 day pass for all 4 parks – Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay Waterpark and the new Epic Universe.
£1,251.20 total for three
Around £417 per person
In reality, did 4 park days, so roughly £104 per park day. My extended family used theirs more, but for us, one day per park was enough within a wider itinerary.
For more information on planning the parks see:
How Universal Orlando Park Tickets Work (What UK Families Should Know)
Universal Orlando with Kids: What Parents Should Know Before Visiting
Discovery Cove
£636 total
£212 per person (including dolphin swim and all-inclusive day)
Our Discovery Cove ticket included food, drinks, towels, lockers and parking, which helps justify the cost slightly, but it’s still a premium experience. We bought both tickets during Black Friday sales, which helped a bit.
For more information on planning for discovery cove see:
It’s also worth noting that park days come with a lot of additional spending:
Universal Parking: around $35 per day or hotel parking $35 for 2 days
Food: £15–£20 per meal
Snacks: £5–£7 (ice creams, drinks, etc.)
We accepted early on that this would be the most expensive part of the trip and planned the rest of the itinerary to balance it out. Discovery cove is not cheap but for us was a priority having enjoyed our visit so much when we went in 2014.
Food Costs: Where We Saved the Most
Total: £910 (£21 per person per day)
This worked out at:
£303 per person
Around £21.60 per person per day
The only reason we kept this relatively low was how we approached food.
We focused on:
Eating in wherever possible
Using supermarkets like Walmart and Target (Publix was noticeably more expensive)
Cooking as a group in the villa
We all contributed to a shared food shop and cooked together most evenings, utilising the BBQ gave the food that holiday vibe, and we never felt like we were missing out. We still ate out occasionally or where we were on the road — mostly lower-cost places like Subway, Panda Express and Denny’s — and kept it simple.
A few things stood out:
Ice cream alone came to £73 across the trip, with the parks costing as much as £7 per ice cream
Butterbeer in Universal was about $10 each, but the kids never finished a whole one
Eating out regularly would have doubled the food budget very easily, especially if buying alcohol, some hotels like Hard Rock cocktails were $20+
Activities and Extras: Where It Adds Up
These smaller experiences add up quickly:
Everglades airboat: ~£20
snorkelling: ~£60
Miami boat tour: ~£55
NBA game: ~£15
Plus:
shopping: £265
souvenirs: £54
None of these feel expensive individually — but over 2 weeks, they add up fast.
Hidden Costs: Easy to Miss
Things that surprised us:
ESTA fees: £62
tipping: ~£85
insurance (essential in the US)
Travel insurance (essential, especially in the US) – we use Just Travel Cover as it covers pre existing conditions and allows us to compare multiple providers to find the best price for our family.
For more detailed guides on these topics, see:
Total Budget Summary
Per person (approximate):
Flights: £830
Accommodation: ~£1,000
Transport: ~£275
Parks and experiences: ~£650
Food and extras: ~£400
Total: ~£3,100 per person
What We’d Do Differently (And What We’d Keep)
What worked:
mixing accommodation types
building in villa downtime
prioritising key experiences
What we’d change:
avoid toll packages
plan small costs more tightly
How to Adjust Your Budget (What Actually Works)
The biggest takeaway from our trip is that the overall cost is surprisingly flexible.
You can reduce costs by:
choosing self catering and cooking more meals
limiting paid extras like Express Pass or premium experiences
and being selective about how many park days you include
Or you can spend more to make the trip easier — prioritising things like shorter queues, better locations or upgraded experiences. From our experience, it’s not about doing everything — it’s about deciding what matters most for your family and building your budget around that.
Final Takeaway
Florida is expensive — but where that cost goes is more flexible than it first appears.
From our experience, the key isn’t cutting everything down — it’s choosing what matters most for your family.
We spent more on:
convenience (Express Pass)
key experiences
…and saved elsewhere to balance it.
That’s what made the trip feel worth it — and something we’d absolutely do again.
FAQs: How Much Does a Florida Trip Cost for UK Families?
How much spending money do you need for 2 weeks in Florida with kids?
From our experience, a realistic amount is around £20–£30 per person per day, depending on how you travel.
This covers:
food
small activities
snacks and extras
The biggest factor is whether you:
eat out regularly
or cook and shop in supermarkets
That decision alone can double your daily spend.
Is Florida expensive for families from the UK?
Yes — but where you spend the money is flexible.
The biggest costs are:
flights
accommodation
theme parks
After that, costs vary depending on your choices.
From our experience, Florida becomes expensive when:
you add premium experiences
eat out frequently
or try to do everything
What is the cheapest way to do a Florida holiday with kids?
From our trip, the biggest savings came from:
mixing hotels with villas
cooking some meals
booking flights early
and limiting paid extras
How to Plan a 2 Week Trip to Florida with Kids shows how to structure this from the start
You can still have the same itinerary — it just comes down to where you prioritise spending.
How much do theme parks add to the cost of a Florida trip?
Theme parks are usually one of the largest parts of the budget.
For example:
Universal tickets alone can be £400+ per person
plus food, parking and extras on top
From our experience, this is where costs can spiral — especially if you add things like Express Pass.
For more details on the different types of Universal ticket types see: How Universal Orlando Park Tickets Work
If you’re deciding whether to include that, Is Universal Express Pass Worth It for Families? helps break that down.
Is Discovery Cove worth the cost for families?
It’s a premium experience, but very different from theme parks.
You get:
all-inclusive food and drinks
fewer crowds
a slower, more relaxed day
From our experience, it worked well as a break from parks — but it’s definitely something to prioritise, not add by default.
Is Discovery Cove Worth It for Kids? explains this in more detail
Can you reduce costs by doing fewer theme parks?
Yes — and this is one of the easiest ways to save. However, be conscious
From our trip:
we didn’t use every day on our tickets
and still felt like we got a great experience
The key is planning your time properly.
How Many Days Do You Need at Universal Orlando with Kids? helps you avoid overspending here
Is it cheaper to stay in a villa or hotels in Florida?
For families, villas are often better value — especially for longer stays.
They:
reduce costs on food
give more space
and make downtime easier
But hotels can be useful for short stays or park access.
Where to Stay Near Universal Orlando with Kids: Hotel vs Villa explains how to balance both
What hidden costs should UK families expect in Florida?
The biggest surprises for us were:
tolls and parking
tipping
snacks and drinks in parks
small daily purchases
Individually they seem small — but over 2 weeks, they add up quickly.
Tipping in America Explained for British Families helps avoid common surprises
Is a Florida road trip more expensive than staying in Orlando?
It can be — but it adds a completely different experience.
A road trip includes:
more fuel
tolls
multiple accommodations
But from our experience, it also:
spreads out costs
reduces theme park spending
and makes the trip feel more varied
What’s the biggest mistake families make when budgeting Florida?
Underestimating the small, daily costs. Flights and hotels are easy to plan. It’s everything else — food, extras, and convenience spending — that pushes the budget up.
From our experience, the trip is much easier to manage when you:
decide your priorities early
and build your budget around them
plan your 2 week family holiday to florida
If you’re planning your Florida trip, these guides are a good place to start:
About Plan Family Escapes
We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.
Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.
