Top 10 Road Trips From Florida, USA

road trips from florida
Samali
Samali 
Published
| 6 min read

A road trip can be an incredibly unique and thrilling idea – how about a road trip with your spouse on your anniversary or with your friends on your birthday or just to explore a new destination? At the same time, the venue you choose for a road trip needs to be worth the effort. Although Florida or the ‘Sunshine State’ itself is an outstanding holiday venue, it is also an epicenter of locations that are ideal for road trips. These destinations are replete with incredible things to do – scenic drives, a flourishing culinary scene, comfortable places to stay, and very engaging things to do to keep tourists of all ages entertained. So, here is our guide to the top road trips from Florida, USA, that will assist you in gathering the finest road trip memories.

1. New Orleans

Mardi Grass
Source: Photo by Flickr user Pedro Szekely

Placed at a distance of around 700 miles (1126 km), from Florida, New Orleans can be reached in a day. While on the way, you can stop at the Florida Caverns State Park. Exploring Florida’s cave system can be an extremely interesting experience. Once you reach New Orleans, which is one of the most vibrant cities in North America, you can start exploring a multitude of attractions, festivals, the city’s lively music, and nightlife scene, lip-smacking cuisine, and more. Visit the most popular neighborhood called the French Quarter, the amazing National WWII Museum, which exhibits marvelous war memorabilia, Magazine Street for shopping, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which can be lots of fun. Don’t miss the Mardi Grass Indians Super Sunday.

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2. Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, North Carolina
Source: Pixabay

You will spend about nine hours on the road if you are headed towards Charlotte from Florida. Queen City, Buzz City, Crown Town - referred to with all these names - Charlotte is blessed with all the features to make you fall in love with it. The unique array of attractions includes the NASCAR Hall of Fame devoted to entertaining racing fans, the Mint Museum, which is the first art museum in North Carolina, or if you are fascinated by Charlotte’s history, Levine Museum is a must-visit place. Also, you will find the tallest and fastest Giga Coaster in the world. These and many more of such ultimate fun things make this road trip to Charlotte worth it.

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3. Savannah GA, USA

Eastside, Savannah, GA 31401, USA - panoramio (2)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Roman Eugeniusz used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Did you know that during the Civil War, Union General Sherman offered Savannah as a Christmas gift to President Lincoln? Around six hours away from Florida, this city was designed with 24 squares and you will love to explore them all. For beach lovers, Tybee Island is perfect for spending a relaxing day. Savannah is the most haunted city in America; you can opt for the midnight tours to the Bonaventure Cemetery. Also, the stunning art galleries are renowned all over the world for their vibrant displays. Your trip to Savannah is incomplete without relishing Savannah’s cuisines, particularly, the mouth-watering Leopold ice cream. While on the way from Florida, St. Augustine and Fernandina Beach can be enjoyable stops.

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4. Atlanta, GA

Atlanta
Source: Pixabay

Immerse yourself in the beauty and overwhelming bevy of fun things to do in Atlanta, just seven hours away from Florida. One of the coolest things you can do is taking a ride in a climate-controlled gondola on a 20-story Ferris wheel and enjoying the breathtaking views of the city. Atlanta even has a Gone with the Wind Museum, where there are displays related to this epic novel. How about taking a magical flight over this gorgeous city in an antique bi-plane? Not only this, spread over 92,000-square feet (8550 sqm) is the World of Coco-Cola, where you can taste over 100 Coca-Cola sodas! Then there is the Georgia Aquarium with over 10,000 creatures, Fox Theater, and many such intriguing places to visit.

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5. Mobile, AL

Mobile Bay
Source: Photo by Flickr user eutrophication&hy...

Drive for about 8 hours and you will reach this lively coastal town, which is also referred to as the Paris of the South. It is said that this city was ‘born to celebrate’ and you will feel the feisty vibes the moment you reach. Among the many key attractions is the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, where you can see an impressive collection of military equipment. If you are an art lover, then the Mobile Museum of Art with over 10,000 exhibits can be an excellent idea, or get an up-close experience of the United States’ oldest Mardi Grass Celebration at the Mobile Carnival Museum. For relaxation, Mobile Bay is another fascinating location to explore, specifically for its fabulous beaches along with other points of interest.

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6. Richmond, VA

Downtown Richmond (VA) from Libby Hill Park June 2012 (7433867610)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ron Cogswell used under CC BY 2.0

An irresistible spectrum of places makes the hectic 12-hour drive to Richmond extremely worth it. For example, the Markel Building, which is said to be the most unattractive structure in the world, or the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, which houses many interesting things related to the iconic gothic novelist, or a visit to the Hollywood Cemetery, or the Grand Kugel are just a few of the great things to do. Richmond is also home to free or very pocket-friendly parties and festivals that are thoroughly enjoyable. Choose from the appealing range of microbreweries or grab a bite at one of the terrific restaurants.

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7. Houston, TX

HoustonTX
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Katie Haugland used under CC BY 2.0

Bubbling with a happening atmosphere and an enthralling range of world-class attractions to welcome its visitors, Houston is a tremendously sought-after international destination. One of the striking features of Houston is its culinary scene, with over 10,000 restaurants to explore. Visit the first and largest BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, an awe-inspiring structure and the largest in Texas, built with 33,000 pieces of limestone and marble. Houston also has a 7-mile (11.3km) long underground tunnel system for pedestrians that connects 95 city blocks. If you have shopping in mind, then Houston Galleria, Texas’s largest mall, exceeds your expectations. Then there is Astrodome, Garage Mahal, and don’t miss a tour of the world-renowned Houston Space Center.

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8. Washington, DC

The White House, Northside, Washington DC (8594800247)
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user www.GlynLowe.com used under CC BY 2.0

A drive of approximately 13.5 hours takes you to the capital city of the United States of America. Given a chance, every tourist would love to get a tour of the iconic White House, which is something that comes to our mind when we think of Washington, DC. The city is full of surprises and remarkable attractions like the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial that especially looks marvelous at night, or the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which is reputed for having an unparalleled collection. You can also take a tour of the legendary U.S Capitol building, and even a visit to the Library of Congress, the greatest library in the world, is a great idea.

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9. Louisville, KY

Louisville Skyline
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Chris Watson used under CC BY 2.0

The largest city in Kentucky, a 13-hour drive from Florida, Louisville - also known for the classic KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) - offers ample opportunities to indulge in some very cool things. If you are an adventurer then Climb Nulu is the place, where you can go wall-climbing and bouldering till you are exhausted. Another gem is the Copper & Kings American Brandy Company. Relish some brandy and relax at their rooftop pub. Foodies can fill themselves with the delicious Louisville-style pizza and then head to Comfy Cow for ice cream. Louisville is also the home of the celebrated boxer, Muhammad Ali, who is memorialized in the Muhammad Ali Center, which can be your next stop.

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10. Virginia Beach,VA

VirginiaBeach
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Jason Pratt used under CC BY 2.0

A haven for tourists, Virginia Beach is 12 hours away from Florida. With more than 35 miles (56km) of gorgeous beaches, boardwalks, and an inviting variety of outdoor activities, Virginia Beach is one of the leading tourist locations in the USA. Apart from the beaches, you can visit the Virginia Aquarium, which has plenty of fascinating species. Cape Henry Lighthouse, Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art are excellent spots. With kids, the best choices would be First Landing State Park, Ocean Breeze Waterpark, or whale watching at Rudee Inlet. Of course, who can forget the magnificent bronze statue of King Neptune?

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Embark on a road trip from Florida

The wealth of road trips possible from Florida is undoubtedly overwhelming, that even a non-adventurous person might start thinking about taking these picture-perfect trips. An authentic tourist experience awaits you at these magnetic destinations. So, hit the accelerator as these top road trips from Florida, are the best thing that you can add to your travel diaries.

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Samali Basu, a Content Creator with almost a decade's experience, is a former field journalist with a demonstrated history of working with various industries. She is Post Graduate in English...Read more

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