Essential advice for British travellers visiting Florida — ESTA visas, flights, money, driving, health insurance, and cultural tips.
This page takes those in the order you'll meet them: paperwork before you fly, money, driving, health and the practical bits such as plugs, phones and time zones. Where a figure changes, such as the ESTA fee or tax rates, we give the official source so you can check it.
UK citizens don't need a traditional visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days. You need an ESTA, which is an online pre-screening authorization.
Beware of third-party ESTA sites that charge well over the official fee for the same form and often rank above the real site in search results. The only official address is esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
Your passport must be valid for the whole of your stay, and it must be an e-passport (with the chip symbol on the cover) to use an ESTA. Every UK passport issued since 2006 has a chip.
Essential. There's no reciprocal healthcare agreement between the UK and the US, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office warns that medical treatment in the US is very expensive. An emergency-room visit and a night in hospital can easily run into thousands of dollars, and hospitals may ask for proof of insurance or payment before treatment.
Buy comprehensive travel insurance that covers:
Direct flights from the UK to Florida:
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and TUI are the main carriers, with some routes also served by US airlines. Routes and seasonal services change each year, so check the airline's timetable for your dates.
Flight tips for UK travellers:
The US dollar ($). Rates move, so check the day's rate before you budget and again before you change money.
This is the biggest cultural difference for British visitors. Tipping is not optional in the US — service workers' wages are structured around tips.
Not tipping (or tipping very little) is considered rude and is noticed. Budget for tips — they add 15-20% to your dining costs.
You'll almost certainly need one. Florida is spread out and public transport is limited outside downtown areas.
The first 30 minutes feel odd. After that, it's fine. Tips:
Free parking is much more common than in the UK. Shopping centres, restaurants, and many attractions have free car parks. Downtown areas and beaches may have metered parking ($1-3 per hour).
The Florida sun is significantly stronger than anything in the UK. Even in winter:
Safe to drink throughout Florida. It may taste different (slightly sulfurous in some areas due to the aquifer), but it's perfectly safe. Buying bottled water is optional.
Florida has wildlife you won't encounter in Bournemouth:
Walgreens and CVS are the main chains — found everywhere. Many medications available only by prescription in the UK can be bought over the counter in the US (and vice versa). Bring your own regular medications and the prescription.
US sockets are 120V, 60Hz, Type A/B (two flat pins, sometimes with a round earth pin). You'll need a UK-to-US adapter. Most modern phone chargers, laptop chargers, and camera chargers are dual voltage (110-240V) — check the small print on the charger. Hair dryers and straighteners are often NOT dual voltage — use a voltage converter or buy a cheap one locally.
A plain adapter doesn't change the voltage; it only lets a UK plug fit a US socket. Most families need two or three, because hotel rooms rarely have sockets near the bed. A multi-port adapter with USB sockets cuts the number you need. You can compare options in this search for UK-to-US travel adapters on Amazon UK; choose one that lists Type A/B US pins and has a fuse or surge protection. If you already own a worldwide adapter that covers the US, you don't need another.
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Most UK mobile plans include US roaming, but check:
Florida is in the Eastern Time Zone (ET), which is 5 hours behind GMT (4 hours behind during BST/British Summer Time, March-October).
Exception: The Florida Panhandle (western strip near Alabama) is in the Central Time Zone, 6 hours behind GMT.
Florida has no state income tax but does have sales tax: 6% statewide plus a county surtax of up to 2%, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. That's 6.5% in Orange County (Orlando), 7% in Miami-Dade and 7.5% in Hillsborough County (Tampa). It's added at the till, not included in the displayed price, and it applies to most purchases including restaurant meals, but not to most unprepared groceries or prescription medicines. Hotels add a separate tourist tax on top.
This catches out almost every British visitor. The price on the shelf is not the price you pay. A meal listed at $50 in Orlando comes to about $53.25 after tax, and a 20% tip on the pre-tax amount takes it to around $63.
Florida has more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the US. Afternoon thunderstorms are common May-October:
Travel information is current at the time of writing. Always verify visa requirements, entry rules, and specific advice with official sources before booking. floriday.uk is an independent travel guide and is not affiliated with any government body, airline, or tourism organisation.