Florida is a state that is used to a lot of visitors. It’s the second most visited state in the union after only California. People from states such as New York, Michigan, Georgia, South Carolina, and Missouri say they want to visit Florida the most! And with more than a third of all visitors to the state choosing to fly, the competition for cheap flights can be fierce! Luckily, we’ve compiled some of the best methods for finding cheap plane tickets to Florida below.
Finding cheap flights to Florida will require travelers to have additional flexibility when it comes to aspects such as the timing, destination, and pricing of their trip. In addition, factors such as when you look for flights and how soon before you want to travel can also make an impact on pricing.
Of course, there is a lot more to consider than just the brief synopsis above can provide. Below we will look at some tools you can use to find the best price for your next flight to Florida. In addition, we will look at some of the most popular Florida cities to visit, along with what plane ticket search engines are worth your time. So, be sure to read on if you want answers to questions such as: When is it cheapest to fly to Florida? What Florida airport is the cheapest to fly to?
Is Florida Expensive to Visit?
Every year we talk to travelers who would love to visit Florida but think they can’t because they wouldn’t be able to afford the trip. And while Florida certainly has its ritzy places and opulent experiences, it can also be one of the most affordable places to visit with a little bit of forethought and planning before your next vacation. As mentioned above, all that is required is a little bit of flexibility.
For example, if you are willing to fly into a different Florida city and drive to your final destination, you can save a lot of money. Additionally, consider when you might be planning to come to Florida. One of the best parts about the Sunshine State is that the weather is fabulous near year-round, which gives visitors the option of visiting in a non-peak tourist season and save some money in the process.
Simply follow some of our tips below, and you will find you can have a perfectly reasonable trip to Florida without breaking the bank. (Yes, even to Disney!)
What is the cheapest month to fly to Florida?
According to the noted travel and financial website, The Points Guy, the cheapest months to visit Florida are the months of September and May. These months are part of the low tourist season, commonly referred to as the shoulder season.
And while the state will be less crowded during the late spring and early fall months when school is still in session and families are stuck at home, this doesn’t mean it will the state will be empty, however, as there is never a time truly free of tourists.
It should also be noted that if you are hoping to catch one of Florida’s famous natural sights such as whale watching seasons or sea turtle hatchings, your hands are tired as to when you can visit, as these things happen at the same time every year.
What's the Cheapest Airport to Fly into in Florida?
The cheapest airport to fly into depends on what part of the state you are hoping to visit. Those looking to end up in Central or South Florida cities such as Orlando, Miami, or South Beach would do well to look for flights to Fort Lauderdale’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
If you are hoping to visit a Florida city that is in the panhandle, such as Jacksonville or Tallahassee, flying indirectly can be a good choice, though you will often have to make a connection in order to fly into some smaller cities.
One underrated hack (which could save you some serious cash if you are hoping to visit the northern part of the state) is to fly to a city in a neighboring state, such as Atlanta, Georgia, or Mobile, Alabama, and driving to your final destination.
What's the Best Search Engine to Find Cheap Plane Tickets to Florida?
When it comes to flight search engines, not all of them are created equal. Some have helpful tools that can track flight prices and help predicter the best time to buy, others will just track you and sell your information to advertisers and airlines.
Finding a search engine that does the former and not the latter is key to getting the best prices for your next Florida tickets. Luckily, we’ve highlighted three of our favorites below.
Plane Tickets Search Engine
Choosing a ticket search engine can be tricky if you don’t know what you are looking for, and prices can change on some sites dozens of times a day. Any of the three websites below come highly recommended, and each has its own unique features.
Of course, be sure to use a VPN when searching to keep ticket websites and airlines from tracking your searches and raising prices.
- com: This flight search engine is great for its price forecasting tools that promise to help you figure out what way the pricing trends are going for the flight you want to book. This is invaluable information that can help you time the purchase of your tickets and save you from overpaying when the website predicts the flight’s price will drop.
- com: One of the first online travel agent sites, Expedia is a good choice for those that plan to bundle a flight with a hotel room or rental car, as doing so can save you money when you book through Expedia. The site also has its own rewards program, which is free to join, and each dollar you spend earns you points that you can use to save money on your next trip to Florida!
- com/flights: The last option we will highlight is an updated offering from search giant Google. Google’s flight search engine is great for those that want to search over a range of flexible dates or those that don’t care which airline they fly as long as it is cheap.
What Are the Most Popular Tourist Destinations in Florida?
Everyone has heard of places such as Miami or the home of the University of Florida, Gainesville, but what about some of the state’s lesser-known vacation spots? Below, we will look at three of the most popular cities to visit in Florida. So, if you haven’t been to all three of these cities yet, what are you waiting for?
Orlando
Orlando is no doubt the biggest, most well-known destination in Florida. Why is Orlando one of the most popular places to visit, not only in the state of Florida but in the world? The appeal of the city can be summed up in two words: theme parks. Orlando is blessed with some of the largest and most famous theme parks in the world, the two prime examples being Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando.
Disney World is famous for traditional attractions such as “It’s a Small World” and the Epcot Pavilion and newer additions such as an entire section of the park that has become dedicated to Star Wars. Universal Studios Orlando can hold its own thanks to its more adult theming and the reality-defying magic that is lent to it by the immersive experience of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Of course, Orlando is more than just Disney princesses and boy-wizard rollercoasters. There are also professional sports such as the NBA’s Orlando Magic and restaurants by world-famous chefs such as Guy Fieri—who has not one but two restaurants in the city, Planet Hollywood, and the newer chain Chicken Guy!
Check out our article on finding cheap flights to Orlando, and discover insider tips and tricks to score the best deals on flights, making your visit to the Sunshine State affordable and enjoyable.
Jacksonville
Don’t know much about Jacksonville? Well, the city is famous for its many quality BBQ restaurants and pleasant weather nearly any time of year. College football fans are most likely familiar with Jacksonville thanks to the wonderful job the city does as host of the annual TaxSlayer Gator Bowl each year—an event Jacksonville has been happy to host annually since 1946!
Looking to enjoy some of that famous Florida sunshine? That’s easy to do in Jacksonville, which has the largest urban park district of any city in the country! This means that you will almost always have a park bench nearby if you need are looking for a relaxing place to enjoy an iced tea or coke on a hot summer’s day.
And of course, the area isn’t limited to city parks for natural beauty. Other highlights of the area include the Fort Caroline National Memorial, Fort George Island, the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail for bikers, and Neptune Beach is a must-visit for the sand and surf lovers!
Tampa Bay
While the locals may still be celebrating their Super Bowl win last season, they haven’t officially changed the city’s name to Tom-pa Bay just yet! And for those of you who only know Tampa Bay for its famous football team, the town has so much more to offer than just that!
Looking for natural beauty? Tampa Bay is home to miles of pristine beaches and bike trails that can take you through some of the most unique nature the state has to offer. Nightlife more your thing? Tampa Bay has some of the best ethnic cuisine, bars, and nightclubs in the state—Bradley’s on 7th is open till 3 AM, 365 days a year!
Final Word on Cheap Flights to Florida
There you have it, nearly everything you need to know in order to book the cheapest flights possible for your next trip to Florida. We discussed some of the best airports to fly into and the best months to visit for those looking to save some dough. We also looked at what websites will help you find the cheapest flights and what some of the most popular Floridian cities have to offer.
We hope that you have enjoyed learning about how to find cheap flights to Florida and that you learned something new along the way. Do you think we missed a money-saving trick others should know about? Do you have more questions about finding cheap flights? Feel free to reach out to us today! And, as always, thanks for reading!