The car is the main means of transportation in Florida. The road network is modern and very well developed. The traffic rules in Florida state that at a traffic light you may turn right even on red, as soon as you have stopped and assured yourself that you can enter the intersection without danger. If this is not allowed at a particular — especially very large — intersection, traffic signs will indicate this. Do not be surprised if you are overtaken on the right on multi-lane highways or interstates, because this is also allowed. Likewise, it often happens in Florida — especially in residential areas — that at an intersection all lanes are marked with a stop sign. The rule here is: whoever stopped at the intersection first, goes first. Child seats can be rented at any car rental company. You will only be stopped by traffic police in Florida if something is wrong with your car, or you have committed a traffic violation, e.g. speeding. If this happens, the police car will stop behind you and first have the license plate checked. This may take a few minutes, and it is important that you remain calmly seated in the car during this time and do not leave the vehicle without being asked. Afterward, the officer will come to your car and check your papers. In the United States, law enforcement officers enjoy a very high reputation and it is advisable to address the police officer with "Sir" or "Officer."
If you book domestic flights in the US to visit other cities or go on a tour, please note that on domestic flights you generally have to pay extra for checked baggage (this depends on the booking class of your airline). Also, no free meals are served on domestic flights. The flight attendants come through once, distributing drinks and a chocolate bar or salty snacks. You will also search in vain for monitors in the front seats on most domestic flights. To check in for a flight within the US, you only need your passport, unless you have already checked in online — then if you only have carry-on luggage, you can go straight to security. At virtually all airports in the US, self check-in kiosks are also available. At many modern, large airports, these self check-in machines can also handle checked baggage, and you will receive the label for your luggage there as well. Usually, the seat is not assigned at check-in but shortly before departure, directly at the gate counter. To avoid long queues at the gate, US airports divide passengers into 5-6 groups, which are called one after the other to board the plane. Security checks on domestic flights are comparable in intensity to those in Europe. After arrival at the destination airport, there are generally no further checks, so you can go directly to the car rental, taxi or bus terminal.
I can recommend that whenever something is unclear, simply ask — the helpfulness not only of airport staff and police is very high, but also that of fellow travelers.
In order to enter the USA, an Austrian citizen needs a valid passport and a so-called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which currently has a validity of two years. Please apply through the homepage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as it is significantly cheaper (currently 21 USD) than private providers.
On the plane, you will receive a customs declaration during the flight from the cabin crew, which must be filled out. For a family, one declaration is sufficient. As soon as you leave the aircraft, you enter the so-called transit zone. Identification at entry goes reasonably quickly if you follow certain rules. In front of each booth, colored markings are placed on the floor. The officers do not accept if this "privacy zone" is not respected and can become very unpleasant, which can delay your entry. Likewise, there is an absolute photography ban in the entire transit area, which must be strictly observed. If you take photos and this is discovered (and you can be sure it will be discovered), this will not only delay your entry as you will be asked numerous questions, but you must also expect that all photos on your camera or phone will be deleted and the battery completely discharged.
Furthermore, I would recommend that you inform yourself before traveling to the USA (this applies to every flight, not only those going outside the EU) about what you may take in your carry-on luggage and what must be stowed in your checked baggage. Time and again — often due to incorrect information — misunderstandings arise about what may be taken in carry-on versus checked baggage. Your airline has sufficient information on their homepage. Should you wish to bring special medications — especially infusions or injections — to the USA, I recommend the homepages of Homeland Security and the US Embassy in Vienna (links below), where you will find all current regulations firsthand. The homepage of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also provides up-to-date information.
Unfortunately, there are no direct flights from Austria to Florida. However, KLM, Air France, Lufthansa and AUA offer flights from Austria via Germany, France, Switzerland, Poland or the Netherlands to Florida. For the drive between Miami and the villa, you should plan 3.5 hours, and from Ft. Myers to the villa about 1.5 hours. From all federal states, there is the possibility to fly via Frankfurt to Miami, Orlando and Tampa. The drive from Orlando takes about 2.5 hours and from Tampa about 1.5 hours. In addition, there are direct flights from Munich, Zurich and Milan to Miami. From Munich, you also have the option of flying with Delta Air via Atlanta to Sarasota, which reduces your driving time from the airport to the house to 45 minutes.
Due to the different driving distances, the two airports Ft. Myers and Tampa are particularly recommended. If you happen to find a flight to Sarasota, the driving time between the airport and the villa would be only 45 minutes. Not only the proximity to the house, but also the manageable size of the Sarasota airport (comparable to the size of Salzburg airport) makes arriving via this airport particularly pleasant.
It is always advisable to compare different departure airports with the individual destination airports in the USA, as this can potentially save you a lot of money.
Please note that when connecting in the USA (you fly from Europe directly to the USA and then continue to another domestic airport), the luggage checked in Europe must be collected and re-checked for the onward flight!
After you have cleared immigration and collected your luggage at your chosen airport in the USA, every airport offers the possibility to order a rental car. I recommend booking this in advance from your home country for the desired period. Whether you choose Hertz, Alamo, Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, etc., it is important to find out in advance which insurance benefits your credit card may already cover. Many credit cards include extended liability insurance or comprehensive insurance in the event of an incident. Please also note that in the USA, your age is a determining factor for how much you pay for a car. Renting a high-horsepower vehicle (e.g. Ford Mustang) is also not possible for those under 24. Furthermore, you should consider beforehand whether you want to register one or two drivers. The surcharges for a second driver are often very high (about 20 EUR per day). Here I can recommend that you register, e.g. with Hertz as a Gold Member (free of charge), as this not only speeds up the vehicle pickup process, but your spouse is automatically entitled to drive the vehicle as well — at no extra cost.
Gasoline is referred to as "gas" in the USA and is sold in gallons, where one gallon (Gal) equals approximately 3.79 liters. The price of a gallon of gasoline is around $3.10 (as of May 2024), which means one liter of gasoline costs the equivalent of about 0.81 euros. Rental vehicles in the USA are usually not equipped with a navigation system. At e.g. Hertz, a so-called "NeverLost" navigation device can be rented, which costs up to 14 euros per day. My recommendation would be, if you already have a portable navigation device at home, you can purchase road maps for the USA for nearly all providers such as Garmin, which are considerably cheaper for a longer or repeated stay in the USA than renting a navigation system each time from the car rental company. It is also possible to use Google Maps or other map apps on your phone as a navigation system. This is probably the most cost-effective solution. Child seats can be ordered directly when booking the rental car or when picking up the vehicle.