No matter how much you love the UK, there will most certainly be days when the dreary, gray weather is too much. In moments when you have reached your wit's end over yet another rain-soaked day, you might be tempted to do something drastic. And who would blame you, really? But instead of acting without thinking, however, you can at least try to be well-informed. In other words, do not book a ticket to sunny Orlando without consulting us first.
Orlando International Airport (airport code MCO) is not the Walt Disney World official airport, but it could be. The airport's code, MCO, is even the subject of quite a few local jokes - it is said the letters stand for "Mickey's Corporate Office," or "Mickey and Company." They do not, of course, but that is no matter. What is important is that the Orlando airport is where you will fly if you want to see more than just Florida's famous beaches - if you want to see "Mickey and Company" as well.
This is the busiest airport in the entire state of Florida, and lies approximately six miles from Orlando's city centre. Orlando is not a major gateway into the United States from many European airports, so to fly directly you will have a very short list of airlines to choose from. Aer Lingus flies directly from Dublin and Lufthansa and Condor fly directly from Frankfurt, but both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways fly directly from cities in the UK. British Airways flies to Orlando from Gatwick and Virgin Atlantic flies from Glasgow International, Gatwick and Manchester. While the United States does not have the number of super budget carriers that Europe has, you might want to see what the cost difference would be if you were to fly to New York City and then get a separate ticket to Orlando. The smaller airlines which use Orlando as a hub might offer specials - those carriers are Chautauqua Airlines, Freedom Airlines, Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways. Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways also use Orlando has a hub. A complete list of airlines serving the Orlando airport is here.
Once you have arrived in Orlando, you will need to get out of the airport and into that Florida sun, and you have several options for ground transport. If you have pre-booked a hotel, they may provide a complimentary mini-bus shuttle from the airport. Hotels that offer this service are listed here. If yours is not listed or you have other plans, you can hire a taxi or take a local bus into the city centre (learn more about both here), or hire your own car from one of the agencies listed here. Of course, if your visit to Orlando is mainly to see Walt Disney World, you will want to look into Disney's Magical Express Transportation, which is free so long as you are a guest at the Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Have a fantastic time in Orlando, and if you need more information about what to see or do in the area, please see our Orlando Travel Guide. And whatever you do, do not forget to pack the sun cream.
