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Old 03-15-2011, 09:46 AM
 
11 posts, read 18,541 times
Reputation: 10

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My wife and I are planning on taking a long weekend trip to Fort Myers Beach in early April. I've never been to Florida, and I'm hoping to get some questions answered before we travel.

First question... will Spring Breakers be gone by that first weekend in April? We had read that the eastern coast is more popular with that crowd, and I think most colleges have their breaks in March???

Car rental? We're hoping that we can take a shuttle or cab or bus or whatever from the airport to Fort Myers Beach. If we can do that, is there any reason to rent a car? Isn't there some kind of trolley on the island? There is a bus that runs to the island; are the buses clean and safe?

Are the beaches open to all visitors? When we've looked at lodging options online (haven't picked anything yet), it looks like some of the beachside hotels/resorts have very nice beach areas. Are there only certain areas "visitors" can use? Public beaches? Or, once you're on the beach, can you travel up and down it at will?

Any places a couple in their late 30s/early 40s should avoid? Scary/crime ridden parts of town? Way too expensive places? Gross, dirty, and/or disgusting places?

Alligators?

We're hoping to have a nice time and get out of the cold (it's actually already up to 34 degrees this morning... not too bad) for a few days - just want to relax and enjoy the area. Any suggestions and/or advice will be appreciated.
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Old 03-15-2011, 03:40 PM
 
Location: Meredith NH
1,562 posts, read 2,884,096 times
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Don't know about the airport shuttle (I'm sure there is something) but at the beach there is a clean,safe,reliable trolley....you don't need a car.We LOVE FMB and go there all the time....nice sidewalk cafes with fair prices and nice beaches and clean water......the whole beach is open to anyone...there are no private areas.The main part of town is called "Times Square"..it's where all the restaurants and shops are........south of TS is where most of the party spots are.North is a little more laid back.You will love it...totally safe for families.Sure there's some rowdy partying at night but it's pretty harmless.Spring breakers should be gone by then..........I'd go for it and have a ball.
If you want a nice quiet fun day with the family....pack a lunch and take the trolley to Bowditch Beach at the very north end of the island.You'll have to walk about 200 yds to the very end but it is beautiful and almost destered,even on busy weekends....it's the entrance to the harbour and lots of fun boats are coming in and out....worth the wald.
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Old 03-15-2011, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Cape Coral FL.
146 posts, read 376,253 times
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Spring breakers will have scared all the alligators away.

(No, really, you don't have to worry about those on FMB )

Don't worry - you'll have a blast. Lots of good honest reviews of hotels on tripadvisor.com.

Have fun !!
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Old 03-15-2011, 05:28 PM
 
Location: Raleigh, NC
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Spring break will go thru April 10 or so. The traffic is miserable. However, the beaches are lovely. Since you have to pay for parking, the trolley is a terrific alternative.
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Old 03-15-2011, 08:02 PM
 
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Good to hear that the alligators have scared the spring breakers away.

Thanks for the suggestions. We're looking forward to the visit.
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Old 03-16-2011, 04:06 PM
 
Location: Meredith NH
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Sean...we were there today and noticed there is a hotel called the Edison right next to times square.Nice beach and you can walk to restaurants and shops.
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Old 03-16-2011, 05:38 PM
 
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Thanks, Samiamnh. Still a lot of the spring break crowd around?
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Old 03-17-2011, 05:59 AM
 
Location: Meredith NH
1,562 posts, read 2,884,096 times
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Still a lot around ,for sure.....but mostly at one end of the beach.The other end is mostly families and snowbirds and plenty of room for kids to run and play...took a bunch of pictures but don't know how to post them on the forum......if you want me to send them to you PM me with your email and you can see for yourself.
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Old 03-18-2011, 06:38 PM
 
11 posts, read 18,541 times
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Appreciate the report, Samiamnh. At what end of the beach do all the spring breakers congregate? We still need to secure lodging, and I know we'll want to avoid any kind of total-party-all-night atmosphere when we do.
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Old 03-18-2011, 06:49 PM
 
Location: Cape Coral
5,503 posts, read 7,358,258 times
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Beachcam | DiamondHead Beach Resort & Spa | Fort Myers Beach Florida

Check out the beach (during the day).
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