Travel With Glen
Florida · Budget guide

Florida on a budget, with the receipts.

What a Florida trip actually costs, from official pages I read myself. Every number links to its source, and anything I couldn't confirm is left out and labeled.

See the numbers Check the sources
10Sources linked
6Money-saving moves
Oct 31Last checked
Florida coastline road trip
Prices checked October 31, 2026By Glenis Graham. Fees change, so confirm before you pay.

The numbers that matter most

Florida costs come down to three levers: where you sleep, how you move around, and what you pay to get in. Here are the figures worth knowing first.

$24 Tent site, per night Blue Spring State Park $6 State park day use, per vehicle 2 to 8 people $60 State park annual pass Family pass is $120 $35 Everglades, per vehicle Good for 7 days $2 to $5 SunRail, one way Depends on zones $10 Visitor Toll Pass hold Unused balance refunded
1 · Timing

The cheap months are also storm months.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs June 1 to November 30. The National Hurricane Center puts the peak around September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (source).

Prices drop in that window. If you travel then, book refundable rates where you can and watch the forecast.

Same cabin, Bahia Honda State Park
$120per night
May 1 to Oct 31
$160per night
Nov 1 to Apr 30

A $40 a night difference. Source

2 · Where you sleep

State parks are the cheapest bed I could verify.

I pulled the posted rates for two parks at opposite ends of the range.

ParkTent or RV siteCabin
Blue Spring
Near Orange City		$24 plus tax$95 plus tax, two-night minimum
Bahia Honda
Florida Keys		$36 plus tax$120 plus tax (May to Oct)
$160 plus tax (Nov to Apr)

Fees on top of the rate

  • A $6.70 nonrefundable reservation fee per reservation, not per night (source).
  • A $7 per night utility fee on new RV, cabin, boat, bungalow, and yurt reservations. Tent camping is exempt.
  • Florida residents 65 and older get 50 percent off the base campsite fee.
  • Nonresidents can reserve up to 10 months ahead, and Florida residents up to 11 months.

A three-night weekend at Bahia Honda

Tent site$114.703 x $36 + $6.70
Cabin, May to Oct$387.703 x $120 + $6.70 + 3 x $7
Cabin, Nov to Apr$507.703 x $160 + $6.70 + 3 x $7

Before tax. Sources: Bahia Honda, reservations.

Budget for the room tax

Hotels and short-term rentals add tax. The state share is 6 percent, and counties add their own tourist tax. A county rate chart effective January 1, 2026 lists combined rates of about 12 percent in Orange, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Duval, Volusia, Palm Beach, and Broward counties, and 11 percent in Monroe County (the Keys). Some areas differ, and the Florida Department of Revenue shows small-county surtaxes can push the total higher (source). Rule of thumb: add roughly 11 to 13 percent to any room rate you see before taxes.

3 · Getting in

Park entry: when a pass pays off.

State parks

Day use is cheap. At Blue Spring it is $6 per vehicle (2 to 8 people), $4 for a single occupant, and $2 for a walker or cyclist. At Bahia Honda it is $8 per vehicle plus 50 cents per person, because Monroe County adds a surcharge (source, source). Rates vary by park, so check yours.

The annual passes are $60 for an individual and $120 for a family of up to eight (source). At a $6 vehicle fee, the individual pass pays for itself on about the 10th visit, and the family pass on about the 20th. A week in Florida: pay the gate. Live here or visit often: buy the pass.

Everglades National Park

The Everglades charges $35 per private vehicle, good for seven days. The park's fee page also lists a $100 per person nonresident fee for visitors 16 and older, on top of the entrance fee. It does not apply with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The park's own annual pass is $70 for US citizens and residents (source).

The America the Beautiful annual pass costs $80 for US residents and $250 for nonresidents (source). From 2026, free entrance days are for US citizens and residents only.

Nonresident math for the Everglades

1 adult (16+)$135$35 + $100
2 adults (16+)$235$35 + $200
3 adults (16+)$335The $250 pass is now cheaper

These assume the fee applies the way the park page describes it (page last updated July 22, 2025). Federal fee rules have been changing, so confirm on the park page before you go.

4 · Getting around

Skip the rental company's toll program.

Central Florida roads are heavily tolled, and rental companies charge a lot to handle it. A July 2024 WKMG ClickOrlando report put the rental transponder at $5 to $10 per day on top of tolls, and said a week near Disney can reach about $75 in tolls and fees (source).

Visitor Toll Pass at Orlando airport

  • Link a credit card in the app. It holds $10 up front, and any unused balance is refunded.
  • Vending machines near the rental counters in Terminals A, B, and C release a toll tag. Hang it on the mirror and enter your rental plate in the app.
  • You pay regular toll rates with "zero extra fees." The airport to Disney World on SR 417 or SR 528 can run more than $6 in tolls.
  • Decline the rental company's transponder so you are not charged twice. An unreturned tag costs $10.

Details current as of that July 2024 article. Check the app before your trip.

Trains

SunRail (Central Florida commuter rail) charges $2 to $5 one way by zones. Youth 7 to 18, seniors 65 and older, and disabled riders pay half, and children 6 and under ride free. It runs Monday through Friday only, and when I checked, the page showed a service notice, so confirm the schedule first (source).

Brightline serves Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Fares change by date and I couldn't retrieve a reliable price, so I'm not quoting one. Compare on the Brightline ticket page against gas, tolls, and parking for your dates.

The short version

Six moves that save the most.

  1. 1A tent or cabin at a state park is the cheapest bed I could verify. Tent camping skips the $7 utility fee.
  2. 2Travel May to October for lower rates, and plan around hurricane season (June 1 to November 30, peak near September 10).
  3. 3Pay the gate on short trips. Buy the annual pass only if you'll visit about 10 or more times.
  4. 4Nonresidents: do the Everglades math. Three or more adults 16 and older make the $250 pass cheaper.
  5. 5At Orlando airport, get the Visitor Toll Pass and decline the rental company's toll package.
  6. 6Add 11 to 13 percent to any hotel rate for tax.
What I couldn't verify

These change too often or vary too much to quote responsibly, so I left numbers out: average hotel rates by month, theme park ticket prices, beach parking, and Brightline fares. If a guide gives exact figures for those with no date and no source, treat them with caution.

Sources

All checked October 31, 2026. Fees change, so confirm anything you're about to pay for.

  1. Florida State Parks: Blue Spring State Park hours and fees
  2. Florida State Parks: Bahia Honda hours and fees
  3. Florida State Parks: Reservation information
  4. Florida State Parks: Annual Pass
  5. National Park Service: Everglades fees (page last updated July 22, 2025)
  6. National Park Service: Passes and 2026 nonresident rules
  7. NOAA National Hurricane Center: Climatology
  8. WKMG ClickOrlando: Visitor Toll Pass (July 30, 2024)
  9. SunRail: Fares and tickets
  10. 2026 Florida transient rental tax rates by county and the Florida Department of Revenue notice on local surtaxes

Spotted an error or a price that changed? Tell me and I'll fix it.

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