New York & Florida: Big Apple to Sunshine State (Self-Launched)
12 days · USA (New York & Florida)
journaway DACH charges £2,950
No-markup version: ~£1,680 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 12-day run from New York City down to Miami, covering the same six destinations as journaway's private road-trip package: Manhattan, Orlando, the Florida Keys, Key West, the Everglades and Miami. Instead of a German-guided private car, you'll fly NYC–Orlando on a budget carrier, ride the Amtrak/bus network where it makes sense, and hire a cheap compact car only for the Keys leg. All the highlights are self-bookable — sunrise on Brooklyn Bridge, the free Staten Island Ferry, the Overseas Highway, Anhinga Trail, Wynwood murals — and you sleep in hostels, motels and budget chains. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in New York — Times Square after dark
New York City, NY
Land at JFK or Newark and take the AirTrain + subway (JFK ~£9, Newark ~£12) or a shared shuttle to your hostel in Midtown/Long Island City. Drop bags, walk to Times Square to get the jet-lag out of your system, and grab a cheap slice of pizza (£3-4) or a halal cart platter (£7). Skip The Edge tonight — go up on a clear evening later if you want it.
🚌AirTrain + subway from JFK, £9; weekly OMNY/MetroCard capped subway pass ~£27
🛏HI New York City Hostel or a Long Island City budget hotel — dorm £45-60/night, private budget room £85-110
- →Times Square walk
- →Bryant Park
- →Cheap pizza slice crawl
Brooklyn Bridge sunrise, Staten Island Ferry and Downtown
New York City, NY
Be on the Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian walkway by 6-6:30am for the empty-photo window before commuter traffic. Walk into DUMBO for the Manhattan Bridge framing, then subway to Lower Manhattan. Ride the free Staten Island Ferry round trip for the best free Statue of Liberty views. Afternoon: 9/11 Memorial plaza (free; museum ~£25 if you want it) and wander Greenwich Village in the evening.
🚌Subway day pass ~£5.5; Staten Island Ferry free
🛏As Day 1
- →Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise
- →DUMBO photo spots
- →Staten Island Ferry (free)
- →9/11 Memorial plaza
- →Greenwich Village wander
Bagels, Central Park and Broadway
New York City, NY
Breakfast at Ess-a-Bagel (~£9). Walk or rent a Citi Bike through Central Park and up to the Flatiron Building. Cheaper alternative to the Empire State: Top of the Rock or the free Staten Island ferry views already banked. Tonight chase last-minute Broadway tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square (25-50% off, ~£45-70) or catch a cheap off-Broadway show.
🚌Subway £5.5; Citi Bike day pass ~£15
🛏As Day 1
- →Ess-a-Bagel breakfast
- →Central Park walk
- →Flatiron Building
- →TKTS Broadway ticket
- →Midtown food trucks
Fly New York to Orlando
Orlando, FL
Morning budget flight from JFK/LGA/Newark to Orlando (MCO) — JetBlue, Spirit or Frontier, book 6-8 weeks out for best fares (~£60-100 one way). From MCO take the public Lynx bus 11 or 51 (£2) to International Drive, or a shared shuttle. Afternoon free to settle in; optional detour if you're driving is the Kennedy Space Center on the Space Coast (~£60 entry) — easier as a separate day trip from Orlando.
🚌One-way flight ~£85; Lynx bus from MCO £2
🛏Budget motel or hostel on International Drive / Kissimmee — £55-75/night private room
- →Fly NYC-Orlando
- →International Drive orientation
Theme parks or St. Augustine
Orlando, FL
Pick one park rather than all of them — a single-day ticket to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure runs ~£100-130 booked direct or via Klook; Walt Disney World ~£110+ per park. If theme parks aren't your thing, take the SunRail + a cheap Greyhound/FlixBus up to St. Augustine (~£15, 2h) for the oldest city in the US. Pre-book park tickets online to avoid gate prices.
🚌I-Ride trolley or rideshare to parks ~£5-10; St. Augustine bus ~£15
🛏As Day 4
- →Universal Studios Florida (optional)
- →Walt Disney World (optional)
- →St. Augustine historic district (optional)
Pick up a car and drive the Overseas Highway to Key West
Key West, FL
This is the one leg where a car is genuinely worth it. Collect a compact hire car in Orlando (~£35-45/day incl. insurance) and drive south — or cheaper still, take a FlixBus/Greyhound to Miami (~£20, 4.5h) and pick up the car there. The Overseas Highway (US-1) from Florida City to Key West is 113 miles of bridges and turquoise water — stop at Bahia Honda State Park and the Seven Mile Bridge viewpoint. Arrive Key West for sunset.
🚌Car hire ~£150 for 3 days incl. insurance and fuel; or bus to Miami ~£20 + car
🛏Key West hostel dorm (Seaside Hostel or similar) £55-75/night; budget guesthouse £110+
- →Overseas Highway scenic drive
- →Bahia Honda State Park
- →Seven Mile Bridge
Key West — Hemingway, cats and sunset at Mallory Square
Key West, FL
Walk or cycle everywhere — Key West is tiny. Hemingway Home & Museum entry ~£15 (worth it for the six-toed cats and garden tour). Afternoon swim at Fort Zachary Taylor or Smathers Beach (free/cheap). Evening join the Mallory Square sunset celebration with street performers, then eat cheap at a Cuban sandwich window (~£9).
🚌Bike hire ~£15/day
🛏As Day 6
- →Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
- →Fort Zachary Taylor beach
- →Mallory Square sunset celebration
- →Duval Street wander
Everglades and into Miami
Miami, FL
Drive back north and detour into Everglades National Park via the Homestead entrance. Entry is ~£25 per vehicle; the Anhinga Trail boardwalk (free with entry) is the best easy wildlife spot — alligators, turtles, herons and anhingas within metres. You can also book a self-drive or small-group airboat/eco tour via GetYourGuide (~£35-50). Drop the car at Miami airport and check into a hostel in Miami Beach or Little Havana.
🚌Car (final day of hire) + fuel ~£25; park entry £25/vehicle
🛏Miami Beach hostel dorm £35-55/night; Little Havana guesthouse £70-90
- →Anhinga Trail boardwalk
- →Everglades wildlife spotting
- →Optional airboat tour
Little Havana and Wynwood
Miami, FL
Breakfast at Versailles Restaurant on Calle Ocho (~£10) — the classic Cuban bakery-counter experience. Walk Calle Ocho for cigar shops and Domino Park, then take the free Miami Trolley (Little Havana and Wynwood loops) to Wynwood for the street-art walls and galleries. Free to wander; a guided street-art walk via GetYourGuide is ~£25 if you want context.
🚌Miami Trolley free; Metromover free downtown; rideshare ~£8
🛏As Day 8
- →Versailles breakfast
- →Calle Ocho & Domino Park
- →Wynwood Walls street art
- →Wynwood galleries
Miami Beach and Bayside
Miami, FL
Beach day — free public access at South Beach, the pastel lifeguard towers along the sand, and Ocean Drive for people-watching. Optional kayak or paddleboard hire at ~£20/hour. Late afternoon head to Bayside Marketplace for the bay views and free live music, and take the free Metromover loop downtown. Cheap eats: croquetas, empanadas and a Publix picnic on the sand.
🚌Bus/trolley £2-5; rideshare ~£10
🛏As Day 8
- →South Beach & lifeguard towers
- →Ocean Drive
- →Bayside Marketplace
- →Optional paddleboard hire
Last Miami morning and departure
Miami, FL
Final swim or a coffee in Espanola Way, then take the Metrobus 150 Airport Flyer (£2.25) or rideshare (~£20) to MIA for your flight home. If your flight is late, the Pérez Art Museum or the free Miami Beach Botanical Garden fill a few hours cheaply.
🚌Airport Flyer bus ~£2.25 or rideshare ~£20
🛏—
- →Espanola Way
- →Optional Pérez Art Museum
Arrive home
Home
Buffer day for your return flight — the operator's itinerary builds in a separate arrival day, so book an overnight or early-morning flight and keep this as a spare in case of delays. No extra on-the-ground costs beyond airport transfers.
🚌Airport transfer home
🛏—
Self-launched vs. journaway DACH
| This itinerary (self-launched) | journaway DACH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,680 | £2,950 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,270 per person (43%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more journaway DACH-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,680
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does New York & Florida: Big Apple to Sunshine State (Self-Launched) cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,680 per person for 12 days in USA (New York & Florida). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with journaway DACH?+
Yes — journaway DACH charges around £2,950 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,680 — a saving of roughly £1,270 (43%) per person.
How long is the USA (New York & Florida) trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through USA (New York & Florida).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a city-breaks, road-trip, beaches trip through USA (New York & Florida), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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