Florida Guide > Planning your Trip
Things in Florida – not available in the UK
Not only are there things available in Florida that are not available in the UK, there are many things that are not available in the UK as cheaply as in Florida.
A few things not available in the UK are:
Constant sunshine!
Salad or soup before the main course included in the price at most restaurants.
Speedy restaurant service - too speedy sometimes.
Goods delivered within 24 hours of being ordered – sometimes even the same day (not 6 to 8 weeks)!
Twice weekly rubbish collection – and they will take anything including old furniture and electrical appliances.
Coffee and sodas refillable in all fast food restaurants and most restaurants.
Sober teenagers – they cannot drink until they are twenty one in America!
Many things that are cheaper than in the UK are:
VAT – just 6% or 7% (which is why most goods are cheaper)
Spectacles – particularly if you go to Walmart, just as good as Specsavers and a third of the price of the UK or even Lens Crafters in the Florida Mall.
Jeans – all makes
Clothes in general
Shoes
Designer labels
Luggage (just as well, as you will need to buy some to get all your purchases home)
Handbags
Nail shops (half the price at least - £25 in UK and $20 in Florida)
Kitchen Utensils
Bedding – wonderful quality sheets at Bed, Bath and Beyond or J C Penny’s)
Towels
Jewellery
Watches
Sunglasses
Toys and games
Christmas decorations
Laptops (be aware though that the keyboard layout is slightly different)
Food in restaurants - $13. 99 for a 9oz steak
Petrol $3. 50 per GALLON
Fast food restaurants are dollar for pound – 99c burger in Florida is 99p in the UK
Many electricals, but you will have to make sure they are dual voltage unless you buy a converter and you will need plug adapters
Baby clothes - and so different to UK ones
Do be aware when you are shopping that the price you see on the ticket does not include sales tax. This will be added on at the till.
It is worth checking out which credit cards in the UK don’t charge interest on each purchase. You may not notice this as they convert it into a poor exchange rate.
Another tip is never to book your car hire when you arrive in Florida. It is much cheaper to book and pay for it in the UK with uscarhire.com as you get a total all inclusive price.Certainly do not upgrade on arrival in the US either that is extremely expensive
Happy shopping.
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