What's the shortest beach driving-time-wise for someone in NE Orlando? (Melbourne: school, live in)

[tricon7]

I'm in the Winter Springs area, and I'd like to find out what's the shortest trip (driving time) to a beach? I've been to both Daytona and New Smyrna Beaches, which both take just over an hour drive for us. Forget the Gulf Coast - much longer driving time. Too bad there isn't a way to drive straight as the crow flies east to Melbourne, but there's no major highway due east, and that area is all state park or something.

I had hoped that I would be less than an hour to a beach from where I live, but it doesn't look that's the case unless I drive 80 on the highway.

[FloridaNative35]

I'd say an hour is about right...

I've never found a way that takes less than that. You can shorten the distance by going to (more) straight to the east, but then you end up on smaller and slower roads.

[Crane's Rooster]

Yeah Winter Springs is tricky because there's no road heading directly east to the beach, you have to go north or south first to get to the direct route. Have you tried SR 46?

[FL2MT]

Yeah, you're kind of in an odd spot there to have a quick-shot anywhere. Have you ever been out to Canaveral Nat'l Seashore? Probably not any faster, but Playalinda Beach is a nice place when you want a break from the more built-up type of beaches.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by FL2MT

Yeah, you're kind of in an odd spot there to have a quick-shot anywhere. Have you ever been out to Canaveral Nat'l Seashore? Probably not any faster, but Playalinda Beach is a nice place when you want a break from the more built-up type of beaches.

We love the beach up there. There is a charge to get into the National Park. If you happen to be 62 you can get the Lifetime National Park Pass that gets you and a carload into drive into National Parks or 2 -3 people in a walk- in place like the fort at St. Augustine. Op just remember that at National Seashore it is quite a drive from the bridge to the beach accesses so may actually take longer to get to the beach. The last access is the one that people say is clothing optional but the county deputies do make arrests because the beach is in the county. The rest of the accesses are family friendly. You do need to bring all food and drink because there is nothing out there but the beach. Each access has plenty of parking spaces and a primitive restroom......basically a port o potty inside a cement building---but the toilets have a fllush. Sanitizer for hands because no water out there. If there is a launch it is a good site to watch from.

Another idea would be just to take 528 and go to the port area and the beach at Jetty Park.

Melbourne has a lot of free county beaches but it is about an hour and a half drive from winter Springs to Melbourne in lite traffic.

[kyle19125]

I take the 417 from further north than you (and then 528 east to the end) and make it to Cape Canaveral Beach/northern Cocoa Beach in just right at an hour driving with the flow of traffic (not 80 mph!). It's a good deal quieter there than New Smyrna Beach or Daytona Beach in my opinion (north side past the pier), and you can find parking steps from the beach if you arrive early enough (before 11:00am) although it is old-school meter parking.

[sean1the1]

Sorry bro your outta luck! winter springs is just one of those areas. I live in Sanford and i have a straight shot to Daytona about 45 minutes away. NSB about 30 minutes away just don't like the sandbars out there.. But there is always the springs about 30 minutes away doesn't have much of a beach feel but still nice though.

[tricon7]

After considering my options, I think the best thing for me to do to get to the beach faster - is to drive faster! Yeah, I would drink gasoline at a crazy rate, but it's not like I go to the beach all that often anyway. The speed limit on toll road 417 (to get to the Interstate) and I-4 is 70 mph, I believe, so I could probaby do 77-80 mph and match the rest of the traffic and not risk a police-pullover. That would probably put me in NSB in 45-50 minutes. I could live with that. And I really like NSB more than the other places. I prefer the activity vs. the isolation like the state park beaches, and NSB has lots of gift shops for the kids and local family-owned restaurants near the beach to dine at. Daytona has biker stuff that doesn't appeal to the family crowd so much, and it also has a homeless shelter(s) near the beach which causes the homeless to wander up and down the parkway, giving it a dreary atmosphere sometimes.

[Crane's Rooster]

It's funny how geography has split CFL into two when it comes to beaches because much like Tricon we're all looking for the quickest routes. When I lived in Seminole County I went almost exclusively to the Volusia beaches (Daytona and NSB). Now that I'm in Orange County I go almost exclusively to Brevard Beaches (Cocoa, Space Coast). It seems just about everyone else I speak to also fall along those lines.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

It's funny how geography has split CFL into two when it comes to beaches because much like Tricon we're all looking for the quickest routes. When I lived in Seminole County I went almost exclusively to the Volusia beaches (Daytona and NSB). Now that I'm in Orange County I go almost exclusively to Brevard Beaches (Cocoa, Space Coast). It seems just about everyone else I speak to also fall along those lines.

It is odd, especially considering there's little if any drive time differences. I can get to New Smyrna Beach city limits in 40 minutes or so but by the time I literally reach the beach it's about an hour, which is how long it takes to get to the beach in Cocoa.