Laurens4790

Hi All,

I am from the Netherlands and will be in Florida for a month in February to run the Miami Marathon, have holiday and do some biking. I want to do a 10 day bike tour around Florida. Planning to bring my own bike and cover at least 60miles/100km a day. I am a very well trained biker so do not have any difficulty with being on a bike for 4-5 hours a day.

I will start in Miami. I was thinking of the following route:

1. Going west via H-41 to Naples (read that most of this route has paved bike trails)
2. Go north to Sanibel island
3. Easy day to Fort Myers
4. Go north to Sarasota
5. Go north to Tampa to take train next day
6. Rest day, take train to West Palm Beach
7. Go south to Fort Lauderdale
8. Go south to Miami
9. Than take two days to bike to Key West were I will meet some people

I will be biking alone and will sleep in hotels/other accomedations. I know Florida is not the greatest state to do a lot of cycling but I figured that most of the coast rides are OK and therefore take the train to cross the state to the west coast. What do you guys think of above route? Any advice.

Help is much appriciated! Thanks in advance.

Laurens

debade

Maybe this will help for your ride to the Keys. Loved our ride on the N Sea. People in the Netherlands could not have been more kind. Hope you are treated as well here. https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/...c_id=9883&v=Yn

jon c. 

We have a train running from Tampa to W. Palm? I had no idea.

Sound like a fun trip, but living in N. Florida it seems to me you're missing the best part of the state. :-)

RonH

I too had no idea there is a train running for Tampa the WPB. Might have to take the grandkids on a train ride so they can see what it's like.

jon c. 

Some years back there was a plan for a MagLev bullet train on that route, but the funding never materialized.

Baldy1953

Laurens, If memory serves me correctly, the ride from Miami to Naples is a very desolate road. It cuts through the Everglades and there are not any overnight accomodations. It is over 100 miles from Miami to Naples. Pretty ambitious ride by yourself.

Also, the road is 1 lane going each way unless they have widened it. Not an extremely bike friendly place. Alligators are along the road without any restraints on them. I have even seen gators on the road.

Laurens4790

Thanks a lot! Can actually use this blog al the way op to Palm beach. Pictures look great. Nice you have been in the Netherlands, it's a great cycle country.

Laurens4790

The Amtrak Silver Service goes from Tampa to W. Palm Beach in about 4 hours