What it might lack in public transportation and walkability, Orlando makes up for in excellent roads and infrastructure. The city is continually improving roads, interstates and freeways and offers a network of wide roads with easy travel lanes and good signage.
Driving in the United States is disciplined and organized, especially when compared to driving in Latin America, Asia and some European cities. The States have hard rules and common courtesies for all drivers.
Because it’s not a huge city like New York or Los Angeles, Orlando doesn’t have much gridlock traffic or hours-long traffic delays. During the opening and closing times of theme parks and normal rush hour (typically early morning and early evening), traffic does gets busier, but overall, traversing the city is easy.
Interstate 4 is the main freeway that cuts through the city, connecting all the major theme parks and offering easy and quick access to restaurants and shopping. Take I4 east to reach the coast and popular beaches like Daytona and St. Augustine. Travel west on I4 and connect to Interstate 75 and Tampa and St. Pete.
5 tips to safe driving
Turning Right: Unless otherwise indicated, you can turn right at a red light. Just be sure to make a complete stop at the light and yield to pedestrians and crossing traffic before making your turn.
Stopping at a Crossing: If you see a stop sign at a four-way crossing, you must stop completely. It is not a first-come, first-serve basis — the first car to the crossroad goes first, not the car on the right like in most European countries. If two cars arrive at the same time, courtesy states that the car to the right goes first.
Automatic: Most cars in the United States have automatic transmissions — unless you splurge for that shiny sports car you’ve also dreamed of driving! The gear stick is located either in the middle console or to the right of the steering wheel. To drive, move the gear stick from P (park) to D (drive) to go forward and move to R (reverse) to go in reverse. N is neutral.
Speed: Typical speed on surface roads is 45 miles per hour, while the interstates and highways generally have a top speed of 65 miles per hour, unless otherwise indicated.
Right Side of the Road: All United States roads and highways drive on the right-side of the road. On limited access highways and interstates, most exits will be on the right-hand side, with a few left-hand side exits — watch for signage to know where you need to be when exiting.
Fortunately, all of Casiola’s properties are close to major freeways, so you can quickly and easily get to where you want to go — theme parks, dining and shopping.
