Smart Traveller

Orlando, in Florida,  is one of the U.S.A.’s most popular tourist destinations, mainly because of its theme parks, which include the Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and the Universal Studios Resort. However, if you hire a car during your stay, you can take a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks and explore more of the Sunshine State. Here are details of three places that you can go for a day-trip in your Orlando hire car.

1. Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach is only about an hour’s drive from Orlando, so it’s the perfect place to visit as part of an Orlando car hire holiday. Daytona Beach has more than 23 miles of white sandy beach and in the early history of motorsports, cars would be tested and raced on the sands here. Some parts of the beach are still accessible by car today, but it’s also a great place to go for a stroll.

Daytona Beach still has strong links with motorsports. It’s home to the Daytona International Speedway and hosts many motorsports events throughout the year. Other attractions in Daytona Beach include museums and galleries, several golf courses and some excellent shopping malls.

2. The John F. Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center is one of America’s most famous tourist attractions. It will only take you about an hour and a half to drive there from Orlando in your hire car, but make sure that you head off early, as it will take you a full day to really explore the centre.

Attractions at the Kennedy Space Center include: the Shuttle Launch Experience, in which you can experience what a launch feels like for astronauts; Space Shuttle Plaza, where you can see a full-sized replica of the NASA Explorer space shuttle; the NASA Rocket Garden; the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you can see a real rocket from Saturn V; and the U.S Astronaut Hall of Fame.

You can also take a guided tour of the space center and, if there is a shuttle launch taking place during your holiday, you can book tickets to watch it (the next shuttle launch is due to take place on the 7 February 2010).

3. St. Petersburg

It will take you less than 2 hours to drive to the city of St. Petersburg in your Orlando hire car. St. Petersburg is situated on the coast, on the Tampa Bay peninsula, and the area is known for its white, sandy beaches.

Whilst in St. Petersbug, you can feed pelicans from the pier, visit the Salvador Dali Museum, explore the city’s Sunken Gardens or spend some time in the Great Explorations Children’s Museum. You can also take a boat trip or use your hire car to drive to the beautiful Fort DeSoto Park.

BBC Homes and Antiques Magazine has teamed up with AMAWATERWAYS to launch a competition in which you could win a 7 night cruise for two people.

The prize includes accommodation, meals and onboard entertainment on one of AMAWATERWAYS five-star river cruise vessels, together with return flights from the U.K. and airport transfers. The winner can chose to take a Danube cruise, a Mosel cruise, a Rhine cruise or a Main cruise.

You can enter the competition via the BBC Homes and Antiques Magazine’s website - simply complete the online form with your details and the answer to the question, and submit it. Entries must be received by 6 January 2010.

Conde Nast Traveller is offering readers the chance to win two nights’ bed and breakfast accommodation in The George Hotel in Hamburg. The George Hotel is an independently-owned hotel, situated in Hamburg’s St. Georg quarter.

You can enter the competition by answering the question on the Conde Nast website. Please note that the prize does not include travel or insurance costs.

Entries must be received by 3 March 2009 and the prize must be taken before 21 November 2009 (certain dates may be excluded).

Image courtesy of: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Heidas