International Drive: a good base, a weak destination

What I-Drive is

International Drive is an 11-mile road through Orlando's tourist corridor, running from near the outlets and Universal in the north, past the Orange County Convention Center, down to SeaWorld and the Disney area in the south. Locals call it I-Drive. It is lined with hotels, chain restaurants, gift shops, dinner shows, mini golf and paid attractions.

It is not where Orlando locals spend their evenings. But as a base, it works. Hotels cost less than on Disney property, Universal is five to ten minutes away, and you can get to almost every park in under 30 minutes.

Which part to stay in

• North, near the outlets and Kirkman Road: closest to Universal and the big outlet mall. Busy and commercial.
• Middle, around Sand Lake Road and ICON Park: the most restaurants and attractions within walking distance. Also the most traffic.
• Convention center stretch: big hotels, Pointe Orlando's shops and restaurants, quieter at night outside big shows.
• South, near SeaWorld: calmer, closer to SeaWorld and Aquatica, and an easier drive to Disney.

An evening on I-Drive in order

1. Park once at ICON Park, near Sand Lake Road, or walk from a nearby hotel.
2. Ride the 400-foot observation wheel near sunset. A full turn takes about 20 minutes and shows you the whole tourist corridor.
3. Eat dinner. I-Drive is mostly chains, but there are good independent places in the plazas just off the main road; the I-Drive eats guide sorts them out.
4. If you want shopping, finish at the outlet mall at the north end, which stays open into the evening.

Getting around

I-Drive traffic is slow from late afternoon on, and stoplights come every few hundred yards. Walking between nearby blocks is fine, but crossings are long and summer heat is hard. Over longer stretches, use a car or rideshare.

The I-Ride Trolley has long run up and down I-Drive with stops near most hotels, which helps if you don't have a car; check current routes and fares before you count on it. Many hotels run shuttles to Universal, SeaWorld and sometimes Disney, but schedules are limited and some charge, so ask when you book. The rental car guide helps you decide whether you need one at all.

Where to eat

The main strip is chains, buffets and theme restaurants. For better food, look one block back in the plazas around Sand Lake Road and along Kirkman Road, where there are Asian, Indian, Latin and Middle Eastern kitchens that serve hotel staff and locals. For a sit-down dinner, Restaurant Row in Dr. Phillips is five minutes west on Sand Lake Road and noticeably better.

Grocery stores near Sand Lake Road and Kirkman Road are worth a stop for water, snacks and breakfast food. Hotel shops charge much more for the same things.

If you have only one free evening, pick ICON Park and the wheel for the classic I-Drive view, or Pointe Orlando for a sit-down dinner and a walk without the crowds. Families often prefer one round of mini golf at one of the themed courses along the strip; it costs less than most attractions and fits easily after a pool afternoon. More than one paid attraction a night tends to feel like a waste once you have done a park.

Mistakes to avoid

• Buying a bundle of minor attractions. Most are small and pricey; pick one or two, or skip them for a park.
• Ignoring hotel fees. Many I-Drive hotels add a daily resort fee and parking on top of the room rate. Read the resort fees guide first.
• Booking timeshare preview tours for "free" tickets. They take hours of a vacation day.
• Planning to drive the full length at 6 pm. Use I-4 or Universal Boulevard to skip the stoplights.
• Assuming you can walk to Universal from everywhere on I-Drive. Only a few hotels are close enough, and the walk is along busy roads.
• Booking the cheapest room without reading recent reviews. Quality varies widely along the strip.