Tampa to Daytona Beach drive: Best stops, distance and time
The best road trip stops on the Tampa to Daytona Beach drive are Lakeland FL, Disney World and Orlando. The distance from Tampa to Daytona Beach is 139 miles, with a 2h15m driving time.
Planning a Tampa to Daytona Beach road trip itinerary
The Tampa to Daytona Beach drive connects the west and east coast of Florida.
Tampa is justifiably one of the most popular holiday destinations in Florida. It’s home to top attractions such as the Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa, the Adventure Island water park and Busch Gardens theme park.
Other great Tampa experiences include historic Ybor City food walking tours, seeing the highlights in a street legal golf cart and a Haunted Tampa tour that combines ghosts and pubs.
Also on offer are Segway tours, history cruises, dolphin-watching and celebrity homes tours.
Tampa accommodation is best booked in advance – look for deals here.
Daytona Beach is one of the most attractive cities on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. To many, it is most obviously associated with NASCAR racing at the Daytona Speedway, but there’s way more to it than fast cars.
Enjoyable Daytona Beach experiences include small group sailing cruises, paddleboarding or kayaking with dolphins and manatees, wine bar tours and a Polynesian fire and dinner show.
You can also try a dive bar crawl, zipline adventures and beach Segway rides.
Good Daytona Beach accommodation options with pools by the beach include the Days Inn Daytona Oceanfront and Bahama House.
Tampa to Daytona Beach distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Tampa to Daytona Beach is 139 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and 15 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-4.
The best stops to add to a Tampa to Daytona Beach road trip itinerary are Lakeland FL, Disney World and Orlando.
Best stops between Tampa and Daytona Beach: Lakeland FL
Lakeland is a somewhat overlooked Florida City which is, as the name suggests, based around a series of lakes. Of these, Lake Mirror is the most popular, with a promenade and amphitheatre. It also has Hollis Garden, an impressive botanical garden, at the southern end. For something less sculpted, the Circle B Bar Reserve is a former cattle ranch that is now a great place to see alligators.
The city is also home to Florida Southern University, which has the world’s largest concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.
Good Lakeland hotel choices include the spacious SpringHill Suites and the affordable, pool-equipped Travelodge.
Tampa to Daytona Beach drive: Disney World
To approach Disney World as an ordinary theme park is a mistake. In reality, it is several theme parks in one. Just rock up on the day and work it out as you go along, and you’ll not get the most out of it. Read up and plan in advance – there’s a reason why some people stay for several days. Also remember that it’s as much about the shows and parades as the rides.
Several types of ticket are available. Pick the one that suits your party best.
Tampa to Daytona Beach road trip attractions: Orlando
Orlando is known worldwide as the home of Disney World, but there’s far more to it than Mickey and Co. You can get crazy selfies at the Museum of Illusions or WonderWorks, learn how chocolate is made at Chocolate Kingdom and ride the Wheel at ICON Park or Orlando StarFlyer. Alternatively, visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, play adventure golf at Pirates’ Cove and say hi to the stingrays at Sea Life.
In the evenings, there’s the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn To Life and the Outta Control magic comedy show.
Other Orlando experiences include glow-in-the-dark kayaking, foodie walking tours and kayaking through Cypress forest.
There are hundreds of hotels to choose from in Orlando. Flexibility is key (precise location is not critical here) – and compare prices online before booking.
More Tampa road trips
Asheville to Tampa | Atlanta to Tampa | Austin to Tampa | Baltimore to Tampa | Buffalo to Tampa | Dallas to Tampa | Tampa to Destin | Gainesville to Tampa | Houston to Tampa | Jacksonville to Tampa | Lakeland to Tampa | Memphis to Tampa | Nashville to Tampa | Ocala to Tampa | Orlando to Tampa | Philadelphia to Tampa | Pittsburgh to Tampa | Tampa to St Augustine | St Louis to Tampa | Tallahassee to Tampa | Valdosta to Tampa | Washington DC to Tampa.
More Daytona Beach road trips
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