Evening star., 1960-06-05
GET UP AND GO!
GET UP AND GO!
Florida Season Becoming Yeor-Long Event
By JACK JONAS
Star Travel Editor

4NOW L1ldO OAAC lACdG . OAA Al
Florida, the package tour is
back in full force.
Each year it becomes more
difficult it tell when the sea
son" in Florida-not too long
ago merely a winter playground
begins and ends.
Last year, between June and
November inclusive, a record
of more than 6 million visitors
poured into the Sunshine State
to take advantage of sharply
off-season prices. Resort op-
orators expect this years sum-
mer visitor total to be even
higher.
Each summer, more and
more transportation companies
and resort cities join the pack
age tour bandwagon. Latest
to hop aboard is Palm Beach,
where once only the million
aires frolicked.
Rates in the plush resorts
there are now as low as S27,
double occupancy, for six
nights and seven days. If
you'd like to eat while you're
there, you can have a 12-meal
modified American plan for
an extra $48.
SeabOard's Plan
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
is offering a series of Florida
package tours from Washing
ton, beginning at $72.85.
This includes a reserved
coach seat round trip, seven
days and six nights in an
ocean-front hotel, and trans
fers between railroad station
and hotel. From there, the
traveller can build to f1t his
needs. Available in advance at
extra cost are arrangements
for food, a rental car, side
excursions, etc.-even a side
trip to Nassau in the Bahamas.
The Florida packages are
operated in connection with
Seaboard's crack trains, the
Silver Star and the Silver
Meteor. More than 200 hotels
in the Miami-Miami Beach
area take part in the Sea-
board plan.
Atlantic Coast Line Rail
roads Champion Vacations"
at nine Florida resorts begin
at $17.95 for approximately a
weeks stay, exclusive of fare
from Washington. ACL also is
offering circle tours, beginning
in Jacksonville.
This year the railroad has
about 125 hotels and motels
taking part in its/package tour
arrangements, and expects a
10 per cent increase in its sum-
mer passenger traffic to Florida.
Bus Packages
Trailways Bus System this
year will operate a 1886 all
inclusive Miami Beach package
in cooperation with the At
lantic Towers and the De Lido
Hotel. The bus line also has
available a broad line of three,
four, five and six day package
plans for both Miami and
Miami Beach.
Trailways also has a circle
tour of Florida originating in
Tallahassee, Lake City, or Jack
sonville.
The Jacksonville circle tour
goes for $81.63, on the basis oil
two persons travelling together
The itinerary includes St
Petersburg, Cypress Gardens
Box Tower. Miami. three days
in Miami Beach, st. Augustine
and back to Jacksonville. II
lasts eight days and sever
nights.
For 1860, Greyhound Bus
Lines is adding 65 new buses
on runs into Florida, including
several additional schedules.
Greyhound's summer tours
have been planned to cover
virtually every sightseeing at
traction in the State. 1t has
lined up IA major hotels and
motels for its package tours.
The bus lines circle tour OF
the Sunshine State, from Jack
sonville to Jacksonville, in
cludes first class hotel accom-
modations, meals, and admis-
sions to various attractions al
$158 a person, again based or
two people travelling together
Airlines Participate
Airlines Offering package
tours from Washington tc
Florida include Eastern, North
east and National.
Eastern is expecting to sell
10000 of it's budget tours this
year-a 20 per cent increase
over last years. In addition tt
it's regular Happy Holidays
tours of years past, Eastern has
new packages to st. Petersburg
Miami Beach, Miami and For
Lauderdale.
A typical Eastern package
begins at $3.50 for seven days