Whether you are an American snowbird keen to spend your winter in Fort Lauderdale, or an international tourist planning to visit one of USA’s best tourist havens, these tips will greatly ease your trip.

Perhaps as the most logical first step, you will need to work out how you get to Fort Lauderdale, with an option of either by air, water, rail or road. If air is your choice, you will be glad to know that Fort Lauderdale is served by all major US carries (like Delta, US Airways and United) as well as many international airlines. These in addition to the local low cost carries like Spirit Airlines and JetBlue.

If you prefer to get into the ‘Venice of America’ as it is also called by water, then you will do well to book yourself into one of the numerous cruises to the city. The city’s Port Everglades is USA’s third busiest port for cruises.

If you are coming to Fort Lauderdale from within or around the USA, you can opt to travel by road, as the city is served by Interstates I-95, I-75 and I-595. There is also a train service into Fort Lauderdale. The advantage of traveling by road or rail is that you get to see great scenery enroute, sometimes making the trip as enjoyable as the destination.

International travelers to Fort Lauderdale may need US visas, medical and security clearance, depending on their home countries, and it is advisable to seek advice from your local US embassy or consulate.

At a total of about 93.2 square kilometers, Fort Lauderdale is a relatively small city and easy to get around. It is served by a great city transport system of buses, taxis and metro, with a boat service along its canals to boot.

There are hundreds of hotels for you to choose from in Fort Lauderdale, from the five star international classics to more modest budget hotels. The hotels in Fort Lauderdale do experience seasonal variations in rates, and it is advisable to take the time to do extensive research and hunt for the best deal.

The unit of currency in Fort Lauderdale is the US Dollar. There are Forex Bureaus at the airport and all over the city. These are market driven enterprises, and the rates can vary significantly. It makes sense to compare the rates, and seek for the best rates.

The main spoken language in Fort Lauderdale is English. Like in the rest of Florida though, don’t assume that everyone here speaks English, as quite a sizeable proportion of the population here speak Spanish as their first language, and some actually don’t speak any English.

The city has a remarkably high representation of the Gay and Lesbian groups, and was actually the second city in USA to elect a gay-majority city council. It has subsequently been dubbed the ‘best gay resort town’.

The visitor to Fort Lauderdale would be advised to know that the city has one the USA’s highest HIV/AIDS rates in the USA, especially among the gay and lesbian groups. Caution is advised.

Keeping these tips in mind could greatly ease your trip to Fort Lauderdale.