Tampa isn’t just a beautiful, thriving city on Florida’s Gulf Coast, it has major attractions like the historic Ybor district and the fabulous Busch Gardens theme park. Having a hire car will help you get around these sights and reach the beaches too.

Busch is to the north of the city centre; Ybor is around seven miles from here, just to the east of downtown and the beaches of St Petersburg are around 30 miles west. The good news, however, is that the road system here is excellent. Tampa itself is built on a classic grid system, with straight roads dividing numbered blocks, so it’s easy to find your way around the city centre.

And there are useful interstate motorways running right through Tampa. The I-4 takes you east to Orlando; the I-275 heads to the northern satellite towns and across Tampa Bay on a bridge to reach St. Petersburg; the I-75 runs north-south down the eastern side of the city giving you access to Georgia or down to Bradenton and Fort Myers.

Generally, you’ll find driving around Florida’s Gulf Coast is easy. The roads are smooth, wide and well maintained. Most road users are well behaved and relaxed, even in the rare jams. There’s usually plenty of parking wherever you go: this area was designed to accommodate cars.

The driving rules and regulations are much the same as other American states. If you’re worried about the precise laws, you can find more details here.

Florida’s third largest city is a bustling, lively centre for visitors, businesses and entertainment. Tampa is very much a waterfront community, so you can find harbours, marinas, boat trips, bridges and seascapes in all directions. And there are dozens of great beaches within easy reach of the city. If you want to park up your hire car and explore the region on a bike, check out our video here on cycling around in Tampa.

Ybor City

The revitalised district of Ybor City stands at the heart of historic Tampa, just to the east of downtown. They came from Spain, Italy and Cuba, and imported their Latin culture and style with them. The colourful architecture and atmosphere of this district lives on and Ybor City has been declared a National Historic Landmark District.

Start on the busy palm-lined 7th Avenue, which runs through the middle of Ybor - it’s packed with restaurants to enjoy. At night, it becomes Tampa’s most vibrant area and by day, look out for the historic yellow trams pottering around the district, there’s even a museum dedicated to them. Nearby is a museum about the history of cigar production too.

Busch Gardens

This massive theme park complex is one Florida’s main attractions, bringing visitors from all over the world. Many theme park enthusiasts take a bus here from Orlando. The thrills of Busch include major white-knuckle rides and drop towers, water rides and, thankfully for some, older, sedate retro rides. It’s all set among African-themed gardens, with desert areas, floral beds and lush jungles. There are more than 12,000 zoo animals to see in the gardens too, and younger children have their own play zone and exotic shows are dotted around the park.

Florida's finest sands

There’s an average of 246 days of sunshine a year in Tampa so it’s good to have a selection of fabulous beaches nearby. The areas also great for outdoor activities: you can kayak or sail in the calm of Tampa Bay or take a wildlife cruise looking for dolphins and manatees. The sands of Caladesi Island are a pristine hide-away beach, only reached by boat, making the journey that extra bit more special. The resorts of St. Petersburg (also known as St. Pete Beach), Clearwater and Bradenton all have their own beautiful seafronts too, with waterfront diners, boardwalks and sports facilities.

Around Tampa

The Florida Aquarium is another fine family-friendly sight, with more than 20,000 aquatic animals and plants to gaze at, plus the chance to go diving with sharks. There’s more watery fun at Adventure Island, a waterpark close to Busch Gardens. You’ll find 30 acres of splashing thrills and a giant wave pool.

There’s serious culture around Tampa too: the Museum of Art is a spectacular stone building on the waterfront with translucent ceilings. It houses a collection of fine art through the ages. Meanwhile the acclaimed Museum of Science and Industry is a community-based non-profit attraction with more than 450 entertaining interactive displays about science and technology as well as its own indoor butterfly garden.

From the city itself to the area surrounding Tampa, there is plenty to see and do to keep you occupied. Whether you’re here on business or for a fun-filled family holiday, exploring what this city has to offer will make for an unforgettable break.