At the end of last week, the pound hit a seven-month high against the dollar, following the publication of a Federal report which kept interest rates on hold and lowered growth projections for the USA. Earlier in the week, the pound had been bolstered by positive news on wage growth in the UK.
It all adds up to mean now is a great time for our British guests to start planning a trip stateside to take advantage of the good exchange rates.
How about a September sojourn to bag some bargains for your new season wardrobe? Or maybe a trip in October to soak up some rays and do a little early Christmas shopping?
September Shopping
The French call it la rentrée; that ‘back to school’ where everyone returns to work after the Summer. It’s also a great time to refresh your Autumn/Winter wardrobe for the new 2015 season – and where better to do that than the capital of outlet shopping?
The Orlando area has some serious discount shopping in some fabulous outlet malls to choose from – the three Simon Outlet malls on 5269 International Drive, 8200 Vineland Avenue, and 4951 International Drive are among the best – offering huge bargains on a huge range of US brands, including: Calvin Klein, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, True Religion, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, Oakley and Timberland and many more.
And September is a great time to visit Florida: the parks are quieter (the kids have all returned to school) and there is still plenty of sunshine: an average of nine hours a day to be precise – plus highs of 32°C. There’s a more relaxed vibe in the air and plenty of time to browse at you leisure and hunt down some bargains!
October and November Shopping
In October and November you’ll be getting eight hours of sunshine a day in Florida, and temperatures are pushing 29°C in October, 25°C in November – so the Florida climate will still feel like a welcome blast of sun compared to the UK.
Through October, the stores will be in full-on Halloween mode, but come November 1st those Halloween decs will be swiftly replaced with twinkly lights and stripey candy canes and the holiday season will have officially begun. It might seem slightly early and incongruous with the warmer weather, but it is wonderful time of year to visit Florida and snap up some early Christmas presents into the bargain!
The premium outlet malls offer some great discounts, but for Christmas shopping you’ll probably also want to check out Downtown Disney, the up-scale Mall at Millennia and maybe even The Village at Artegon Marketplace, where you can browse 165 shops filled with unique, hand-crafted goods and foods.
Lock in those Great Exchange Rates!
You can bag a great bargain in Orlando’s malls even without the great exchange rate the British pound is enjoying against the US dollar right now. But it’s also possible to lock in the great rate using a FairFX card through Ellis Exclusive Villas – this is a brilliant tool for getting the most for your money. Pre-pay funds on to the card while the pound is strong and you can be sure your money will go as far as it can.
