by Maureen Keller

Created on: May 31, 2008   Last Updated: April 18, 2011

Having lived in Naples, FL and some surrounding areas, I can tell you in the summer months, Naples is a wonderful place. In the summer months, it is just the locals. Traffic is flowing and life is good well, except when you find an alligator in your backyard! There are certain hazards to living anyplace I guess.

In the winter in Naples is a whole other story. October is when the snowbirds descend on this peaceful town and turn it upside down. The traffic is a nightmare, forget about getting a seat at a restaurant, and the grocery store lines are atrocious. You just can't show up at the golf course and get to the first tee so easily either. You have to have a tee time weeks in advance. My husband was a golf pro in Naples and in neighboring Fort Myers. October through April were brutal.

If you are one of those snowbirds or just want to visit, the best and the closest airport is Southwest International Airport, which is in Fort Myers. There are a multitude of car rental agencies at the airport. Even though, the town itself is not large, this is such a popular destination, that the number of services offered at the airport rival Dulles and LAX. There are car rentals, shuttles, buses, taxis...all vying for your business. But beware, the car rentals are often short of cars, the shuttles often full, buses are standing room only, and people will run you over to get to the taxi first.

In season, as the locals call it runs from October through April. That is when havoc reigns. Travel time from the airport can take in upwards of an hour. The actual mileage is only 25 miles form SWI to Naples. Out of season the travel time is downwards of 25 minutes.

Once in Naples, buses are the way to go, if you get get on the overcrowded giants. There are often so many cars on the road that if you are in your own car, you will sit for an hour at one red light. That's about the time that your air conditioner breaks and you lose 20 pounds in a 1 mile drive. The buses never seem to stop at red lights and take turns faster that the airplanes taking off from SWI Airport. The buses run that town and you will get to your destination faster, if not safer.

When traveling outside of Naples, allow a lot of travel time. Fort Myers is a quick shot up the interstate when the traffic is flowing, but when it is at a standstill, it is brutal. I know this from experience. When I moved to Fort Myers, I still worked in Naples. To get to work at 8am, I would have to leave at 6am and would sometimes still be late. In the summer, I could make that trip in 20 minutes. Fort Myers offers shopping, great restaurants, some of the best golf courses around and fabulous entertainment that is always changing. Be sure to pick up a tourists guide at the airport.

Orlando and the famous Disney World is around a four hour drive. But worth every minute if you want to have a great time with the little ones. The Everglades are also close, but visit at your own risk. Too many gators and panthers for me. But what finally drove us out was Hurricane Charley. After some significant damage to our home, we went looking for higher ground.

In my humble opinion, Naples is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there again.

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