Lehua13 brought up a great point. Although stamped concrete ran about 10-20% cheaper last time I checked (compared to standard pavers), there are a few negatives not the least of which is that it is permanent and when it breaks it is broken. The biggest complaint I hear is from people who find that it is often very slippery. There are now so many people with some training who are laying pavers that the cost of installation and availability of qualified installers makes it much easier option than years ago.

I definitely suggest the travertine pavers. They are mostly 1.25" thick. They are very easy to install. Sub compacted soil, gravel and sand. It is normal for them to move in the beginning. Read this link for a comparison of travertine pavers and brick pavers: http://www.travertinemart.com/Why_Stone_Pavers_.html If you are in Florida, you can also buy your material through this website, they have the lowest prices. My husband and I bought from them 3 months ago and we did quite a lot of research before we decided. Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.travertinemart.com/Why_Stone_Pavers_.html

We had a similar decision to make last winter and ultimately went with concrete. For us, the look of concrete goes better with the house and it's cleaner because there is no sand between pavers to track inside. That, and it was the cheapest option. Wet-laid flagstone and brick are much nicer but about 5x the cost. Depending on the gravel, there may only be minimal surface prep needed before being able to pour right on top since you're already 4" deep. Especially if you go with concrete, make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing and gives you details on exactly what will be done (rebar spacing, type of concrete mix, finish type, cut lines, etc). It's true that concrete cracks. After 1 harsh winter we have a few _hairline_ cracks (you really have to look to see them) but even so we're still very happy how the slab turned out.

Hi Mangomoon, I'm not an expert in this stuff but i did build 2 concrete paver walkways a few years ago. Here's what I remember from my research back then and my experience. "Traditional" brick is made from clay. Good for walls and fireplaces but has some drawbacks for walkways and patios. One thing is that they can chip pretty easily. Modern "pavers" are made from concrete and are designed for strength and durability as walkways and patios. They are available in many different shapes, sizes and colors, even "brick" look-a-likes. There are many manufacturers and costs vary widely. Poured concrete is a relatively inexpensive way to create a patio or walkway but doesn't offer many design options. However, one can add color to concrete and there are concrete "stamps" that can be used to create a faux stone or brick look. Bricks and concrete pavers are usually installed on a base of sand and gravel. Sand is usually used to fill the gaps between joints. As such, they do allow some water permeability. Still, it is recommended that the project be gently sloped to allow water to run-off away from the nearest building structure. This will be more critical with poured concrete. Heat retention will depend largely on the color chosen. Lighter will be cooler. I'd be surprised of there is much of a difference between similarly colored bricks or concrete but I don't know for sure. I think brick and concrete will have the same "hardness". The skill level required to build a simple square patio with pavers isn't too high. It is more physically demanding than anything else. And, most of the work is in the base preparation. i.e. excavating, getting it level, put in a gravel base, then put in a level sand base. Indeed, the better the base preparation, the better the final job. If you use a concrete paver, installation is easy. If you don't have to make any cuts, no special tools are required. I'd suggest looking at some of the manufacturer sites for concrete pavers, if you think you might like to go that way. I used Unilock brand (others are Bolduc, Belgard, Nicolock...just Google "interlocking pavers"). Good luck...