Traveling Around Miami

Traveling Around Miami

Public transportation in Miami is run by the Miami-Dade Transit Agency, which operates the buses, the Metrorail commuter train network, and Downtown’s elevated Metromover. The latter is of most use to visitors to the downtown area, but it is hard to make the most of Miami without a car unless you’re happy to stay in South Beach. However you travel, pay heed to the safety tips on pages 380 and 390.

ARRIVING IN MIAMI

For information on getting away from Miami airport, If you arrive at the Amtrak station, just north of

the airport, or at one of the Greyhound terminals, there are no car rental outlets but plenty of taxis and a choice, if limited, of buses going to Downtown and Miami Beach.

Arriving by car is relatively hassle free. I-95, the main road from the north, heads straight through Downtown before joining US 1, which continues south skirting Coral Gables. Route A1A is a slower

way in from the north but takes you directly into South Beach. From the west, US 41 runs through Little Havana to the coast, where it links up with the main north-

south routes.

Amtrak Station

8303 NW 37th Ave.

Tel (305) 835-1222.

Greyhound Stations

Airport, 4111 NW 27th St.

Tel (305) 871-1810.

36 NE 10th St.

Tel (305) 374-6160.

North Miami, NW 7th and 160th sts.

Tel (305) 688-8645.

METRORAIL AND METROMOVER 
Metrorail, a 21-mile (34-km)  rail line between the northern and southern suburbs of

Miami, is of limited use to visitors. However, it provides a useful link between Coral Gables or Coconut Grove and the downtown area. Services run daily every ten minutes or so from 6am until midnight.

You can transfer free from Metrorail to the Tri-Rail line in Hialeah, and also to the Metromover system at Government Center station (where you can pick up transport maps and information

on rail routes).

The Metromover connects the heart of Downtown with the Brickell and Omni business districts on two elevated loop lines. Although the service is underused by local people, the Inner Loop provides a good way to see the downtown area. Cars operate continually from 6am to midnight. Make sure that you have coins ready for the turnstile as you enter the station.

Miami-Dade Transit

Information

Tel (305) 770-3131.

METROBUS

Miami’s Metrobus network serves most places of interest, but the frequency of services varies greatly and is much reduced on weekends. Many of the services converge on Flagler Street and

Government Center, Downtown, which is a good place to pick up buses.

There are express routes, which cost about double the usual fare. If you need to change buses, ask for a free transfer when you get on the first bus; you pay as you board, so have the right change ready. Transfers to the Metrorail or Metro-mover cost extra.

TAXIS

Taxis are often the best way to get around at night, even if you have a car; you may feel nervous about navigating after dark, and parking can be a problem in some areas.

Taxis charge approximately $2 per mile; the trip from South Beach to Coconut Grove, for example, will cost around $15. Don’t try to hail a passing cab from the curb (see p393); it is best to order one by phone. Central Cab and Yellow Taxi are both reliable.

Central Cab

Tel (305) 532-5555.

Yellow Taxi

Tel (305) 888-8888.

WATER TAXIS

Miami has no water taxis though, of course, there are plenty of tour companies providing boat trips. Fort Lauderdale, however, does have a water taxi service. This city also has a water bus service, which runs from Fort Lauderale to Miami Marina.

Water Taxi (Fort Lauderdale)

Tel (954) 467-6677.

www.watertaxi.com

Water Bus (Fort Lauderdale)

Tel (954) 467-0008.

TRAVELING BY CAR

Driving in Miami is not as intimidating as you might think. Biscayne Bay is a useful reference point, and you can’t go far wrong if you stick to the main through streets. Parking is straight-forward, but it can be a nightmare in South Beach. On weekends forget it; at other times bring change for the meters, which operate from 9am to 9pm, and pay heed to the signs threatening to tow away your vehicle. You can contact the Miami Parking System and the Miami Beach Parking

Department for directions to specific parking lots.

Miami Beach Parking

Department

Tel (305) 673-7505.

Miami Parking Authority

Tel (305) 373-6789.

STREET ADDRESSES

Miami is split into four by the junction of Miami Avenue and Flagler Street in Downtown. Avenues, which run north-south, and streets, running east-west, start their numbering here. The coordinates NE, SE, NW,and SW, which prefix street names in Miami, change depending on which side of the main two axes the road is In Miami Beach, the southernmost street is 1st Street; the numbers then simply increase as you move northward.

Traveling in Florida’s Other Cities

In the most popular tourist centers, quaint trolley buses and carriages designed to cater to tourists

provide a relaxing way to sightsee (see p393). In the bigger cities of Jacksonville and Tampa and in the Orlando area, however, it is worth familiarizing yourself with some of the alternative forms of transportation.

ORLANDO

You can survive in Orlando better than in other areas without a car thanks to the excellent Lynx Buses, which serve the airport, downtown Orlando, International Drive, and Walt Disney World. If you need a transfer, ask for one when you board the first bus. I-Ride minibuses ply International Drive between Wet ’n Wild and SeaWorld. Buses run every ten minutes from 7am to midnight. Passes are a good value and mean that you don’t always have to have change handy.

Passes and timetables are available from the Lynx bus station in downtown Orlando (near Church Street Station) and from Walgreens stores on International Drive.

Taxis are plentiful but costly. Private shuttle buses are much less expensive, especially for the trip from International Drive to Walt Disney World, but you need to reserve ahead for these.

Lynx Buses

Tel (407) 841-5969.

JACKSONVILLE

Jacksonville is best suited to the driver. The fairly new Automated Skyway Express, or ASE, is a monorail line that currently serves only Down-town, although there are plans to extend the line.

Jacksonville also has a water taxi (marine) service between the north and south banks of the St. Johns River. Shuttles operate between 10–11am and 4–6pm, depending on the weather. For other destinations, rely on the buses operated by the Jacksonville Transit Authority, whose terminus down-town is on Kings Road, about eight blocks north of Jacksonville Landing.

Automated Skyway 

Express

Tel (904) 630-3181.

SS Marine Taxi

Tel (904) 733-7782.

Jacksonville Transit

Authority

Tel (904) 630-3100.

TAMPA

Downtown Tampa is quite compact, but without a car you’ll need to use the local Hartline buses to

travel to outlying sights such as Busch Gardens. These depart from the terminal on Marion Street and run roughly every half hour along most routes, from about 5am to 8pm. There is also a trolley bus connection to Ybor City.

Water taxis in Tampa run a request service, stopping at a number of downtown attractions.