Florida
Miami Transportation
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
Miami International Airport (tel 305/876-7000) is six miles west of the city. A cab from the airport should cost around $24, or you can take one of the 24-hour SuperShuttle minivans, which will deliver you to any address in Miami for $9-15 (tel 305/871-2000, ). From the airport, take the #7 Metrobus to downtown, a trip of 30 minutes or so ($1.25, exact fare required; every 40min Mon-Fri 5.30am-8.30pm, Sat & Sun 7am-7pm), or the ‘J’ Metrobus ($1.25 plus a 25¢ surcharge to South Beach; every 30min daily 5.30am-11.30pm) to Miami Beach farther on. If you arrive late at night, the Airport Owl shuttle runs in a loop through South Beach, downtown and back to the airport ($1.25; once hourly, 11.50pm-5.50am). Greyhound’s Miami West station is a short cab ride from the airport, while the other major terminal is downtown at 100 W 6th St (tel 305/374-6180 or 1-800/231-2222, ). The Amtrak station, 8303 NW 37th Ave, is seven miles northwest. To get downtown or to Coconut Grove or Coral Gables from here, take Metrobus #L to the Metrorail, eight blocks away.
A good place for information and maps is the Greater Miami Convention and Visitor Bureau , 1920 Meridian Ave (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm; tel 305/672-1270, ). In South Beach, at the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; tel 305/672-2014, ), the Miami Beach Art Deco Preservation League has details on walking tours and events, and a great line in retro gifts.
CITY TRANSPORTATION
Driving is the most practical way to get around Miami. Though the safety warnings handed to visitors as they pick up their rental cars can make unnerving reading, the much publicized tourist-targeted car-jackings of the early 1990s are now no more of an issue here than in any major city. Watch out for road signs marked with an orange sun on a blue background; they identify the most useful routes to the main attractions. Tourist police patrol in cars with the same logo.
With a lot of time and patience, it is possible to make your way around Miami on public transportation run by Metro-Dade Transit (tel 305/770-3131 or for route information). Metrorail trains (5am-midnight) run, slowly, along a single line between the northern suburbs and South Miami; useful stops are Government Center (for downtown), Coconut Grove, and Douglas Road or University (for Coral Gables). Single-journey fares are $1.25. Downtown Miami is also ringed by the Metromover (5.30am-midnight; flat fare 25¢), a monorail that doesn’t cover much ground but gives a great bird’s-eye view. Metrobuses cover the entire city, but services dwindle at night; the flat-rate single-journey fare is $1.25, with a 25¢ surcharge for transfers. Route maps and timetables for all Metro-Dade Transit services can be had at Government Center Station, and at the Metrorail station at NW First Avenue & First Street.
Taxis, Cycling and Tours
Driving is the most practical way to get around Miami. Though the safety warnings handed to visitors as they pick up their rental cars can make unnerving reading, the much publicized tourist-targeted car-jackings of the early 1990s are now no more of an issue here than in any major city. Watch out for road signs marked with an orange sun on a blue background; they identify the most useful routes to the main attractions. Tourist police patrol in cars with the same logo.
With a lot of time and patience, it is possible to make your way around Miami on public transportation run by Metro-Dade Transit (tel 305/770-3131 or for route information). Metrorail trains (5am-midnight) run, slowly, along a single line between the northern suburbs and South Miami; useful stops are Government Center (for downtown), Coconut Grove, and Douglas Road or University (for Coral Gables). Single-journey fares are $1.25. Downtown Miami is also ringed by the Metromover (5.30am-midnight; flat fare 25c), a monorail that doesn’t cover much ground but gives a great bird’s-eye view. Metrobuses cover the entire city, but services dwindle at night; the flat-rate single-journey fare is $1.25, with a 25¢ surcharge for transfers. Route maps and timetables for all Metro-Dade Transit services can be had at Government Center Station, and at the Metrorail station at NW First Avenue & First Street
- Tags: Florida