Miami Travel Guide

Getting There

Air

Miami International Airport (MIA) +1 305 876 7000 http://www.miami-airport.com

MIA is seven miles west of downtown and services the following airlines:

Aero Mexico (+1 800 237 6639 / http://www.aeromexico.com) Air Canada (+1 888 712 7786 / http://www.aircanada.ca) Air France (+1 800 992 3932 / http://www.airfrance.com) Alaskan Airlines (+1 800 654 5669 / http://www.alaskaair.com) American Airline (+1 800 222 2377 / http://www.aa.com) British Airways (+1 800 247 9297 / http://www.british-airways.com) Continental (+1 800 932 2732 / http://www.continental.com) Delta (+1 800 335 8241 / http://www.delta.com) El Al (+1 800 522 2435 / http://www.elal.co.il) Iberia (+1 800 772 4642 / http://www.iberia.com) Lufthansa (+1 800 645 3880 / http://www.lufthansa.com) Mexicana (+1 800 531 7921 / http://www.mexicana.com) Northwest (+1 800 225 2525 / http://www.nwa.com) United (+1 800 538 2929 / http://www.united.com) US Airways (+1 800 428 4322 / http://www.usairways.com) Virgin Atlantic (+1 800 821 5438 / http://www.virgin-atlantic.com)

From the Airport

Taxi: Taxis can be found at Arrival (ground) level, just outside the baggage claim area. Metro Taxi (+1 305 888 8888) and Central Taxicab Service (+1 305 532 5555) are good options.

Shuttle: Supershuttle (+1 305 871 2000 / http://www.supershuttle.com) van service operates around the clock and provides door-to-door access to most hotels.

Car Rental: Alamo (+1 305 935 5140 / http://www.alamo.com) Avis (+1 305 379 1317 / http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 305 871 2722 / http://www.budget.com) Dollar (+1 866 434 2226 / http://www.dollar.com) Enterprise (+1 305 668 3374 / http://www.enterprise.com) Hertz (+1 305 626 4683 / http://www.hertz.com) National (+1 305 638 1026 / http://www.nationalcar.com) Thrifty (+1 877 283 0898 / http://www.thrifty.com)

Public Transit: Metrobus (+1 305 770 3131 / http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/transit) offers a cheap alternative, but is painstakingly slow. It does, however, connect with the more expeditious Metrorail transit system.

TriRail (+1 800 874 7245 / http://www.tri-rail.com) is the perfect choice for anyone traveling to Miami's outlying counties such as Broward or Palm Beach or if you decide to fly into Ft. Lauderdale Airport (FLL).

Train

Amtrak (+1 800 872 7245 / http://www.amtrak.com) comes through Miami on a daily basis. The appropriately named Silver Meteor arrives daily from New York via Charleston, South Carolina, while the Silver Star also chugs in daily from New York but via Columbia, South Carolina. The Sunset Limited wanders into Miami three times a week from Los Angeles via New Orleans. The train station (+1 800 872 7245) is at 8303 Northwest 37th Avenue.

Bus

Greyhound (+1 800 231 2222 / http://www.greyhound.com) services Miami from all points north, west and south. The downtown station is located at 100 NW Sixth Street.

Highway

Interstate 95, the most direct route into the city, slices through the heart of Miami in a north/south direction. Gridlock is common during morning and afternoon rush hours. Highway 41 scenically shoots into Miami from the west, crossing the famed Everglades in the process. Services along this stretch are limited, especially for east coast driving standards, so plan accordingly with the car's fuel.

Getting Around

Public Transit

The Miami-Dade Transit System (+1 305 770 3131 / http://www.co.miami-dade.fl.us/transit) stands as the 16th largest public transit offering in the United States, providing passengers with a slew of options starting with its popular fleet of Metrobuses. More than 1031 buses service 107 routes, providing easy access to all of Miami's attractions.

Metromover offers free shuttle service on an automated people mover in the downtown area only, with stops at popular destinations such as American Airlines Arena, Miami-Dade College, and the Bayside Marketplace. It consists of two loops, the inner loop and the outer loop, which run daily from 5a to midnight. Twenty one stations are stretched between the Omni and Brickell districts. Buses pass each stop every 90 seconds during rush hours, and every three minutes during off-peak.

Metrorail, an elevated rapid-transit rail system, is the perfect alternative for maneuvering around the surrounding area. With 22 miles of track it offers 22 stations (most about one mile apart), making stops in heavy traffic areas including downtown and the University of Miami. It operates daily from 5a to midnight. During peak hours each stop is serviced every six minutes and every 15 minutes during weekday midday hours.

The Tri-Rail (Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority; +1 800 874 7245 / http://www.tri-rail.com), a double-decker train, wanders through Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties while making stops at such popular attractions as the Metrozoo, the Miami Seaquarium and the Art Deco District. Tickets must be purchased before boarding.

Electric buses offer a novel alternative in negotiating the Miami Beach area.

Car

If you are planning on limiting your movement to in and around the South Beach area, you can easily do without a car. Otherwise, a rental car is a must since most of Miami's attractions are generously spaced. Driving through Miami is relatively easy compared to most major metropolises. The numerous drawbridges, however, can slow down movement. Most drawbridge openings last five to ten minutes.

Bicycle

If you plan to bicycle you will be gravely disappointed. Outside of Miami Beach's boardwalk the greater Miami area woefully lacks in bike paths.

Limo

Limo Miami serves up limousine rides (+1 305 742 5900 / http://www.limomiami.us).

Traffic Information

To find out city traffic information go to http://www.traffic.com.

If traveling overseas, take the safety precaution of registering your trip at https://travelregistration.state.gov, and for helpful, practical advice about traveling technicalities and safety standards check out http://travel.state.gov.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 38