Florida Travel Guide

Florida — Travel Tips

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International Travel

Getting There By Air

Main Airports

Miami International Airport (MIA) (www.miami-airport.com) is 9km (6 miles) west of Miami (journey time - 25 minutes). To/from airport: There is a 24-hour shuttle service to the central bus station and hotels on request. Public buses are also available to the city. Taxi, van and limousine services are also available; fares are fixed. Greyhound (tel: 1 800 231 2222, in the USA only; www.greyhound.com) runs daily services throughout the Florida Keys and to destinations in the north. Facilities: ATMs, car hire and currency exchange.

Tampa International Airport (TPA) (www.tampaairport.com) is 8km (5 miles) northwest of Tampa (journey time - 15 minutes). To/from the airport: A bus service runs into the city; limousine and taxi services are also available. Facilities: ATMs, car hire and currency exchange.

Orlando International (OIA) (www.state.fl.us/goaa) is 15km (9 miles) south of Orlando (journey time - 15 minutes). To/from the airport: There is a 24-hour shuttle service available to any hotel in Orlando. Coach, bus, taxi and limousine services are available. Facilities: ATMs, car hire and currency exchange.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) (www.fll.net) is 8km (5 miles) from Fort Lauderdale (journey time - 10 minutes). To/from to airport: Limousines, taxis and bus services are available, with rail connections to the surrounding counties. Facilities: ATMs, car hire and currency exchange.

St Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) (www.fly2pie.com). To/from to airport: Limousines, taxis and bus services are available. Facilities: ATMs and car hire.

Getting There By Water

Main ports: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral, Port of Palm Beach, St Petersburg and Tampa. Information can be found at www.flaports.org.

The port of Miami has been called the ‘Cruise Capital of the World' and offers ocean liners for weekend getaways and extended luxury cruises. The port of Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, is the second most important cruise port in Florida. Other cruise ports on the east coast include Port Canaveral and Port of Palm Beach. The main west coast cruise ports include St Petersburg and Tampa. Numerous major cruise lines call at Florida's ports.

Getting There By Rail

Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245, in the USA only; www.amtrak.com) is the rail service provider. Amtrak's Miami Station is 11km (7 miles) northwest of the city center. It is the southernmost point on the network, marking the southern end of the main east coast line from New York (and ultimately Boston). Amtrak also serves Jacksonville, with services running through Orlando to Tampa (a branch line terminates at Sarasota, a few miles south of Tampa on the Gulf of Mexico), and west through Pensacola.

Getting There By Road

The best major routes through Florida are: Daytona Beach to St Petersburg (I-4), Jacksonville to the Alabama border (I-10), St Petersburg to Tampa (I-275), the lower West Coast to Fort Lauderdale (I-75), the North-South highway (I-95) or (I-75) and the East-West cross-state highway from Clearwater to Vero Beach (State 60). Florida's Turnpike is a 723km (449 mile) system of limited-access toll highways, which passes through 11 counties from north Miami to a junction with I-75 in north central Florida. Most roads are excellent throughout the state.

Approximate driving times:
From Orlando to Fort Lauderdale is 4 hours 30 minutes, to Key West is 8 hours 45 minutes, and to St Petersburg is 2 hours 30 minutes. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits.

Approximate Greyhound travel times:
From Miami to Jacksonville is 11 hours 15 minutes, to Tampa is 8 hours 15 minutes, and to Tallahassee is 14 hours.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Florida has a number of regional airports, making flying an easy option across the state.

Getting Around By Water

It is possible to get around parts of Florida by ferry; for example there is a year-round, high speed ferry service from Fort Myers and Marco Island to Key West provided by Key West Express (tel: Tel: 1 888 539 2628; www.seakeywestexpress.com). The crossing takes just over 3hours and saves seven hours of driving each way.

There are water taxis in places like Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Tampa.

Getting Around By Rail

Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245 in the USA and Canada only; www.amtrak.com) offers limited rails services in the state.There is a commuter Tri-Rail service in Miami and there are plans for a similar rail service in Central Florida called SunRail which is due to open in 2013.

Getting Around By Road

Driving around Florida is easy thanks to its interstate highways. Beware however that Florida has plenty of toll roads; most are coin operated.

Coach: Greyhound (tel: (214) 849 8100 or 1 800 231 2222 in the USA and Canada only; www.greyhound.com) buses operate throughout Florida and serve around 54 destinations. Go To Bus (www.gotobus.com) is a luxury bus service between several Florida cities —Tampa, Jacksonville, Miami, Kissimmee and Orlando. Several departures are offered daily.

Bicycle hire: Florida is great for cycling, thanks to its flat topography. Head for the coastal biking paths or the dedicated long-distance trails in the center of the state.

Car hire: Driving a car is the best way to get around Florida. Most people tend to hire a car if they want to travel across the state. Major national car rental companies like Alamo, National, Budget, Dollar and Hertz are available in Florida.