? for getting from Tampa Airport to Port of Miami

[cjankowski]

Hi

 

We need some help in figuring out the best way to get from Tampa airport to Port of Miami. We are thinking of renting a car to get us over to Miami, but not sure best way to deal with it.

 

1) should we do a one way drop at airport and stay at a hotel with free shuttle (airport / port)

 

2) are there car rental drops near the port?

 

3) distance from port to hotels / airport

 

I do not know Miami area at all and need help. We plan to go to Tampa because airfare is so much less for us. Will be six people.

[AlanAllyn]

You do understand that it is a 5 or 6 hour drive from Tampa to Miami??

 

Try Fort Lauderdale.

[cusyl]

You would need to rent a van for that many people and luggage. Check Mapquest, it's probably about a six hour drive. What time do you arrive in Tampa? If you are arriving too late you will have to get a hotel room the night before. Are you then saving any money by flying into Tampa?

[cjankowski]

We do understand that it is a long drive, but at $200 a person difference (or around $1200) it is worth it. Plus we will be staying overnight at grandmothers home (FREE).

 

We rode to FL this year from Michigan and it did save $, but not time. So this time around we still want to save $ but gain back some time.

 

Thanks for helping.

[klfrodo]

Are there trees in that forest? :confused:

[AndrewD65]

Personally I would do the drive to just get it over with..

 

It's is 5 hours from Tampa to Miami

 

you can go one of two ways..

 

275 South to 75 South and cross over Alligator ally then get on 95 south.

 

Or 275 North to I-4 East to State Road 60. Now 60 goes all the way across the state then you get on the turnpike south.

 

Either way it takes what seems forever.

 

When you are in the Port of Miami there is a lot around there, I was there for the second time in January and you will be sure to find a hotel around.

 

Also rent a van, in the money you will be saving for flying into Tampa, you may be making it up in gas and rental car fee's.

[JohninDC]

Hertz and Avis have downtown locations near POM. If you drop the car at MIA you are looking at a $25 cab fare to get to a downtown hotel near POM, and another $10-12 to get to the port in the morning. A cab from an airport hotel to POM wicost under $30.

 

From FLL area hotels many suggest SAS (www.ridesas) for shuttle service to POM for about $15 per person each way.

 

For six passengers plus luggage even a mini-van will be tight - it may be cheaper and more comfortable to rent two cars. Good luck!:)

[FlaGrl4Evr]

Rent the van at TIA and return to Miami Airport. The Miami LaQuinta Airport East has a free airport and port shuttle as well as free breakfast. A friend of ours used that hotel when he took his children on a cruise. He said it was priced right, clean and had a nice pool for the children. Good Luck ! :)

[andrzej5914]

You may also look at flying into Sarasota. It will save you about an hour of drive time, or Ft. Myers. That one will save you about 2.5-3 hours of drive time.

[RuthlessBunny]

That's wacky! Unless seeing Grammy is part of the deal.

 

That drive is wicked. There's NOTHING on Alligator Alley and very little on the turnpike.

 

Are you doing the whole thing in reverse going back? If so, you'll erase ALL savings with car rental and gas.

 

Seriously, you should be able to get a good rate at FLL.

 

If you rent at the airport and drop off at MIA, then you shold be able to take a shuttle to the port (check with your car rental agency, they'll be able to tell you if they participate.) If not, drop the family and luggage at the port first, then return the car and take the $24 cab ride to the pier from the airport.

 

Seriously, I think you're going around the world to cross the street with this one. Southwest flies into Ft. Lauderdale. Or check West Palm Beach, Tampa is just insane!

[JohninDC]

Even flying into Orlando (MCO) would be better than Tampa - only a 3.5 hour drive to Miami. FLL is only a 40 minute shuttle van away - I'd keep checking flights.:confused: Good luck!:)

[Twickenham]

We do understand that it is a long drive, but at $200 a person difference (or around $1200) it is worth it. Plus we will be staying overnight at grandmothers home (FREE).

 

We rode to FL this year from Michigan and it did save $, but not time. So this time around we still want to save $ but gain back some time.

 

Thanks for helping.

 

Dates would help. Picking random dates in November, I am indeed seeing a $200 difference between DTW-MIA and DTW-TPA... but flying into MCO is even cheaper, and flying into FLL is virtually the same price as TPA.

 

Having said that, using the Orlando Magicard code for Thrifty (004M001010), I'm getting a price of $52 ($64 including taxes) for a minivan, and no apparent drop-off charge.

[cjankowski]

Dates would help. Picking random dates in November, I am indeed seeing a $200 difference between DTW-MIA and DTW-TPA... but flying into MCO is even cheaper, and flying into FLL is virtually the same price as TPA.

 

Having said that, using the Orlando Magicard code for Thrifty (004M001010), I'm getting a price of $52 ($64 including taxes) for a minivan, and no apparent drop-off charge.

 

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP - I will keep looking at my options.

 

Dates are March 27 - April 2, 2011.

 

We will be flying from FNT (Flint, MI) as DTW adds another 3 hours to our trip, as it is not close to us at all.

 

The travel time accross FL does not bother us.

 

Could someone please tell me how far the MIA / FLL airports are? I guess I am confused as to which is closer to POM.

[SeaPA1]

I"ve never thought the drive from Tampa to Miami is all that bad. I'd definitely go I-75 & then across Alligator Alley.

 

It's around 275 miles, slightly longer than going across I4 to Hwy 60, but if you go on I75 it is virtually all high speed interstate driving. As long as you aren't in rush hour traffic it's a relatively easy drive (not scenic at all, but you can make good time).

[cjankowski]

I"ve never thought the drive from Tampa to Miami is all that bad. I'd definitely go I-75 & then across Alligator Alley.

 

It's around 275 miles, slightly longer than going across I4 to Hwy 60, but if you go on I75 it is virtually all high speed interstate driving. As long as you aren't in rush hour traffic it's a relatively easy drive (not scenic at all, but you can make good time).

 

 

Could you please tell me the difference between FLL and MIA airports in conjuction to were the POM is located?

[Twickenham]

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP - I will keep looking at my options.

 

Dates are March 27 - April 2, 2011.

 

We will be flying from FNT (Flint, MI) as DTW adds another 3 hours to our trip, as it is not close to us at all.

 

The travel time accross FL does not bother us.

 

Could someone please tell me how far the MIA / FLL airports are? I guess I am confused as to which is closer to POM.

 

Ah, now something to work with!

 

From Flint, the cheapest prices I'm seeing are flying into TPA on the 26th but out of RSW/Fort Myers (although straight FNT-RSW flights are nearly the same price). BTW, I'm using this site: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ to search for airfare. Here's the exact search: http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/bonsaiproxy/split-page-frameset;jsessionid=4D8A7A66EA47AC9C614CE9B29C698852?V=M27007490053680044019&AAC=2010-05-17-13&Z=1&TBC=0. Note that I searched for flights on both the 26th and the 27th, so both are shown.

 

As for car rentals with Thrifty, a one-day rental of a minivan is running at about $80 from both TPA and RSW.

 

FLL is only about a 45-minute drive to MIA, which is why they're often used interchangeably by cruisers - indeed, my last cruise vacation, my connecting flight was cancelled, and so I was re-booked on a flight to MIA instead of my original FLL flight.

[klfrodo]

MIA is closest to POM

next would be FLL (Ft. Lauderdale) 45 minutes away

next would be West Palm Beach (1 1/2 hrs away?)

Then maybe Orlando (MCO)

Then Tampa

[AndrewD65]

MIA is closest to POM

next would be FLL (Ft. Lauderdale) 45 minutes away

next would be West Palm Beach (1 1/2 hrs away?)

Then maybe Orlando (MCO)

Then Tampa

 

 

Don't forget RSW Fort Myers is closer then Tampa,

 

or Sarasota