Tampa TECO Bus and Streetcar

[GoofyCrew]

Has anyone used the Tampa TECO #30 bus between the airport and downtown recently? Reliable? Convenient? Safe? Says it is $2/pp so trying to decide if this would be an option versus a cab. Obviously a cab would be quicker because we wouldn't encounter any other stops but if there are substantial savings, maybe it would be worth it. (I've read conflicting info of cab charges per mile and flat fee of $25.)

 

Also, we will be arriving a day early for our cruise. For our day in Tampa is the Streetcar a good mode of transportation? We don't have any big plans - get some lunch (brewery???), sight-seeing, stop at a CVS/Walgreens to get essentials for the cruise.

 

Thanks in advance!

[GoofyCrew]

And I apologize - I should have posted that in the Florida Departure area of the forum. I tried to delete it so I could move it but it doesn't give me an option to do so. :eek:

 

I've spent so much time in the NCL area that I went here out of habit. Sorry!

[ElPolaco]

The Route 30 is very convenient. It operates every 30 minutes and until midnight during the week. Trip shouldn't take more than 40-45 minutes or so (which for the savings is pretty substantial). No luggage racks though.

 

Streetcar is a great tool to get around between Downtown, Channelside (Port) and Ybor. $5 all-day and on the 1st Saturday of each month, there is a band on board. Streetcar operates late night on the weekends. Tampa Bay Brewing Company is phenomenal (for real... the beer is great and the food is even BETTER). Also, check out Cigar City Cider and Mead if you're a big craft beer/cider/mead person.

 

Hope that helps.

[CTCruiser001]

Hopping on to read what others have to say. I have been looking at using the street cars as a way to get around when we sail in February.

 

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[prince319]

Hopping on to read what others have to say. I have been looking at using the street cars as a way to get around when we sail in February.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

I haven't been on the BUS from the airport but I've been on the TECO Streetcar along Channelside in Tampa. I didn't even realize they had a bus from the airport. LOL But it is just that a BUS (not a streetcar) from the airport. The bus is just like the rest of the other HART LINE buses, no special set up (like a luggage rack) just because it goes to the airport.

 

I can't vouch for safety either due to the areas that it picks up from along the way. Though, personally, I've never really heard of any issues on the buses here. I wouldn't recommend getting on that bus at night though (just to be on the safe side as you would be carrying luggage and then transferring to the streetcar).

 

You can see the bus schedule on http://www.gohart.org According to the web site it says it takes 30 minutes but that can all depend on traffic (can vary by day/hour).

 

Not sure exactly where you are planning on "getting around" via the streetcar. It pretty much just goes from the Tampa Convention Center to Ybor and back. There is only Channelside in between, which has hotels and the Florida Aquarium but only a few restaurants (in Channelside and Ybor). None that I ever go to, to be honest. The only thing I go to in Ybor is the movie theater and considering how few people I ever see in there I must be just one of the few! Of course Channelside is the cruise port and it does stop by there!!

 

Oh, there is now (finally) a 7-11 in Ybor now. No Walgreens or other pharmacy type place, just 7-11.

 

Is there any place in particular that you expect to get around to via streetcar??

 

Mikki

[CTCruiser001]

We are staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Ybor City. I understand they park the streetcars next to the hotel at night. Just wanted to maybe hop on with the wife and take a mini tour of Tampa the day before our cruise.

 

We also plan to take the streetcar to the dock from our hotel as well.

 

Thanks.

 

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[GoofyCrew]

The Route 30 is very convenient. It operates every 30 minutes and until midnight during the week. Trip shouldn't take more than 40-45 minutes or so (which for the savings is pretty substantial). No luggage racks though.

 

Streetcar is a great tool to get around between Downtown, Channelside (Port) and Ybor. $5 all-day and on the 1st Saturday of each month, there is a band on board. Streetcar operates late night on the weekends. Tampa Bay Brewing Company is phenomenal (for real... the beer is great and the food is even BETTER). Also, check out Cigar City Cider and Mead if you're a big craft beer/cider/mead person.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Thanks - we will be there on the 1st Saturday of the month so the band should be interesting.

 

We aren't opposed to cider and mead, but we will have the kids so we were trying to stick to more family-friendly settings. Tampa Bay Brewing had good reviews and several people mentioned they had brought children. Let's just say our children (ages 11 and 7) have been to more breweries than most adults ever will. ;) As long we go mid-day to avoid the weekend crowd, and they offer food, it usually works well.

[GoofyCrew]

I haven't been on the BUS from the airport but I've been on the TECO Streetcar along Channelside in Tampa. I didn't even realize they had a bus from the airport. LOL But it is just that a BUS (not a streetcar) from the airport. The bus is just like the rest of the other HART LINE buses, no special set up (like a luggage rack) just because it goes to the airport.

 

I can't vouch for safety either due to the areas that it picks up from along the way. Though, personally, I've never really heard of any issues on the buses here. I wouldn't recommend getting on that bus at night though (just to be on the safe side as you would be carrying luggage and then transferring to the streetcar).

 

You can see the bus schedule on http://www.gohart.org According to the web site it says it takes 30 minutes but that can all depend on traffic (can vary by day/hour).

 

Not sure exactly where you are planning on "getting around" via the streetcar. It pretty much just goes from the Tampa Convention Center to Ybor and back. There is only Channelside in between, which has hotels and the Florida Aquarium but only a few restaurants (in Channelside and Ybor). None that I ever go to, to be honest. The only thing I go to in Ybor is the movie theater and considering how few people I ever see in there I must be just one of the few! Of course Channelside is the cruise port and it does stop by there!!

 

Oh, there is now (finally) a 7-11 in Ybor now. No Walgreens or other pharmacy type place, just 7-11.

 

Is there any place in particular that you expect to get around to via streetcar??

 

Mikki

 

Thanks - we might just cab it from the airport to downtown since I am realizing that it will be dark by the time we arrive (6:15ish).

 

As for the streetcar, we mostly wanted to be able to get from our hotel over to the waterfront (likely the Aquarium) and then out to Ybor City to go to Tampa Bay Brewing Company. There is also a CVS Pharmacy along the route (on Madison, if I am remembering correctly...don't have the map open at the moment) that we are hoping to pick up pre-cruise supplies at. And I don't know if we would take it to the actual ship because we'd have our luggage that morning, which might not work out so well on a streetcar. Our hotel has a free shuttle to the dock, so we will likely use that.

[cesaravelez]

gohart.org

I live in Tampa and have use that bus many times,yes it is and it leaves you a few blocks from port

[prince319]

We are staying at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Ybor City. I understand they park the streetcars next to the hotel at night. Just wanted to maybe hop on with the wife and take a mini tour of Tampa the day before our cruise.

 

We also plan to take the streetcar to the dock from our hotel as well.

 

Thanks.

 

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These are the Tampa things you can get to by the Streetcar (fairly easily):

 

{This is in order from West to East direction along the streetcar route}

 

-Tampa Convention Center

-Jackson's Bistro (nice waterside dining/bar); short walk across the bridge next to Tampa Convention Center and past the Westin Hotel

-Hotels (Marriott Waterside hotel (has restaurants in it too) and Embassy Suites)

-Amalie Arena (can get really busy when there are events like the hockey game)

-Channelside Bay Plaza (restaurants like Hooters, Cold Stone, and bowling alley/bar Splitsville; most everything else has left or comes and goes. There are small stores on the outside area of the plaza as well).

-Cruise Port/terminal (Carnival)

-Florida Aquarium

-American Victory Ship

-Cruise Port (Royal, Norwegian, Holland America)

{Ybor Area}

-Various hotels (Don Vince De Ybor, Hampton, Ritz Ybor, Hilton Garden Inn)

-Lot of bars/breweries (I don't really drink so I can't give a good opinion on them!)

-Muvico Centro Ybor (Carmike cinemas)

-Improv Comedy club

-Quite a few restaurants/food places* (a lot of them come/go as well; but some mains ones are Spaghetti Warehouse (on the West side of Ybor), Hamburger Marys, Jimmy Johns, Carne Chophouse, Green Iguana Bar & Grill, Coyote Ugly Saloon, and Columbia Restaurant (7th Ave/22nd St))

-7-11 convenience store

 

*I'm not much of a foodie and we usually go to Ybor just to go to the movie theatre but I have been to Spaghetti Warehouse (ok place, lots of pasta of course), Hamburger Marys (it is a gay-friendly place and they have events like Drag Queen Bingo but I have taken my 12 year old son there during the day and it wasn't an issue at all, though there may be times it's not appropriate for younger kids), and Columbia Restaurant (my favorite, which I can HIGHLY recommend!).

 

Just an FYI, Ybor used to have a really bad reputation and it still has issues every now and then. When I first moved here it was an unwritten rule unless you wanted trouble, you avoided Ybor after dark. I still go by that rule though but it may no longer be the case for others due to the increase in police patrols and general 'upgrade' of the area.

 

Hope this helps!,

Mikki

[prince319]

Thanks - we might just cab it from the airport to downtown since I am realizing that it will be dark by the time we arrive (6:15ish).

 

As for the streetcar, we mostly wanted to be able to get from our hotel over to the waterfront (likely the Aquarium) and then out to Ybor City to go to Tampa Bay Brewing Company. There is also a CVS Pharmacy along the route (on Madison, if I am remembering correctly...don't have the map open at the moment) that we are hoping to pick up pre-cruise supplies at. And I don't know if we would take it to the actual ship because we'd have our luggage that morning, which might not work out so well on a streetcar. Our hotel has a free shuttle to the dock, so we will likely use that.

 

Personally I would just take a cab as the bus would take awhile since it makes lots of stops before it gets to the area by the Streetcar. As well as take the hotel shuttle to the dock. Plus it doesn't start running (the streetcar that is) until around 11am-12pm depending on the day.

 

The CVS Pharmacy is on Madison but past I-275 so it's not within walking distance. Glad they finally opened a 7-11 but that still doesn't have the same range of items like CVS or Walgreens for pre-cruise supplies that you would probably want.

 

You can get from your hotel to the Aquarium via streetcar. And Tampa Bay Brewing Company is right there in Centro Ybor (right near the movie theatre) right off the streetcar route as well.

 

Enjoy!

[ElPolaco]

The Route 30 operates mostly in South Tampa/Downtown, doesn't really serve the "bad areas" of town. I personally wouldn't worry about it. It would be quicker with cab though.

 

The CVS is on Franklin and Madison, roughly 3 blocks north of the Streetcar. I would definitely hit Tampa Bay Brewing Company, definitely some of the best food in Ybor.

 

Also, Ybor gets a bad rep, but it really doesn't get too wild until 10ish. I actually prefer when it's dark (before 10). It's very festive with the wrought iron arches with lights, busy feel with outdoor dining at it's best.

 

Whatever you do, have fun!

 

Thanks - we might just cab it from the airport to downtown since I am realizing that it will be dark by the time we arrive (6:15ish).

 

As for the streetcar, we mostly wanted to be able to get from our hotel over to the waterfront (likely the Aquarium) and then out to Ybor City to go to Tampa Bay Brewing Company. There is also a CVS Pharmacy along the route (on Madison, if I am remembering correctly...don't have the map open at the moment) that we are hoping to pick up pre-cruise supplies at. And I don't know if we would take it to the actual ship because we'd have our luggage that morning, which might not work out so well on a streetcar. Our hotel has a free shuttle to the dock, so we will likely use that.