First Time Trying Brightline to Miami

[Florida Fan]

We live in Parkland, which is in the NW corner of Broward County, and we're taking the Icon Inaugural out of Miami on Jan. 27, 2024. I thought about parking at the Port, but thought a lot about the drive (at least 1 1/2 hrs), the traffic, and the cost ($210). We decided to take the Train.  We're going to drive over to the Boca station, park the car for the week, take the train down, and shuttle over to the port. More legs than I usually like, but we both love trains and an adventure. Total cost was $228 roundtrip (we chose Premium, the higher-cost option with shuttle/drinks/snacks/lounge), which is about what parking, tolls, and gas would cost. Should be about the same length of time as driving to the station.  Fingers crossed it works out.  We're always ready to try something new.  I'll submit a review afterward, but it won't be until Feb.

[john bowtie]

Your Brightline Premium fare will also include a free uber to/from the stations (I believe up to 5 miles)--so won't cover Parkland to Boca but will cover the short distance from the Miami station to the Port of Miami. You schedule the Uber by going to the Brightline trip details and then Extras (where you select a location & time)--its the same place you go if you want to reserve a free checked bag.

[Flymia]

Sounds like a fun way to get down to Miami. But 1.5 hours to Miami? During rush-hour sure it can be over 90-mins, but on a weekend looking at under an hour. 

 

I enjoy all modes of transport, so the trip should be nice. But I doubt you will coming close to the same amount of time. You are likely doubling the amount of time to get to and from your house to the port.

 

Driving to the Boca station, which is in the opposite direction of the Port, with waiting for the train the train ride getting off the train , getting from the Brightline Station to Port Miami and vice versa. Where the drive would be under an hour on a Saturday morning right to the Port. 

 

That being said, I have heard only good things about Brightline (other than the crossing issues) so it will be nice to hear how the trip is, and would be interested in seeing how long it takes. 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Flymia

[Florida Fan]

I would have preferred to drive, but I was nervous about any long backup (Icon inaugural + a Sat. departure?) and possibly a filled lot. I guess I'm not much of a risk-taker.  Also checked Google maps, which had the shortest route at 1 1/4 hrs.

[GTJ]

On 11/17/2023 at 5:35 PM, Florida Fan said:

We decided to take the Train. We're going to drive over to the Boca station, park the car for the week, take the train down, and shuttle over to the port. More legs than I usually like, but we both love trains and an adventure. Total cost was $228 roundtrip (we chose Premium, the higher-cost option with shuttle/drinks/snacks/lounge) . . . .

That seems awfully expensive. It is about 40 miles each way, and Tri-Rail (the other passenger railroad service connecting Boca Raton with Miami) charges charges $6.25 per person each way, or $25 for two persons round-trip. In New York, where commuter train fares are generally high, a 40-mile peak trip on the LIRR is only $17.50 (off-peak $13.00). A basic coach ticket for Brightline is $19.50, slightly higher than the comparable LIRR peak ticket. On the plus side Brightline provides both higher quality service than Tri-Rail, and a far better station location in downtown Miami. But for a ride that is only one hour in duration (a bit shorter than the Tri-Rail route), a $200 fare premium over the comparable Tri-Rail fare, or a $150 premium over basic Brightline coach, seems quite steep.

[Flymia]

7 hours ago, Florida Fan said:

I would have preferred to drive, but I was nervous about any long backup (Icon inaugural + a Sat. departure?) and possibly a filled lot. I guess I'm not much of a risk-taker.  Also checked Google maps, which had the shortest route at 1 1/4 hrs.

Honestly, I would be more worried that Brightline stop due to an incident. And did you do google maps on a Saturday? I did "Parkland" (maybe you live in the end of Parkland to Port Miami and was getting 45-60mins. 

[GTJ]

15 hours ago, Flymia said:

Honestly, I would be more worried that Brightline stop due to an incident.

There can be an "incident" with any means of transportation selected. (Consider, for example, travel by highway, with an incident on the expressway and no means to leave the expressway either by vehicle or on foot.) Some types of transportation might lend themselves more readily to "Plan B" upon the happening of an incident. The best we can do is take reasonable precautions, recognizing, however, that even so things can possibly go wrong no matter what precautions are taken.

[Flymia]

5 hours ago, GTJ said:

There can be an "incident" with any means of transportation selected. (Consider, for example, travel by highway, with an incident on the expressway and no means to leave the expressway either by vehicle or on foot.) Some types of transportation might lend themselves more readily to "Plan B" upon the happening of an incident. The best we can do is take reasonable precautions, recognizing, however, that even so things can possibly go wrong no matter what precautions are taken.

100%. But a car accident on the road means finding another route. An accident on the train means sitting on the train for 2+ hours. 

[GTJ]

1 hour ago, Flymia said:

100%. But a car accident on the road means finding another route. An accident on the train means sitting on the train for 2+ hours. 

That's why I set up the alternative as an incident on an expressway, where one may not be able to walk away! 🙂 But it is similar with the train. Depending on the location of the incident, the passengers on the train could either easily alight and walk away, or be stuck on an elevated structure without exit. There's no fool-proof way of ensuring that one will arrive timely at a destination, but one can consider likely outcomes. Ordinarily, I would foresee no greater risk of "getting stuck" by using a train on tracks than by using a motor vehicle on highway . . . or vice versa. If the consequences of "getting stuck" were substantial, then for either choice I would have a "Plan B" ready.

[Florida Fan]

On 11/22/2023 at 9:40 PM, GTJ said:

That seems awfully expensive. It is about 40 miles each way, and Tri-Rail (the other passenger railroad service connecting Boca Raton with Miami) charges charges $6.25 per person each way, or $25 for two persons round-trip. In New York, where commuter train fares are generally high, a 40-mile peak trip on the LIRR is only $17.50 (off-peak $13.00). A basic coach ticket for Brightline is $19.50, slightly higher than the comparable LIRR peak ticket. On the plus side Brightline provides both higher quality service than Tri-Rail, and a far better station location in downtown Miami. But for a ride that is only one hour in duration (a bit shorter than the Tri-Rail route), a $200 fare premium over the comparable Tri-Rail fare, or a $150 premium over basic Brightline coach, seems quite steep.

This also includes parking for a week and roundtrip for 2 people.  And we booked the higher-priced ticket so we'd get the Rail Station-to-Port shuttle.  I'll write a review afterward. We're always ready to try something new just to find out.

[GTJ]

14 hours ago, Florida Fan said:

This also includes parking for a week and roundtrip for 2 people.

The parking charge probably accounts for a good part of the cost difference. I suppose my wife and I am more fortunate by not having an automobile and never having to pay for parking one (or for that matter, any of the other expenses relating to operating and maintaining one)!

Edited December 5, 2023 by GTJ