TriRail

[RXLuv2Cruise]

My daughter (15) and I (49) are flying into Fll the day prior to our cruise on Friday morning and are staying at a hotel in the Galt Beach area. How do,we take TriRail from FLL airport to our hotel on Friday and then to Port of Miami on Saturday morning. We also need to take TriRail from Port of Miami to Fll airport on the following Thursday for a mid afternoon flight back home. Want to do this cheap and need to be on board ship early, as we have paid for faster to the fun.

[mapsmith]

Check the Florida Departures board here on CC

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=495

 

We have done the Tri Rail a couple of times. It MIGHT be cheaper, but we have had mixed results. We used it a couple of years ago, but did not want to wait for the Miami People mover to take us downtown and then either walk across the bridge or get a taxi from downtown to the dock. So we took a cab. The taxi from the Tri Rail Station was the same as the cab from MIA or $24. Tri Rail from West Palm to MIA on Sat was only $5/pp. So it was about a $50 trip. We did not take it back north, but during the Weekdays, TriRail is a little more expensive than during the Weekend. And you have to get to the station from Port. Again either cabbing it or walking to the People mover station.

 

Getting to your lodging by TriRail does not really make much sense. The Tri Rail follows I-95. So you would have to take the shuttle from the airport to the Tri Rail Station, take the TriRail a few stops north, then get off and catch a public bus to your lodging. I think that you would probably find a cab from the airport to Las Olas area would be cheaper and less time consuming.

 

You have a decent idea, but I am not sure that it is worth the time involved.

[zoncom]

Just does not work. Lived on Miami Beach 8 years and thats concensus. If you are really into saving $, check out the $2.65 bus from MIA airport to Miami Beach or another $2.65 one called RIDE 95 from Fort L to downtown Miami near port. MiamiDade has excellent bus website.These run on time too.

[Dancer Bob]

The Galt Beach area is not at all convenient for Port of Miami. You are going to have to do a lot of research on Broward County and Miami-Dade Transit. The MDT Seaport Connector is a M-F rush hour service. The walk from Freedom Tower station is at least 1 mile depending on terminal.

[fishywood]

There will be virtually no savings from the cost of a taxi from FLL directly to Galt Ocean Mile as opposed to:

1. Shuttle van from FLL to Tri-rail station;

2. Ride Tri-rail only one or two stops--Galt Ocean Mile is roughly equidistant (emphasis on distant) from the Broward Blvd. or Cypress Creek stops;

3. Taxi from Tri-rail to Galt Ocean Mile

 

As for Saturday morning, this would be your plan:

1. Taxi to Tri-rail station;

2. Tri-rail to Amtrak station on 79 St in Miami;

3. Metrorail to Government Center Station;

4. Metromover to Bayside Station;

5. Either wait for trolley to PortMiami or walk over bridge yourself.

You should figure a minimum of three hours for the above as all of the transit steps run much less frequently on weekends than weekdays. So unless you get started at the crack of dawn you will render your FTTF moot.

 

To get back to FLL follow steps 5 through 2 in reverse, exit Tri-rail at the Ft Lauderdale Airport station and grab a shuttle van from there.

 

So, convinced to find it in your budget to hire a direct shuttle service? Let me just add that you will struggle mightily with public transit if you have any more than one wheeled carry-on sized bag each.

Edited March 18, 2014 by fishywood

[RXLuv2Cruise]

Thanks for the information. I've decided to take a taxi to the hotel, private car service to POM, and shared shuttle to FLL when the fun is done.

 

$30. $70 + 20% gratuity. $13pp. So a total of $140. Next time we'll use that money and stay in Miami. Live and learn. We're gonna have a blast, so all is good!!