Rental Car Drop off Near Miami Port

[NCEdwards4]

Does anyone know if there are any rental car drop off locations near the Miami Port. We will be flying into FLL, renting a car and staying overnight somewhere in Miami. Ideally, we'd like to drop the car off and catch a shuttle to the port. I think the Miami airport is too far from the port to offer shuttles, but please let me know if I'm wrong.

Thanks,

[TrentS]

Most of the major rental car companies use the MIA airport location for Port of Miami renters and offer shuttles in both directions. Hertz also has a location in downtown Miami.

[NCEdwards4]

Thanks Trent, I didn't realize that the airport was that close to the pier. This is very helpful and gives me many more options.

[TrentS]

MIA is about 15 minutes from the port, but most of the majors will shuttle you.

[goodml]

Here's what I found out this week from calling the Miami airport locations for Alamo, Thrifty and Budget trying to do the same thing this December. We can pick up at FLL and drop off at MIA with Alamo and Thrifty and they will shuttle us to the pier for no extra charge. The fee for my dates for the lowest price car is $25.42 plus tax (this from the website reservation system) for a total of $35 and change. Budget will not shuttle to the port "for security reasons."

The return, however, does not work the same. Both Alamo and Thrifty have a location near the port that is for "pick up only". When you make your reservation for the return you MUST choose the port location as the pick up point even though when they come to pick you up they actually take you to the airport. Alamo told me their shuttles only run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but they do run about every half hour on those days to pick people up at the pier. For Thrifty, you have to call for pick up and they will send a shuttle. Now the thing is, because you have to choose the port location for pick up the fee goes up quite a bit. My $35 rental becomes just over $60 including all taxes for the return trip.

 

I'm actually thinking that we'll taxi back to MIA for the $21 fee and then pick up the $35 car there on the return trip. Not to save the 5 or 6 bucks but more so that I can just hail a taxi rather than waiting for a shuttle to fight it's way thru to get to us in all that craziness that is the Port of Miami when cruise ships are letting out. :D Hope this helps.

[NCEdwards4]

That was very helpful, thanks.

[Lori-n-NY]

Goodml..

 

 

You are wonderful..you gave me the info I was looking for. We are flying into West Palm Beach, renting a car and driving to Miami, spending the night and returning car first thing in the am and hoping the rental car place would shuttle us to the port. I have been looking at reserving with Thrifty. Now I will that I know they will shuttle to port. I am also renting a car when we get off the ship, we will drive back to WPB and not fly out until 4 pm. We will have a nice Easter brunch somewhere between Miami and West Palm.

 

I have not booked to Holiday Inn Port of Miami yet, I'm hoping the Sail Away package will be valid next year. But thats where we are staying.

 

MCEdwards...let us know how things went when you return. Thanks,

Lori

[goodml]

Glad it was helpful. Hope you both have great trips. :)