Question for the Florida pros

[emen822]

My sisters and I are flying into Miami next month for a cruise that leaves out of Port Everglades. The hotels in Fort Lauderdale are so expensive for that weekend (Presidents) that we are thinking about staying in Plantation. It seems close enough but wondering if anyone has actually done that?

 

My next issue is getting from the airport to hotel, hotel to pier and was thinking about renting a car at the airport. I can get a car for about $50 for 24 hours but I'm unsure about pick up/drop off. I thought I read somewhere that you can rent at the Miami airport and drop at a rental car nearby with no one-way drop off fee (this was for Budget). Has anyone actually done that? Or maybe used another company. I also heard they will shuttle us to the pier from the rental place. So would our best bet be to go to the rental place to bring the car and get a ride from there? Or drop them off at the pier with the luggage and return the car? (Can you even do that these days with port security?) I'm not stuck on using Budget but they were the only one I priced out when I heard they supposedly would shuttle us to the pier. Of course we could always take a cab. Just trying to figure out the most efficient way to go. :)

 

This planning is getting overwhelming since I'm the head sister in charge of it all. :DT hanks for any help/suggestions you can offer.

Edited January 6, 2017 by emen822

[thinfool]

My sisters and I are flying into Miami next month for a cruise that leaves out of Port Everglades. The hotels in Fort Lauderdale are so expensive for that weekend (Presidents) that we are thinking about staying in Plantation. It seems close enough but wondering if anyone has actually done that?

 

My next issue is getting from the airport to hotel, hotel to pier and was thinking about renting a car at the airport. I can get a car for about $50 for 24 hours but I'm unsure about pick up/drop off. I thought I read somewhere that you can rent at the Miami airport and drop at a rental car nearby with no one-way drop off fee (this was for Budget). Has anyone actually done that? Or maybe used another company. I also heard they will shuttle us to the pier from the rental place. So would our best bet be to go to the rental place to bring the car and get a ride from there? Or drop them off at the pier with the luggage and return the car? (Can you even do that these days with port security?) I'm not stuck on using Budget but they were the only one I priced out when I heard they supposedly would shuttle us to the pier. Of course we could always take a cab. Just trying to figure out the most efficient way to go. :)

 

This planning is getting overwhelming since I'm the head sister in charge of it all. :DT hanks for any help/suggestions you can offer.

 

The car is not a bad idea, but MIA and Port Everglades are about 45 minutes apart in average traffic.

 

So if you rent at MIA you want to drop the car at either FLL (airport) or a 17th Street location.

[Lido_Deck]

Why, yes, I've done Plantation. In fact, I do Plantation every day.

 

Pick up a car from Budget or just about any rental car agency since none of them will have a drop fee and all of them have a return location with a shuttle back to the port.

 

Check the rates at both La Quinta Inns (Peters Road and 6th Street) in Plantation if you have a rental car and Hampton Inn Plantation which has a Port Everglades shuttle and Uber or Lyft from MIA to the hotel (about $30).

 

There are dozens of restaurant, sports bars, a Total Wine, a Publix Grocery Store, a 12 screen movie theater and two nice malls all withing walking distance to all three hotels.

.

Edited January 6, 2017 by Lido_Deck

[emen822]

The car is not a bad idea, but MIA and Port Everglades are about 45 minutes apart in average traffic.

 

So if you rent at MIA you want to drop the car at either FLL (airport) or a 17th Street location.

 

Why, yes, I've done Plantation. In fact, I do Plantation every day.

 

Pick up a car from Budget or just about any rental car agency since none of them will have a drop fee and all of them have a return location with a shuttle back to the port.

 

Check the rates at both La Quinta Inns (Peters Road and 6th Street) in Plantation if you have a rental car and Hampton Inn Plantation which has a Port Everglades shuttle and Uber or Lyft from MIA to the hotel (about $30).

 

There are dozens of restaurant, sports bars, a Total Wine, a Publix Grocery Store, a 12 screen movie theater and two nice malls all withing walking distance to all three hotels.

.

 

Thank you both for your information.

Looks like Hampton Inn is booked for the night we need but the LaQuinta has availability. Do you know anything about Staybridge Suites over that way? They have a pretty good rate. Of course we would love all those walkable places nearby that you listed above. :D

[Lido_Deck]

Do you know anything about Staybridge Suites over that way? They have a pretty good rate. Of course we would love all those walkable places nearby that you listed above. :D

 

Staybridge Suites is in a nice, compact area that has a Publix Grocery Store, Pei Wei, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a frozen yogurt shop and a Dunkin Donuts. If you have a car, though, you are just a few blocks from all the above things.

[emen822]

Staybridge Suites is in a nice, compact area that has a Publix Grocery Store, Pei Wei, Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a frozen yogurt shop and a Dunkin Donuts. If you have a car, though, you are just a few blocks from all the above things.

 

Thanks for all your help! Just booked Staybridge Suites. Now onto figuring out my rental car issues.

 

Have a nice weekend! :)

[Lido_Deck]

Thanks for all your help! Just booked Staybridge Suites. Now onto figuring out my rental car issues.

 

Have a nice weekend! :)

 

Budget is the simplest, but there's not that much difference.