Need Car Rental Info for Port of Miami

[naples1]

I don't see anything recent on here regarding car rentals from the Port of Miami. We are looking to rent a car after our cruise in a couple weeks. Which ones have shuttles and are there some that have shuttles to the Miami Airport rental area or are they somewhere else?? Just want to see what the best option would be. Any advice would be appreciated.

[Corby114]

If you rent from Alamo, National, Enterprise, Dollar, or Thifty they have free shuttle service to the Rental Car Center located across from Miami International Airport. The shuttles circle the port area and then when they are full return to the Rental Car Center. Some drivers will ask to see your rental car reservation before they allow you to board because some cruise passengers are looking for free transportation to MIA. Budget, Avis, and Hertz have downtown Miami locations that are relatively close to the Port Of Miami. Cruise Critic posters give conflicting reports of free transportation to the downtown locations. Also some posters state that the downtown locations can get very busy on turnaround days and there are some instances where there is a shortage of vehicles. I personally take the shuttles to the Rental Car Center and normally rent from either Alamo or Dollar.

[naples1]

If you rent from Alamo, National, Enterprise, Dollar, or Thifty they have free shuttle service to the Rental Car Center located across from Miami International Airport. The shuttles circle the port area and then when they are full return to the Rental Car Center. Some drivers will ask to see your rental car reservation before they allow you to board because some cruise passengers are looking for free transportation to MIA. Budget, Avis, and Hertz have downtown Miami locations that are relatively close to the Port Of Miami. Cruise Critic posters give conflicting reports of free transportation to the downtown locations. Also some posters state that the downtown locations can get very busy on turnaround days and there are some instances where there is a shortage of vehicles. I personally take the shuttles to the Rental Car Center and normally rent from either Alamo or Dollar.

 

Thanks for the info. So the ones that your mentioned, Alamo, National Enterprise are at the Miami Airport Facility?? What if we drop a rental car off there, do they have shuttles to the port as well??

[loanshark]

All of the major companies have shuttles from port of Miami as follows:

 

 

Alamo / National / Enterprise / Thrifty / Dollar - use the Miami airport location

Hertz - use the 229 Southeast 2nd Street location

Budget - use the 89 SE 2nd St location

Avis - use the 99 SE 2nd St location

[loanshark]

For post cruise, I agree that using one of the 5 that goes to the airport are safer than the 3 that use downtown locations. The reason for this is the airport location has many more cars coming and going. The downtown locations can also sometimes be understaffed.

[naples1]

All of the major companies have shuttles from port of Miami as follows:

 

 

Alamo / National / Enterprise / Thrifty / Dollar - use the Miami airport location

Hertz - use the 229 Southeast 2nd Street location

Budget - use the 89 SE 2nd St location

Avis - use the 99 SE 2nd St location

 

 

Just to confirm, they do in fact have shuttles TO the port of Miami from the airport location Prior to the cruise, right?? I just dont want any surprises when we get there...Thanks again

[JohninDC]

National, Alamo & Thrifty at MIA offer shuttles to & from POM

[naples1]

National, Alamo & Thrifty at MIA offer shuttles to & from POM

 

 

Thanks. that's what i needed to know.

[dinibo]

Does anyone know how early the shuttles start running?

[2paradise]

Sorry if this was already posted but I missed it....

 

Does Enterprise have shuttles TO the POM before the cruise from MIA airport location?

[loanshark]

Sorry if this was already posted but I missed it....

 

Does Enterprise have shuttles TO the POM before the cruise from MIA airport location?

 

Alamo, National, and Enterprise share the same shuttles. Enterprise actually owns National and Alamo. They have shuttles both directions, starting fairly early in the morning until around 3:00 pm.

[rbird]

Question: When you rent a car from a MIA a/p location. Can all of your (say party/family of 4 with luggage) take the shuttle from POM to MIA rental desks? Or would only one from your party take the shuttle, pick up the car and then drive back to POM to pick up the rest of your party?

When you rent your vehicle for a day and your just killing time before an evening flight home from FLL, do you purchase some toll thing via the rental company? Are there tolls between MIA a/p, South Beach and FLL a/p?

 

Thank you in advance for any answers.

[loanshark]

Question: When you rent a car from a MIA a/p location. Can all of your (say party/family of 4 with luggage) take the shuttle from POM to MIA rental desks? Or would only one from your party take the shuttle, pick up the car and then drive back to POM to pick up the rest of your party?

When you rent your vehicle for a day and your just killing time before an evening flight home from FLL, do you purchase some toll thing via the rental company? Are there tolls between MIA a/p, South Beach and FLL a/p?

 

Thank you in advance for any answers.

 

Can all of your (say party/family of 4 with luggage) take the shuttle from POM to MIA rental desks?

Yes.

 

Or would only one from your party take the shuttle, pick up the car and then drive back to POM to pick up the rest of your party?

Some people do this. Personally, I feel this adds a delay of 30-90 minutes.

 

When you rent your vehicle for a day and your just killing time before an evening flight home from FLL, do you purchase some toll thing via the rental company?

 

Depends on the rental car company. Some insist that you rent their transponder, while others allow toll by plate. (Toll by plate is a system where a camera reads your license plate as you pass through the toll gantry, and bills the rental car company. The rental car company then charges your credit card for the amount of the toll plus a small surcharge about 3-6 weeks after your rental.)

 

 

Are there tolls between MIA a/p, South Beach and FLL a/p?

No tolls for going to/from Downtown Miami - South Beach, or going North/South to FLL on the regular lanes of I-95. However, I-95 also has "Express Lanes" that are tolled via transponder only (no cash allowed).

 

 

For Miami airport, the Airport Expressway (all lanes) and the Dolphin Expressway (all lanes), which are the 2 main freeways running East-West between the Miami Airport to downtown Miami are toll-by-plate or transponder only. There are no cash booths/baskets where you can pay cash at any of these places.

 

 

The other main roads that have tolls in South Florida are the Sawgrass Expressway and the Florida Turnpike.

 

 

Florida eventually wants to go cashless throughout the entire state, although it will be several years before this happens.