Cheapest wat to get from FLL to MIA?

[mlbcruiser]

We land at FLL about 7:30 on a Saturday evening. We'll cruise the next day from the port at Miami.

 

We will likely try to find a place to stay in Miami that night. Could be a pricey ride from FLL. However, there might be shuttles between the airports that cost a fair amount less than transportation to our Miami hotel. If so, we could possibly get a ride to MIA and stay nearby. Then get transportation to the port ghe next day. We once flew into MIA at night and stayed at an airport hotel before a cruise but I don't recall the particulars that well. Some hotels have shuttles to the port but I'm not so sure about those near tbe airport. 
 

Hoping to get some good suggestions on ways we could best accomplish what we need to do. Definitely wouldn't mind staying near the Fort Lauderdale area if we could  then get to the MA port without it costing an arm & a leg!  Anyone know if any accommodations up in the FLL area have shuttles to Miami's port? Somehow I doubt it, but..,.?
 

Thanks for any helpful ideas. 
 

 

[clarky213]

Train from FLL to MIA is the Cheapest option, $5 return.

 

Don't know how easy it would be with luggage.

[JohninDC]

Tri-Rail train will get you from FLL (actually you shuttle to the train station) to MIA where you can find many airport area hotels. You do need to be able to handle your own bags.

 

Or, just stay near FLL and take a shuttle to POM for your cruise the next day.  SAS and others will shuttle you for about $15+ per person, and they have a list of FLL area hotels they pick up at on their web site.  Or skip the shuttle and use Uber or Lyft to your ship for about $50+ for the car.

 

Your call!  Have a good cruise.

[CruiserBruce]

The common recommendations here, particularly given your late arrival, is to stay in the FLL area, and shuttle direct to the port the next day. The hotels are generally cheaper. Shuttles, at $15 or so dollars/pp are the best deal. Shuttles are far less common at night.

[teknoge3k]

You also may consider skipping any shuttle service and just grabbing an Uber or Lyft from the airport to the hotel and the hotel to the cruise port.

[RogueMonk]

Cheapest -- walk.

[Ashland]

6 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

The common recommendations here, particularly given your late arrival, is to stay in the FLL area, and shuttle direct to the port the next day. The hotels are generally cheaper. Shuttles, at $15 or so dollars/pp are the best deal. Shuttles are far less common at night.

Absolutely agree with this advice. 

[mlbcruiser]

Unfortunately I neglected to mention that the train (which I'm aware of) would not be a good idea for us. My husband has a mobility impairment and brings along a 50 pound folding travel scooter, which I have to load and unload, and it's a lot along with the luggage. I'm no spring chicken!  

 

I'm sure staying in Fort Lauderdale would be the easiest, based on the time - like someone has mentioned. However,  is it easy to get a shuttle from a hotel to the port in Miami? I know it's easy enough to do if you are headed to Port Everglades. As for taking an Uber to Miami, I wonder what that might cost? It would definitely have to be an XL. (The scooter folds into about the size of a medium suitcase, although it's probably three or four inches thicker than most medium suitcases.)

 

If anyone knows of s hotel that has or works with a shuttle service to take people to the port in Miami, please advise!  Since my brother lives just north of Pompano in Lighthoue Point, we usually spend a couple of days with him prior to, and/or after a cruise. Don't have extra time except tbd first day & night of disembarkation. I may also just try to get transportation bsck to FLL through our ship because it would be a lot closer for him to pick us up there. You can always take us back to the airport the next afternoon  Hate to ask him to get up early enough to make it to the port in Miami on a Sunday morning! 

 

Thanks for all the recommendations.  

[CruiserBruce]

It is NOT  easy to get a shuttle at 7:30. It IS pretty easy to get a shuttle the next morning to the port. It is very commonly discussed and recommended here. There are many shuttle companies recommended here frequently...SAS, QLS, Jiffy Jeff, GO Shuttle and a few others.

 

I don't know how easy it is to shuttle with a wheel chair or scooter, but it sounds reasonable with your working knowledge of the device. 

 

The Uber website has an estimator feature.

 

How early do you think you need to get up? You probably have to be boarded by 2 or 3pm. It's a 45 or so minute drive from FLL. 

[mlbcruiser]

CruiserBruce, My bad.  I didn't clearly state what I meant to say apparently. I didn't mean it's easy to get a shuttle at 7:30 pm to either port. I meant it was easy to get one in the morning from a hotel in Fort Lauderdale to port Everglades.  What I am not so sure of is whether it's easy to get one from a FLL hotel to the port jn Miami. Even in the morning. Or if many FLL hotels provide shuttle service to the port in Miami. 

 

I have used SAS a couple of times in thin past. Maybe 20-12 yrsago. Not since. At tha time they only provided service grom the ports to the airports or vice versa. Not at all to or from hotels or private residdnces.   It seems they eventually stopped servicing one of the ports,  or one of the sirports. Or between the airports. between the port & airports but not from hotels or private residences. We haven't used them in some years. 
 

With regard Uber and I used one for the first time going from Fort Lauderdale to my brother's  house when he was not  back home yet from an out of toen trip. Did a shared ride at 11 pm and onlyhad one othrr passenger. The other time our driver had a very difficult time finding a rental car location that was off airport. He did have GPS but for some reason it wasn't working or he wasn't reading it right. Wasted a lot of time on that ride.
For a while when if we would even reach our destination! Not their issue can cause a problem taking one from an airport. Sometimes the pick up location can be a good walk farther away from where regular taxis pick people up. That can be a problem for us sometimes even if we know where to go.

We can put the scooter in the trunk of a regular car so that's not an issue. It's considered a lightweight compact travel scooter.

 

I'd really like to get some recommendations for hotels not too far away from the airport that arrange shuttles or shuttle pick up service to take people to the port of Miami.

 

I appreciate the input!

[Elaine5715]

I stay in Fort Lauderdale for cruises out of Miami.  I use Uber to go to Port of Miami.  There are many of them, cost about $40. Very easy.

Before Uber, I would take the free hotel shuttle back to the FLL airport and take the cruise line bus to the Port of Miami.  Shuttles take wheelchairs

[mlbcruiser]

Elaine, very good suggestions! I thought Uber would likely be more than that. I'm sure you know how jammed up it can be getting into the port in Miami and it can take some time. Heaven forbid if there's a wreck on 95 or something! The Uber will likely be cheaper than the shuttle since we'd have to pay for two separate people if we use the cruiseline shuttle. Last time we took a cruiseline shuttle it was $30 pp. That  was in July,  but it was from the port in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Schiphol Airport.. A lot shorter distance than from the port of Miami to FLL. 
 

Thanks for the information and for posting!  

[CruiserBruce]

I have not heard of hotels arranging shuttles from the FLL area to PortMiami. The FLL hotels typically only arrange shuttles to Port Everglades.

 

If you look on the websites for the shuttles, they typically list what hotels they pick up at. You just need to stay at those hotels.

[mlbcruiser]

I had not heard of shuttles from Fort Lauderdale hotels running to the port of Miami either. That's why I was thinking I should stay in Miami. I'm sure I'll get it all worked out. Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Blessedandhighlyfavoured]

Staying near FLL could save you some cash. Check hotels like Hyatt Place or Courtyard.

[mdepsmom]

I'm flying into FLL and sailing out of Miami the following day.  My Ft. Lauderdale hotel isn't on the list of shuttle stops, but it does offer a free shuttle to FLL.  So my plan is to take the free hotel shuttle to FLL the morning after I arrive, then take the $15 SAS shuttle to POM.  I have done this before and it works great.

[mlbcruiser]

Great idea!  Looks like we are going to stay with my brother tonight and then go from his house to the port. If he takes us to Fort Lauderdale, he may just as soon drive us to POM. He wouldn't have to get up that early. Coming back maybe we should get a ride with SAS from POM to LL would use up some time and he would probably be more than happy to go to lunch or who knows what as we won't have to be back at FLL until about 3:30.  

[Elaine5715]

On 9/28/2024 at 7:32 AM, CruiserBruce said:

I have not heard of hotels arranging shuttles from the FLL area to PortMiami. The FLL hotels typically only arrange shuttles to Port Everglades.

 

If you look on the websites for the shuttles, they typically list what hotels they pick up at. You just need to stay at those hotels.

 

On 9/28/2024 at 12:57 PM, mlbcruiser said:

I had not heard of shuttles from Fort Lauderdale hotels running to the port of Miami either. That's why I was thinking I should stay in Miami. I'm sure I'll get it all worked out. Thanks for the advice everyone.

PreVid, the Quality Inn on Stirling had a free shuttle to Port Everglades and a paid ($20) shuttle to POM. They usually picked up at one or two other hotels

[Elaine5715]

On 9/27/2024 at 11:46 PM, mlbcruiser said:

Elaine, very good suggestions! I thought Uber would likely be more than that. I'm sure you know how jammed up it can be getting into the port in Miami and it can take some time. Heaven forbid if there's a wreck on 95 or something! The Uber will likely be cheaper than the shuttle since we'd have to pay for two separate people if we use the cruiseline shuttle. Last time we took a cruiseline shuttle it was $30 pp. That  was in July,  but it was from the port in Amsterdam, Netherlands to Schiphol Airport.. A lot shorter distance than from the port of Miami to FLL. 
 

Thanks for the information and for posting!  

Rideshare prices don't increase like taxis when there is traffic. I usually sail solo so it is usually cheaper for me to take cruise line shuttles.  I am kinda impatient on my way to the ship so I opt for rideshare.  On the way back, I dislike the debarkation chaos and it is just easier to find a big bus

[mlbcruiser]

Oh I don't take Ubers enough to have known that. Yes I should have. But when you think about it, I definitely should have known it because they quote a price upfront. I'm sure the factor in the usual scenario like how crowded it is getting into the port. Thanks for the info! 
Good to know about that extra shuttle to the Miami port that the Quality Inn has. May be a couple of others offer that as well.