Transportation from Miami Airport

[surgie]

We are arriving the day before our cruise and staying downtown at the Radisson. We want to visit South Beach for dinner. Should we use a shuttle/taxi from the airport to our hotel and then taxi to So. Beach OR should we rent a car at the airport? I think cost-wise it's the nearly the same - I'm wondering about convenience. Is it a hassle to drive and park in So. Beach? What have others done?

[cmason]

It is a hassle to park at SoBe. Add in the cost of parking, both at your hotel and in SoBe. Most downtown hotels charge for parking, though I don't know about the Radisson. Also, you will have to return the car as well, which may be a hassle on your sail day. In SoBe, you will have to park in a deck, or if you are very lucky, a metered spot on the street, though those are a hassle to keep feeding. If you just want to visit SoBe for a few hours/dinner, then taxi would be the best bet, since SoBe is small enough to walk around, though there are several blocks.

 

If you want to check out Coconut grove, or Bal Harbour, then a car is a must, as those are a far enough away to make it likely work out vs taxi.

 

Consider doing what I am doing: staying in SoBe. I enjoy my 'day-before" and simply pay the taxi ride to the pier...easy. I have stayed downtown before, and it was boring, frightening and of zero value, since I can get nearly anywhere interesting in Miami via taxi in half an hour.

[surgie]

Thanks for the info Cmason - unfortunately I already paid for my hotel through Priceline so I'm stuck with the downtown location - now I just need to figure out how best to get around - sounds like public transportation may be best.

[stretch]

We've always just taken a cab around Miami. In the long run it's less stress and probably cheaper. I've never been a fan of having too many things to do on the day of departure, like returning rental cars, or stuff like that.

Stretch