Guide To Florida Car Rental (Transfer To Port)

[Bagbklyn]

Just wanted to confirm the free pick up from Port of Miami car rentals are Dollar/Thrifty and National/Alamo?

[manmtnmike]

Does Avis provide free shuttle from port of Miami to car pick up?

[Bequia]

Does Avis provide free shuttle from port of Miami to car pick up?

 

No but the downtown Avis location is 5 minutes from the port, cab fare is less then $7. You'd be in and out the Avis rental office and on your way to wherever your going before the free shuttles even leave the Port of Miami. You'd avoid the 25 minute ride to the airport rental locations, avoid waiting on line with dozens of travelers to get a car. Sometimes that free shuttle just isn't worth it. ;)

[manmtnmike]

No but the downtown Avis location is 5 minutes from the port, cab fare is less then $7. You'd be in and out the Avis rental office and on your way to wherever your going before the free shuttles even leave the Port of Miami. You'd avoid the 25 minute ride to the airport rental locations, avoid waiting on line with dozens of travelers to get a car. Sometimes that free shuttle just isn't worth it. ;)

 

Thanks! It's setting up a post cruise stay (at Sofitel) and convience is critical to a good vacation ending!

Mike

[Bequia]

Mike, The Sofitel hotel is right across from the airport (nice property btw). It might make more sense to just grab the free shuttle at the port as it's going to take you to rental locations minutes from your hotel anyway. I'd wrongly assumed you were heading north to Ft Lauderdale or south to the Keys where avoiding the airport rental scene would have made sense. If you can get a better rate with the airport rental locations and a free shuttle to boot, go for it.

[manmtnmike]

Mike, The Sofitel hotel is right across from the airport (nice property btw). It might make more sense to just grab the free shuttle at the port as it's going to take you to rental locations minutes from your hotel anyway. I'd wrongly assumed you were heading north to Ft Lauderdale or south to the Keys where avoiding the airport rental scene would have made sense. If you can get a better rate with the airport rental locations and a free shuttle to boot, go for it.

 

Bequia,

I booked with Avis downtown Miami-M61

99 Southeast 2nd st....is that the rental location you're referring to?

 

Thanks~!!

 

Mike

[Bequia]

That's the one Mike. ;)

[manmtnmike]

Bequia,

 

Thanks... Is there a name for the free shuttle you speak of?

Mike

[Bagbklyn]

Last time I took the cab to the miami location. It was quick and convenient, the only part that kind of made me feel bad is that some of these cab drivers even though its there job wait more then an hour and all for a $7 cab ride, which they have to pay $1 from there to pay to leave the port.

[DMRick]

Can someone please give me some help with this? I'm not at all familiar with the area. What seems like it would be the easiest, if to find a place I can rent from from our hotel (Hampton Plantation) and then we can use their shuttle service and dump the luggage first. Thank you.

 

I am getting off a cruise at FLL on a Saturday, checking into Hampton Plantation (they have a shuttle if I need it) and then going down to the Keys for the day, returning to Hampton Plantation at night. I have a second cruise on Sunday. I would like to return my car Sunday morning early, and take the Hampton shuttle to the port so I don't have to pay for an additional car rental day (I plan on spending the day until I have to leave for the cruise with family at the Hampton). Are any of the car rentals near The Hampton? I could either get the car at the port and return it near the Hampton, or return it in the am at the airport and catch the Hampton shuttle back to the Hampton. Anyone have other suggestions of how to have a car for just 24 hours? Thank you.

[Bequia]

I'd call the Hampton Inn Plantation at 954-382-4500 and ask them what car rental agencies are conveniant to their hotel. They may even have an arrangement with Enterprise or National where the rental car is dropped off and picked up at the hotel for you. ;)

[DMRick]

Thanks..why didn't I think of that. I did, they have an arrangement with Budget. They have a car drop off service.

 

I'd call the Hampton Inn Plantation at 954-382-4500 and ask them what car rental agencies are conveniant to their hotel. They may even have an arrangement with Enterprise or National where the rental car is dropped off and picked up at the hotel for you. ;)

[Bequia]

Way to go :rolleyes:

[foft]

I've called a few of the car rental agencies (Budget, Avis, Hertz), and none of them offer a shuttle from the airport to the Port.

 

When did this change?

 

FOFT

[Bequia]

I've called a few of the car rental agencies (Budget, Avis, Hertz), and none of them offer a shuttle from the airport to the Port.

 

When did this change?

 

FOFT

 

Each individual car rental agency based at the Ft Lauderdale Airport no longer has their own shuttle buses. When they built the shared car rental center opposite terminal one a couple of years ago they eliminated all of the individual shuttle vans/buses to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. They now use a shared shuttle bus (hybrid btw) operated by the county.

The following passage is out of the 2007 cruise guide published by Broward County:

Most car rental firms are licensed to do business at Port

Everglades and, when ships are in port, may provide courtesy

shuttle service to/from the cruise terminals to their nearby

off-site locations.



Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport recently

opened a Rental Car Center which houses a number of car

rental companies servicing both the airport and the seaport.

A single shuttle pickup at Port Everglades is offered for the

following rental car companies at the Center: Alamo, Avis,

Budget, Continental, Dollar, Enterprise, EZ Rent-A-Car, Hertz,

National, Payless, Royal and Thrifty.

http://www.broward.org/port/pdfs/cruiseguide/cruise_guide_2007_whatsnew.pdf

 

 

[twocats]

Thanks Bequia for that info, that clears things up for me too. I need a rental car post cruise and just haven't figured out which company to go with but if they are all located together it shouldn't matter much. So, wait for a shuttle or pay $10 to $15 for a quick ride to the Airport Rental Center by taxi. That part is easy for me. I will probably be tired of lines by the end of my cruise. :D

[foft]

Each individual car rental agency based at the Ft Lauderdale Airport no longer has their own shuttle buses. When they built the shared car rental center opposite terminal one a couple of years ago they eliminated all of the individual shuttle vans/buses to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. They now use a shared shuttle bus (hybrid btw) operated by the county.

 

 

 

Thanks Bequia for the info. Just wondering if you have had the opportunity to ride in one of these shuttles? Do you know when they run?

 

I'm getting a lot of conflicting information when I call the rental agencies. Budget Airport says there is no shuttle, but the Budget at the Quay has one. Alamo says they have one that runs from 8AM to 3PM from the port, but only 12noon to 3PM to the port. (I don't know how that works. What, they just don't pick up people going to the port? that makes no sense, but the Alamo rep clearly said Noon to 3pm). National says that have one that runs 8AM to 3PM both to and from the port (I suspect its the same shuttle as Alamo, and they are sister companies).

 

The impression that I'm getting from your information is that the Alamo/National shuttle is really run by the county, and that the Budget rep simply didn't know that it existed.

 

Hoping someone can clear this up for me.

 

 

FOFT

[foft]

More confusion:

 

A rep at 1-800-22-SUNNY has no knowledge of a shuttle from the Airport to the Port.

 

I then tried calling the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, and they also had no knowledge of a shuttle run by the county. The closest thing that they knew of was Tri-County Shuttles, which appears to be an independently operated shuttle bus. Nothing wrong with that of course, but it just sounds like a different shuttle that what Bequia mentioned.

 

FOFT

[Bequia]

foft, sometimes it's just easier to grab a cab for the 5 minute ride to the port then deal with a free shuttle. ;)

[foft]

foft, sometimes it's just easier to grab a cab for the 5 minute ride to the port then deal with a free shuttle. ;)

 

Haha! I was thinking the same thing. All that time, stress, and long-distance fees it cost me calling the different rental agencies...

 

But you know, there's a part of me that always wants to make the whole trip as cost-efficient as possible. I think its an obsessive-compulsive disorder of some sort.

 

FOFT

[Hlitner]

Can someone please give me some help with this? I'm not at all familiar with the area. What seems like it would be the easiest, if to find a place I can rent from from our hotel (Hampton Plantation) and then we can use their shuttle service and dump the luggage first. Thank you.

 

I am getting off a cruise at FLL on a Saturday, checking into Hampton Plantation (they have a shuttle if I need it) and then going down to the Keys for the day, returning to Hampton Plantation at night. I have a second cruise on Sunday. I would like to return my car Sunday morning early, and take the Hampton shuttle to the port so I don't have to pay for an additional car rental day (I plan on spending the day until I have to leave for the cruise with family at the Hampton). Are any of the car rentals near The Hampton? I could either get the car at the port and return it near the Hampton, or return it in the am at the airport and catch the Hampton shuttle back to the Hampton. Anyone have other suggestions of how to have a car for just 24 hours? Thank you.

 

WOW! You are going from Plantation to Key West (?) and back on the same day you get off a cruise? You are a braver person than I! If you are planning to go all the way to Key West you might find it takes over 7 hours round trip (assuming no accidents or other traffic problems) on a good day. And you also need to factor that it takes some time to get off the ship, get all the way out to Plantation (not exactly close to the port), pick up a rental car, etc.

 

Hank

[Bequia]

get all the way out to Plantation (not exactly close to the port), Hank

 

While a day trip to the Keys is doable, it can be exhausting. The 10 mile, 15 minute ride from Port Everglades to Plantation on the other hand is a breeze. :rolleyes:

 

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=Port+Everglades,+Fort+Lauderdale,+FL&daddr=7801+S.W.+6th+Street,+plantation,+fl&sll=26.104579,-80.190411&sspn=0.109755,0.159645&ie=UTF8&ll=26.097334,-80.188694&spn=0.109762,0.159645&z=13&om=1

[takeavacation]

I'm sure this has been listed...but, that was a lot of info. to read all at one time!:)

 

Can someone please tell me.....does Alamo have a shuttle that runs from the Miami airport location to the cruise pier on Saturdays? We will be returning our rental car approx. 11am.

 

Also - how far from MIA to cruise pier - time wise?

 

Thanks!

[clevercruiser]

Can someone please tell me.....does Alamo have a shuttle that runs from the Miami airport location to the cruise pier on Saturdays?

Yes. We've used it twice - it runs about every 20 minutes

from right outside the main entrance doors of the Alamo office.

 

Also - how far from MIA to cruise pier - time wise?

About 20 minutes to the port gates, then it depends how many ships

are in port, and if you are the first or last ship the shuttle calls at

(on our last visit, he called at the furthest (Carnival) berth first,

and then worked his way back to the RCCL terminals).

 

 

~ MARK ~

[takeavacation]

Thanks for the answer about Alamo --- but, now I've changed my reservation to Dollar --- same question.....does anyone know if they have a shuttle that runs from MIA to pier? I've been assured by the 800 number person that they do.....but, who knows if that is accurate info. or not..