Air
Originally carved out of scrubland in 1928 by PanAm, Miami International Airport is located about 6 miles west of downtown Miami and about 10 miles from the beaches, so the journey to your hotel should be reasonably quick and comfortable. There are a number of public transport options, run by the Miami-Dade Transit Department, including buses and rail services to all areas of Miami-Dade County. Travel planning is available on the website, www.miamidade.gov. But seasoned travellers say the comfort and convenience of a car ride is preferable. All the major car rental firms operate off-site branches which are reached via shuttles from the airline terminals. Signs at the airport’s exit clearly point the way to various parts of the city, but the car rental firm should also give you directions to your destination. If you’re arriving late at night, you might want to take a taxi to your hotel and have the car delivered the next day. Taxis line up in front of a dispatcher’s desk outside the airport’s arrivals terminals. Most cabs are metered, though some have flat rates to popular destinations. The fare should be about $20 to downtown (about 15-20 minutes) and $26 to South Beach (about 20-25 minutes), plus tip. Group multi-passenger vans circle the arrivals area offering rides. Destinations are posted on the front of each vehicle and a flat rate is charged for door-to-door service to the area marked. It’s a cheaper option than a cab, but remember there’ll be several stops to drop off other passengers. Supershuttle (www.supershuttle.com) is one of the biggest airport operators and will take reservations.
Train
Amtrak rail services (www.amtrak.com) connect Miami with other American cities, but bear in mind that the US is one of the world’s largest countries with vast distances separating the major destinations. A train journey from New York to Miami, for instance, can take between 27 and 30 hours.
Road
The famous Greyhound Bus (www.greyhound.com) runs services between Miami and numerous destinations, but again, you’ll be a long time sitting. If you’re intending to drive from another part of the States, the interstate highway system connects cities and towns all over the country. Auto clubs will supply maps, suggested routes, guidebooks, accident and insurance information and emergency road service. The major auto club in the US is the American Automobile Association (AAA) www.aaa.com
