I am flying into FLL and renting a car to drive down to Miami. I have to drop the car off at MIA airport and then get the shuttle to the port. Is this the cheapest/fastest way to get to the port of Miami?

If you're flying on the day of the sailing, talk to your agent about transfers from the cruiseline. If you're coming in a day or more early, try finding an independant transfer company. One you may want to look into is www.cruise-connection.com They offer transfers from many florida cities to each of the FL ports. They're the same company most cruiselines contract with for their transfers and you can book direct and sometimes save a few $$$.

Cheers, Neil

The last time we were at FLL airport, our flight times were changed. In order to make our connections, we had to race to Miami airport to catch a different plane. There was a van parked outside the terminal that we hired to take us to Miami. The charge was $66.50 for up to 4 passengers. (This was before the $4 per gallon gas prices!)

In January we, too, are flying into FLL. Our port is in Miami, but we like to fly AirTran and they don't serve Miami. We will again be looking for transportation.

I kept the paperwork from the last time and the website for the service we used in 2006 is www.floridalimo.com. It's just another idea if you want to compare prices.

Nadine

Nadine,

I did contact floridaalimo one time but the prices were ridiculous. I booked a car to take us to Miami and back to FLL. I just wanted to know if it was cheaper to take a taxi or shuttle?

Did you try SuperShuttle? They used to have good prices.

If you are driving yourself, make sure you have plenty of time driving back to FLL, especially if its during the week when traffic is terrible. We live in SE Florida and hate when we have to drive to Miami.
Personally I would go for the shuttle so there will be no problems. Good luck with what you decide.

quote:

Did you try SuperShuttle? They used to have good prices.

I used SuperShuttle the last two times I needed to go between those airports, and they were not good experiences. You can reserve and even pre-pay a spot on a shuttle, but they don't guarantee how quickly you'll get onto a shuttle, unless things have changed in the last year or two. I arrived into Miami and went to the SS kiosk outside, and stood there in the noise and car fumes for an hour or more both times, until a shuttle that was going to Ft. Lauderdale finally showed up. And then it made many stops between the two. It took over 2 hours to get to Ft. Lauderdale, by which time I swore I'd pay the $60+ to take a taxi next time.

Of course, I figured that had to be an unusual case, so I tried it again, with pretty much the same results. I've used SuperShuttle to get from an airport to a nearby hotel, or vice versa, but I won't use them again to go from one airport to the other, or from an airport to a hotel in another city.

Sandy

Sandy,
Have you ever used this one?

thanks for the info on the shuttles. It seems that renting a car seems to be the cheapest. I also don't have to worry about the shuttles stopping at other places.

Hi kteach, Be aware that many of the advertised rates you'll see online for rental cars will say something like "Rates starting from $__._ per day." These rates are based on renting from one location and returning the car to the same location full of gas. Call a few of the car rental agencies you're considering before you get down there and get, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. Renting from one location and dropping off at another often will have fees attached to the pricing. It may well be that the rental car would be cheaper but I'd be shocked if that were the case for a one way rental each direction. It may be worth any difference in cost, time and trouble to rent, to have your own transportation but be sure you're getting a real quote on what your cost will be before deciding for sure.

Cheers, Neil

You may want to consider a taxi, although I don't know what shuttles cost compared to taxis. When I went on my cruise back in October of 2007, the fare was a flat $24 from Miami Airport to the port.

quote:

Originally posted by kteach:
I am flying into FLL and renting a car to drive down to Miami. I have to drop the car off at MIA airport and then get the shuttle to the port. Is this the cheapest/fastest way to get to the port of Miami?

Rent from Hertz at FLL and drop off at Miami Downtown HLE
354 Southeast 1st Street
Miami, Florida 33131
Phone: 786-425-2515 Fax: 786-425-3195
Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0700-1800, Sa-Su 0800-1600.Free shuttle to port from this location and no drop charge.

quote:

Have you ever used this one?

I looked at them once but went with SuperShuttle that time. I needed to go from the airport in Miami to a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, not to the airport, SS Miami was able to do that at a very reasonable price. If only it hadn't taken them 2 hours...

Sandy

We stayed at the Florida Beaches last year and did not rent a car. Everywhere we went (airport, hotel, etc.) we were discouraged from using the Supershuttle because of the proliferation of stops. We opted for a cab--it seated four and I think the fare (two years ago this coming Sept.) was fixed at $68.00 at that time.