I know, I know: ever since you started planning your next trip to Miami you’ve been thinking only about swimsuits, sunscreen and beach towels! After all, the beaches of Miami are one of the main attractions of the city, and the sparkling and fashionable atmosphere that you can breathe in parts of South Beach is something unique in all the United States.
However, The Magic City is not just beach life and walks on the palm-fringed promenade: there are many things to see in Miami, neighborhoods full of personality such as Little Havana, Downtown Miami, and Coral Gables that are just waiting to be explored and experienced at any time of the day.
So here’s the question to face: how do you get around in Miami? How do you reach Miami Beach? If you’ve already asked yourself these questions, you’re a forward-thinking person and maybe this article will give you the answers you’re looking for; if, on the other hand, your intention is to get off the plane, take a cab, drop your bags at the hotel and spend a week on the beach in South Beach, then my advice will be of little use to you. But I’m sure that you too will want to get to know the soul of Miami, so take notes!
Contents
Getting around Miami by Car: can you do it?
The answer is affirmative: you can get around Miami by car. If you are allergic to buses and you want to reach the characteristic neighborhoods a little bit further out from the area of Miami Beach and Downtown, it is absolutely advisable to rent a car in Miami.
Another good reason may be for day trips and excursions in the surrounding area: a car is really essential if you want to reach destinations such as Key West, Everglades, Fort Lauderdale independently during your stay in the city. Obviously, in the case of a larger tour of Florida, you can take the car when you leave the city, unless you want to explore it a little more thoroughly.
If you booked a hotel in South Beach and have no intention of moving from the beach, you won’t need the car. I recommend getting around on foot or using the buses and/or trolleys, which I’ll tell you about very shortly.
How to Get Around Miami with Public Transportation
For those who don’t want to take a cab or car, Miami’s public transport network is quite reassuring: service is efficient, although there are some areas that are a bit more difficult to get around. The means of transport available are the elevated trains (Metromover and Metrorail), buses (Metrobus), streetcars (Trolley) and water cabs. Let’s look at them in detail.
Metromover
The Metromover is a free service that consists of a network of elevated trains running on monorails: from 5 am to midnight, the three available circuits connect 21 stations spread around the districts of Downtown, Brickell, Park West and Omni. We talked about this useful service in our in-depth article dedicated to the Miami Metromover. You’ll find tips, maps and useful info on where to catch it and when to get off.
Metrorail
Also in this case we talk about an elevated train with two lines (Orange and Green) that connect the neighborhoods of South Miami to the northwestern area of the city. In this case, the routes are mainly for the use of those who travel from one part of Miami to another for work, but you may need them during your stay in the city.
- The orange line connects Dadeland South to Miami airport. In fact, as we will see shortly, this Metrorail line will come in handy for getting into downtown Miami from the airport.
- The green line takes you from Dadeland all the way to Palmetto via Downtown as well.
Both lines can be used if you want to reach Coconut Grove and Villa Vizcaya or to get a little closer to Coral Gables and Wynwood. The cost of a single ride ranges from $2 to $2.25 but there are also daily ($14.75) and weekly ($60) passes.
Metrobus
Miami’s bus lines cover the entire Miami metropolitan area and beyond: lines 301 and 302 go as far as the Florida Keys while the 95 Express reaches Fort Lauderdale. Clearly, compared to elevated trains, the main disadvantage is the traffic, which can make you waste some precious time. You’ll earn it back, however, by avoiding long walks from the train stations to the outer boroughs. Here are some lines that may come in handy:
- line 7 and line 11 go to Little Havana
- line 120 goes to South Beach, while local lines C and S further cover the area from north to south
- line B goes to Key Biscayne
- line 24 goes to Coral Gables
- line 2 goes to Wynwood Walls
- lines 7, 37, 42, 57, J,150, 238, 297, 338 connect Miami airport to various areas of the city
The cost of a single ride is $2.25. If you find it useful, here is a map of Miami buses.
Miami Trolley
The streetcar (or, as it is called here, Trolley) is a traditional and mostly free form of transportation that could come in very handy in Miami. Miami’s colorful trolleys provide free access to major areas of interest in the city. The following lines are available in Miami:
- Allapattah
- Biscayne
- Brickell
- Coconut Grove
- Coral Way
- Health District
- Little Haiti
- Little Havana
- Overtown
- Stadium
- Wynwood
Schedules vary from line to line: you will find them in detail at this link; here, instead, you will find details of the routes for all trolley lines.
Trolley Miami Beach
In Miami Beach there are 4 lines active from 6 am (8 am on Sunday) until midnight. The frequency of the streetcars varies from 15 to 35 minutes.
- South Beach Loop
- Middle Beach Loop
- Collin Express
- North Beach Loop
Water Taxis
There is a unique way to get around Miami: the public Water Taxi service. There are two lines, but the most popular is the yellow one, which connects Miami to South Beach. The tickets are daily. You can book them here and cost $30 to $40 with discounts for children. Here are the stops:
- Bayside Marketplace
- Bayfront Park
- Hyatt Convention Center Miami River
- American Social Brickell Miami River
- Miami Beach Marina South Beach
- Sea Isle Marina
If you want to get to Virginia Key or one of the restaurants on the Miami River, you’ll need to book a ride on the Green Line.
How to get to Miami Beach from the airport
This question is very frequent, because there are many people who choose South Beach as the best place to stay in Miami: it is therefore natural to wonder how to get to Miami Beach from the airport, possibly without succumbing under the weight of luggage!
By cab
At the beginning of the article I mentioned the cab as a valid option for reaching South Beach from the airport. If you have a lot of luggage and don’t want to drag it on the bus, consider investing 35-40$ (flat rate) to reach South Beach by cab (for other areas of Miami the price varies from 17$ to 55$).
The great advantage is that at an affordable price you can enjoy a personalized service without having to stand in line to wait for the first free cab. The price quoted is per person and varies depending on the area where the hotel is located.
Metrorail
An option not to be underestimated if you are traveling without a lot of luggage. As anticipated, the orange Metrorail line leads to the Downtown area and, among others, also to Coconut Grove, Vizcaya, Brickell, Government Center. However, the Metrorail (cost 2.25$) does not take you to Miami South Beach: after entering the city, you will have to take the bus (line 120) or a cab.
Miami Beach Bus
With a frequency of 30 minutes and a cost of $ 2.65, line 150 is dedicated to transfers from the airport to the area of Miami Beach and, of course, Miami South Beach. From there, as anticipated, you will move around on other local lines or by trolley.
Other frequently asked questions
To summarize, I’ll briefly answer some frequently asked questions about public transportation, focusing on travel between Miami and Miami Beach.
How do I get from Miami Beach to Miami Downtown?
The fastest way is by car, or, if you don’t want to rent one, by bus, via the 120 line. From there you can then use the Metromover to take a tour of Downtown.
How do I get around Miami Beach?
If you don’t want to do it on foot or by cab, you can use a trolley or the local bus lines (A, C, M, S).
How do I get to Aventura Mall from Miami Beach?
From Miami Beach you can get to Aventura Mall, (famous mall in North Miami) via the S and 120 lines.
What else is there to know about Miami?
If you’re planning a vacation to Miami there are many other aspects you’ll need to address. Here are our other guides:
