arriving by amtrak to Fort Lauderdale/Miami
May 9, 2012 9:25 AM Subscribe
Taking Amtrak from Tampa to Fort Lauderdale/Miami on a Friday and returning on a Sunday. Wanting to pick up a rental car at or by one of the rail stations and wondering about logistics and the best way to do this.
I'll be arriving Friday evening and leaving late Sunday morning. I'll be arriving at my final hotel location via car.
Unfortunately, the the Miami Amtrak station does not appear to be either in a great (or retail rich area), and there isnt any nearby car rental places (especially open on both a Friday evening and Sunday morning). Can any South Florida mefi-ites recommend where you might get off? Fort Lauderdale or the Hollywood stop would be fine as well, if it's easier to get a cab or get picked up at a rental place. I dont have a hotel yet, but anywhere from Fort Lauderdale to Miami would work. (Would getting a car from the FTL airport work too from a Tri-Rail stop?)
I'll be arriving Friday evening and leaving late Sunday morning. I'll be arriving at my final hotel location via car.
Unfortunately, the the Miami Amtrak station does not appear to be either in a great (or retail rich area), and there isnt any nearby car rental places (especially open on both a Friday evening and Sunday morning). Can any South Florida mefi-ites recommend where you might get off? Fort Lauderdale or the Hollywood stop would be fine as well, if it's easier to get a cab or get picked up at a rental place. I dont have a hotel yet, but anywhere from Fort Lauderdale to Miami would work. (Would getting a car from the FTL airport work too from a Tri-Rail stop?)
Some rental car agencies (Enterprise) will also provide a shuttle to pick you up, potentially.
posted by sandmanwv at 9:49 AM on May 9, 2012
posted by sandmanwv at 9:49 AM on May 9, 2012
Airport might work, several of the larger ones for FTL are actually offsite from the FLL airport. Will you have a cell phone?
Other thoughts - would you be able to book a hotel that would pick you up from the station or a Tri-Rail point?
Thanks for the post, by the way, I've been thinking about train trips and I never thought about just hopping up, down, or around the state that way! Looks like the Tampa station is near the Florida Aquarium.
posted by tilde at 11:38 AM on May 9, 2012
Other thoughts - would you be able to book a hotel that would pick you up from the station or a Tri-Rail point?
Thanks for the post, by the way, I've been thinking about train trips and I never thought about just hopping up, down, or around the state that way! Looks like the Tampa station is near the Florida Aquarium.
posted by tilde at 11:38 AM on May 9, 2012
Oh, and they have just completed some upgrades for transferring from Tri-Rail to MIA but I've not tried them out. This link says it's still a bus.
Here is the shuttle link info for FLL.
Personal experience - verify the Tri Rail times and talk to Enterprise. When my car was in the shop I rented a car from Enterprise at the FL Executive airport (different from FLL!). The exit for that is Cypress Creek (I took the tri-rail down there for years) but I would not advise walking from the station to the office (distance of about a mile and a half?) but arrange with them to pick you up/drop you off.
It is walkable, I've done it, but it wasn't in the evening and I was with a commuter group, with a panic whistle and looked like a commuter, not a luggage-wielding tourist. Not super dangerous, but not well populated evenings and weekends if you aren't a confident person with an eye for keeping an eye out for yourself.
posted by tilde at 11:46 AM on May 9, 2012
Here is the shuttle link info for FLL.
Personal experience - verify the Tri Rail times and talk to Enterprise. When my car was in the shop I rented a car from Enterprise at the FL Executive airport (different from FLL!). The exit for that is Cypress Creek (I took the tri-rail down there for years) but I would not advise walking from the station to the office (distance of about a mile and a half?) but arrange with them to pick you up/drop you off.
It is walkable, I've done it, but it wasn't in the evening and I was with a commuter group, with a panic whistle and looked like a commuter, not a luggage-wielding tourist. Not super dangerous, but not well populated evenings and weekends if you aren't a confident person with an eye for keeping an eye out for yourself.
posted by tilde at 11:46 AM on May 9, 2012
the buses there are surprisingly reliable: http://www.broward.org/BCT/MapsAndSchedules/Pages/mapsandschedules.aspx
posted by vivzan at 2:58 PM on May 9, 2012
posted by vivzan at 2:58 PM on May 9, 2012
whoops, here's Miami's bus schedule as well. Both Miami and Broward buses connect to Tri-rail.
http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/routes.asp
posted by vivzan at 3:01 PM on May 9, 2012
http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/routes.asp
posted by vivzan at 3:01 PM on May 9, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks everyone! Couldnt check this post during work for a while - so it is looking like the best option would be to get off at Fort Lauderdale and either shuttle bus or cab it to the airport (that way i could get a car at a late hour as well).
Ive taken the train from Tampa to DC but never Tampa to Miami! Figured it would be a nice relaxing way to travel cross-state (also, I have a Amtrak voucher that I need to use).
If i have a choice and am agnostic would you all recommend getting off at Fort Lauderdale or Miami?
posted by waylaid at 3:32 PM on May 9, 2012
Ive taken the train from Tampa to DC but never Tampa to Miami! Figured it would be a nice relaxing way to travel cross-state (also, I have a Amtrak voucher that I need to use).
If i have a choice and am agnostic would you all recommend getting off at Fort Lauderdale or Miami?
posted by waylaid at 3:32 PM on May 9, 2012
Depends on your time table, where you want to be when you're going to be there. If you want less driving on each end, Miami. I've spent a lot of time at that airport for pickups/drop offs, and rental cars, but not in the last eight years (there's been some remodelling).
If you don't mind driving more on each end, Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
Maybe even split up the trip to make it fit - pick up at one, but arrange to drop off at the other.
posted by tilde at 10:56 AM on May 10, 2012
If you don't mind driving more on each end, Fort Lauderdale (FLL).
Maybe even split up the trip to make it fit - pick up at one, but arrange to drop off at the other.
posted by tilde at 10:56 AM on May 10, 2012
thinking about how much you will or will not need a car, I was going to suggest a private car service to get you to/from the train and your hotel but then I remembered - so what if the car place isn't open sunday?
I mean, aren't most car places equipped for unattended drop off? Take pictures of the car before you leave, but still ...
posted by tilde at 12:51 PM on May 10, 2012
I mean, aren't most car places equipped for unattended drop off? Take pictures of the car before you leave, but still ...
posted by tilde at 12:51 PM on May 10, 2012
Hey. Sorry, just did a run to FLL this morning; airports on the mind.
After reading about it derailing this morning, I found the right keywords - there is a people mover at MIA airport that goes from external places/car rental spots. But full intermodal integration with Amtrak is not yet complete; there will be some bussing to Metro stations to pick up the line.
posted by tilde at 8:00 AM on May 14, 2012
After reading about it derailing this morning, I found the right keywords - there is a people mover at MIA airport that goes from external places/car rental spots. But full intermodal integration with Amtrak is not yet complete; there will be some bussing to Metro stations to pick up the line.
posted by tilde at 8:00 AM on May 14, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 9:28 AM on May 9, 2012