Adding Miami visit to October F&W visit?

[miamimama]

We have ressies for the first time during the Food and Wine festival this year - Thurs-Mon in October at BWV( just DH and I) We would like to add on a few days to our vacation to visit Miami - does anyone have suggestions as to the best way to do this? We've considered:
1) Fly to Miami or FLL, rent a car and drive to Disney, fly out of MCO
2) Fly to Orlando, rent a car there and drive to Miami and fly out of MIA or FLL
3) Do flights to both cities - although we'd still need a car in MIA, but not necessarily MCO if we do ME.
4) Too much trouble - just go to Miami some other time!

I haven't priced things yet, but I just wondered if anyone has done this, and how the drive is now from Orlando to Miami - haven't done it in a quite a while.
Also, am I right in assuming that we need to stay over a weekend to get the most out of Food and Wine?

Thank you in advance!

 

[CarolMN]

Moving to Transportation Board - maybe some of the posters there will have some thoughts on this.

 

[DOOM1001]

With just 5 days I would stick to Disney,the drive is still close to 4 hours,turnpike is still the fastest and most reliable way,avoid I-95 like the plague as it doesn't matter if you're driving back to Miami on a Sunday at midnight there will ALWAYS be too many crazy drivers,an accident or construction that will add as much as 1-2 hours to your trip.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I have a business meeting in Miami week after next. Flying to FLL. As I am in the 'neighborhood, I am driving to WDW and spending a week there, flying home from MCO.

Doom, what route would you suggest? I have this on Google now...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...05,-80.853882&spn=2.177465,3.532104&z=8&via=1


The other choice was...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...6.509905,-80.853882&spn=2.177465,3.532104&z=8

 

[DOOM1001]

I have a business meeting in Miami week after next. Flying to FLL. As I am in the 'neighborhood, I am driving to WDW and spending a week there, flying home from MCO.

Doom, what route would you suggest? I have this on Google now...
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...05,-80.853882&spn=2.177465,3.532104&z=8&via=1


The other choice was...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou...6.509905,-80.853882&spn=2.177465,3.532104&z=8

I've done the Miami to Orlando drive probably several hundreds of times and you definitely don't want to do option 1,there's no reason to get on a rural road like 441.Occasionally I'll take US 27 which is another rural road further west than 441 and goes through a couple of ugly towns around the lake and a couple nicer ones closer to Orlando,I'll only do that if I'm bored of the major highways and I have time,it takes longer but it's different.I've only taken that route on the east side of the lake up 441 once and it was probably worse than US 27 as the towns I saw made me feel like I was somewhere in the south in the 1930's.

If you want to get to Orlando ASAP find your way to the turnpike and just stay there,the trip will cost like $18 in tolls if you don't have a Sunpass transponder that will save you 25%.If you want to save some money take I-95 to exit 129 (exit 152 on the turnpike) get off there and grab the turnpike which is like 1 mile away from I-95,doing that you will pay $8 in tolls without Sunpass.Do not take I-95 anytime around rush hour from Palm Beach County south as your 4 hour trip could become 6 hours.So do option #2,find the turnpike and just stay there,definitely the fastest,easiest way.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the tips.

Does this one look the same? Looks like I am on 95 for a little bit.

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/?org=aj&FORM=Z9LH7#/38v7m3qxprdxn7oy

 

[DOOM1001]

Well it just depends on where in South Florida you'll be at to get on the Turnpike.I live far out west so i just take the main street that runs east West by my house and drive about 3-4 miles east where I can grab the turnpike.If you're in Downtown Miami you're best bet is to drive north on 95 and around Miami Gardens you can take the exit which leads you to the turnpike.If you're in Miami Dade county but more west of Downtown,say around the airport you might be better off to drive west on the Dolphin expressway(836) where you'll hit the turnpike around the Dolphin mall.So location where you will be at and also at what time will you be leaving is another thing to consider where you will grab the Turnpike.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I will be leaving from the Fontainebleau Hotel, hopefully around 9 AM or so.

 

[DOOM1001]

I think you should be OK,traffic should be heaviest on I-95 going south but you'll be going north on 95 until you hit the exit to get on the turnpike around Miami Gardens.To get to I-95 from your hotel you'll want to get the Julia Tuttle Causeway (I-195) to get out of Miami Beach.Since you'll be leaving pretty close to rush hour you might the possibility of some traffic even on the turnpike but it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks again, Doom.

And sorry to hijack your thread, miamimama; hope some of that discussion also helped you.