Are you driving to Port Everglades?

[Dave_from_Marietta]

I posted most of this information a few weeks ago when some trips were leaving out of Port Everglades. Now it's pertinent again!

Directions from WDW: Take Osceola Parkway east to the Turnpike. Take the Turnpike south to I-595. Take I-595 east straight into Port Everglades.

Directions from MCO: Take SR-528 east to I-95. Follow directions below.

Directions from I-95. Take I-95 south to I-595. Take I-595 east straight into Port Everglades. Very easy.

Most of the major car rental agencies will let you rent from one location in Florida and drop off at another location without paying drop-off fees. Verify the total price to make sure.

Port Everglades is less than two miles from the Fort Lauderdale airport (FLL), but don't assume that you would drop at their FLL station. Some of them have other offices that serve the port.

<p align=center><table border=1 cellpadding=5><tr><td align=center><b>Company</b></td><td align=center><b>Location<br>Code</b></td></tr><tr><td>Alamo</td><td>FLL</td></tr><tr><td>Avis</td><td>FLL</td></tr><tr><td>Budget</td><td>F07</td></tr><tr><td>Dollar</td><td>FLL</td></tr><tr><td>Enterprise</td><td>FLL</td></tr><tr><td>Hertz</td><td>Port Everglades</td></tr><tr><td>National</td><td>FLLP05</td></tr><tr><td>Thrifty</td><td>FL9</td></tr></table></p><p align=center><img src="http://www.dcltribute.com/maps/images/evergladescarhiremap.jpg"></p>

If you want to book a hotel, go to <a href="http://www.priceline.com/">priceline.com</a> or <a href="http://www.hotwire.com/">hotwire.com</a> and select a hotel with in the Fort Lauderdale Airport zone. You should be fine.

 

[inkkognito]

Dave's information was a lifesaver for us on the 9/9 Wonder!
I highly recommend Thrifty, as their office is located right by the port and their shuttle was very prompt...the man who checking in the car placed us in a van immediatelyand drove us to the ship.
Barb

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by Dave_from_Marietta
I posted most of this information a few weeks ago when some trips were leaving out of Port Everglades. Now it's pertinent again!

Thanks, Dave -- I was checking around to make sure I hadn't messed something up when I hastily reserved a minivan this afternoon, but it looks like I got it right.

 

[disneyholic family]

just out of curiosity, how long does it take to drive from orlando to port everglades?
I wouldn't think it's all that safe a thing to do in the middle of a hurricane...

 

[snelsonbrown]

Hello my friend,
Thank you for printing this information - I had a family stranded yesterday and the confusion was unbelievable - Joe from the Radisson contacted a Radisson in Orlando and that is where they are at this moment, but I am getting ready to call them and tell them to head to Port Everglades where I feel they will be safer - they were advised to come to Cape Canaveral, they get here to find that we are under mandatory evacution - what a mess, but at least we were able to get them a rental car and were feeling calmer when I spoke to them last night - you are a blessing to this board including Norm and I. God bless ya my friend and keep us in prayer.
always
Shirley and Norm

This most likely will be my last post since we most likely will close power tonight and we still have a lot to do to get ready - will talk whenever it is possible again.

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Originally posted by disneyholic family
just out of curiosity, how long does it take to drive from orlando to port everglades?
I wouldn't think it's all that safe a thing to do in the middle of a hurricane...

The hurricane should be north of Orlando on Monday morning; we're scheduled to be hit on Sunday afternoon; by 2 am Monday it will be on the Georgia border.

 

[talicskai]

God Bless you all ~ you are in my prayers

 

[disneyholic family]

how long a drive is it from orlando to port everglades?
when i look at the map it looks like about a 3.5 hour drive. Is that about right?

 

[disneyholic family]

i just saw that on the carnival website, they're instructing people not to drive down to port everglades....carnival is providing transportation from MCO and port canaveral for their passengers...
is DCL doing that too?....i didn't see any mention of that on their website...

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Yes, DCL is providing complimentary transportation. But you may still wish to rent a car one-way in order to get there earlier and relax.

 

[pogopossum]

one more thing to consider about driving, depending on areas evaced and timing of storm, traffic may be heavy going to the coast. on sept 7 as we got closer to pe traffic picked up, it was heavy before that on the turnpike.

 

[inkkognito]

Interestingly enough, for 9/9 DCL was doing like Carnival...they really, really, really tried to talk us into taking their bus. I don't know why, especially since they couldn't give us a consistent answer on where and when the earliest buses would be leaving. You'd think they'd be glad to deal with four less bodies! I was glad that I disregarded them and drove.
Barb

 

[disneyholic family]

hi Barb!
so how long a drive is it from orlando?
we tried to compare distances on the map.....since we know it takes about an hour to port canaveral, using the finger measuring approach we came up with something like 3 to 4 hours to port everglades.....is that how long it takes?...

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

It's 3 1/2 hours from my house, and I'm 18 miles northeast of Orlando.

Marcy

 

[disneyholic family]

thanks Marcy...so i guess my measuring method isn't too bad...
that's a long drive.......

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Beth, it's not too bad. I do the drive to West Palm all the time, and it goes quickly.

 

[inkkognito]

For us it was right around four hours, and that was with a couple of stops. We picked up our friends in Celebration, which is adjacent to WDW, at 8:30 a.m. and were at the port by 12:30. That was with one bathroom stop, one gasoline stop, dropping off the car and Thrifty, and being shuttled to the Wonder. We didn't run into any traffic, just mild congestion at one point, and the tolls were all waived due to the hurricane evacuations. Since we had our friends with us, the time went quickly as we spent it chatting. I think we solved all the problems of the world on that drive!
Barb

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

Barb, did you take I-95 or the Turnpike? I'm concerned about Monday/post-hurricane congestion on 95, but also worried about debris on the Turnpike since Jeanne is headed right over it.

 

[Dave_from_Marietta]

I'm listening to live storm coverage (audio from Channel 12 in West Palm Beach is being simulcast at www.wjno.com) and they have reports of motorists trying to drive through the storm. I hope nobody is heading to Port Everglades right now! Sustained winds of 100+ mph are in St. Lucie and Indian River Counties right now. The eye has just come ashore. If you're not hunkered down, do so now!