Driving to Miami - tools and port questions

[su_A_ve]

29 days away and finally looking into this. I realized that I will more than likely end up taking part of the FL TPK.

I will not get a SunPass - Need to pay $5 (for the mini) and then deposit $10 on top of it and maintain that. So the other option is toll-by-plate. But do I need to pre register to avoid the administrative fees? Does that require a deposit like SunPass?

The other question is the port. Is the parking at the port in a garage? And is then walking distance to the Wonder or you have to take a shuttle?

TIA.

 

[owensamo]

For the tolling question, we have toll-by-plate here in NC (fairly new) but they don't charge an admin fee over the toll - they just send people random $0.36 toll bills that jump up to $6.36 and then $36.36 if you don't pay them quickly enough. NCDot also discounts the traponde-based tolls by quite a bit over the billed tolls, and the pass is free - give them $20 to put on the account, and they give you the transponder sticker. Everyone around here complains, but it sounds like a much more driver-friendly system than FDOT!

Anyway - I checked the Turnpike website and found this: http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/ESP/PayingAToll.cfm?PersonalVehicle

It looks like - in-state or out-of-state - you'll want to pre-register if you want to avoid the administrative fee.

 

[su_A_ve]

For the tolling question, we have toll-by-plate here in NC (fairly new) but they don't charge an admin fee over the toll - they just send people random $0.36 toll bills that jump up to $6.36 and then $36.36 if you don't pay them quickly enough. NCDot also discounts the traponde-based tolls by quite a bit over the billed tolls, and the pass is free - give them $20 to put on the account, and they give you the transponder sticker. Everyone around here complains, but it sounds like a much more driver-friendly system than FDOT!

Anyway - I checked the Turnpike website and found this: http://www.floridasturnpike.com/all-electronictolling/ESP/PayingAToll.cfm?PersonalVehicle

It looks like - in-state or out-of-state - you'll want to pre-register if you want to avoid the administrative fee.

From NJ and have easypass... Found a phone number so will call them tomorrow, but it seems that I still have to deposit a minimum of $10. I calculated my tolls in FL to be about $8 or less.