From Orlando to Miami

[tinkerone]

Don't want to rent a car but looking for thoughts on how to get from point A to point B.
Besides renting a car and driving yourself, how have you completed this journey? I would like to spend a week in Orlando before we do a cruise out of the Miami port.

 

[Capt_BJ]

there are flights nearly hourly

there are bus services ....red coach is the high end https://www.redcoachusa.com/destination/orlando-to-miami/

and there are shuttle services ..... http://www.floridashuttletransportation.com/destinations/orlando/orlando-to-miami-shuttle-bus.html

 

[joelkfla]

There's also Amtrak. Train #97, the Silver Meteor, is scheduled to depart Kissimmee at 1:26 pm daily, and arrive at Miami at 6:39 pm. But you need to be flexible; over the past 30 days, it's been over 30 minutes late 4 times, and 2 of those times it was about 2 hours late departing and about 90 minutes late into Miami.

There's another train, #91 the Silver Star, which is scheduled to depart at 10:44 am, but it arrives in Miami only 40 minutes earlier, and has a much worse on-time record.

 

[Lynne G]

We drove from Orlando to Miami with our rental car after flying into and out of Orlando, and cruised out of Miami. Took us about 4 or so hours, stopping once on the way down for food, once on way back for food and gas. Used the turnpike, as I heard Route 95 into Miami was to be avoided at all costs. With my sun pass I could use the turnpike’s no stop lanes to pay, just paid a little bit more than if I had that other Florida road pass, but much cheaper than paying cash, and having to stop.

And was was great to use that fee to drive road, as no traffic on it on the two days we used it. We parked at port, as was nice to be able to arrive and go as we wanted. We left around 8am on the way down, and was back in Orlando by lunchtime on way back. Since we had an evening flight home, we enjoyed lunch in the parks and more park fun before returning the car.

Your choice of transportation , but I would do a drive to the Miami port from the Orlando area again. Though I don’t mind driving. Drove a rental from Ft. L to KW and back, after staying a week in KW. Flew in to Ft L in morning, and had an late afternoon flight back. We enjoyed some beach time, and grabbed lunch before returning the rental. Now that SW flies into Miami, I’ll price the two airports if we want to go to KW again. Same with cruising out of Miami.

 

[JimMIA]

I have some friends who always use Red Coach from Miami when visiting Disney, and they swear by it. DD has also used it a number of times for their exclusive UCF-MIA trip going back and forth to college.

The one you would use going from Orlando would leave from their main terminal which is just across the street from MCO, and would return you there, and I believe they provide a free shuttle to and from MCO. I don't know if they have any connecting shuttles between WDW and the MCO area, but you could always Uber.

The trip takes about 4 hours and if you book early, it's pretty reasonable. That bus also terminates at MIA (at Terminal J Departures). DD usually pays <$40 each way for the UCF-MIA trip, but fares can go up to about $60 per person or higher. From MIA to Port Miami is a very quick trip, with lots of shuttle services.

If you drive, I would definitely take the Turnpike and get a SunPass. I-95 would be way out of your way unless you were going to Cocoa Beach first. The Turnpike is a boring, but easy, drive that gets more congested from West Palm Beach south. South of Ft. Lauderdale (a little bit past the Seminole Hard Rock casino), you should take the Homestead extension of the turnpike to FL 836 eastbound, which will take you directly to the Port. That's a much better route than crawling down I-95 or taking FL 826 to 836.