Getting to Tampa?

[uccats97]

MegaBus but it's not the quickest route. Renting a car from the Car Care Center is easiest. I do one way rentals from WDW to TPA almost every trip. Super easy drive down I-4.

 

[meryll83]

Would we need to taxi to the car centre?
And what about at the Tampa end, do we get a taxi to the port from where we drop the car off? Our phones don't always seem to work properly in the US, so I'm not sure how we'd order a taxi if they're not ready and waiting near the drop off place.
It's all these little fiddly things that I was hoping to avoid...

 

[goofy4tink]

Tony Hinds is a reputable driver in the Orlando area - several people on the Universal forum use and recommend him. I have him booked to take us from Universal to Port Canaveral in April which is about an hour drive. I have no idea if he goes to Tampa, but considering he goes to Port Canaveral, he may. It's a similar distance, just opposite directions. I don't know if we're permitted to post contact info but he's very easy to find on Google. Good luck!

Love using Tony!!! Such a gentleman!

 

[richmo]

Would we need to taxi to the car centre?
And what about at the Tampa end, do we get a taxi to the port from where we drop the car off? Our phones don't always seem to work properly in the US, so I'm not sure how we'd order a taxi if they're not ready and waiting near the drop off place.
It's all these little fiddly things that I was hoping to avoid...

From Beach Club, its a pretty easy walk over to the car rental location at the Swan/Dolphin. No need for a taxi. If you go with the Car Care Center location, you would give them a call a day before you want to be picked up and a shuttle would come and get you (presumably at the Beach Club). If your phone isn't working, I would think someone at the Beach Club would make the call for you.

I'm not sure how you'd handle things on the Tampa end. I guess you'd be dropping the car at the airport (TPA). I'd suggest looking at the TPA airport website to see what transportation options they may have to the port or maybe your cruise line has a shuttle from there.

 

[meryll83]

Thanks for your advice everyone - I'm starting to think I'll narrow my focus to only cruises that depart from Port Canaveral!

 

[richmo]

Thanks for your advice everyone - I'm starting to think I'll narrow my focus to only cruises that depart from Port Canaveral!

You could do that, but my advice would be to pick a cruise and cruise line that have an itinerary you'd like. The transportation issues are generally quite similar. From Disney World, its about an hour to Port Canaveral. Tampa isn't that much farther (maybe 15-30 minutes). The transportation issues are the same, except if going on a Disney cruise there's always the option of obtaining Disney transportation and if renting a car, there are rental agencies near the port.

 

[goofy4tink]

You could do that, but my advice would be to pick a cruise and cruise line that have an itinerary you'd like. The transportation issues are generally quite similar. From Disney World, its about an hour to Port Canaveral. Tampa isn't that much farther (maybe 15-30 minutes). The transportation issues are the same, except if going on a Disney cruise there's always the option of obtaining Disney transportation and if renting a car, there are rental agencies near the port.

True, but many of the cruise lines offer a shuttle (at a cost) from MCO. That may be true at Tampa Intl but you have to get there...which can be hard to do if you aren't driving a car. Getting to MCO from WDW is very easy....DME or even a Mears shuttle.